We got the Rolodex out - shout out to anyone born in the 50s or 60s - and asked our network of elite athletes and experts for their top performance tips to bring you ‘52 ways to make you a better athlete.’ One for every week of the year...

Training

1. Give it 10 minutes

Mario Fraioli, running coach and founder of The Morning Shakeout

We all have those days when we're dragging ass to get out the door, and running is the last thing we want to do. Is a slow, sh*tty slog even worth it, or should we take a zero for the day?

Get out there and give it 10 minutes. The first 5 will likely suck as you stumble through those early strides. Pay no mind to pace—just get moving. Minutes 6-8 should get a little better as your body and mind begin to engage, and by 10 you have a decision to make: turn around and head back, content with a 20-minute shakeout, or you continue on your way and finish the run you were dreading just 10 minutes ago.

More often than not, you'll start feeling better the longer you're out there. Or you might not, and that's OK too.

2. Keep the easy stuff easy, so the hard stuff can be hard

Andrew Harley, TriDot Podcast Host

Easier said than done when we want that average pace to look good on Strava. But keeping the easy stuff easy is an important skill. Staying well within our Zone 2 limits ushers in crucial physiological adaptations and saves our energy to go hard when the next session comes around.

I often kick on a more relaxed playlist or podcast to help me keep the effort in check. And remind myself an opportunity to ratchet up the intensity is just around the corner.

Pro triathlete India Lee also agreed with Andrew: “Being disciplined about taking easy stuff easy is just as important as ‘pushing through’ a harder workout.”

3. Execute the basics ruthlessly

Dr David Lipman, Director of Applied Science and Content at Supersapiens

The best are the best because their basics are the best. Make sure you are getting the fundamentals of training, recovery, sleep and nutrition right before worrying about the rest.

4. Consistency beats everything

Tom Walker, Sports Scientist and host of The Run Strong Podcast

If you can commit to being consistent in your training, you’ll see gains you can never get from one workout alone. Instead of chasing that ideal workout, look to chase the ideal training block. Today’s workout should complement your previous and the next day’s workout.

5. Regularly test for weaknesses in your S&C

Kriss Hendy, Strength For Endurance

Look to test your body for areas of weakness every 3 months, as these will be the areas that eventually catch up with you over the long term, and potentially manifest into injury or setbacks.

For example include exercises that test your single leg strength, the conditioning of your hamstrings and glutes and your ability to hold strong upper body positions.

Remember...if you aren’t testing, you’re guessing.

6. Your training plan is a direction of travel, not a tablet of stone

Jake Lowe, Coach and host of the Running With Jake Podcast

Athletes are often driven individuals who strive to ’tick off’ every single session. But life doesn’t always follow a plan, and most of us will face challenges and obstacles throughout our training. The key to success is to use a plan as a guide but stay flexible in our approach, open to change, and ready to adapt should we need to.

7. Be as efficient with your training as possible

Chris Knight, Marketing Manager at Precision Fuel & Hydration

Try to be realistic when fitting training sessions in with your daily life, e.g. speaking personally, take the dog for a run instead of a walk to kill two birds with one stone. You could find a friend to train with and hold you accountable and eliminate procrastination or fit in a session during your lunch break - like we do with our Thursday Run Club.

Pro athlete Dougal Allan explains why the timing of your training is more important than the session.

8. Find a favourite local loop

Nick Harris-Fry, The Run Testers

If you have a consistent loop you can regularly hit during runs or rides; it's a great way to gauge how your body is feeling. I know on my loop what kind of pace I normally run for a given effort level or heart rate, so I can see when I'm fatigued, if my effort is higher than normal for the pace I'm running, or maybe even a bit under the weather if my heart rate is higher than I'd expect.

9. Don't be afraid to adapt your sessions based on how you feel

Robbie Britton, ultra-endurance coach and pro athlete

If you wake up tired and sore, then pushing to your limits might not be the best idea. An extra easy day between harder sessions might be best for your adaptation and consistency, especially in the off season.

10. Keep something in your back pocket

James Phillips, Head of Athlete Support at Precision Fuel & Hydration

Always finish a training session knowing you could do 1 more mile or repetition, but don’t. This advice has helped me steer clear of numerous injuries I’m sure!

11. Be totally present in the moment

Emma Pallant-Browne, 3rd at IM 70.3 World Champs

Remain focused on your training, know your goals and each session’s purpose so you can execute to the best of your ability. This will make your training a whole lot more meaningful.

