By Cath Isabedra

Athletes know the importance of fueling their bodies properly. They need to eat right, drink plenty of water and get enough sleep to perform at their best when it counts. But what exactly does “fueling” mean? How do they know whether or not something is good for performance? And how do they ensure that they’re getting everything their bodies need? Asia Food Journal had the chance to connect with Austin Carter, a professional triathlete and a national triathlon team member from New Zealand, to share what it’s like to fuel the body with the proper functional nutrition to help them improve their performance.  

Nutrition has been discovered as an essential tool for professional athletes. It is involved in recovery from injuries and illness, muscle fatigue, and weight and fat control. 

There’s a misconception that professional athletes receive little education on diet and nutrition, resulting in the vast majority of athletes experiencing problems such as inadequate nutrition, poor hydration, and poor performance. But it’s far from the truth. Athletes, nowadays, are more proactive when it comes to their nutrition, choosing to fuel their bodies with what they think is best. They’re no longer scared to dive deeper into the science behind what makes their body work at its optimal level. 

Carter understands that misconceptions still exist. But he also knows that most people are starting to learn a lot more about the importance of fueling and how to do it effectively.   

“However, I believe there is a long way to go in terms of awareness especially for the difference in the quality of carbohydrates. When consuming typical carbohydrate foods, you are required to do so more frequently as they are burnt very quickly, which ultimately leaves your ‘fuel tank’ empty after a relatively short period.” 

He explains, “Balanced carbohydrates, on the other hand, are long lasting and can be fully broken down but in a much slower rate for steady and sustained energy release. This makes them a much more effective fuel source for training and racing.” 

Fueling for Performance 

When asked whether athletes follow specific diets when preparing for an event, Carter shares, “There is no specific diet for all aspects of preparation. As professional athletes, we instead try to preform good habits around fueling and nutrition that ensure we can maximize adaptation from our training sessions and stay healthy. Only on the day of a race do we tend to have a specific nutritional intake, usually a high carbohydrate low fiber-based model, to ensure we can perform at our best.” 

Carter shares that he incorporates carbohydrates through simple foods – bananas, bread, pasta, and rice. Choosing the kind of carbohydrates to fuel the body is critical as well. “Not all carbohydrate sources are desirable for competitive sports.” 

Building a Well-Rounded Diet 

A well-rounded diet refers to a healthy diet that includes all the food groups and nutrients you need for optimal health. Eating a balanced diet can help you build muscle, lose weight, and keep your blood sugar stable throughout the day. Athletes who want to improve their performance should also consider eating foods from each food group.  

One of the questions that commonly pop out about athlete diet and nutrition is about how well-balanced it is. Carter shares that a functional nutritional and balanced diet is critical to their training. “Without sufficient nutrition, our bodies cannot adapt to the training and will eventually break down and sustain injuries. Training is all about building your body up, not breaking it down, so fueling correctly is vital to ensure we give our bodies the building blocks needed to get faster and stronger.” 

He adds, “My diet does not have set parameters or limits but instead must be met with good habits. For example, when it comes to bigger meals like lunch and dinner, I try to have 10 colors on my plate, alongside carbohydrates and a good source of proteins. I also ensure that I am topping up my carbohydrate stores within 15 minutes after I have completed a training session, such that the maximal amount of glycogen stores in my muscles can be replenished. The only variable that would change in my diet would be the volume, as on more intensive training days I need a lot more energy and therefore a lot more food.” 

Maximizing Nutrition With Supplements 

The success of fueling for athletic performance isn’t a one-way street. It needs a multi-factorial approach to help ensure athletes get the best nutrition.  

“Having a multidisciplinary diet is very important for athletes. We tend to have an overarching rule for food first, where we strive to eat whole foods especially for bulk meals like breakfast, lunch, and dinner. However, we will also turn to supplementation when it becomes necessary. Take a long ride for example, where using a balanced carbohydrate like Palatinose™ can make things a lot easier from a nutritional standpoint.” 

Curbing the Cravings 

Athletes aren’t perfect. Sometimes, they will have cravings that fall beyond what is considered “healthy” by some. It takes discipline and commitment to make sure they aren’t limiting their bodies but not spoiling them as well.  

Carter admits that athletes entirely refrain from eating fast food. After all, getting a small reward isn’t bad at all. But he stresses the importance of keeping it in moderation.  

Functional nutrition is the key to maximizing athletic performance, and athletes must understand how their bodies work to make informed decisions about what foods to eat. The best way to do this is by learning how your body uses fuel, how muscle tissue builds up over time, and which nutrients are beneficial for specific sport-related activities. 

Understand what fuels your body and how it works. Fueling your muscles properly will help you train harder when working out at the gym or running laps around a track. However, if there’s not enough fuel available in your bloodstream – such as during an endurance event – then recovery may take longer than usual—which could lead directly back into injury territory! This is where it’s critical to have an accessible source of functional nutrition.  

Carter explains, “I consider how easily and effectively these carbohydrates are consumed. For instance, I cannot put a banana in my back pocket when I’m going out for a 3-hour ride. However, as I still need a slow burning effective carb to fuel me for my session, this is where Palatinose™ fits into the picture. It’s a great carbohydrate that I use in almost all of my training sessions and races as it can be easily formulated into drinks or food but I typically use it in the form of a gel.” 

He furthers, “It also provides a solid energy source where I will not experience the highs and lows of the ‘boost and crash’ effect, like I would when using a typical sports candy or gel product made with fast carbohydrates. I really find this functional ingredient makes a world of a difference especially in longer training sessions where the fueling needs are more demanding.”   

Austin Carter is a 21-year-old professional triathlete from New Zealand and a member of the national triathlon team. As a former rower, Austin now lends his strength to the world of triathlons, training 20-24 hours a week for some of his competitions. With a passion for exploring and a love of the outdoors, Carter’s career has enabled him to travel far beyond his stomping grounds in New Zealand. His latest endeavour will be his second European campaign, where he competes in world triathlon competitions and French Grand Prix’s across Europe. Other notable achievements of Austin include winning 1^st place at the Getaria Spanish Series 2022 and 9^th at the Elite male World Triathlon New Plymouth Continental Cup 2022.