By: Steve Born
In the previous article, I suggested a fueling protocol for use during training. This article covers fueling requirements prior to and during a triathlon. Hopefully, you’re already using your chosen Hammer Nutrition fuels in training. As is the case in any sport, you experiment with all aspects of your sport in training well in advance of the actual race and race day is not the time to test any supplement of fuel. Use the guidelines I’ve provided in the previous article in your training, adapting according to your personal needs, and keep a written record of your intake, weather, workout intensity, and results. Come race time you’ll be dialed in fueling-wise, which means you can race with confidence.
The first part discusses the pre-race meal and strategies to optimize that. Next, I want to touch briefly on electrolytic mineral needs, including the use of salt tablets. After that I discuss fueling options for each of the four primary triathlon distances.
The Pre-Race Meal – For All Triathletes
The key with pre-race calorie intake is in the timing; it’s either got to be completed three hours prior to the start of the race or 5-10 minutes prior. The reason for this is to preserve muscle glycogen stores, the fuel your body will use first and foremost when the race begins, and to prevent a decrease in fat burning capabilities once the race begins. Athletes who neglect this important timing factor end up depleting their muscle glycogen stores much more rapidly while also inhibiting their fat burning capabilities, both obvious performance disadvantages.
However, do not sacrifice sleep just to get up early to eat; it’s neither crucial nor necessary. This is because muscle glycogen stores remain unaffected even after a nightlong fast. If you have been consistent in replenishing carbohydrates immediately after all your workouts, you will have stored in your muscles and liver enough glycogen to propel you through about 90 minutes of strenuous exercise. So, it’s more important to refrain from eating too close to the start than to load up three hours before the gun goes off.
If a pre-race meal is consumed I suggest a total of approximately 150-400 calories primarily from complex carbohydrates (some soy protein is also acceptable) with no refined sugars and a minimal amount of fiber and fat. A one to three-scoop serving of Perpetuem provides approximately 27-81 grams of complex carbohydrates, 3-9 grams of soy protein, and 2-6 grams of healthy fats (from soy lysolecithin), supplying a total of approximately 131-392 calories. It’s a perfect pre-race meal.
All standard triathlon formats start with the swim, a time where you obviously won’t be able to replenish calories, so you might desire some caloric consumption just before the start, especially if you feel hungry. Here’s a better strategy than eating from one to three hours before start time: sip two or three servings of Hammer Gel approximately 5-10 minutes prior to the start of the race. By the time these calories are digested and blood sugar levels elevated, you’ll be well into your race and the problem with elevated muscle glycogen depletion is no longer a physiologically an issue.
A Reminder/Caution About Salt Tablets – For All Triathletes
I discussed electrolyte issues in the first article so if you haven’t yet read it I encourage you to go back and review the information in that article. The key things to remember, especially in regards to sodium (salt) replenishment, are:
- “Electrolyte replenishment” does not mean “sodium or salt replenishment.” Sodium chloride (a.k.a. “salt”) is indeed an important component of electrolyte replenishment but it does not fulfill the entire requirements. Calcium, magnesium, and potassium should be replenished as well as all these minerals play key roles in the maintenance of many important body functions.
- Most of us obtain more than enough salt from our daily diet and most athletes have a reservoir of upwards of 8,000 – 10,000 mg stored in body tissues. In other words, when you start your race you’ll most likely be doing so with a huge reserve of sodium chloride “on board.” You’ll definitely want to keep that in mind before you consider consuming salt tablets.
- Shorter races, such as Sprint distance events (and perhaps even Olympic distance events), usually don’t require much, if any, electrolyte replenishment. In longer races you’ll want to replenish sodium and other key electrolytes during the event. Remember, however, that “too much” can have as many performance inhibiting-to-ruining consequences as “not enough.” Over the years we have observed that far too many athletes “over salt” their bodies during exercise, with a variety of maladies such as bloating, water retention (edema-like symptoms), and stomach distress being the usual and undesirable outcome. When it comes to sodium/salt replenishment the key is to provide an appropriate dose to support the maintenance of normal body functions without overwhelming the body with too much, which will override and neutralize those mechanisms.
As I mentioned in the previous article, because full-spectrum electrolytic mineral supplements are not available in Australia, you’ll have to rely more heavily on your fuels to help satisfy your electrolyte needs. As you read the rest of this article please note that I’ve listed the electrolyte profile for the suggested amounts of fuels, keeping in mind that these amounts may or not be enough to satisfy your needs entirely. For most athletes under normal conditions they will. However, make sure you’ve tested these or any other fueling protocols thoroughly in your training prior to the race.
