A little summary on fueling for training sessions of varying duration and intensities.
—> Short and Easy Session (60mins or less)
It is likely and often advised that no fueling is required before or during these types of sessions as the demand on the body is generally quite low
This may change if you are in a high volume period or carrying fatigue – pay attention to your body
Female athletes are generally not advised to train fasted so if you haven’t fuelled prior then consuming something light and natural in session is recommended
—> Long but easy session (60-90mins+)
Up to and including 60mins can be completed with little to no fuel
Anything longer it is recommended you add some fuel in small amounts (20-30g/hour)
Start with ‘real food’ (eg. banana) for the first hour or so and progress depending on the duration to ‘engineered’ fuels (eg. clif bar) 2-3hrs and beyond
—> Short but intense sessions (45-75mins including high intensity)
Performance will be optimised with some fueling pre and/or during these sessions
Ideally, you still follow the real food –> engineered fuel progression but something better than nothing
Small amounts and managed in and around the specifics in terms of intensity and session design – this is where a liquid form of fuel may come in handy!