Fuel · Hydrate · Adapt
Training is the stimulus. Food is the answer.
TheClub Fuel is our nutrition and hydration standard — real numbers, simple plates and a hydration strategy you can run without a spreadsheet. Adjust to your bodyweight, then be boringly consistent.
The Daily Numbers
Macronutrient Targets
Set protein first, then carbohydrate to match the week's workload, then let fat fill the remaining calories. Bodyweight drives every number — recalculate when your weight moves by more than 3%.
Protein
1.6 – 2.2 g per kg bodyweightSplit across 4 feedings of 0.4 g/kg, each carrying ~2.5 g leucine. Highest end of the range while in a deficit to protect lean mass.
Carbohydrate
3 – 6 g per kg (5 – 8 g on hard days)Periodised to workload: heavier on Day 01/03 (max strength and engine work), lower on rest days. Carbs fuel intensity, not just calories.
Fat
0.8 – 1.2 g per kgNever below 0.6 g/kg — hormonal function and fat-soluble vitamin uptake depend on it. Prioritise olive oil, eggs, oily fish, nuts.
Fibre & Colour
30 – 40 g fibre, 5+ plant coloursGut health drives absorption and recovery. Two fist-sized portions of vegetables at every main meal.
Energy Targets
Build
+10 to 15% over maintenance. Expect 0.25 – 0.5% bodyweight gain per week. Faster than that is mostly fat.
Maintain
Roughly 33 – 38 kcal per kg for four hard sessions a week. Weight stable, performance climbing.
Lean
−10 to 20% deficit, protein at 2.2 g/kg, training volume held. Aim for 0.5 – 0.75% bodyweight loss per week.
Around The Session
Meal Timing Protocol
Total intake decides body composition; timing decides how the session feels. Five touchpoints, run in order on training days.
- 01
Pre-Training — 2 to 3 hours out
Mixed meal: 0.4 g/kg protein + 1 – 1.5 g/kg easily digested carbohydrate, low fat and low fibre. Example: chicken, white rice, courgette.
- 02
Top-Up — 30 to 45 minutes out
20 – 30 g fast carbohydrate if the session is heavy or fasted: banana, dates, or 500 ml of a 6% carb drink. Skip if the main meal was recent.
- 03
Intra-Training — sessions over 75 minutes
30 – 60 g carbohydrate per hour plus 300 – 600 mg sodium per litre of fluid. Below 75 minutes, water and electrolytes are enough.
- 04
Post-Training — inside 2 hours
0.4 g/kg protein with 1 g/kg carbohydrate. The anabolic window is wider than the internet claims, but glycogen resynthesis is fastest in the first 60 minutes after depleting work.
- 05
Pre-Sleep
30 – 40 g slow protein (casein, Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese) supports overnight muscle protein synthesis without disturbing sleep.
“A 2% drop in bodyweight from fluid loss can cost you 10% of your output. Drink before you need to.”
Fluid & Electrolytes
Hydration Protocol
Water alone is not hydration. Sodium is what keeps fluid in circulation, and it's the mineral you lose most of in sweat.
- 01
Daily Baseline
30 – 35 ml per kg bodyweight before training is counted. An 80 kg athlete starts at roughly 2.4 – 2.8 litres per day.
- 02
Pre-Load
5 – 7 ml/kg in the 2 – 4 hours before training (about 400 – 550 ml at 80 kg), with 300 – 500 mg sodium to hold it in the bloodstream.
- 03
During
400 – 800 ml per hour, adjusted to sweat rate and climate. Sip on a schedule rather than to thirst — thirst lags actual loss.
- 04
Rehydration
Replace 125 – 150% of fluid lost: 1.25 – 1.5 litres for every kilogram of bodyweight lost during the session, with sodium alongside it.
- 05
Electrolytes
Per litre: 500 – 1000 mg sodium, 200 – 400 mg potassium, 50 – 100 mg magnesium. Heavy or salty sweaters go to the top of the range.
Know Your Sweat Rate
Weigh yourself, unclothed and towelled, immediately before and after a one-hour session. Every kilogram lost is roughly one litre of sweat. Add whatever you drank during the session to get your true hourly rate, then drink to that number next time.
Sweat rate = (pre-weight − post-weight) + fluid consumed
- Morning urine pale straw, not clear and not amber.
- Bodyweight stable within 1% day to day at the same time of morning.
- Session energy holds through the final working set.
- Sleep unbroken — late caffeine and late large meals are the usual culprits.
- Bodyweight loss during training under 2% of starting weight.
Build The Plate
No scales required. Hand portions scale with body size and get you within striking distance of the numbers above.
Training Day Plate
Palm of protein · 2 cupped hands of carbohydrate · 2 fists of vegetables · thumb of fat
Rest Day Plate
Palm of protein · 1 cupped hand of carbohydrate · 2 fists of vegetables · 2 thumbs of fat
Travel Plate
Two palms of protein · whatever carbohydrate is cleanest · fruit for fibre · water on the table
Only What Earns Its Place
Supplement Priorities
Food, sleep and training come first. These six have enough evidence behind them to be worth the shelf space — in this order.
Creatine Monohydrate
3 – 5 g dailyThe most evidenced performance supplement. No loading needed; timing is irrelevant. Take it every day, including rest days.
Whey or Blend Protein
20 – 40 g as neededA convenience tool, not a requirement — use it to close the gap when whole food can't hit the daily protein target.
Vitamin D3
1000 – 2000 IU (autumn to spring)Supports bone density, immune function and force output where sunlight is limited. Test before megadosing.
Caffeine
3 – 6 mg per kg, 45 min preReliable strength and endurance gains. Cut it 8 – 10 hours before bed — sleep loss undoes the benefit.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA)
1 – 2 g combined dailyUseful if oily fish appears fewer than twice a week. Supports joint comfort and recovery quality.
Electrolyte Salts
1 serving per training litreSodium-forward formulas only. Sugar-free versions are fine when carbohydrate comes from food.
General guidance for healthy adults, not medical advice. If you're pregnant, managing a health condition or taking medication, speak to a qualified professional before changing your intake.