Speed Skating Nutrition and Supplements: Fuel, REDs and Safety

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5:15 a.m., the car is warming up in the driveway, and a 14-year-old short track skater is eating toast with peanut butter on the way to 6 a.m. ice. After practice comes school, then dryland, then homework, and somewhere in there a lot more food than most families expect. Speed skating burns energy: elite skaters train around 900 to 1,100 hours a year, and even club skaters stack ice, slide board and bike sessions. This page covers what speed skaters eat at every level, the warning signs of not eating enough, and how to think about supplements safely.

General information, not medical or dietary advice. Talk to a doctor or registered dietitian (ideally a sports dietitian) before changing your diet or starting any supplement, especially for skaters under 18, or if you have a medical condition, take medication or are pregnant. Back to the speed skating hub.

Daily eating: carbs scale with training

Speed skating mixes all-out bursts with long aerobic training. In elite short track skaters, fast anaerobic energy supplies most of a 500 m race and the aerobic system nearly half of a 1500 m, and both run on carbohydrate. The joint position of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Dietitians of Canada scales daily carbohydrate to training load:

• Light or skill-based days: 3–5 g per kilogram of body weight.
• About an hour of moderate training: 5–7 g/kg.
• 1–3 hours a day of moderate to hard training: 6–10 g/kg.
• Very high volume (4–5 hours a day): 8–12 g/kg.

For protein, the same paper suggests 1.2–2.0 g/kg a day, spread over meals, with 15–25 g after hard sessions. A 60 kg (132 lb) skater on a 2-hour training day would aim for roughly 360–600 g of carbohydrate and 72–120 g of protein. That’s real food: oatmeal, bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, fruit, milk and yogurt, eggs, meat or fish, beans, plus a snack before and after each session. Early ice? Eat something small before (toast, a banana, a yogurt drink) and a proper breakfast after.

Not eating enough: REDs

When intake doesn’t cover training, the body cuts back on systems it considers optional. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) calls this Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs). Its 2023 consensus statement says it affects both women and men, can be accidental (busy days, early ice, no appetite after hard sessions) or deliberate, and can harm hormones and periods, bone health, metabolism, iron status, immunity, mood and performance. In a sport timed to the hundredth, some skaters are tempted to chase a lighter body; that’s a trap. In a 2026 survey of Russian athletics and short track coaches, only 39% had heard of RED-S, so skaters and parents can’t assume someone else is watching for it.

Warning signs: missed or stopped periods (or no period by 15), frequent injuries or stress fractures, constant fatigue, frequent illness, dropping performance despite training, and a preoccupation with food or weight. Bone is a reason to take this seriously: in elite speed skaters followed over several seasons, whole-body bone mineral content was lower mid-season than in pre-season and at season’s end, changes the researchers linked to training load. If you’re worried about yourself or a skater, talk to a doctor; free, confidential support is available from the ANAD Eating Disorders Helpline at 1-888-375-7767.

Iron, vitamin D and calcium

• Iron: carries oxygen to working muscles. Female athletes and teens in growth spurts, especially girls after their periods start, need more iron. Ask your doctor about a blood test if you’re unusually tired, and don’t take iron on your own: UEFA’s expert group warns that routine iron supplementation can do more harm than good.
• Vitamin D: indoor athletes who train before sunrise and after school in winter may get little sun. The NIH lists 600 IU (15 mcg) a day for most people from age 1 to 70. A doctor can test your level before you supplement.
• Calcium: the NIH recommends 1,300 mg a day for ages 9–18 and 1,000 mg for adults 19–50; dairy, fortified plant milks, tofu and leafy greens all help.

Supplements: what’s worth knowing

The IOC consensus on dietary supplements says a few may give marginal gains to elite athletes in the right situations: caffeine, creatine, nitrate, sodium bicarbonate and possibly beta-alanine, plus “sports foods” like drinks, gels and protein powders that simply make eating easier. Speed skating has its own cautionary data point: in world-class short track skaters, five days of high-dose nitrate (beet juice) didn’t improve two 1000 m time trials raced 35 minutes apart.

• Food first. Supplements fill gaps a dietitian has found; they don’t replace meals.
• Under 18: the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against creatine for kids and teens and says energy drinks have no place in their diets.
• Caffeine: it isn’t for everyone (anxiety, sleep problems, heart conditions, pregnancy), and late races mean poor sleep. Check with a doctor.
• Third-party testing: supplements can be contaminated: in one analysis of 634 supplements, about 15% contained undeclared steroid-like substances. Skaters at national and international level can be drug tested, and under strict liability a positive test is your responsibility. Choose products certified by NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport/Informed Choice; USADA says no supplement is 100% risk-free, but certification lowers the risk.
• No weight-loss products. Fat burners, diet teas and laxatives have no place in a skater’s bag.

Third-party-tested picks many skaters use

For adults whose dietitian sees a gap: Thorne Whey Protein Isolate (21 g protein per scoop, NSF Certified for Sport) for busy days, the Klean Athlete Klean Multivitamin (NSF Certified for Sport, no iron listed) as a nutritional safety net, and Nuun Sport tablets (300 mg sodium, 1 g sugar) for flavor and electrolytes in long training days. Adult skaters doing heavy strength work sometimes use creatine such as Thorne Creatine (NSF Certified for Sport); follow the label and ask your doctor first.

Product	What it is	Testing	About per serving
Thorne Whey Protein Isolate	21 g protein per scoop	NSF Certified for Sport	$2.17 ($65 / 30)
Klean Multivitamin	2 tablets a day, no iron listed	NSF Certified for Sport	$1.53 (about $46 / 30)
Nuun Sport	300 mg sodium, 1 g sugar	Informed Choice (maker)	$0.75 ($7.49 / 10)
Thorne Creatine (adults)	5 g creatine monohydrate	NSF Certified for Sport	$0.49 ($44 / 90)

Prices change often; these are what we saw in October 2026. Compare more options in our protein powder, multivitamin, electrolyte and creatine guides. For race-day fueling, see speed skating race day, and for eating after training, speed skating recovery.

Speed skating nutrition: FAQs

How many carbs does a speed skater need?

It depends on training. ACSM’s guidance runs from 3–5 g per kilogram on light days to 6–10 g/kg on days with 1–3 hours of hard training, and more for very high volumes. A sports dietitian can match it to your schedule.

What should a skater eat before early-morning ice?

Something small and easy, like toast with jam or peanut butter, a banana or a yogurt drink, then a full breakfast after practice. Skating on an empty stomach makes the session harder and recovery slower.

Should speed skaters try to be lighter?

Chasing weight loss often backfires. Under-eating can cause REDs, which the IOC links to weaker bones, hormone problems, illness and worse performance. Focus on eating enough for training, and talk to a doctor or dietitian about any concerns.

Does beet juice help speed skaters?

Not in the one study of world-class short track skaters: five days of high-dose nitrate didn’t improve 1000 m time trials. The IOC lists nitrate among supplements with possible small benefits in some situations, but it isn’t a given.

Are supplements safe for young speed skaters?

Most young skaters don’t need them. The AAP recommends against creatine for kids and teens and says energy drinks have no place in their diets. If a doctor finds a deficiency, they’ll recommend what to take.