Journal of sports sciencesSep 16, 2011

Nutrition for endurance athletes in marathon, triathlon, and road cycling

Circadian Biology Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Mar 28, 2026

Abstract

Endurance athletes should aim to limit body mass losses through sweating to 2-3% of body mass.

Dehydration and carbohydrate depletion are significant contributors to fatigue in endurance exercise lasting 30 minutes or more.
Gastrointestinal problems are common in long-distance races and may be influenced by individual genetics and dietary factors.
Hyponatraemia has been reported, particularly among slower competitors consuming high volumes of low sodium drinks.
An individualized nutritional strategy can optimize carbohydrate delivery to working muscles based on exercise intensity and duration.
High muscle glycogen concentrations at the start of endurance events may enhance performance without relying solely on traditional supercompensation methods.

Simplified

Endurance sports are increasing in popularity and athletes at all levels are looking for ways to optimize their performance by training and nutrition. For endurance exercise lasting 30 min or more, the most likely contributors to fatigue are dehydration and carbohydrate depletion, whereas gastrointestinal problems, hyperthermia, and hyponatraemia can reduce endurance exercise performance and are potentially health threatening, especially in longer events (>4 h). Although high muscle glycogen concentrations at the start may be beneficial for endurance exercise, this does not necessarily have to be achieved by the traditional supercompensation protocol. An individualized nutritional strategy can be developed that aims to deliver carbohydrate to the working muscle at a rate that is dependent on the absolute exercise intensity as well as the duration of the event. Endurance athletes should attempt to minimize dehydration and limit body mass losses through sweating to 2-3% of body mass. Gastrointestinal problems occur frequently, especially in long-distance races. Problems seem to be highly individual and perhaps genetically determined but may also be related to the intake of highly concentrated carbohydrate solutions, hyperosmotic drinks, as well as the intake of fibre, fat, and protein. Hyponatraemia has occasionally been reported, especially among slower competitors with very high intakes of water or other low sodium drinks. Here I provide a comprehensive overview of recent research findings and suggest several new guidelines for the endurance athlete on the basis of this. These guidelines are more detailed and allow a more individualized approach.

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Nutrition for endurance athletes in marathon, triathlon, and road cycling

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