Image Credit: Ingo Kutsche Š

12. Slow it down

Tyson Popplestone, Coach and host of Running Matters podcast

Too many new athletes assume they're "not as fit as they should be" when they're struggling to run distance. While fitness obviously plays a role, the real problem for many athletes is the speed they're trying to run.

For an athlete who is brand new to the sport, I encourage you to run your easy runs at a pace which you'd be embarrassed to be seen running at - and then slow down a little more. You'd be amazed how much further you can run if you turn that pace down a notch or two.

Watch one of our favourite videos on Training Zones from leading Sports Scientist Stephen Seiler:

13. Share your plan with the people who matter

Edwina Sutton, Coach and host of Tea & Trails podcast

It'll help keep you accountable. And set mini goals along the way to help you stay motivated. Tick off mini achievements as you move through the training and be prepared to be flexible, with the mantra that being consistent, taking regular rest days, staying happy and enjoying the process is the most important part of any training plan.

Be flexible with training, but have a well thought out structured plan. Don’t be afraid to change sessions, adapt or take extra rest if needed.

Motivation / Mindset

14. Write down the thing you want to achieve, and stick it to your wall where you can see it every day

Rob Wilby, Triathlon coach and Oxygen Addict podcast host

The simple act of writing down the goal you want to achieve will make completing that goal more likely. It sounds simple and obvious, but having a Post-it stuck on your wall above your desk detailing the thing you want to do will make it more likely to happen. Whether that's to 'swim today' or 'qualify for Kona', the simple act of writing it down means you'll see that goal all day, and it'll stick in your mind, focusing your daily actions on both a conscious and unconscious level.

15. Prioritise action, and the rest follows

Kieran Alger, co-host at The Run Testers

Struggling to find motivation? Get moving. Nine times out of ten, the motivation you seek is waiting on the other side of those first stages of any workout. Feeling intimidated by a big session? Get moving. It's amazing how quickly the fear melts away once you're in the flow of doing what you do best.

16. Break each training session down into manageable segments

Elizabeth James, pro triathlete and TriDot triathlon coach

A long training session, especially one with a large number of intervals, can look intimidating. But rather than getting overly anxious or worrying about how you'll keep it together for the final efforts, focus on a smaller segment. Take each minute, each mile, or each rep as it comes. "Win" one current effort at a time before worrying about what's next.

17. Don’t be afraid to quit Strava!

James Phillips, Head of Athlete Support at Precision Fuel & Hydration

Putting your athletic life on the web for all to see can be a really positive and motivational experience for some people. It can also be the exact opposite of that for others, and just because every man (and often their actual dogs) seems to be on there, it doesn’t mean you have to be. Feel free to opt out and enjoy your exercise on your terms without judgement or peer pressure because, contrary to the popular saying, if it isn’t on Strava, it very much still counts!

Image Credit: Mad Hatter Sports Events Š

18. Build a community around you

James “Ricky” Hatton, Athlete Support at Precision Fuel & Hydration

Typically, training consists of many lonesome miles, giving you a lot of time for self-reflection. Come race day, when you're racing alone, this is good experience to have in the bank. But, since joining the team at PF&H recently, I've started training with a great community of like-minded individuals for some of my sessions.

Running with others brings a sense of camaraderie and helps tick off the sessions on days when self-motivation might not be at it's highest. Yes, on race day you are mostly on your own… but you don’t have to do everything on your own to get to race day.

Pro endurance athlete Dougal Allan expands on the importance of surrounding yourself with a great team in this piece.

19. Don’t let ‘cognitive fatigue’ be your blindspot

Sun Sachs, Co-Founder and CEO of Rewire Fitness

Athletes are often so focused on physical training and recovery that they are unaware of the cumulative effects of cognitive fatigue from stress, work, training, and personal responsibilities. The effects of mental fatigue have continued to show a negative correlation with physical performance.

Research shows that “cognitive exertion has a negative effect on subsequent physical performance." This continues to support the fact that performing at your highest level isn’t only about what you do physically but how you prepare and take care of yourself mentally.

20. Success comes from Great Faith, Great Doubt & Great Effort

Mike Ellicock, Guinness World Record Holder - 2:56 marathon with a 20lb pack

This is a line from Zen and the Art of Archery and has been a central theme for me for years. The effort kind of goes without saying but it’s important to keep ‘faith’ and ‘doubt’ in balance and recognise where you are between those two as an individual. Furthermore, where you are specifically now is really helpful in keeping both good and bad performances in training or racing in perspective.

