Most endurance athletes cannot eat the same foods that sedentary people eat, and expect to maintain a high level of performance over a long number of years. Their nutritional needs are significantly different, and need to be addressed for maximum performance. For purposes of explanation, an endurance athlete is a person who maintains elevated breathing and heartbeat rates for a significant period of time, most often two hours or more.

There are many sports whose participants are endurance athletes, even if they do not realize such. Marathoners and triathletes are obvious examples, but have you ever considered that a backpacking hiker, carrying a heavy load over many miles for extended periods of time, also qualifies? Folks who walk across a country, or row a boat across an ocean, or swim the English Channel, or engage in any prolonged activity which involves little in the way of rest, are all in the same group. Mountain bikers, trail runners, rock climbers, and even backcountry skiers, all need a special dietary intake to replace nutrients lost during prolonged sweating and exertion.

Replacing essential nutrients is the pivotal step necessary to both maintaining one’s performance level over a long period of time, and recovering as quickly as possible after prolonged exertion. This raises the question, ‘What are essential nutrients for endurance athletes?’ The answer is straightforward – the primary electrolytes, plus protein, the antioxidant vitamin E, zinc, and the B vitamins.

Most simply, the major electrolytes are calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and chloride. Supplements can provide the daily recommended amounts, which are challenging to derive from foods alone. Zinc and the B vitamins both help with the conversion of food into usable energy, while vitamin E has been shown to reduce cellular damage caused by strenuous exercise.

Introducing these nutrients into one’s diet via supplement form, combined with a varied diet, can aid physical performance during exercise. This process can also cut one’s ‘sore muscle’ phase after a lengthy workout or race, shortening the time required before another workout can begin. For any aspiring or practicing endurance athlete, addressing nutritional intake is a key step to improving performance.