race nutrition

curious george

have never eaten during a race before but doing an olympic distance triathlon saturday week and thought i might try some food on the bike this time. Has anyone any advice/experience on what is good to take. Was considering an energy gel but haven't used them before and saw this on sports performance bulletin recently and it isn't making gel use sound too appealing-
Mistake no. 5
Using gels during the marathon itself. This is very tricky business, since exactly the right amount of water must be taken in with each packet of gel. Take in too much water - and you end up with a hypotonic sports drink in your gullet which delivers too few carbs to your leg muscles. Take in too little water - and you concoct a syrupy goo within your intestines which actually drags in water from surrounding tissues and spurs diarrhoea. Pour sports drink down your throat along with the gel, and you might as well begin scouting around for a Portaloo.

Proper strategy: it is possible to use gels during the race, but you'd better have a sports-drink expert or exercise physiologist calculate your water intake for you. It's far easier to simply use sports drink throughout the race (remember never to mix sports drink with water), a practice which will increase your chances of avoiding GI upsets and delivering enough carbohydrate to your muscles.



usually eat a nutri-grain bar on long bike rides as i find it easy to digest so considering just going with that.
any suggestions appreciated

tunney

A very similar query on the piranhna site today

The advice you posting below is, IMHO, completely over the top. Gels are not a science, take one with some water and off you go. You can even take them with a carb drink if you want. The important thing is to find what works for you - some people can't stand gels, some can only take certain brands. There is one brand I can stomach, literally, and the only reason I know is I tried it in training and puked. That being said I can easily take most brands down. The important bit is to find what *you* can take.

Given you're racing, in Mourne I presume, in a week and a half that gives you a week and a half to find what you can swallow.

Powerbar gels: Good kcal content, open easily, nice flavour but very thick
High5: Decent kcal content, bitch to open, nice textures and flavours
USN: Plenty of kcal, nice flavour, nice texture
SIS: Isotonic gel, no need for water, tastes great, jelly like texture, feck all kcal

Buy one of each and try them during training between here and there.

Mourne is generally wet and slightly cold given its location, the run is very sheltered so watch the water intake on the bike, no need for camelbaks or the like, one 750ml bottle will do you. Drink it constantly from the very start of the bike rather than guzzling it down at the end.

If it was me I'd have a nice carb drink and one gel. I'd take the gel at 20km on the bike and be sipping the carb drink throughout.

Dragan

Protein
Fats

daveirl

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hunnymonster

nothing wrong with trying something new on race day For the half ironman a couple of weeks ago I had new trainers (straight out of the arnotts sale, not so new looking after the off road run), new bike shoes, new areobars and new nutrition. Then again I did only come second so maybe not. The only thing that has ever upset my tummy is red bull 20 miles into the marathon of an ironman. I can't conclusively say if it was the drink or the fact that I'd already been out in the sun for 11 hours but the cramps were awful.


Seriously, for a first race you want to lower the nerves by being ready. If nutrigrains have worked for you in training then there is no need to change. The only word of warning is that what your tummy likes at a heart rate of 140 bpm might be very different to what it tolerates at 160 or whatever you're racing at. Also, when racing (as opposed to training), it might be easier to consume a drink. You're going to need the liquid anyway, why not get both at once and use your concentration to catch the guy in front with the poncy wheelset and TT bike If I'm eating something in a Oly I tend to do it on a flat part of the bike. I've not done castlewellan before. Maybe Tunney can tell us what the bike profile is like. I drink a bottle of carb fuid before the swim (and yes I pee in the water!) then another bottle and maybe somethng to eat on the bike. I grap a sip of water leaving transition and that usually does me.

hunnymonster

Dragan, you don't need fat in a race and the while I use protein in training, racing is different. THe object is to get to the finish in the shortest time possible. What state your body is in afterwards is irrelevant:D Op if this race is your focus for the year then a 6-7% carb drink is best. If you want to recover quickly then something like high5's 4:1 which has some protein in it might be good. I use ot on long cycles. It can be a bit fizzy and te protein tends to settle out of solution but it tastes ok. I also take BCAA's in training and post race (when I remember to pack them). I've no conclusive proof they work but it's like my insurance policy.


Most of all though, what Tunney has already said. Nutrition is a personal thing. Trial and error is the best approach. I'm currently trying out stuff for my november race. I got some funny looks in the gym this evening when I produced oat cakes while cycling away on a gym bike.

HardyEustace

I don't think that the whole thing with the gels is that serious. All this talk of exploding inards sounds very scarey.

Did my first marathon last october. Starting trying out different gels and flavours for each of my runs greater than 9 miles. As hunny monster mentioned what is awful at 9 miles can sometimes seem great at 16.

with the gels I started off taking a third of a packet about five miles into the run. If I didn't like the taste of the gel than I just couldn't force it down.

I've only tried the power gel but the apple one worked well for me. I was never that scientific with the water and sometimes only took a mouthful with the gel if that was all I felt like. it takes time to get used to the gels as they are very sweet and have a very thick consistency.

Gels work well for me as I don't like running with anything on my stomach and feel sick if I've eaten or drunk too much (for running) before hand. Thus something like an isotonic drink wouldn't work for me.

However the one thing I have learned is that everyone is different and thus a bit of experimentation and seeing what suits you can go a long way.

