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People who participate in events such as marathons or long distance cycling know how important it is to store their energy and manage the energy reserves as needed. It is very difficult to be able to manage your body's energy, because you don't actually know how much energy your body can use on a given day. You don't have the same amount of energy daily, as this depends on what we eat and drink.

Because the energy we have depends on our daily diet, it is important that we watch what we eat every day. Athletes need to include bread, pasta or rice in their regular diet, as these foods provide them with the necessary carbohydrates that turn into glucose, and glucose is essential in providing energy to the body. The glucose that is necessary but not used right away is stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen, while the extra glucose is stored as fat. When you're preparing for an endurance competition, you don't just need to worry about what you eat, but also about how much you eat.

Energy resources are used in the same order as they were transformed: first we use the energy we have available and when it's finished, our body turns to the energy stored as glycogen. As glycogen resources decrease, the body draws the energy it requires from the fat stored, but that is more difficult and takes more time, which is why marathon participants and other endurance sport participants usually slow down towards the end of the competition.

Sometimes, during the competition, athletes try to burn more energy than their body is able to produce; that slows them down and makes them feel exhausted, so it is important that they know how to channel that energy and e able to finish the race.

Training is essential to an athlete, as it helps him to gain endurance, but it also helps his body learn to accumulate and store more energy. Usually, an athlete weighting 150 lbs can store around 1800 calories as glycogen, which means roughly 2-3 hours of continuous effort, depending on the intensity. Through training, the body gets accustomed to burn fat for producing energy easier and faster.

Most athletes also use nutrition supplements during a marathon. They come in the form of bars, powder or energy drink and are highly effective in giving the athlete the energy he needs. Not everything works so well though, so if you're preparing for a marathon be sure to test the supplements during training, as they might not work very well for you or you may have a hard time ingesting them. Nutrition supplements are very good in providing energy fast and are very easy to digest, so they will not slow you down or cause any problems - if you find the right one for you, that is.

But the essential thing to remember is you need a lot of training and practice; there are no miracle supplements that will make you win a competition or even finish it at all without the proper training. If you combine training with a proper diet and the right supplements, you have every chance of attending that race you've been waiting for and winning it!