21. Focus on your process goals

Ant Gritton, Marketing guy at Precision Fuel & Hydration

Your race is the result of those process goals. You must first work out what you can do every week to get yourself in the best shape possible. Can you swim 2x per week, bike 2x per week, run 2x per week and S&C 1x per week. These become your stepping stones toward your bigger goal. To start with, things don’t need to be fancy, because consistency over months/years will beat any 8, 12 or even 20 week panic training plan.

22. Don't be afraid to fail

Matt Page, world-record breaking endurance cyclist

You need to aim high and set tough, but achievable goals to get the best out of yourself. But when you do shoot for the stars you run the risk of failure. Every athlete will, at some time, miss their target or goal, but what stands the best apart is the ability to pick themselves up, learn from their mistakes, and use them as drivers to improve in the future.

When you do shoot for those stars, sometimes you end up crashing back down to earth. Sports Psychologist, Evie Serventi, shares her tips on how to take a DNF or DNS in your stride.

23. Know when to focus internally and when to embrace distraction

Andy Blow, Founder of Precision Fuel & Hydration

When I’m racing or going ‘all out’ in key training sessions I aim to be fully ‘in the moment’, thinking solely about how I’m performing, how my body is feeling and what is going on tactically. It’s 100% focus. Whilst it’s a great mindset for maximising performance when it matters, this attitude will burn you out if you try to apply it to every session, every day.

In contrast, when I’m doing the vast majority of my steady and easy training I’m happy to let my mind wander, to be distracted by music or an audiobook and to pass the time. This makes training less mentally taxing and way more enjoyable in the long run.

24. Enjoy the process and celebrate the small wins

Floris Gierman, Extramilest podcast host

Sure, you can take your training and racing seriously in many ways. That being said, we have to enjoy the process to keep showing up consistently. Don't be too obsessed about race day, every training day is a celebration as well. Gradual progress with small wins over a long enough time compounds into massive progress.

Masters Athlete Dr Bryce Dyer has written about maintaining motivation as you get older, and enjoying the journey is one of the six areas he looks into.

25. Age gracefully

Andy Blow, Founder of Precision Fuel & Hydration

If like me, you’re an athlete whose prime performance years are in the rearview mirror, it’s healthy to be realistic about your goals and find reasons other than out-and-out performance to keep living your best athletic life. Find motivation in the mental and physical health benefits of training, or in setting a good example for your kids and family, rather than some of the more selfish goals like PBs and race wins that might be best left for the youngsters to fight over.

Discover how ageing affects performance with insights from Andy and his Dad, Vic, plus 5 ways to adapt your training and mindset as you age. Andy even shares his big goal for 2050!

26. Don't be defined by your results

Jonny Tye, Chief Operating Officer at Precision Fuel & Hydration

In the heat of battle nothing means more than achieving your sporting goal. But never let your goals define you as a person. The life-long journey of being athletic should have much more of a lasting impact on you as a person than any single result. Don't forget to keep sport in perspective and remember most of us are out there purely to enjoy it.

Recovery

27. Monitor your morning heart rate

Eilish McColgan, British & European Record Holder, 󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣3x Olympian

Each morning I measure my resting heart rate to see how well I’m recovering from training. If I'm quite a bit higher than normal, I know my body is perhaps fighting something off, and I need an easier day.

Our man in Vancouver, Sean, also follows his heart when planning his training for the day, but he uses a slightly different metric to Eilish…

28. Look into heart rate variability (HRV) as a supplemental training tool

Sean O'Mahony, Athlete Support in 🇨🇦 at Precision Fuel & Hydration

I’ve monitored my HRV since 2014 and have used all the main devices. For me, HRV is a supporting recovery metric for how I feel (mentally and physically). If everything is negative, I'll take a day off, but if I feel good even though my HRV is low, I'll see if I ease into a session. And if I feel good and my HRV is good, no one can stop me...!

We asked Simon Wegerif from leading HRV training app/sensor developers ithlete about how HRV works and, more importantly, what it can tell us about our training.

29. Ditch the screens an hour before bedtime

Dougal Allan, pro triathlete and 2x NZ Coast-To-Coast winner

We all know sleep is critical to recovery and performance. The blue light emitted from screens tricks our brains and can make it harder for us to fall asleep. Anyone targeting fitness and performance can benefit from turning their devices off an hour before they want to sleep. That last hour can be spent reading a book, drinking herbal tea, chatting with family members or stretching. Try sticking to this rule and watch your energy and performance benefit.