GOOD LUCK.

hunnymonster

yes I am rambling tonight, the pleasures of being on call and having loads of time.....

The "mistake" you quoted above is for a marathon. I find the effort of an olympic triahtlon about that of a hard half marathon. It might not seem like a big point but nutritionally, it is perfectly feasible to have your muscles primed (carb and water loaded) so as not to need anything else during a half-mara or oly race. A marathon is just pushing at the boundries. I've done a marathon without water or food but It wasn't comfortable and the post race DOMS was something else.

curious george

thanks for replys. Trial and error seems the way forward. I always have an isotonic drink on the bike anyway so i think i will go with that and a gel at 20km or so as tunney suggested. Will try it out tomorrow.
Nutrigrains work for long cycles but as hunnymonster said i think it would be a different story trying to get it down and digest it at race heart-rate rather than long-cycle heart-rate. I can't run too soon after food and i've also found i get stomach cramps for the first 10 minutes or so on the bike (i think from 'gulping' air too muck
h in the swim) so that shold have well settled down by 20km for a gel and there is still plenty time to absorb/digest that before the run
thanks

tunney

Dragan, in training I would definitely recommend protein during sessions. However I finding once my HR hits 90% plus on the run, touching 97% towards the end of the run, I regret any protein I've taken on board. For distances that don't require pushing yourself to those HRs (Half Ironman and greater) I do take protein on board. That being said I know some of the premier triathletes in Ireland do take protein on board in Oly races, but as I said its a personal thing.

daveirl wrote:

This post has been deleted.

Try the nutrition strategy during an intensive session, ideally a turbo session. That where if you do have to puke you can do so in the comfort of your own home. You don't want to be caught 2 hours from home with nothing in your belly.

As hunnymonster has said what works on a low HR training spin doesn't necessaryily work on a high HR training spin or race. I know this year on a training camp in Italy I was happily munching away on nutrigrains for the first four hours of a long ride but when I attacked a long steep climb I puked my ring after 20 minutes going uphill at high hrs and effort.

hunnymonster wrote:

I find the effort of an olympic triahtlon about that of a hard half marathon.

Depends on how hard you hit the triathlon

hunnymonster wrote:

Maybe Tunney can tell us what the bike profile is like.

Its an out and back course with some seriously sharp corners at the bottom of fast descents - especially when you're just coming out of the park. Alot of people ned up with severe road rash. Its not a flat course, some short but sharp climbs that sap the legs. Its one of my least favourite bike courses to be honest. But the suberb run (if running is your strength) run course more than makes up for it. That being said if you're *not* a strong runner the run course can be a nightmare I'm told.

curious george wrote:

i've also found i get stomach cramps for the first 10 minutes or so on the bike

What do you eat before the race? Talk us through your usual race morning nutrition.

hunnymonster

tunney wrote:

Its an out and back course with some seriously sharp corners at the bottom of fast descents - especially when you're just coming out of the park. Alot of people ned up with severe road rash. Its not a flat course, some short but sharp climbs that sap the legs. Its one of my least favourite bike courses to be honest. But the suberb run (if running is your strength) run course more than makes up for it. That being said if you're *not* a strong runner the run course can be a nightmare I'm told

yeah I can run but b0ll0x to the corners at the bottom of hills. I'm considering doing Norseman next year just so that I don't have to face corners at the bottom of hills

curious george

What do you eat before the race? Talk us through your usual race morning nutrition.[/QUOTE]

before last race i had breakfast of museli and yougurt and fruit about 3 1/2 hours before race. Then after registration i had a banana and cereal bar about 1 1/2 hours before race and drank the sports drink from the goodie bag over the hour before race.

hunnymonster

curious george wrote:

before last race i had breakfast of museli and yougurt and fruit about 3 1/2 hours before race. Then after registration i had a banana and cereal bar about 1 1/2 hours before race and drank the sports drink from the goodie bag over the hour before race.

Sounds pretty good. Personally, I don't like dairy foods on race morning so I'd have porridge rather than museli but if it works for you no need to change.

One thing to consider is circulation. I went to a course last year given by Neil OBrien, the take home message was:while you are swimming blood is directed largely to your arms, when you get on the bike it takes approximately 20 minutes for it to adjust to serve your legs properly. A lot of people will get cramps if they injest anything in this period. I've never had a problem but I'm not a good swimmer. What Neil suggested was maybe just taking a couple of sips of water to clear your mouth rather than drink anything at the start of the bike?

curious george

hunnymonster wrote:

Sounds pretty good. Personally, I don't like dairy foods on race morning so I'd have porridge rather than museli but if it works for you no need to change.

Yeah was thinking that about the dairy so might switch to porridge.

One thing to consider is circulation. I went to a course last year given by Neil OBrien, the take home message was:while you are swimming blood is directed largely to your arms, when you get on the bike it takes approximately 20 minutes for it to adjust to serve your legs properly. A lot of people will get cramps if they injest anything in this period. I've never had a problem but I'm not a good swimmer. What Neil suggested was maybe just taking a couple of sips of water to clear your mouth rather than drink anything at the start of the bike?

Makes sense.

yeah I can run but b0ll0x to the corners at the bottom of hills. I'm considering doing Norseman next year just so that I don't have to face corners at the bottom of hills

same as that. would cycle up hill all day rather than haver to race a down hill bend!!