A highly active person requires carbohydrates, proteins and fats to provide energy for and support recovery from physically demanding workdays. Caffeine will help you stay alert, but unlike good carbs and fats, it won’t fuel your workouts properly.
Here is a question from a future military member who is planning to endure tough training during the week and be frequently tested in demanding physical events as well.
Stew,
I am wondering how to fuel for tough testing and training days in future spec ops training. I have heard of carb loading, but I’m not sure how to apply it during training. Would it be like fueling before two-a-days in football camp?
Thanks,
Joseph
You need to embrace the ABD’s of nutrition fueling. This acronym covers the importance of when and how you fuel your body for long training days and fitness testing and how to recover from those days to do it again.
Think of fueling this way:
After, Before, During (ABDs)
After Your Training
You should eat a large meal complete with all the macronutrients (proteins, carbs, fats), plus have water and electrolytes to help counter dehydration. You need good proteins to help you recover from the long hours of physical training. Carbs will replenish immediate fuel stores in the muscles and liver so you can be ready for tomorrow.
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Yes, this is like carb loading in that you need to load up on them with fruits, vegetables and whole grains. You will also derive benefits from the calorie-dense fats added to this recovery period. Healthy fats aid recovery from tough training days by reducing inflammation, supporting hormone production and helping nutrient absorption. Omega-3 fatty acids – found in fatty fish, nuts and seeds – can help prevent long-lasting inflammation after exercise.
Adding healthy fats to your post-workout nutrition – while not as immediately essential as protein and carbohydrates for muscle repair and fuel replacement – enhances overall body recovery and supports future energy needs.
Before Your Training
When pushing yourself through fitness testing and enduring long days of physical training or work, you need carbs to meet the endurance demands of your day.
Real carb loading is more than just 12 hours of eating carbs for meals and snacks. Carb loading is more about loading up for two to three days before tough physical events.
For instance, over the weekends when I was attending Navy Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training, we would eat big burrito meals and snack on nuts, beans, rice, sweet potatoes and fruits throughout the day. Some weekends, we did Italian carb loading with pastas, salads and breads. We never missed an all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch and milkshakes on weekends.
Carb loading can work for a fitness test if it’s an endurance-focused event, but you should start one to three days before training, not just the night before or the week before. You can gradually increase your carbohydrate intake during these days to fill your muscle glycogen stores for sustained energy. Avoid starting too early or loading excessively to avoid feeling sluggish.
During an Activity
Sipping on carbohydrates or eating a piece of fruit that agrees with you can be the next boost you need to keep going when training days turn into training nights. We used to keep fruit, honey, Gatorade and other carbs, electrolytes and water handy to consume on tough training days. Even a sip every hour or so during breaks helps.
To learn what works best for you, experiment throughout your normal workouts to see what agrees with your taste buds and digestive system. The last thing you want is to take something during testing or long training days that causes gastrointestinal distress.
Why Carb Loading Works in These Situations
When enduring tough training days, snack as much as possible.
Think of carb loading like a cross-country car trip. If you don’t refuel every so often, your journey will come to an abrupt halt. Carb-loading increases the amount of glycogen (stored glucose) in your muscles and works best when physical activity is longer than 90 minutes.
Carbs are your body’s primary and most efficient fuel source for high-intensity activity. They will enhance your performance. If you are used to working out after fasting, try the same workout with carbs/glycogen in your body and see what a big difference it makes in higher-intensity events. Having blood sugar and glycogen stores will delay fatigue during prolonged training and testing events or athletic competitions as well.
Make sure that 60% to 70% of your food sources are carbs for two to three days if you want to try carb loading prior to challenging training events. This does not mean decreasing your fat and protein. Those should remain the same, but adding more calories in carbohydrate form is carb loading.
See more ideas on training when preparing for military training, testing and meeting the body-weight standards at the Military.com Fitness Section.
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