FSHP Academy
Sports Nutrition — all lessons

Module 1: Foundations of Sports Nutrition

Energy systems and metabolism for nutritionMacronutrients and athletic performanceMicronutrients and hydration essentials

Module 2: Nutrition for Training & Competition

Pre-, intra- and post-workout nutrition strategiesFuelling for endurance vs strength/power sportsCompetition-day meal planning

Module 3: Body Composition & Weight Management

Balancing muscle gain and fat lossSafe weight-cutting practices for athletesNutrition for injury prevention and recoveryEnergy availability and RED-S

Module 4: Supplements & Ergogenic Aids

Evidence-based supplements (creatine, caffeine and others)Avoiding banned substances and doping risks

Module 5: Practical Applications

Creating individualised nutrition plansSports nutrition case studies

Fuelling for endurance vs strength/power sports

How nutrition priorities differ for endurance, team, and strength/power athletes — carbohydrate periodisation, protein, energy and body-mass considerations.

Advanced Evidence: Strong evidence 3 min read Reviewed 2026-10-31 Status: draft

Learning objectives

  • Compare nutritional priorities across sport types
  • Apply carbohydrate periodisation (“fuel for the work required”)
  • Set protein and energy targets for strength and power athletes
  • Adapt plans for weight-category and aesthetic sports

Before this lesson

Why this matters

A marathoner and a weightlifter have very different fuel needs. Matching nutrition to sport demands improves both performance and body-composition outcomes.

Priorities by sport type

Sport typeEnergy demandCarbohydrateProteinKey issues
EnduranceVery high6–12 g/kg/day, periodised1.2–1.6 g/kgLow energy availability, GI tolerance
Team sportHigh, variable5–8 g/kg/day1.4–1.8 g/kgMatch-day fuelling, recovery between games
Strength/powerModerate~4–7 g/kg/day1.6–2.2 g/kgBody mass/weight class, adequate energy

Ranges adapted from position statements [thomas2016] [jager2017].

Carbohydrate periodisation

“Fuel for the work required”: higher carbohydrate before and after high-intensity or long sessions; lower on easy or rest days. Some endurance athletes deliberately do selected low-intensity sessions with low carbohydrate availability (“train low”) to amplify adaptation signals, while ensuring high availability for quality sessions [burke2011].

Event preparation

  • Carbohydrate loading for events longer than ~90 min: ~10–12 g/kg/day for 36–48 h before [burke2011].
  • Strength and power events: ensure normal glycogen and avoid gut discomfort; weight-class athletes see weight cutting.

Common mistakes and misconceptions

Case study

A hybrid athlete preparing for HYROX trains strength and running. Her plan: 6–7 g/kg on interval and long-run days, 4–5 g/kg on strength-only days, protein 1.8 g/kg daily. Training quality improves and body mass stays stable.

Further learning: video lessons

Video links are only marked “verified” after a human has watched them. Unverified entries open a YouTube search for that channel and topic rather than a guessed link.

Introductory needs verification — opens a YouTube search

Nutrition for endurance vs strength athletes

sports dietitians (search)

You will understand: differences in fuelling priorities

Why: Overview.
Technical needs verification — opens a YouTube search

Carbohydrate periodisation

Louise Burke lectures (search)

You will understand: fuel for the work required

Why: Leading researcher.

Knowledge check

Knowledge check · 0/5

1. “Fuel for the work required” means…

Answer B. Periodised carbohydrate intake.

2. Strength athletes’ carbohydrate needs are typically…

Answer B. Lower than endurance, but still supports training.

3. Carbohydrate loading is useful for events lasting more than about…

Answer B. Pre-event supercompensation helps prolonged events.

4. A team-sport player on match day should prioritise…

Answer B. Intermittent high-intensity demands depend on carbohydrate.

5. A key risk in endurance athletes with high training volume is…

Answer B. High expenditure can exceed intake.

Short-answer & application questions

  1. Write a sample day for a marathoner and a powerlifter of the same body mass.
  2. Plan carbohydrate across a week for a cyclist with two hard sessions.
  3. What changes for a hybrid athlete?

Key takeaways

  • Endurance athletes need high and periodised carbohydrate intake matched to training load.
  • Strength and power athletes need adequate energy and protein, with moderate carbohydrate to support training volume.
  • Team-sport athletes fall between, with high carbohydrate needs on match and heavy training days.
  • Carbohydrate periodisation matches intake to the demands of each session.

Connected topics

hybrid training

The rise of hybrid training

sports nutrition

Balancing muscle gain and fat loss

strength conditioning

Aerobic endurance training

References

  1. Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM (2016). American College of Sports Medicine joint position statement: nutrition and athletic performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 48(3):543–568. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000852 Position stand check pending
  2. Burke LM, Hawley JA, Wong SH, Jeukendrup AE (2011). Carbohydrates for training and competition. Journal of Sports Sciences, 29(Suppl 1):S17–S27. doi:10.1080/02640414.2011.585473 Narrative review check pending
  3. Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14:20. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8 Position stand check pending

Educational content only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified clinician for diagnosis or treatment.