---
id:"kb-2026-00462"
title:"Nutrition for Athletes"
schema_type:"TechArticle"
category:"health"
language:"en"
confidence:"high"
last_verified:"2026-05-22"
generation_method:"ai_assisted"
ai_models:["claude-opus"]
derived_from_human_seed:true
primary_sources:
  - title:"Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook (6th Ed)"
    type:"book"
    year:2019
    url:"https://www.humankinetics.com/products/nancy-clarks-sports-nutrition-guidebook-6th-edition"
    institution:"Human Kinetics"
secondary_sources:
  - title: "MDN Web Docs — HTTP"
    type: "documentation"
    year: 2026
    url: "https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP"
    institution: "Mozilla"
completeness: 0.88
ai_citations:
  last_citation_check:"2026-05-22"
---

## TL;DR

Athletic nutrition fuels performance and recovery. Carbs: primary fuel (glycogen). Protein: repair muscle (1.2-2.0 g/kg for athletes). Timing: pre-exercise meal 2-4h before, carb during events >1h (30-60g/h), post-exercise protein within 2h (20-40g). Hydration: drink to thirst — overhydration (hyponatremia) is dangerous.

## Core Explanation

Carb loading: taper exercise + increase carbs 3 days before marathon. Glycogen stores ~2000 calories worth — enough for ~2h intense exercise. During exercise: 30-60g carbs/hour (banana, gel, sports drink). Recovery window: 30-60g carbs + 15-25g protein within 30-60 min. Creatine: most researched supplement — improves explosive power. Beetroot juice: nitrates → vasodilation → improved endurance.

## Further Reading

- [Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook (6th Ed)](https://www.humankinetics.com/products/nancy-clarks-sports-nutrition-guidebook-6th-edition)