When to use this
Meet week for hurdlers and steeplechasers, especially championship schedules with prelims and finals on the same day.
- A 400m hurdler is skipping breakfast or eating nothing between rounds.
- A steeplechaser keeps hitting GI trouble and starts carb loading the night before instead of 48 hours out.
- A hurdler with recurring tendon, hip flexor, or ankle issues needs recovery support alongside rehab.
Advanced lab
Round-by-round fueling behind the windows
The sheet names the fueling windows. The round-by-round detail is here so a coach can match the plan to the athlete and the heat schedule.
This guidance comes from adult track and endurance research and shifts with the athlete, the heat, and the schedule. For an athlete with GI issues, recurring bone or tendon injuries, or an energy-availability concern, individualize with a sports dietitian before championship week.
Evidence sources
These references support the handout’s general education. Individual medical, supplement, laboratory, or injury questions should be handled by the appropriate qualified clinician.
- Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016.
- Close GL, Sale C, Baar K, Bermon S. Nutrition for the prevention and treatment of injuries in track and field athletes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2019.
- Mountjoy M, et al. IOC consensus statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S): 2023 update. Br J Sports Med. 2023.
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