Race Nutrition
Sharing my thoughts on the importance of race nutrition!
Insight into race nutrition has grown significantly over past years and resulting in faster performances.
Carbs – carbohydrate is the main source of fuel used by your body and there are better products available compared what we once had. Particularly long races where higher doses are being consumed around 70-80g per hour, or higher with Pro athletes. But you need to train the gut during training to tolerate higher doses and to avoid gastric distress.
To be able to consume that amount requires a plan as carbs come in different forms (drink mix, chews or gels). Firstly the number of carbs you need to consume. Not all products can deliver what you need, so you need to understand what you are going to use in a race and when you need to take it.
Electrolytes - designed to keep you hydrated and replenish sweat/sodium losses during exercise and avoid cramping. Can be added to your bottle. Different strength of sodium tablets are available to suit your sweat loss.
Precision Fuel and Hydration provide a free Fuel Planner, online Sweat Test and Quick Carb Calculator to help personalise your racing strategy.
Protein – this is important for recovery post exercise to replenish glycogen stores, aid muscle repair and boosting your immune system. So you are ready to go again! Just ensure you consume within a 30-minute window to maximise strength gains.
Caffeine – can improve your performance on average by 3%. It impacts your metabolic rate (energy expended over time) and increase,s fat burning. How much to consume and whether it works for you is individual but here are some guidelines that might help. Caffeine comes in different forms which can mean quicker absorption (gut verses gums that’s quicker) but it may come down to your application under race conditions.
It's worth experimenting with caffeine to measure the impact on your performance under controlled conditions. Try on a smart trainer a 20-minute Functional Threshold Power (FTP) test, or use a 20-minute peak power from a short time trial is ideal to establish a baseline. Then repeat with caffeine a few days later and hopeful you can quantify the improvement specific to you and experiment with dosages.
Note that more caffeine does not mean better so it’s about finding the right amount and don’t forget that if you are racing late in the day a higher dosage may impact your sleep pattern!
Application and what I do:
- Short races: 200ml of caffeine and a 40g gel 40-minutes before the start and sip on a high carb drink mix 1 hour before and while warming up.
- 1-to-2-hours: As per short races but additionally will have a drink mix and electrolytes to boost energy (80g carbs/hour) and hydration.
- 2 hours+: I have a plan that covers the use of carbs 80g/hour, electrolytes and caffeine. I will also have a backup with gels in case I lose a bottle on the course and need to take a bottle from the aid station (it happens all the time even with Pros).
I’ll study where the aid stations are on the course and the layout of what is available, so I’m prepared should I need to use, but all my race nutrition is carried on the bike.
During an Ironman you can carry higher concentration and just pick up water out on the course. Thereby getting the carbs you need and avoiding using a drink you are unfamiliar with and cause issues.
I don’t want to compromise aerodynamics by carrying bottles on my bike and creating drag. I can measure the impact despite the best aero solutions out there! It is way better to use a hydration bladder to reduce your overall CdA instead of adding to it and you avoid bottles ejecting. However practise during training!
I do test race nutrition during training and do not leave for race day!
- Stickers: Professional Cycling Team Lotto Dstny provide top tube stickers to their riders to provide guidance on when and what product they need to take during a stage race . It removes the guess work and risk of not executing to the plan. These are all specific to each riders needs.
Want to know more?
If you need help with a nutrition plan as it can be quite technical, or are interested in a coaching package, then do get in touch. Partnership with Precision Fuel and Hydration means my coached athletes get 15% off products, and 25% off the normal monthly plan of Supersapiens for the real-time monitoring of glucose.