Sports Scientist Inez Griffin shares 5 more top tips for improving your sleep and your athletic performance.

Image Credit: Coast To Coast Š

30. Take an annual break from training and competition

Matt Fox, Founder of SweatElite

Most of the world's best athletes take at least 2 weeks and, in the case of 800m World Record holder David Rudisha, upwards of 2 months(!) off training and racing every year. This annual break allows the body to recover properly and absorb the training over the previous block. Avoid taking the short-term view and the fear of losing fitness and instead, see the recovery period as an opportunity to reset and reach a new level in the next block.

Balancing time off and detraining is a tough decision for an amateur athlete, so I'll be aiming for somewhere in the middle of Matt's suggestion.

31. Stay mobile throughout your day

Simon Ward, triathlon coach and host of High Performance Human Podcast

Staying mobile is crucial, especially in a world where most people spend so much of their day sitting down. Try to develop a routine that becomes as much of a habit as brushing your teeth. I prefer small bouts of movement, spaced throughout the day which gets me away from my desk at regular intervals. Mobility is important for all athletes, but especially to combat the ageing process.

Our web guy Ali, agrees: “Yoga is your friend, do it once a week, and you’ll feel a lot less like a cardboard man”. Another thing that can ease those 'cardboard legs' is to…

32. Invest in regular sports massage

Andy Blow, Co-founder of PF&H

Kev James - one of British Triathlon’s team masseurs - pops into our office at least once a week to work his magic on the aching Achilles tendons and tight IT bands that are sadly an inevitable result of living the endurance lifestyle. Without Kev, I’m sure I’d have been thrown onto the scrap heap by now, and I’m convinced that finding a good massage therapist is one of the best things you can do to maximise your recovery if you want to perform at your best and remain injury free.

33. Training more? Eat and drink more

Leon Chevalier, pro triathlete, 7th at IRONMAN World Championships 2022

Make sure you’re fueling and hydrating appropriately for the training you’re doing. A common mistake when training volume goes up is that eating habits don’t move in sync. Without enough nutrition, you just can’t recover glycogen properly, and the body can’t adapt and become stronger, affecting your ability to train consistently in the long run.

Image Credit: Dave Blow Š

Read more about the dangers of under-fueling in Sports Scientist Inez Griffin’s blog on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs). As I keep having to remind myself, training more ≠ more chocolate…

Great shout from Leon there. I'm sure we all know how it feels to get 'hangry' when you forget to eat after a big session. Seano's got a way of helping us remember everything we need as we move into our final few tips on...

Equipment

34. Make a kit list and check it twice

Sean O'Mahony, Athlete Support at PF&H

I’d always recommend making a checklist of what you need for your event and ticking it off as you pop it in your bag. Your brain can rest easy, and you’ll get to sleep faster knowing everything is packed up. And then on event morning, there’s less mental energy focused on packing and panicking and more energy focused on having a great performance.

We’re huge fans of lists (and spreadsheets...). Find out how some of the pro athletes we know [use checklists to help reduce stress and improve their performance](https://www.precisionhydration.com/performance-advice/interview/how-to-prepare-a-race-checklist/ ""Control the controllables" - How elite athletes prepare a race checklist").

35. Prioritise product/athlete fit, don't just use the flashiest new gear

Andy Blow, Co-founder of PF&H

What’s the fastest tri-wetsuit? For you, it’ll likely be the one that fits the best, not necessarily the one that Jan Frodeno uses in all of the adverts. Think you’ll set courses ablaze on a replica of Sam Laidlow’s Trek bike? Only if the geometry works for your body shape and level of flexibility. What about using Eliud Kipchoge’s super shoes? Maybe the Adidas or Asics will give your running style more energy return than the Alphaflys.

You get the idea; figure out what products and technologies mesh the best with you, and your body, and you’re more likely to get optimal results.

It seems that Dr Bryce Dyer is thinking along the same lines as Andy…

36. Filter out the fads

Dr Bryce Dyer - Head of Design & Engineering at Bournemouth Uni

Every year thousands of new gadgets are marketed to athletes, all promising to make us go faster or further, usually for less effort. Only a handful of these products even come close to living up to the hype, so do your homework before you open your wallet.

