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A Zone 3 Workout is a moderate intensity workout, typically where your heart rate is between 70-80% of your max heart rate. It is a zone which is usually incorporated into programmes to improve aerobic capacity and endurance. Whilst you are in a zone 3 workout, your body relies on a steady supply of energy to sustain your performance over an extended period (anywhere between 10 minutes and an hour). This article will explain the best fuel for your zone 3 workouts, including what supplements you can incorporate to your stack to further optimise your performance.
A heart rate zone is an easy way to categorise varying levels of workout intensity; it sits in the middle of the zone 1-5 range, which represents moderate intensity effort. When you are between 70% and 80% of your max heart rate, this is where you are in zone 3. It should feel like being out of the comfort zone, while being able to sustain the intensity. In zone 3, a combination of energy systems and muscle fibres is recruited. More specifically, it combines:
Proper fuelling for zone 3 workouts is essential. As they are longer slightly more intense sessions, you should consider what you are eating pre-workout and potentially even intra-workout fuelling. In this article, we’ll also talk about post-workout nutrition to aid your recovery.
In Zone 3, your body will rely on a mix of carbohydrates and fats for fuel. The contribution of these will depend on your fitness level with fitter individuals usually having a higher contribution of fat than less fit individuals. Regardless of this, the intensity will dsictate that some carbohydrates will be required, therefore adequate carb intake ensures you have sufficient glycogen stores to maintain this intensity.
The key is your overall glycogen levels (the stored form of carbohydrate). If you are training frequently then aiming for around 3-5g/kg/bw per day of carbohydrate is advised. To achieve this you may want to aim for 40-50% of your calorie intake from carbohydrates.
Pre workout nutrition also becomes more important when doing zone 3 training compared to zone 1 or 2. This is because zone 3 is more performance focused. Ensuring that you are hydrated and taking some carbohydrates on pre training is advised.
You can use the guidelines of 90 minutes pre training aim for 0.5g-1g/kg/bw of carbohydrates in a snack or small meal. Then 30 minutes pre training make sure you hydrate and if you didn’t quite reach the amount of carbohydrates in your snack you can top up using a liquid carb source as the MARCHON Workout Fuel.
There is no real need for protein pre-training, just ensure that you are consuming around 1.6-2g/kg/bw per day.
Fats are something that should be avoided pre training. They slow digestion and are not needed as a fuel source as we have an abundance in our bodies. Fats are crucial for overall health and performance but there is no need to worry about timing them pre training. It may cause gut issues if you consume too many in the pre workout period.
Some good foods to use to fuel your training are low fibre, simple carbohydrate rich foods. These include -
Proper hydration is critical for most training sessions, especially for longer Zone 3 efforts. Proper hydration is crucial because adequate hydration helps maintain blood volume, which is essential for efficient cardiovascular function during sustained moderate-intensity exercise. Hydration plays a role in proper muscle function and can help delay fatigue during training. In addition to this proper hydration supports the body's ability to regulate temperature through sweating, particularly during longer or more intense efforts.
Remember that even mild dehydration can lead to decreased aerobic capacity and increased perceived exertion, potentially compromising your ability to maintain Zone 3 intensity.
Electrolytes are minerals in your body that carry an electrical charge when dissolved in bodily fluids like blood and sweat. They play crucial roles in many physiological processes such as -
Electrolytes help regulate the balance of fluids inside and outside of cells. During intense workouts, you lose both water and electrolytes through sweat. Replacing these is crucial for maintaining proper hydration and cellular function.
However, it's important to note that hydration needs can vary based on individual factors and environmental conditions -
Making sure you start the session adequately hydrated is key. Don’t wait towards the end of the session to think about hydration.
The MARCHON Performance Hydration product contains 750mg sodium, 200mg potassium and 100mg magnesium with a small amount of carbohydrates to enhance absorption. This is due to the activation of sodium-glucose transporters, which facilitate the movement of both glucose and water across the intestinal wall.
Intra-workout nutrition can be beneficial for Zone 3 workouts, especially for longer sessions. The duration will be the ket determinant of whether intra workout nutrition is needed.
Zone 3 workouts typically involve moderate-intensity exercise at 70-80% of maximum heart rate or 85-90% of FTP (Functional Threshold Power). Now for a session lasting less than 60 minutes, intra workout nutrition is not really needed. If the session is more than 60 minutes, consuming carbohydrates during the workout can help maintain energy levels. The general recommendation is to consume about 30g of carbs per hour of exercise, though this can increase up to 60-90g depending on the intensity. Here is a table that can help you decide whether it is needed or not.
You can use gels, liquid carbohydrates, snacks or chews. Try a few and see what works best for you.
Refueling with both carbohydrates and protein after a training session is crucial for optimal recovery and performance.
For training session under 60 minutes a good ratio to aim for is 1:1 carbohydrates to protein or 2:1 carbohydrates to protein. If it is over 60 minutes you can change this to 3:1 carbohydrates to protein.
Why is it important?
Carbohydrates are essential for replenishing muscle glycogen stores that are depleted during exercise and during zone 3 training glycogen levels will be depleted. Proper carb refueling supports performance in upcoming training sessions or competitions, especially if they occur within 24 hours. Also adequate carbohydrate intake post-exercise can help support the immune system and reduce the risk of overtraining. This is more common when volume and intensity is high.
The addition of protein after a workout is crucial for stimulating muscle protein synthesis and promoting muscle repair and growth. Protein intake is required to reach a positive protein/nitrogen balance after training.
You do not need to worry about getting this in straight after the session. Nutrient timing matters but it is not as important as overall intake. A good rule of thumb is to ensure you are consuming carbohydrates and protein in these amounts within 60-90 minutes post exercise.
This can be done using liquid nutrition such as a shake, a meal or a combination of both. Making a smoothie with banana, peanut butter, berries, milk and MARCHON Whey would be an ideal post training snack!
Zone 3 training is great to improve overall fitness and making sure your nutrition is aligned to helping you fuel this is essential.
Your overall intake is the most important factor but make sure you are being sensible with your pre workout nutrition and hydration and what you eat during and after. The harder the workout the more nutrition plays a role in optimal performance and recovery.
