GLOSSARY

Cold Chain Maintaining required chilled or frozen conditions through storage, transport and use.

Food safety requires attention to clean preparation, separation of raw and ready-to-eat foods, adequate cooking and appropriate chilling. Appearance or smell cannot reliably establish that a food is safe. Travel, team catering and homemade recovery products add storage and cross-contamination challenges. Use a food thermometer and local guidance for specific foods and storage conditions. Pregnant people, young children, older adults and immunocompromised individuals may need additional precautions. Preventing infection supports training continuity more reliably than assuming supplements will compensate for unsafe food handling.

A fueling plan must survive practical constraints: carrying capacity, access to bottles, aid-station spacing, package opening, food safety and the opportunity to swallow while moving. Rehearsal helps identify a plan that is nutritionally adequate but impractical at race pace. Check what the event actually provides and prepare workable alternatives. Travel and tournaments can also change meal timing and food access. A slightly simpler plan followed consistently can be more useful than an ambitious calculation that cannot be executed.

For example, a team recovery meal needs reliable preparation and storage as well as suitable carbohydrate and protein. Keep raw ingredients separate from ready-to-eat foods and check the food's temperature appropriately. An attractive nutrient profile does not compensate for contamination or a broken cold chain.

Food allergy involves immune mechanisms and differs from food intolerance. Some reactions can progress rapidly to anaphylaxis, which requires emergency treatment according to the person's medical plan rather than dietary experimentation. Allergen avoidance includes labels, preparation and cross-contact; removing a visible ingredient may be insufficient. Reintroduction or a diagnostic food challenge can require specialist supervision. An elimination diet should maintain suitable nutrient replacements and should not be based solely on unvalidated commercial sensitivity testing.