Nutrition for Power Sports: Fueling Middle-Distance Running, Track Cycling, Rowing, Canoeing/Kayaking, and Swimming

Elite power sport athletes require tailored nutritional strategies to meet high training demands and optimize performance.

• Daily carbohydrate intake is crucial for maintaining muscle glycogen levels, which influences high-intensity performance.
• The timing, type, and amount of protein intake significantly affect post-exercise recovery and adaptation.
• Aggressive nutritional recovery strategies are necessary to optimize muscle glycogen resynthesis due to demanding competition schedules.
• Increasing the power-to-weight ratio during the championship season may enhance performance for most athletes.
• There is potential for both intra- and extracellular buffering agents to improve performance, though further research is needed to understand their long-term effects.

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