When it comes to performance, recovery and long-term health, nutrition isn’t just important—it’s foundational. Yet many active individuals unknowingly underfuel relative to their training demands.
How proper fueling supports performance
Eating enough to match your training doesn’t just prevent negative outcomes—it actively supports better performance, recovery and overall health and wellbeing. When your body is properly fueled, you are more likely to experience:
- Improved endurance, speed and/or strength
- More effective recovery between sessions
- Better training adaptations
- More stable energy levels throughout the day
- Reduced injury risk
- A more resilient immune system
Carbohydrates, in particular, play a central role in supporting performance. As the body’s primary fuel source during moderate to high-intensity exercise, they help sustain energy, delay fatigue, support recovery and replenish glycogen (your body’s stored fuel for exercise) between sessions.
Signs you may benefit from a sport dietitian
“When there is a mismatch between training and fueling, the body adapts by conserving energy—often at the expense of recovery, hormones, bone health and optimal performance.” - Sara Friedrich, Registered Dietitian
A mismatch between energy intake and training load doesn’t always look obvious. Here are some common signs your body may not be getting what it needs:
- Persistent day to day fatigue or low energy during workouts
- Excessive soreness or feeling like you can’t quite recover between training sessions
- Plateaued or declining performance (eg: speed, strength, endurance)
- Trouble building or maintaining muscle
- Recurring injuries or bone fractures
- Irregular menstrual cycles or hormonal changes
- Increased frequency of illnesses
- Poor sleep or difficulty concentrating
- Frequent digestive issues (like bloating, constipation and/or diarrhea)
These can be indicators of low energy availability, where your body doesn’t have enough fuel to support both training and daily health needs. Over time the body compensates for this limited fuel by dialing down processes like hormone production, bone building, immune function, metabolism and recovery.
| If you are experiencing severe symptoms like bone fractures or amenorrhea (loss of periods), consult a physician for a medical diagnosis alongside your nutrition plan. |
How much fuel do you actually need?
Many of us know that protein is essential for sports performance, but carbohydrates are the primary fuel source for most training sessions. Needs vary depending on intensity and duration—but even moderate training requires more than most people think.
According to the position statement by Dietitians of Canada, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American College of Sports Medicine, for someone training about one hour per day, it’s recommended that you have:
- 5–7 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight per day
For a 68 kg individual, that equals approximately:
- 340–475 grams of carbohydrates per day
To put this amount into perspective, a breakfast of 1 cup plain greek yogurt, ⅓ cup granola and ½ cup of blueberries provides 40g of carbohydrates. It can be challenging to eat enough without additional support around meal planning.
As training volume increases, so do carbohydrate needs—often reaching 6–10 g/kg/day or higher for more intense or prolonged training. If you’re not eating enough carbs to fuel your activity, your body may start to break down protein that you eat to fuel the activity and bone breakdown may occur.
| Try these delicious strawberry oat muffins for a pre-fuel workout snack. |
How can a sport dietitian support?
A sports dietitian can help bridge the gap between your training and your nutrition - ideally before you experience fatigue, stalled performance or other signs of low energy availability. They provide:
- Personalized fueling strategies tailored to your sport, schedule and goals
- Education on macronutrient needs (carbohydrates, protein, fats)
- Guidance on nutrient timing for before, during and after training
- Support for recovery, injury prevention and performance optimization
- Monitoring for signs of low energy availability or REDs to help prevent potential problems
- Practical meal and snack planning for busy lifestyles
By working with a dietitian proactively, you can optimize performance, reduce injury risk and maintain long-term health—without waiting for warning signs to appear.
This article was written by Sara Friedrich, Registered Dietitian, Sport Dietitian and Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor
*This article is for educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Consult with your healthcare practitioner or registered dietitian before making significant dietary changes, especially if you have existing health conditions.