Winter is a challenging period for many athletes. Cold temperatures, wet roads, less daylight and lower motivation mean that training is not always easy. However, winter training is crucial for laying a strong foundation for the coming season. With the right approach, you can get the most out of your training sessions in winter too. What should you pay attention to?
❄️ Winter vs. summer: what changes?
Training in winter is not the same as training in summer. Your body uses extra energy to stay warm and you often feel less thirsty, even though you are still losing fluids. Muscles and tendons are also stiffer in cold weather, making a good warm-up more important than ever.
If you take this into account, you can continue to train safely and efficiently even in winter.
👕 Clothing: layers are key
The right clothing can make or break your winter training. The well-known layering principle remains the golden rule:
- Base layer: a thermal, breathable shirt that quickly wicks away sweat.
- Insulation layer: retains heat, such as fleece or merino wool.
- Outer layer: protects against wind, rain and snow.
It is preferable to start your training session slightly too cool rather than too warm. Overheating causes additional sweating and increases the likelihood of cooling down afterwards.
Did you know that we have our own line of cycling kits? Ask about them at the Proti Balance shop in Vorselaar, where you can try them on. Or view the collection via our webshop.
👉 Don't forget your hat, gloves and warm socks. You lose heat fastest through your head, hands and feet.
🍽️ Nutrition: sufficient fuel, even in winter
In cold conditions, you often use more energy than you think. So make sure your nutrition remains tailored to your training volume.
- Carbohydrates remain essential for energy during training sessions.
- Eiwitten support muscle recovery and should definitely not be overlooked after your workout.
- Healthy fats are perfect for winter meals and provide long-lasting energy, such as fish. If you don't eat enough healthy fats, you can always use a supplement to replenish them, such as X-Nutri Omega-3 or X-Nutri Krillolie.
💧 Hydration
Colder temperatures often mean that you drink less. Even if you are less thirsty, it is still important to drink. You lose fluid through breathing and sweating under your clothing.
That is why a drink supplemented with electrolytes is a good idea. This makes it easier to maintain your fluid balance. For this, you can use our Concap Electrolytes with ORS 55-11 with tropical flavour. An isotonic drink powder combined with a hypotonic drink is another option for replenishing sufficient electrolytes.Ter afwisseling kan de Concap Fast Energy gebruikt worden om je van extra energie te voorzien. Deze is een typische winterdrank die vaak ook gemengd worden met de isotone drankpoeders.
Tip: drink small sips regularly and consider lukewarm drinks during longer training sessions.
💊 Supplements: what can help?
A balanced diet is always the basis, but in winter some supplements can be useful, such as:
- Vitamin D: due to less sunlight, many athletes have lower vitamin D levels. This vitamin supports muscles, bones and immunity. Extra during winter X-Nutri Vitamine D3 is therefore a good idea. One capsule per day is a maintenance dose. Are your levels too low? Then you can take two capsules per day to increase your levels. Always seek advice before increasing your dose.
- Vitamin C: provides extra support for the immune system. Especially when you demand extra effort from your body by exercising in cold temperatures, this can affect your immune system. Use the X-Nutri Vitamine C to give your body extra protection during these winter months. 2 capsules per day is a maintenance dose.
🎿 Extra attention during winter sports and long training sessions
Are you going skiing or snowboarding, for example, or are you planning a long winter drive or a winter run?
- Start with a good breakfast rich in carbohydrates. If you haven't had breakfast, be sure to use a energiereep or energiegel to provide your body with sufficient energy. In cold temperatures, your body needs extra energy to keep itself warm during exercise.
- Bring practical snacks such as energy bars or energy gels. Do you need energy quickly on the go, but find gels too runny? Then discover our Concap Fruity bars that give you lots of energy quickly.
- Afterwards, use a recovery product to help your muscles recover optimally. Use a recupshake or possibly proteinshake. For strenuous exercise, we always recommend using a product with BCAA (branched-chain amino acids). Separately or already combined in a product such as ours. Concap Recup shakes.
🧠 Finally: smart winter tips
✔ Take extra time for your warm-up to warm up your muscles sufficiently.
✔ If possible, train in daylight or ensure good lighting.
✔ Wear reflective elements for extra safety so that you are sure to be seen in traffic.
✔ Listen to your body and plan sufficient rest and recovery. Are you ill or not feeling 100%? Then taking rest is even more important to ensure your sporting performance in the future.
✅ Conclusion
Winter training doesn't have to be a battle against the elements. With the right clothing, sufficient energy, good hydration, and sufficient attention to recovery, winter is the perfect time to lay the foundation for strong performances later in the season.
Keep training, stay warm, and make the most of winter. 💪❄️
Are you unsure about which sports nutrition and drinks are best for you? Visit one of our Proti Balance shops for personalised advice. Are the shops too far away? Fill in our form for personalised advice and receive free, no-obligation advice in your inbox.