1. NUTRITION and HYDRATION for club paddlers

2. SUPPLEMENTS Ergogenic Aids (eg ginseng, royal jelly etc) Vitamins
Minerals and trace elements
Ergogenic Aids – substances that supposedly raise athletic performance but no scientific evidence. May have a placebo effect
Vitamins – supplements not necessary in a well balanced diet
Minerals and trace elements – essential for health but easily found in a well balanced diet. Excess consumption has no benefit and in some cases can result in toxic accumulation

3. TERMINOLOGY DIET – your eating habits and food consumption
NUTRITION – effectiveness of your food consumption in providing energy to the working muscles
Diet.
An adequate diet in terms of quantity and quality, before, during and after training will maximise performance.
When training only 2-3 times per week it is only necessary to ensure a balanced and healthy diet of the right quality and quantity
Nutrition.
If training hard on a daily basis your intake of energy foods will need to be increased.
If the total food intake is sufficient to meet the energy demands of the body, the intake of all other essential nutrients (except water) will sufficient as the requirement for them is not substantially increased by exercise.

4. ENERGY PRODUCTION Carbohydrates (CHO) and Energy
Energy is obtained from the glycogen (CHO) stored in the muscles and liver
It is sufficient for minutes without replacement at normal marathon pace
Rate of Energy Production
Low intensity energy from glycogen and fatty acids; high intensity only from glycogen
Harder you work the quicker the glycogen stores are used up
CHO and Energy.
During exercise the muscles obtain energy from glycogen stored in the muscles and liver. Stores are sufficient for minutes at normal marathon pace. There is no need for any form of CHO loading for events lasting less than this.
When stores are depleted your ability to perform high intensity exercise is limited
Rate of Energy Production.
As the stores of glycogen are depleted and the muscles rely increasingly on fatty acids for energy the intensity of paddling must drop as the fatty acids cannot be converted fast enough at higher intensities to meet the demand. Called fatigue!
Judgement of pace for the distance is crucial as is the amount of food and drink taken during the race.

5. BASIC DIET CHO intake – > 60% Fat intake – 25-30%
Protein intake – 10-15%
Timing of refuelling after exercise
Meal Times – fit round training sessions
Rest Days – top up CHO
General. Diet aids recovery after training and racing and enables you to train to your full potential
CHO. Low CHO intake leads to early fatigue in training and racing. Average is 40-45% - need 60%
Fat. If increase the proportion of CHO will need to reduce the amount of fat – particularly saturated fats to avoid putting on weight
Protein. Regular exercise increases your protein needs but 10-15% is adequate
Timing. Capacity of the muscles to refuel with glycogen is greatest during the first hour after training. Energy drinks are the most convenient way to achieve this. Incomplete refuelling leads to symptoms of overtraining caused by low glycogen levels
Meal Times. You may need to reorganise your meal times to fit in with your training if training more than once per day. Always start with a high CHO breakfast
Rest Days. A training programme should have regular rest days (to recover from hard training and replenish glycogen stores fully) and hard sessions interspersed with easier sessions (to reduce the drain on the glycogen stores)

6. HYDRATION Fluid Intake. 2.5 – 3.5litres/day
Fluid Loss during exercise litres/hr
Cold weather – CHO replacement more important
Hot weather – dilute CHO solution (2.5%)
Regular fluid intake avoids dehydration
Dehydration of 1% body weight reduces power capacity; 2% reduces it by 10-20%; 5% by 30%. Major cause of fatigue
Fluid Loss.
During exercise the body loses fluid through the skin as perspiration and water vapour as expired air
Some individuals sweat more than others and need to concentrate on water replacement
Regular Fluid Intake.
Necessary to avoid dehydration and to improve performance during prolonged exercise when sweat loss is high
Drinking fluids throughout the working day is essential for top physical and mental performance. Insufficient fluid intake limits your capacity to lose heat through sweating and causes the body to overheat
Use training sessions to get used to taking fluids.
250cc water every minutes provides optimal replacement for exercise <1hr; for over 1hr use a CHO-electrolyte beverage containing 5-8% CHO
Carry a drink bottle during training and during the day to keep fluid levels topped up

7. TIPS – BEFORE A RACE Nutrition Hydration Do not try new foods
Eat meals high in CHO (pasta, veg, fruit etc)
Avoid massive meals the day before – load gradually over the week before
Hydration
Increase intake over the week before
Drink several glasses of water the day before
Avoid alcohol – particularly the night before

8. TIPS – RACE DAY Breakfast Eat a high CHO meal with lots of liquid
Allow 2-3 hours to digest breakfast
Relax after breakfast to aid digestion
Afternoon Race
Eat normally up to 3-4 hrs before the race
Eat a light CHO meal 3-4 hrs before the race
Do not eat any last minute snacks
Glucose Drinks
Energy drink (<8%CHO) 1hr before the start
Drink water regularly before the start
Breakfast.
Always eat something on the morning of a race to top up glycogen stores depleted overnight. Should be low in fat, protein, bulk and fibre to make it easily digestible. Eg Orange juice, cereal and skimmed milk, toast and jam.
If the start is within 2-3 hours have the same but smaller quantities and top up with snacks later
Afternoon Competition. No more than 5 hours should elapse between your pre-event meal and the race.
Glucose drinks. Avoid high CHO drinks within 2 hrs of the start unless you suspect your glycogen stores are low

9. TIPS – DURING THE EVENT Hydration Fluid Composition Nutrition.
* Use an appropriate system to supply fluid (eg Camelback)
* Drink 40-60cc 30 minutes before the start
* Start drinking early in the race – do not wait until you are thirsty
* Sip of fluid every 15 minutes
Fluid Composition
* Any glucose drink with 4-8% CHO with electrolytes will do
* Avoid fructose drinks
* Do not add salt
Nutrition.
* Eat small quantities every minutes
Hydration.
Need a system to supply fluid which is easily accessible.
Fluid taken during the event will replace fluid lost through sweating and can provide CHO to top up your glycogen reserves if mixed with glucose.
Start drinking early – do not wait until you feel thirsty as thirst is a poor indicator of fluid needs. Ideally take a sip of fluid every 15 minutes
Fluid Composition.
Depends on the relative importance of water or fuel. This further depends on the intensity of the exercise, ambient temperature and humidity and whether you sweat a lot.
High concentrations of CHO inhibit absorption but low concentrations stimulate absorption.
Cold drinks empty faster from the stomach – ideal temperature is 8-13 degrees.
There is sufficient salt in a normal diet so no extra needed.
Matter of personal preference as to what works best for you.
Nutrition. Only required for events over 2 hrs

10. TIPS – AFTER THE EVENT Rehydration Nutrition
* Early rehydration is important
* Avoid coffee, tea, and soft drinks
Nutrition
*Start refuelling within 30 minutes and follow up with a large CHO meal within 2 hrs
Rehydration.
Replace every 100 grams lost during exercise with at least 150cc of fluid.
Drink water or nutrient rich beverages until no longer feel Thursday and then an additional 250cc.
Coffee, tea and soft drinks are diuretics which can cause dehydration.
If the exercise is repeated in a short time (eg sprint regatta)
Nutrition.
If CHO is not provided within 45 minutes of depletion, it could take 48 hours to return glycogen levels to normal. The longer you wait to refuel, the less effective it will be – particularly if you are competing/training the next day
Eat grams of CHO within 30 minutes (eg CHO drink). Do not rely on the race organisers. Take your own food to refuel at the optimum time for you.