When to use this
Season planning for a cross country program — summer base, school-year training, and championship weeks in one system.
- Preseason parent and athlete meetings where the season's fueling habits get set.
- Mileage is climbing and athletes are running on light lunches and late dinners.
- Race week keeps turning into panic changes instead of a calmer, more predictable menu.
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.
- Smith JW, Holmes ME, McAllister MJ. (2021) Nutritional considerations for performance in young athletes. Nutrients, 13(12):4267.
- Burke LM, Hawley JA, Wong SH, Jeukendrup AE. (2011) Carbohydrates for training and competition. Journal of Sports Sciences, 29(S1):S17-S27.
- Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM.(2016) ACSM/AND/DC Joint Position Statement: Nutrition and Athletic Performance.
Where to go next
