🥋 Fuelling Your Training: The Weekly Blueprint
Whether you’re training once a week or pushing multiple sessions…
Your body needs fuel.
Turn up under-fuelled and you’ll feel it straight away:
- Low energy
- Slower reactions
- Poor focus
Get it right… and everything sharpens.
⚡ Why Weekly Fuel Matters
Training isn’t just “showing up.”
You’re:
- Learning new skills
- Building fitness
- Recovering from your last session
Fuel properly → better performance
Don’t → you’re making it harder than it needs to be
🧠 The 3 Rules (Keep It Simple)
1. Carbs = Energy
Carbs are your main fuel source.
Think:
- Rice
- Pasta
- Bread
- Potatoes
No carbs = empty tank
2. Protein = Recovery
Protein helps your body repair and rebuild.
Think:
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Yogurt
- Protein shakes
Skip this and you’ll feel it the next day.
3. Hydration = Performance
Even mild dehydration affects:
- Focus
- Reaction time
- Energy
Water isn’t optional… it’s part of training.
⏱️ What To Eat Around Training
🕒 2–3 Hours Before
Balanced meal:
- Chicken & rice
- Pasta & mince
- Jacket potato & beans
🕐 30–60 Minutes Before
Quick, light fuel:
- Banana
- Toast
- Cereal bar
💥 After Training (Most Important)
This is where recovery happens.
- Protein + carbs
- Example: sandwich, shake, chicken & rice
Miss this and your next session suffers.
⚠️ Energy Drinks: The Reality (UK Facts)
Energy drinks aren’t fuel.
They’re a short-term boost with long-term downsides.
🇬🇧 UK Caffeine Guidelines
According to the Food Standards Agency:
https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/news/fsa-and-fss-issue-guidance-on-caffeine-in-food-supplements
- Adults: up to 400mg caffeine per day, This does vary person to person… for example if I have caffeine much later than lunch time i will still be awake when the sun comes up the next day !
- Children: around 3mg per kg of bodyweight
👉 Example:
A 30kg child = roughly 90mg max per day
🥤 What’s in an Energy Drink?
A standard can (250ml) contains:
- Around 80mg caffeine
Larger cans can contain 160mg or more
👉 That can exceed a child’s daily limit in one go.
🚫 Not Recommended for Children
The NHS advises that energy drinks are not suitable for children due to high caffeine and sugar levels:
Most major UK supermarkets already restrict sales to under 16s.
📊 UK Usage
According to UK government data:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/banning-the-sale-of-high-caffeine-energy-drinks-to-children
- Around 70% of 11–16 year olds say they can easily buy energy drinks
This is why regulation is tightening.
🧠 Health Impact
UK guidance links energy drinks to:
- Poor sleep
- Anxiety
- Reduced focus
- Lower performance
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ban-on-selling-high-caffeine-energy-drinks-to-boost-kids-health
💧 Hydration Issues
The British Dietetic Association highlights that caffeine can contribute to dehydration if relied on instead of proper fluids:
https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/energy-drinks.html
And dehydration directly affects training performance.
🧠 The Bottom Line
Energy drinks:
- Spike your energy
- Then crash it
- Affect your sleep
- Don’t improve long-term performance
🥇 The Smarter Approach
Instead:
- Eat before training
- Eat after training
- Stay hydrated
- Get proper sleep
If you need a boost:
- Tea or coffee (for adults) is a more controlled option
🥋 Final Word
You don’t need perfect nutrition.
You need consistent basics.
Eat.
Drink water.
Train.
Repeat that… and everything improves.
If it needs a warning label… it’s probably not fuel.