Welcome back to Event Fuelling (Part 2)!
To perform your best in training or competition, it’s essential to understand how your body’s energy systems work. We began to cover this in Part 1, but in this article, we’ll dive into how the different energy systems power various types of sport more specifically.
Let’s recap, there are 3 main systems:
- The creatine phosphate system which is useful in short bursts of max intensity efforts.
- Anaerobic glycolysis is the system that shifts into gear once the creatine phosphate system is depleted. This is useful for exercises lasting between 5-30 seconds and repeated efforts within a short period of time.
- For efforts beyond the 30-60 second mark, we see the aerobic glycolysis system taking control (“Air”-obic because we need oxygen for this system to work). This system takes longer to work but generates a lot more energy than the other two.
Every sporting event is different and has its own set of energy requirements. However, they can be grouped into broad terms according to their activity pattern. Understanding which energy systems each sport uses will inform what nutrition intervention and event fuelling strategy is required, to meet the demands of the sport. So, lets explore this further!
Explosive Events
Explosive events involve a single burst or explosive action like sprinting, jumping, throwing, and Olympic weightlifting. They require a quick & powerful burst (usually lasting under 10 seconds). These types of events rely on the creatine phosphate system. While not much energy is burned in the event itself, athletes still need to fuel properly during training, where repeated efforts shift into other energy systems.
Supplements may also be extremely beneficial in this space – refer to some of our other posts.
Speed Events
Speed events require maintaining high intensity for 15–120 seconds, such as middle-distance running, rowing, swimming, or cycling. These activities rely on roughly 50% anaerobic and 50% aerobic energy. Longer events demand more oxygen, increasing the reliance on aerobic energy. Refuelling after these efforts is crucial, particularly for athletes performing multiple efforts in one day.
Endurance Events
Endurance events like marathons, triathlons, and road cycling involve repetitive actions sustained over long periods. These activities primarily use the aerobic energy system and burn carbohydrates rapidly. Athletes risk running out of fuel if they neglect proper nutrition or event fuelling. “Hitting the wall” or “bonking” occurs when carbohydrate stores deplete, and the body struggles to switch to other energy sources.
Ultra-Endurance Events
Ultra-endurance events extend the demands of endurance events. During these races, the body shifts toward burning fats through the aerobic system, providing a nearly unlimited energy source. This shift occurs because ultra events usually involve lower intensity. Athletes still need to train their bodies, practice race nutrition, and ensure their event fuelling has set them up adequately to avoid bonking.
Intermittent Events
Intermittent events, like team sports, combat sports, and racquet sports, involve unpredictable intensity and duration. Athletes alternate between high-intensity sprints and lower-intensity movements, using all three energy systems. Cross-training circuits, such as CrossFit, often fall into this category unless they feature maximal lifts (explosive events) or longer chipper workouts (endurance events).
Athletes in these events frequently face multiple taxing efforts in one day, requiring a focus on restoring energy stores between sessions. These events rely heavily on glycogen, so excluding carbohydrates during competition typically harms performance rather than improving it. Having a planned event fuelling strategy is key for intermittent style events!
What to consider next for optimal event fuelling?
Knowing which energy system your sport relies on helps you plan your event fuelling and nutrition strategy. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, so it’s about adapting your intake to meet your energy needs and recovery goals.
If you’re unsure whether your nutrition strategy is helping you perform at your best, complete our screening survey below:
