Race Nutrition

This article shows you how to get your race-day nutrition right, to increase your chances of having a good race. We'll also show you what to eat and drink in the days before and after your race. 

Taking the time to work out your nutritional requirements for a race can be a time consuming exercise, but it's totally worthwhile. You invest a lot of time training to be physically ready for your race. Don't waste this hard work and put your race in jeopardy by being unprepared and unable to fuel your way to success.

What To Eat Before And During A Race/Event

24 - 48 hrs Before - In the days leading to your event you’ll need to eat a 6-10g carbohydrates per kilogram of bodyweight per day (if you weigh 70kg this would be 420 - 700g carbohydrate each day). On the evening before your normal plateful is fine. Keep it simple and something you have practised. An easily digestible plate of pasta and tomato sauce is ideal. Eating too much may lead to discomfort that can affect sleep.

Race Morning - Consume a carbohydrate-based breakfast 3-4 hours before the start. You can also sip a carbohydrate energy drink throughout the morning and take an easily digestible 15-30 grams of carbohydrate 5-10 mins before you start. For all endurance races/events of 4 hrs plus refer to the IRONMAN guidelines below.

During The Event - What you consume will depend on the duration of your event.

• Less than 60 min
  • You will have enough carbohydrates in your body to fuel you to the finish line. 
• 60 - 90 min
  • You should have enough fuel to support you through this event, however to have a gel at 60-70 mins may give you a boost for the finish. Ensure you stay hydrated with small sips of water/sports drink. Race conditions will be a key factor for hydration required.
• 90 min plus
  • The energy you need for longer duration races and events comes from about 65% carbohydrate and 35% fat. This will depend on the nature of the race and your race approach. We have enough fat in our bodies however carbohydrate stores will run out after around 90-120 minutes. You will need to consume 60-70g of carbohydrate per hour to keep these topped up. To give you some idea one energy gel usually has 22g carbohydrate. 
• 4 hrs plus
  • For endurance races/events lasting longer than 4 hrs please refer to the IRONMAN/Endurance Event guidelines below.

The best way to consume carbohydrate is little and often, so that it's more easily digested. Try using an alarm to remind you every 10-20 minutes so that you don’t forget to eat and sip in the excitement of the race.

IRONMAN Races and Endurance Events

You will burn four times more calories per hour than at rest and yet in the latter stages of the race you’ll barely want to eat or drink. The energy you need will come from 65% carbohydrate and 35% fat. Thankfully we all have enough fat in our bodies, so we don’t need to ingest additional fats during the race. However, our carbohydrate stores will run out after around 90-120 minutes.

The ingredients you need to give you energy and keep you healthy are a) carbohydrate b) water c) and salt (arguably). The more palatable your nutrition choices, the more you'll be able to consume. However, there are so many different nutrition options to choose from it can be bewildering.  

Phil's Preference for IRONMAN Race Day

"During the Bike Leg I recommend water and Clif Shot Bloks because its a cleaner combination than energy drinks and energy gels. You won’t get sticky hands for a start. And you won’t feel sick from combining too many different energy products. The other benefit is that you're in greater control of your hydration and carbohydrate intake, as they come from totally separate sources. 

• Clif Shot Bloks for carbohydrate
• Water for hydration
• Saltstick capsules for electrolyte replacement

By the time you get to the Run, your gut will be compromised so you need to treat it kindly. Sip gels and drink water for the first hour, and then move on to Coke at every aid station. Coke is like pure sugar and it provides instant energy without your gut needing to process it first. 

• Energy gels for carbohydrate
• Water for hydration
• If gels become unpalatable then:
  • Sip Coke, water and energy drink
  • Consume anything else you can handle, such as fruit.

That’s just my preference, it may not work for you. You’ll need to do your own research on the best products for you".

IRONMAN Nutrition Guidelines for Race Day 

​This information tells you how many grams of carbohydrate per KG of bodyweight you'll need to consume at various times. You’ll need to study the nutritional information on packets, and stick to products that are almost entirely carbohydrate. 

3.5 - 4 hrs before race

• Carbohydrate
  • 3-4g/kg of carbohydrate (both solid and liquid according to individual tolerances)
  • If you weigh 70kg that would be 210-280 grams of carbohydrate  
• Fluid
  • 5–7 ml/kg (1 oz. per 10 lb. bw)
  • If you weigh 70kg that would be 350 - 490 ml of fluid. 
• Sodium
  • 450–1120 mg per litre of fluid consumed (or 32 fl. oz.) from sports drink, salt capsules or small amounts of salty food
• Protein 
  • Small amounts of low fat protein 4 hours prior (if well-tolerated in training)

2 hrs before race 

• Carbohydrate
  • 2g/kg or amounts as tolerated (mainly liquid and easily digested carbohydrates from foods and sports nutrition products)
• Fluid
  • 3–5 ml/kg
  • If you weigh 70kg that would be 210 - 350 ml
• Sodium 
  • 450–1120 mg per litre of fluid consumed (or 32 fl. oz.) from sports drink, salt capsules or small amounts of salty food

Up to the race

• Carbohydrate
  • 15–30 grams 5 minutes before from gels, blocks, and liquid shots 
• Fluid
  • Ad lib - to thirst

During the race

• Carbohydrate
  • 60-70 grams per hour (some athletes may tolerate up to 90 grams)
  • An energy gel typically contains 20 grams of carbohydrate
  • Little and often
  • Use products with a mix of glucose and fructose for maximal absorption
• Fluid
  • Maximum absorption is usually 1–1.2 liter per hour (32 to 40 oz)
  • Depends on individual sweat rate
• Sodium
  • 500-700 mg per litre of fluid consumed (or 32 fl. oz.), customise this according to your individual requirements
  • Salty Sweaters: up to 1,000 mg/Liter (or 32 fl. Oz) 
  • From fluids/sports drinks and added electrolytes

After reading these nutrition guidelines you'll probably realise that you’re eating less than you should before and during your endurance events. It can be hard to consume so much, but it helps if you get plenty of your carbohydrate from sipping a sports drink in addition to your breakfast. Evidence suggests that the gut is trainable - in other words if you practice your nutrition in training you’ll improve your ability to handle it on race day. And so it's 100% vital to practice your nutrition strategy regularly on long rides and runs, rather than waiting until race day itself. 

Nutrition Choices For All Races/Events

Energy Gels, Bars, 'Real' Food and Drinks

There's nothing magic about energy drinks, bars and gels, their main ingredients are carbohydrate and water, and you can normally make your own homemade versions. However, they do offer a convenient and well-packaged way to stay fuelled during a race.

Energy Gels - A sweet gel in a convenient packet, typically containing 100 calories and 22 grams of carbohydrate. Some contain salts, vitamins and caffeine, although the carbohydrate is the important bit. Gels labelled “isotonic” are more watery and easier to consume with a dry mouth, but contain less carbohydrate per gram. Caffeine gels often taste bitter, but there are proven performance gains to be had.

Energy Drinks - Powdered or pre-made drinks containing predominantly water and carbohydrate. Some contain electrolytes (salts), vitamins, caffeine and even protein. Remember that on race day your main requirements are water and carbohydrate and for long races in hot climates electrolytes are beneficial. Choose a sports drink with 6-8% carbohydrate for rapid absorption.

Energy Chews - These are simply chewy sweets or jelly blocks containing mostly carbohydrate. They are often more palatable than energy gels and don’t leave you with such sticky fingers. Clif Shot Bloks are a good example, one pack contains six blocks - 48g carbohydrate.

Energy Bars - These are dense pre-packaged cereal bars, containing mainly carbohydrate. They are useful on race morning or while training. They can be more difficult to digest during racing and there is a wide variety offering different contents. Be sure to read the labels and practice during training if you are thinking of using during your race or event. 

Real Food - For some, fuelling from processed food is not ideal. If choosing to consume real food during exercise you will need to experiment and pay attention to the nutritional content. You need to find easily digestible carbohydrate-rich foods that work to provide your energy requirements and are practical for consumption on the move. Real food provides a slower release of calories than processed fuels, you therefore need to be on top of your food intake and eat prior to feeling hungry. Practice in training is essential (at race pace if possible).

Recovery Drinks - The main ingredients in a recovery drink are carbohydrate and protein. Some also contain fat, electrolytes and vitamins. Research indicates that the optimal ratio for a post-endurance recovery drink is four parts carbohydrate and one part protein. Interestingly, plain milk contains a similar ratio. These drinks are convenient when you don't have a chance to eat immediately after a tough workout.

Recovery Bars - These are tasty bars containing a mix of carbohydrate, fat and protein. These often taste as good as chocolate bars like Snickers and Mars, so it’s tempting to eat lots. Eating foods like these straight after exercise is shown to heighten recovery, although you could get the same effect from a home made smoothie for example. Just be careful to eat according to your training volume. 

Key Considerations

• If you have pre-existing health factors you may need to make adjustments to your nutrition plan.
• Some conditions and dietary restrictions require consultation from doctors or nutritionists.
• Obtain the many essential vitamins and minerals from a varied and balanced diet.
• Your energy needs are determined by your resting metabolic rate and daily activity level.
• Your hydration plan should take into consideration your sweat rate and climate.
• Replenishing fluids and electrolytes can prevent dehydration and hyponatremia.
• Post-race nutrition helps replenish the body, restore muscle, replace fluids and sodium lost to sweat and respiration and provides the nutrients needed for muscle repair.
• If you are planning to use on-course nutrition products you should use these products during all training sessions in preparation for race day.

For more information, check out Phil's blog posts:

https://www.myprocoach.net/blog/category/nutrition-hydration/

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