One last time: You want to provide your body with adequate amounts of sodium and other minerals while taking care to not overload your body with too much.
Supplementing with salt alone or consuming too much salt overrides the complex and precise mechanisms that regulate proper electrolyte balance and you can hinder or even ruin your performance from consuming too much salt and other electrolytic minerals just as much as you can from not taking enough.
Bottom line: Exercise caution before you indiscriminately pop salt tablets or other mineral supplements.
Sprint Distance Triathlons
Because most triathletes will finish a sprint race under 1:40 caloric and electrolyte replenishment requirements are minimal. Muscle glycogen stores, plus any calories consumed in the pre-race meal or in the 5-10 minutes prior to the start of the race, should very adequately satisfy energy requirements for most athletes throughout the entire distance. Especially during cooler weather triathlons it’s entirely possible to do the entire distance on water alone. Still, having a pouch or two of Hammer Gel with you, or using HEED in your water bottle, is a wise strategy, just in case you end up being out there longer than you originally planned.
When the weather is warm your electrolyte requirements come to the forefront and that’s where HEED will really shine. Depending on your body weight (see chart below) a water bottle containing 1-3 scoops of HEED consumed during the bike portion will easily fulfill a good portion of your fluid requirements, along with any additional caloric and electrolyte requirements, for the remainder of the race.
Calories – Suggested Doses*:
- Up to 54 kg:
HEED – 1 to 1.5 scoops
Total Calories: 100 – 150. Electrolyte profile: Sodium chloride = 62 – 93 mg, Potassium = 16 – 24 mg, Calcium = 31 – 46.5 mg, Magnesium = 16 – 24 mg - 54 – 70kg:
HEED – 2 to 2.5 scoops
Total Calories: 200 – 250. Electrolyte profile: Sodium chloride = 124 – 155 mg, Potassium = 32 – 40 mg, Calcium = 62 – 77.5 mg, Magnesium = 32 – 40 mg - 70 – 85 kg:
HEED – 2.5 to 2.75 scoops
Total Calories: 250 – 275. Electrolyte profile: Sodium chloride = 155 – 170.5 mg, Potassium = 40 – 44 mg, Calcium = 77.5 – 85.25 mg, Magnesium = 40 – 44 mg - 85+ kg:
HEED – 3 scoops
Total Calories: 300. Electrolyte profile: Sodium chloride = 186 mg, Potassium = 48 mg, Calcium = 93 mg, Magnesium = 48 mg
* These are estimated doses. Each athlete should determine in training, under a variety of conditions, their personal optimum.
Olympic Distance Triathlons
The fueling requirements for the swim portion are easily met through your muscle glycogen stores + any pre-race calorie consumption.
BIKE FUEL
The middle leg of the triathlon affords the best fueling time for the rest of the race. It’s the right time physiologically, and on the bike you have the easiest intake. During this time the goal is to satisfy fluid, caloric, and most-to-all of your electrolyte requirements as efficiently and conveniently as possible. Some athletes may find that Perpetuem alone will fulfill their needs completely while others can meet their requirements with a combination of Perpetuem and HEED, mixed in and consumed from separate sources. Suggested doses (and electrolyte profile) for the Perpetuem/HEED combination are provided below. Remember to test your fueling regimen thoroughly in training prior to the race.
The key thing to remember is that you will want, with very few exceptions (such as extremely hot weather), to keep your fluid intake from all sources within a range of 500 – 800 ml/hour. So keep that in mind when you mix bottles of HEED and Perpetuem, as the volume of fluid supplied from both sources counts towards your overall fluid intake. To make things easier logistically, consider making Perpetuem in a thicker, more concentrated form (using minimal water in the mixing process) and carrying it in and consuming it from a Hammer Gel flask. Because you’ll have a couple hours or more of fuel in a very concentrated form and in a very small space (a Hammer Gel flask), you should consider this as a “calories only” source as it won’t contain much actual fluid.
Calories – Suggested Doses*:
- Up to 54 kg:
Perpetuem – ½-1 scoop/hour (65 – 130 calories) and HEED – 1 scoop/hour (100 calories).
Total Calories: 165 – 230. Electrolyte profile: Sodium chloride = 177.5 – 293 mg, Potassium = 94 – 172 mg, Calcium = 152.5 – 274 mg, Magnesium = 21.5 – 27 mg - 54 – 70 kg:
Perpetuem – 1.25 scoops/hour (162.5 calories) and HEED – 1 scoop/hour (100 calories).
