Nutrition as a Tool for Peak Performance

Making strategic nutritional choices to enhance performance

The sport of fencing is both physically and mentally demanding, encompassing offensive and defensive actions using a sword [1]. Functioning as a martial sport, it necessitates swift reflexes, agility, explosivity, endurance, and mental sharpness. Fencing typically involves a sequence of powerful attacks intertwined with moments of low-intensity movements and recovery phases, primarily sustained by anaerobic metabolism. The metabolic demand is complex and multifaceted, reflecting the sport’s intense, burst-like nature combined with periods of strategic maneuvering. The activity would predominantly rely on the anaerobic system during bouts of rapid, explosive movements, such as lunges and parries, requiring high levels of muscular strength, power, and speed. Simultaneously, aerobic capacity cannot be overlooked, as it supports sustained activity and recovery between bouts. The sport’s unique blend of dynamic physical engagement, mental strategy, and technical skill underscores the importance of a comprehensive training program designed to meet these diverse metabolic requirements [2,3]. This training journey should be complemented and upheld by appropriate nutritional practices to ensure adequate energy intake, replace fluid losses due to the high sweat rate, and facilitate recovery. Throughout its evolution, fencing has captured interest from coaches and competitors, resulting in an expanding body of literature concentrating on training approaches, but only partially about optimizing dietary tactics to amplify performance and facilitate recovery.

PMCID: PMC11055078  PMID: 38674795

Marta Lomazzi Editor: Matthew Barnes

The purpose of a pre-exercise meal or snack is to store energy before tournament or practice, and to ensure that the youth fencer does not feel hungry or too full.

For morning events, youth
should have a high carbohydrate meal the night before and a
snack that is low in fat and fiber in the morning, rather than a full
breakfast. For late-morning or early-afternoon events, experts
recommend eating approximately every 2.5 to 3.5 hours to
avoid feeling tired or hungry, and to keep the body energized
for activity.15 Athletes should strategically time breakfast and
a snack such that the second eating occasion takes place
approximately 1.5 to 2 hours prior to competition. Similarly,
athletes competing in the evening may follow a typical eating
pattern during the day, paying particular attention to consuming
a snack approximately 1.5 to 2 hours prior to the event.
In general, youth athletes should consume a normal meal
(~400 kcal) approximately 3-4 hours before exercise or a small
snack (~200 kcals) approximately 1-2 hours before exercise.
The closer the athlete eats to a workout, the fewer calories they
should consume in order to allow appropriate digestion and to
avoid stomach upset. It is recommended not to eat within 30
minutes of exercise, as foods will have less time to be digested.
Blood will also flow to the stomach, away from the exercising
muscles, which can result in stomach upset.

– “Optimal nutrition for youth athletes”

The purpose of fuel consumption during exercise is to sustain energy levels and maximize performance. For fencing events that last more than 60 minutes, fuel during exercise is
crucial. Hydration is most important – sports drinks, hydrating fruit snacks. Whole grain pretzels, raisins and peanuts, hummus, carrot sticks and pita, whole wheat crackers, yogurt and granola

The purpose of fuel following exercise is to support the recovery and repair of a youth fencer’s growing body and to replace liver and muscle stores that were lost during exercise. This should be done 30- to 60 min after an exercise(practice or tournament)

Keep in mind that body composition plays a roll in how youth athletes metabolize and store food.