Truly independent reviews online are a great place to start filtering out the rubbish and when you do jump in, try to buy from places where you can return products easily if they fail to deliver on promises.

Dr Dyer wrote about a few recent innovations that actually do what they say on the tin.

37. Try a sports massage gun

Jonny Tye, COO at PF&H

I’ll be the first to admit I was super sceptical of these self-massage tools when I was a full-time athlete with access to manual sports therapy. But, after dealing with a few niggles in recent years, I invested in a Recover Pro massage gun and have been genuinely delighted with how useful it’s been. I use it to get into my calves, hamstrings and glutes every couple of days, and it’s helping me up my running mileage with less of the tightness and pain that was starting to creep in.

🤫 Shhh... Make sure team masseur Kev doesn't hear about this robot taking his job! 🤖

38. Rotate your run shoes

James Phillips, Head of athlete support at PF&H

Most running injuries are RSI’s - Repetitive Stress Injuries - and you can subtly vary the stress and forces transmitted to your lower limbs, reducing injury risk by rotating through different shoes during your training week. I usually have 3-4 pairs on the go at any time (queue serious eye-rolling from my girlfriend as they’re getting in the way of opening the front door).

Each pair has different stack heights, outsoles and levels of cushioning. I make a point of using most, if not all, of them across my training week so that I’m never pounding out all of the miles in exactly the same footwear back to back.

Is there anything more frustrating than a lower limb niggle just when training is beginning to feel great 😢? Therapist to the ultra stars Dr Lawrence Van Lingen shares his thoughts on chronic lower leg injuries and tips on managing them.

39. Embrace (the right amount of) technology

Matt Bach, VP of Marketing at TriDot

Technology is powerful! And it can help you train much more efficiently and effectively. Be mindful that, like anything, too much of a good thing can actually be a negative. Embrace technology to the extent that it serves you and your goals.

A great reminder there from Matt to leave your Garmin at home once in a while and simply enjoy your workout without worrying about heart rate, pace or power, just like in the old days...

Fueling and hydration

40. Know your numbers

Andy Blow, co-founder of Precision Fuel & Hydration

How much carb, fluid and sodium you require per hour is the fundamental piece of fueling knowledge that all endurance athletes need to nail their fueling strategy and perform at their best. We call these factors 'The 3 Levers' because they allow you to do more work with less effort if you learn how to pull each lever correctly.

👉 Use our Fuel & Hydration Planner to get a handle on your own numbers and, for an in-depth explanation of The 3 Levers’ and how to pull them, dive into this article.

41. Pick the right type of fuel for you and the situation you're in

James Phillips, Head of Athlete Support at PF&H

You (hopefully) wouldn't choose a spanner to bang in a nail, but chowing down on a banana whilst clocking a 5:30 mile, or hitting an FTP effort on the bike, is basically the athletic equivalent. Sports drinks, gels, chews, bars and real food all have a potential place in your fuel and hydration tool kit. You just need to pick the right one for the job you’re doing. Personally, I find that whilst a PF 30 Chew works wonders pre-run or during a steady effort, gels are my go-to on anything where the pace gets a bit tasty, as they’re so much easier to eat when breathing hard.

🔧 I’ve written about the various formats of fuel and when to use them here

🔨 Learn the differences between isotonic, hypotonic and hypertonic drinks and when to use each of them

42. Eat enough around training and racing to fuel the workload

Brad Williams, Team PF&H Manager & Social Media

Big training loads require a big commitment to eating enough to support the work you’re doing. If you’re ramping up your volume or intensity, don’t be tempted to skimp on the carbs (or food in general), or get too caught up with weight loss goals because energy restriction will, more often than not, do more harm than good.

😒 Sports Scientist Inez Griffin wrote about the dangers of underfueling and the concept of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)

43. Nail your carb loading

Raff Hussey, Sports Scientist at PF&H

Starting a race or hard session fully fueled is mandatory if you want to maximise performance. Carb loading has been around since the 1960s, but it's a concept that's aged well and is as performance-enhancing now as it ever was. Start carbing up as early as ~48 hours out from a really big race, and pay attention to getting enough carbs in during the final 1-4 hours before a hard training session.

