You  have the best training plan in the world.
You invest in the best coaching, shoes, recovery tools, and technology.

But you are feeling flat during training sessions and eating more due to feelings of fatigue.

It is not that you are training hard enough but because you are under fuelled going into your sessions.

One of the biggest performance gaps I see in endurance training is not a lack of discipline or effort. It is athletes consistently failing to fuel their bodies appropriately for the demands being placed on them.

A Real Client Example

Recently, I worked with a client preparing for long endurance events.

On the surface, everything looked strong:

• Consistent training
• Structured running sessions
• A disciplined lifestyle
• Great mobility work
• Experienced runner

But performance was plateauing. Energy was dropping during longer sessions, recovery felt slower, and the training output was inconsistent.

When we reviewed their nutrition together, a clear issue appeared:

• Very little carbohydrate intake before long running distances
• Meals high in fibre and saturated fat before training or races

Within just 10 days of changing their fuelling strategy:

✅Energy levels improved

✅Training quality increased

✅Recovery became noticeably better

✅Confidence during sessions returned

The fitness had not changed, their performance fuelling strategy had.

Why Under fuelling Happens So Often?

Many people approach endurance training with a general healthy eating mindset:

• High fibre
• Lower carbohydrates
• Wholefoods focus at every meal
• Avoiding highly processed foods
• Clean eating
• Fear of carbohydrates

For general health, these habits are absolutely beneficial.

But performance nutrition and day-to-day nutrition are not the same thing.

Performance nutrition requires context.

Before longer endurance sessions, your body needs:

• Readily available energy, glycogen stores optimised!
• Easily digestible carbohydrates
• Lower fibre intake
• Lower fat intake

This helps support glycogen stores, maintain energy levels, and reduce the risk of gastrointestinal discomfort during training.

The issue is not the food itself. The difference is in the timing, the intent, and the demands being placed on the body.

Has Sports Nutrition Has Become Overcomplicated?

One reason this topic remains misunderstood is because sports nutrition is often presented as overly technical or framed as elitist.

In reality, the foundations are relatively straightforward.

Fuel the work required. Fuel for the sessions ahead.

Many athletes will:

• Invest in running coaching
• Buy the latest equipment
• Diligently follow detailed training plans
• Spend a fortune on the best trainers

Yet continue to under fuel the very sessions they are trying to improve.

A disconnect which can significantly impact:

• Performance
• Recovery
• Adaptation
• Energy levels
• Long-term consistency

A Practical Framework for Longer Run Fuelling

Before a long run (lasting over 90 minutes)

Prioritise a carbohydrate rich meal based on your training volume and what the session demands.

Examples include:

• Bagels/toast with honey or jam
• White rice is easily digested
• Bananas
• Lower-fibre cereals like rice crispies
• Oats if tolerate well
• Orange juice

Aim for approximately 1–4g of carbohydrate per kilogram of bodyweight, depending on the duration and intensity of the session.

Choose foods that are:

• Lower in fat
• Lower in fibre
• Easy to digest

The goal is to support performance, maintain energy availability, and reduce digestive discomfort during exercise.

Top up in advance of the session with a quick easy release carb source like orange juice, banana, toast, crumpets or honey.

Devise a personalised plan based on your bodyweight as the recommendations are based on carb grams per kg of bodyweight. This is a not a one fits all approach.

Context Should Inform Strategy

This is not about sports nutrition being “better” than everyday nutrition.Both serve very different purposes.

A high-fibre, nutrient-dense meal is ideal for general health and satiety. But before a long endurance session, the priority needs to switch.

Performance nutrition is about understanding what your body requires in a specific moment.

Because when it comes to fuelling:

• Timing matters
• Intent matters
• Context matters

And when training demands increase, your nutrition strategy needs to reflect that.

Final Thoughts

If you are investing time and effort into endurance training, your fuelling strategy deserves the same attention as your training plan.

You do not need to make nutrition more complicated.

But you do need to make it appropriate for the demands being placed on your body.

Because often, the missing piece in performance is not more training.

It is better fuelling.

If you need support with your performance nutrition strategy, please get in contact and we can chat through some ideas that work around your schedule.

Stay well and optimise your health and performance.

Yvonne