Exercise nutrient interactions: maximising exercise training adaptation and performance

Athletes and coaches are continually striving to uncover new methods to enhance sporting performance. Research is beginning to provide new evidence on which to base recommendations for nutrition to enhance training adaptation and promote optimal performance during competition. However, further research is required in order to develop clear guidelines for the optimisation of such training strategies. Within this context, the findings of this thesis provide evidence for strategies to: i) promote training adaptation, and ii) enhance performance under conditions of both high and low CHO availability. Specifically, the use of ergogenic aids to restore/enhance intensity during exercise training when CHO is intentionally reduced as well as during competition under conditions of optimal CHO availability. Lastly, this thesis provides evidence for a novel ‘train-high, sleep-low’ approach that sustains the intensity of training during HIT while still affording a strategy to achieve the adaptive benefits of reduced CHO availability during recovery and subsequent exercise.