🍕 Learn how to carb load effectively (as I’ve found out in the past, it’s not about ‘who can eat the most pizza in one sitting')

44. Measure your sweat to dial in your hydration

Chris Harris, Sports Scientist at PF&H

We all sweat differently, both in terms of the volume of fluid we lose and the saltiness of our sweat. Research has suggested that appropriate fluid and sodium intake can improve middle-distance triathlon performance by as much as 26 minutes(!). Knowing your own sweat rate and sweat sodium concentration is crucial if you want to personalise your hydration strategy.

💦 We’ve produced a guide on how to measure your sweat rate from the comfort of your own pain cave

💧 To get a firm grasp on your sweat concentration, book a Sweat Test.

45. Train your gut

Scott Tindal, Co-Founder Fuelin

Over 50% of endurance athletes complain of gastrointestinal (GI) problems during racing, yet I find very few actively practice race-level carbohydrate consumption in training. This isn’t to say that all your sessions should be performed with super high-carb intakes, it’s about selectively using race simulation sessions to practice and perfect your race fueling. With this practice over time and with patience, you can significantly reduce GI complaints during your races.

🍽️ Digest my top 10 tips for gut training and learn how pro endurance athlete Dougal Allan trained his gut

46. Make sure you’re optimally hydrated before all sessions and races

Stuart Hayes, Olympian and Triathlon Coach at Team Dillon Coaching

As simple as it sounds, being properly hydrated and topping up your sodium levels ahead of hard training sessions and races will help you perform better and recover faster.

🚰 Great advice Stu, and remember that being well hydrated isn’t about just glugging down lots of water. Overdrinking can lead to a nasty condition called hyponatremia. Learn how and when to preload properly

47. Consider using caffeine intelligently

Mel Varvel, Athlete Support at PF&H

The use of caffeine is something of an artform, but we know that trimethylxanthine (caffeine’s snappy chemical name) is a strong performance enhancer for the vast majority of athletes if used intelligently. How much you take (and when you take it) will be influenced by body size, genetics, personal preference, race duration, previous experiences, tolerance, and sensitivity.

❓Should YOU be using caffeine in your fueling strategy?

⚠️ Don’t over or under do your caffeine intake. Refer to our dosage guidelines

48. Use a combination of real food and sports nutrition when going long

James Hatton, Athlete Support at PF&H

Sports nutrition helps you accurately dose carbs, sodium and fluid, and is more easily digested and convenient. But when your events last a really, really long time, you might start craving things with different flavours and textures; AKA real foods. Make sure you practice with any potential race foods in training and see which are both tolerable and practical when you’re on the move.

49. Plan how to carry your fuel and hydration and practice

Ant Gritton, Content Producer at PF&H

Once you’ve got a fuel and hydration plan, you need to work out how the heck you’ll carry your ~30-90g of carb per hour and the correct amount of fluid and electrolytes. It’s usually a pretty simple task for events under a couple of hours, but carrying everything can get complicated when you go long. Should you have a hydration bladder? Hand-held bottles? Waistpack? Aero bottles? The options are almost endless. Proper time invested in testing products and ideas in training will pay dividends on race day.

50. Take 30g of carb just before starting a big session or race

Emily Arrell, Sports Scientist at PF&H

Try taking a small dose of carb about 15 minutes before a hard session or race to get a well-timed boost to blood sugar levels right as you begin. This can increase carb availability, help to spare valuable muscle glycogen stores and is especially useful if you’ve not nailed your carb loading in advance for any reason.

✅ Opt for a PF 30 Caffeine Gel if you’re someone who benefits from the stimulant effect, or a standard PF 30 Gel or PF 30 Chew if not. As with any new approach, test this a few times in training before doing so in a race to make sure it’s a strategy that works for you.

51. Refuel and rehydrate to aid your recovery

Ali Wilson, Web Developer at PF&H

Mention recovery and the first macronutrient that usually springs to mind is protein. But if your training is primarily endurance-based, consuming enough fuel during and after exercise to top up your glycogen tanks should not be overlooked. Alongside refueling, post-session rehydration is also critical especially when sweat losses have been high.

52. Don’t believe the hype

Jonny Tye, COO at PF&H

The sports industry is rife with grandiose claims about revolutionary products and their performance-enhancing capabilities. But as Public Enemy rightly said, ‘Don’t Believe The Hype’. This is as true for fueling and hydration as it is for any other area of performance. So, before you worry about whether you need a hydrogel or a superstarch, concentrate on nailing the basics outlined in this list.

🙋️ If you've got questions about any of our 52 ways to be a better athlete in 2023, drop us an email or book a free video consultation.