Total Calories: 262.5 calories. Electrolyte profile: Sodium chloride = 350 mg, Potassium = 211 mg, Calcium = 334.75 mg, Magnesium = 29.75 mg - 70 – 85 kg:
Perpetuem – 1.25 – 1.5 scoops/hour (162.5 – 195 calories) and HEED – 1 scoop/hour (100 calories).
Total Calories: 262.5 – 295 calories. Electrolyte profile: Sodium chloride = 350 – 408 mg, Potassium = 211 – 250 mg, Calcium = 334.75 – 395.5 mg, Magnesium = 29.75 – 32.5 mg - 85+ kg:
Perpetuem – 1.5 – 1.75 scoops/hour (162.5 – 227.5 calories) and HEED – 1scoop/hour (100 calories).
Total Calories: 262.5 – 327.5 calories. Electrolyte profile: Sodium chloride = 408 – 466.25 mg, Potassium = 250 – 289 mg, Calcium = 395.5 – 456.25 mg, Magnesium = 29.75 – 35.25 mg
* These are estimated doses. Each athlete should determine in training, under a variety of conditions, their personal optimum.
RUN FUEL
Depending on how long your run portion takes you may or may not need to consume any calories during the run portion. Muscle glycogen stores + pre-race food consumption + bike fuel should satisfy your energy requirements for the entire race if you’ll be finishing the race under three hours. If your run portion is going to be close to or over an hour then yes, you should carry some fuel with you. Hammer Gel’s superb complex carbohydrate formula, its long “shelf life” in solution (something that carb/protein drinks can’t claim), and its relative ease of consumption make it the fuel of choice during the run portion. Consistent, reliable energy without the concerns of stomach distress, so common with many other energy gels and sports drinks, are Hammer Gel’s hallmarks. You can easily carry all your caloric needs for the run portion in the Hammer flask, or you can use single serving pouches and vary your menu. If carrying a fuel bottle is not problematic for you, consider using HEED, especially during hot weather races, as you can fulfill most-to-all of your fueling needs – calories, electrolytes, and electrolytes – from that one product. Suggested doses for both Hammer Gel and HEED are below.
Calories – Suggested Doses*:
- Up to 54 kg:
Hammer Gel – 2 servings/hour or
HEED – 1 to 1.5 scoops/hour
HEED — Total Calories: 100 – 150. Electrolyte profile: Sodium chloride = 62 – 93 mg, Potassium = 16 – 24 mg, Calcium = 31 – 46.5 mg, Magnesium = 16 – 24 mg - 54 – 70kg:
Hammer Gel – 2.5 servings/hour or
HEED – 2 to 2.5 scoops/hour
HEED — Total Calories: 200 – 250. Electrolyte profile: Sodium chloride = 124 – 155 mg, Potassium = 32 – 40 mg, Calcium = 62 – 77.5 mg, Magnesium = 32 – 40 mg - 70 – 85 kg:
Hammer Gel – 3 servings/hour or
HEED – 2.5 to 2.75 scoops/hour
HEED — Total Calories: 250 – 275. Electrolyte profile: Sodium chloride = 155 – 170.5 mg, Potassium = 40 – 44 mg, Calcium = 77.5 – 85.25 mg, Magnesium = 40 – 44 mg - 85+ kg:
Hammer Gel – 3 to 3.5 servings/hour or
HEED – 3 scoops/hour
HEED — Total Calories: 300. Electrolyte profile: Sodium chloride = 186 mg, Potassium = 48 mg, Calcium = 93 mg, Magnesium = 48 mg
* These are estimated doses. Each athlete should determine in training, under a variety of conditions, their personal optimum.
Half and Full Iron-Distance Triathlons
PRE-RACE FUEL
Because you obviously won’t have the opportunity to refuel during the swim, consuming some calories prior to the race is important. Remember the primary rule: Finish a pre-race meal three hours prior to the start of the race or consume a source of easy-to-digest calories (Hammer Gel is perfect for this) 5-10 minutes prior to the race.
BIKE FUEL
You want to do the bulk of your fueling during the bike portion where consuming fuel is easiest and you want to use a combination of Perpetuem and HEED to satisfy your fluid, calorie, and electrolytes requirements. Hammer Gel alone, in a single-serving pouch or flask, can help satisfy energy requirements during the run portion, where carrying and consuming fuel creates more of a nuisance.
