Winter Fuelling: Adjusting Your Nutrition for Cold Weather Training
- Science
The science of winter performance for everyday athletes.
Winter in Canada isn’t a reason to stop; it’s a reason to adapt. When the temperature drops, the physiological demands on your body change, yet many athletes let their fuelling and hydration habits slip.
At Olway™, we believe performance should be accessible every day of the year. Understanding how cold weather impacts your system—and why carbohydrates and electrolytes are a year-round requirement—is a first step to staying consistent.
The Invisible Sweat & Electrolyte Drain
In the heat of July, sweat is obvious. In February, it’s deceptive. Cold air is significantly drier, and as you breathe, your body works overtime to warm and humidify that air, leading to substantial fluid loss through respiration.
More importantly, the body undergoes cold-induced diuresis. When you're cold, your blood vessels constrict to pull blood toward your core. This increases your blood pressure, and your kidneys respond by flushing out excess fluid to compensate. You aren't just losing water; you’re losing the essential minerals—electrolytes—that keep your muscles firing and your brain sharp.
The Glycogen Gap
When you’re cold, your body burns through muscle glycogen at a higher rate. If you aren't proactively fuelling with carbohydrates, the "bonk" comes sooner. This happens for two reasons.
1 – Thermogenesis: Your body uses energy simply to maintain its core temperature.
2 – Increased Mechanical Work: Moving through snow, ice, or wearing heavy gear requires more effort.
The Winter Tax: How Adam Schmidt Adapts
The winter tax applies to everyone, regardless of level. Take Olway™ athlete Adam Schmidt. While many elites fly south to escape the cold for easier winter miles, Adam chooses to build his engine at home in Guelph, Ontario. He subjects his body to a compounded strain: freezing outdoor volume paired with intense indoor heat simulation.
Staying home means his fuelling strategy has to be airtight to manage the debt. To offset the intense energy demands and electrolyte drain, Adam relies on Olway™ Performance Drink Mix to cover the carbohydrate gap during his miles. Following his grueling indoor heat sessions, he stacks our Daily Hydration Drink Mix for rapid, targeted electrolyte replacement.
For Adam, this protocol isn't just about physical recovery. It’s about restoring the mental clarity he needs to step off the treadmill and walk straight into his day job conducting research at the University of Guelph lab. He fuels the ritual so he can show up in his everyday life, and do it all again tomorrow.
The Winter Protocol
Winter training requires a different strategy, not less fuel. Don't let a lack of fuel or an electrolyte imbalance be the thing that holds you back. Keep your output consistent by addressing the demands directly:
Our 2:1 glucose-to-fructose ratio provides efficient energy to fuel your movement and maintain your core temp.
[30G CHO + 200MG Na]
Take fuelling a step further for post-cold recovery with a complete profile of electrolytes.
[600MG Na + 250MG K + 50MG Mg + 100MG Ca]