Please be advised that the following statements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Below is an example of a sports nutrition program suitable for a competitive XC skier.

1. Carbohydrates: Taking supplemental carbohydrates in the form of a carbohydrate/electrolyte beverage and/or energy gel is a good idea. Taking supplemental carbohydrates during all workouts over 1 hour in length will assist in replenishing your muscle and liver glycogen, and will aid in recovery from your workouts. Taking in a supplemental carbohydrate beverage during your longer workouts will help you avoid dehydration and improve endurance, as well as reduce glycogen depletion. In addition, supplemental carbohydrates will help you avoid bonking and getting low blood sugar. Try to consume 400 calories of carbohydrate supplements per hour during training and races.

2. Recovery/Protein: It appears that you could benefit from taking supplemental protein based on your training volume. Supplemental protein assists with muscle recovery from workouts, enhances your immune system function, and helps you grow stronger in response to the stress of training. You may want to try a good recovery drink  that contains a combination of protein and carbohydrates, such as Endurox R4 or Ultragen. Both of these recovery drinks provide excellent supplemental protein, and work best if taken immediately after your workouts. Try to consume 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day.

3. Multi-vitamins and Antioxidants: You may want to consider taking a supplemental Multi-Vitamin. It is difficult for competitive athletes to obtain optimum nutrient intake from their diet alone. Be sure your multi-vitamin has high levels of antioxidants. If it does not you should consider taking a supplemental antioxidant formula to combat the cellular damage that can occur from exercise-induced free radical activity.

4. High Performance Products: Finally, to provide an extra performance boost may want to consider taking a cordycep containing supplement. Additionally both  Optygen and Vantage VO2 are effective in reducing lactic acid build up.

Hopefully these tips will help you achieve your athletic goals. Please email us at Brian@personalbestnutrition.com with any further questions. Good Luck with your training and racing!