Intra-workout nutrition; justified?
I recently attended an online seminar with some of the worlds top experts speaking about a whole range of weightlifting related topics. Coaches Only was hosted online by Weightlifting House and was a really great weekend of learning. I wrote more about it here… Lessons From Coaches Only
One of the speakers was very well known Dr Mike Israetel (Renaissance Periodisation) who spoke about nutrient timing with relation to both body composition and performance aspects. Aside from being hilarious there were some great take-away points you can apply straight away.
One aspect that I was most interested in getting his professional opinion was; does intra-workout nutrition make a difference to performance? What duration of training makes this extra nutrition justifiable?
Firstly we must understand that all things nutrition related are largely individual and although studies show trends and lean towards averages a blanket approach is rarely useful. Some people can train hard having just consumed a roast dinner and others find even a protein shake an hour before training can bring on digestive discomfort. That said, there is some basic bio-chemistry that makes sense for most people.
Training uses up blood glucose, muscle stores of glycogen and in longer durations even fat. A 90 minute weightlifting session has been estimated to require approximately ~800 Kcal in elite male weightlifters (Storey & Smith, 2012). It’s unlikely all of us will be reaching this kind of energy expenditure but anecdotally I’ve seen many peoples smart devices record around 600 Kcal in a training session of moderate/high volume of weightlifting lasting around 90 minutes.
Dr Israetel joked that if you’re spending 30 minutes on a foam roller and doing some light mobility drills chugging on a BCAA’s drink, you’re essentially an idiot (paraphrased somewhat) and I totally agree, but that beyond around 60 minutes it’s likely beneficial to be taking on some more carbs and protein if performance is the ultimate goal.
My own sessions and the sessions I programme for lifters tend to last between 75 and 120 minutes depending on the goals and training phase. So there may be a good reason to consume something to keep the end of the session going as well as it started.
How much and what?
There was no clearly defined answer to this as a lot depends on what you can stomach and still train hard having consumed. For me personally I could eat a sandwich mid-session and feel fine but usually don’t. Having your normal protein shake at the 60 minute mark could be useful as you likely would have consumed that anyway. It should have a mixture of carbs and protein for the best rates of recovery regardless of when you have it. Liquid nutrition, I believe, will pass through the gut faster and therefore be more useful in a time sensitive scenario like training or competition.
How much depends entirely on your personal calorie requirements. I will state that although I have some knowledge on the matter I do not give nutritional advice to lifters and most certainly refer out to specialists in that area. Calorie requirements can depend on a whole host of factors; weight, goals, body fat %, health issues and training requirements to name a few. Food can be a sensitive topic for some so it’s not always recommended that you track calories anyway.
Protein requirements are also fairly individual but there’s more blanket recommendations based on training activity such as 1.6-3.2g protein per kg body mass (for people undertaking moderate/heavy weight training). This range is huge and without some trial and error it’s better to speak to someone who can identify your needs quickly and put you on the right track If you have no idea where to start, get in touch and I’ll refer you to the appropriate person.
For me personally I aim for ~25-30g protein in 4-6 meals a day to get my baseline of 120-150g protein a day. Often I can get 25g of this in a shake during a longer workout and then still feel hungry enough to eat about 30mins after training. This lined up with the advice from the Dr that regular protein ‘feedings’ help maintain muscle mass and that as long as you remained aligned to your overall Kcal goals you can largely split it up as you see fit. I’ve found that beyond around an hour of training to maintain the quality and intensity of my lifts I need to have something. Sometimes it’s Haribo, sometimes its a protein shake…
Points to remember:
If your session is very short or very low in intensity, workout nutrition is likely unwarranted
You should be more focused on the whole days nutrition than any one particular meal
Get an idea of how your training goals relate to your suggested Calorie and Protein targets
If you reach ~60 minutes and only have light or accessory work left you may not need it. Apply common sense
Don’t be the douchebag sipping on BCAA’s and carbs during your mobility / recovery session
For long workouts 90-120mins where you’re expected to still be lifting heavy in the later stages of the training session, try having a liquid carb and protein source. Don’t be afraid to ‘trial and error’ it to see what works for you in training as it will likely then also work for you in competition too.
Reference
Coaches Only conference - Dr Mike Israetel, Nutrient Timing, Online - Weightlifting House (Feb, 2021)
Storey, A., & Smith, H. K. (2012). Unique aspects of competitive weightlifting. Sports medicine, 42(9), 769-790.