Nail Endurance Athlete Off-Season Nutrition and Set Yourself Up for Your Best Season Yet
Let me be blunt. Off-season does not mean, "Let's undo everything you have achieved during the regular season and start from the bottom again next year!" Instead, it means taking a break, mentally and physically, for a short time before starting the process of getting prepared for another excellent season. Remember, you are an endurance athlete, and your nutrition should match it.
Let’s go through the prescription:
Reset
The first thing to do in the off-season is to relax and take pride in what you achieved. There will have been many personal victories. It is time to reflect on what went well and what was not so great concerning your nutrition goals and how it affected your health and performance. If you are a serial ‘macro-tracker,’ our advice is to stop for at least two-to-four weeks to give yourself a break. FuelIn recommends and utilizes a hand sizing method to estimate macro-nutrients on the plate. Hand sizing is an excellent opportunity to use this technique to allow yourself to switch off from tracking.
Prioritize
Within yourself, you will know what was not perfect throughout the season - whether this was your body weight, body composition, carbohydrate fueling ability, hydration strategy, or GI issues. Acknowledging the problem is the first step. The next step is to do something about the situation.
If you know anything about Arnold Schwarzenegger, you will understand that his calves were his weakness. He identified this after losing a few competitions and then went about fixing the problem. How? He cut off all his pants at the knee so that he saw his weakness every day. The result? Well, we all know his story. From a nutrition perspective, this may involve getting a DXA scan to identify your body composition, getting a metabolic cart assessment to determine your caloric requirements, consulting a nutritionist to discuss & implement practical solutions on how to improve GI distress during racing. Use this time to identify your opportunities for improvement and get serious about the priorities.
Environment
In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear states, "Environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behavior." This is such a beautifully concise statement. Nature vs. nurture. The outcomes in scientific research indicate clearly that the environment will shape the outcome. Of course, you can be dealt a bad hand of genetics, and that is unlucky. Yet, for the majority, the environment will be what shapes what your parents gave you.
In the off-season, it is an excellent opportunity to do some house cleaning - literally. Go through your pantry and eliminate the highly processed foods residing in the cupboards, fridge, and freezer. Don't blame them. Take responsibility and own the fact that either you or your partner put them there, and now it is time for them to go. Replace the low-quality food with high-quality foods that will assist you with your development as an athlete.
These quality foods will include but are not limited to the following ideas.
Fresh Proteins - animal or plant variety including meat, fish, seitan, tempeh, eggs, (and supplementally, dairy, whey, or plant protein powders)
Fresh Vegetables - leafy greens, root vegetables, salad leaves
Grains & Rice - oats, teff, brown/white rice, quinoa, freekeh, buckwheat, bread, wraps
Nuts & Seeds - dukkah, sesame seeds (white/black), almonds, brazil nuts, cashews
Supplements - whey/plant protein, creatine, carb gels, calorie bars, electrolytes
PRO TIP: Buy mason jars and get your kitchen set up correctly. Having easy access to healthy foods will help you set up your environment for success.
Adherence
A habit is a behavior that has been repeated enough times to be automatic. The off-season can provide the opportunity to create new habits so that come the start of the season, you are flying. This may involve learning new skills like cooking. We often recommend enrolling in a cooking class for knife skills and learning to cook basic dishes. Nothing fancy. A course that teaches you how to cut correctly, what knives to own, how to do a roast (chicken/fish/beef/lamb/vegetarian option), how to cook a piece of fish/steak, and how to steam or BBQ vegetables. Basic skills that will set you up to be the healthiest athlete you can be. Then, practice until it becomes automatic. You can learn the dishes you love and make these part of your in-season menu. At FuelIn, we are huge fans of keeping it SIMPLE. Start with the basics and then later you can become Gordon Ramsey and impress the family. The same goes for fueling for training -- begin to form the habits you will take into the new season. Start to learn what meals/fuel you prefer before, during, and after short, sharp rides and those better suited for the long, lower intensity sessions.
Kicking Arse
By not letting the off-season get away from you and using it to set up the following season, you will do precisely as the heading says -- kick arse. No professional athlete finishes a season, has the off-season sitting on their butt and then has the best season of their life. It just does not happen unless you put the work in. Having a plan is a big part of the solution. Think programmed cross-training, endurance training, weights training, and a periodized nutrition plan.
The above recommendations are just that, suggestions and words on paper. But, ultimately, it is up to you to do something about it. Knowledge is never enough; you must use the knowledge and integrate it with discipline, execution, and adherence.
FuelIn
Scott Tindal is a world-renowned Performance Nutrition Coach with FuelIn and has worked extensively with professional athletes, pro sports teams, and age group athletes of all levels. Scott is also a regular guest on the Purple Patch Podcast.
For more on Scott’s work with athletes, listen to the recent 3 part series on triathlete nutrition case studies here: