Optimal Nutrition for Indoor Training

Now that we are in the middle of winter and experiencing the lowest temperatures of the year, it is difficult to train outdoors since the weather conditions and daylight hours are not the most suitable, but if we do not want to lose physical fitness and start the pre-season, we have no choice but, on one hand, to endure some cold, and, on the other hand, to do many more indoor workouts. At first glance, nutritionally, it may seem simpler, since being indoors and having everything more accessible often leads us to be careless, but nothing could be further from the truth; indoor nutrition is just as important, or even more important, than outdoor nutrition because there are factors that alter some physiological capacities, such as, for example, the decrease in sweat evaporation, which directly affects body temperature and, therefore, hydration.

That is why we have an article with 2 parts with a compilation of the most important recommendations to optimize energy consumption, hydration, and recovery on indoor training days. In this first part, we will talk more about hydration.

1º) Hydration when we train indoors:
One of the factors that changes the most compared to the outdoors is the variation in thermoregulation, since the human being is inherently inefficient in the ability to dissipate heat and even more so if the training is indoor, with the increase in core temperature being one of the greatest limiting factors of physical exercise, causing, for example, among other things, an increase in cardiac output which translates into higher glucose consumption and all of this, in turn, is caused by a loss of adequate hydration (euhydration). This is a main consequence of indoor training, as sweat evaporation is decreased due to the lack of moving air (convection).

Before the exercise, to face an intense indoor training session (roller, treadmill, concurrent, etc.) under the best conditions, a slight hyperhydration is recommended; this will ensure adequate thermoregulation. For this, it is recommended to consume between 7 – 10 ml/kg of body weight of a sports drink (carbohydrates + mineral salts) in the hours before the exercise. Thus, for example, a person weighing 70 kg would have to take between 490 and 700 ml, that is, at least one bottle of 500 ml. The recommendation to use a sports drink that contains mineral salts (mainly Sodium) and not just water, is due to the need to use osmotic agents that retain the ingested liquid, thus optimizing hydration. As an alternative to a sports drink, the combination of water with high-sodium mineral salt tablets could be used.

Once the training has started, during the session, we have to ensure an intake higher than what would be necessary for outdoor training, hence the recommendation to consume between 700 and 900 ml for each hour the session lasts. Ideally, this should be done with sports drinks that contain different types of carbohydrates, a source of Glucose (glucose itself, maltodextrin, sucrose, etc.) and a source of Fructose (fructose itself, sucrose, etc.). This recommendation goes beyond improving carbohydrate transport in the intestine and increasing gastric emptying; it is because this produces an increase in the net absorption of water. To achieve this, we must consume 700 – 900 ml/h of a sports drink that provides us with between 30 and 45 g of carbohydrates per 500 ml and a Sodium content of between 300 and 350 mg in those 500 ml would be sufficient. If the drink does not provide this amount of Sodium, we can complement it with a mineral salt tablet. As for the intake rate, we can follow the classic recommendations, that is, drink frequently at intervals of 15 – 20 minutes. And, since we are indoors, if we can control the temperature of the drink, all the better, it being recommended to improve assimilation and influence thermoregulation, a temperature that is between 8 and 12ºC.

After exercise, the recovery phase begins and regarding fluids (Rehydration), it is recommended to intake 150% of the weight lost during training, that is, if 1 kg has been lost, 1,5 L should be consumed. And just as we mentioned at the beginning, consuming water alone is not enough; it must be accompanied by carbohydrates (with different intestinal transporters) and a minimum amount of Sodium (500 mg/L).

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