Carrying enough fuel to satisfy a lengthy bike portion can be logistically challenging. That’s why I suggest making concentrated flask(s) of Perpetuem to fulfill the majority of your calorie needs and using HEED in your water bottles and/or hydration system to satisfy your remaining fluid, calorie and electrolyte needs. Suggested doses are below. You may or may not need to carry and mix additional HEED; it depends on the length of time you’ll be on the bike and how much on board fluid capacity you have available. Also, if race day weather is going to be hot you should seriously consider making your concentrated flasks of Perpetuem the night before and freezing them. This will help make the mixed fuel taste better for a longer period of time.
Calories – Suggested Doses*:
- Up to 54 kg:
Perpetuem – ½-1 scoop/hour (65 – 130 calories) and HEED – 1 scoop/hour (100 calories).
Total Calories: 165 – 230. Electrolyte profile: Sodium chloride = 177.5 – 293 mg, Potassium = 94 – 172 mg, Calcium = 152.5 – 274 mg, Magnesium = 21.5 – 27 mg - 54 – 70 kg:
Perpetuem – 1.25 scoops/hour (162.5 calories) and HEED – 1 scoop/hour (100 calories).
Total Calories: 262.5 calories. Electrolyte profile: Sodium chloride = 350 mg, Potassium = 211 mg, Calcium = 334.75 mg, Magnesium = 29.75 mg - 70 – 85 kg:
Perpetuem – 1.25 – 1.5 scoops/hour (162.5 – 195 calories) and HEED – 1 scoop/hour (100 calories).
Total Calories: 262.5 – 295 calories. Electrolyte profile: Sodium chloride = 350 – 408 mg, Potassium = 211 – 250 mg, Calcium = 334.75 – 395.5 mg, Magnesium = 29.75 – 32.5 mg - 85+ kg:
Perpetuem – 1.5 – 1.75 scoops/hour (162.5 – 227.5 calories) and HEED – 1scoop/hour (100 calories).
Total Calories: 262.5 – 327.5 calories. Electrolyte profile: Sodium chloride = 408 – 466.25 mg, Potassium = 250 – 289 mg, Calcium = 395.5 – 456.25 mg, Magnesium = 29.75 – 35.25 mg
*These are estimated doses. Each athlete should determine in training, under a variety of conditions, their personal optimum.
RUN FUEL
The physical demands placed on the body by running a half or full marathon immediately after dismounting from the bike portion of a half or full iron distance race are, to say the obvious, extreme. Because eating and drinking on the run can be difficult on one’s digestive system, my key suggestion here is make sure you fuel properly during the bike portion. As mentioned earlier, your fuel should consist of some combination of Perpetuem and HEED, the combination of which will satisfy energy demands more completely than carbohydrate-only fuels. Fuel requirements will vary with each individual, as well as with the different distances of triathlons, but sufficient fueling on the bike will set up the run ideally.
During the run portion, where carrying and consuming fuel can be a real nuisance, Hammer Gel’s superb complex carbohydrate formula, it’s long “shelf life” in solution (something that carb/protein drinks can’t claim), and its relative ease of carrying and consumption make it the fuel of choice. Consistent, reliable energy without the concerns of stomach distress, so common with many other energy gels and sports drinks, are Hammer Gel’s hallmarks. You can easily carry all your caloric needs for the run portion in the Hammer flask, or you can use single serving pouches and vary your menu. If carrying a fuel bottle is not problematic for you, consider using HEED, especially during hot weather races, as you can fulfill most of your fueling needs – calories, electrolytes, and electrolytes – from that one product. Or you can use a combination of both Hammer Gel and HEED. Suggested doses for both products are below.
Calories – Suggested Doses*:
- Up to 54 kg:
Hammer Gel – 2 servings/hour or
HEED – 1 to 1.5 scoops/hour
HEED — Total Calories: 100 – 150. Electrolyte profile: Sodium chloride = 62 – 93 mg, Potassium = 16 – 24 mg, Calcium = 31 – 46.5 mg, Magnesium = 16 – 24 mg - 54 – 70kg:
Hammer Gel – 2.5 servings/hour or
HEED – 2 to 2.5 scoops/hour
HEED — Total Calories: 200 – 250. Electrolyte profile: Sodium chloride = 124 – 155 mg, Potassium = 32 – 40 mg, Calcium = 62 – 77.5 mg, Magnesium = 32 – 40 mg - 70 – 85 kg:
Hammer Gel – 3 servings/hour or
HEED – 2.5 to 2.75 scoops/hour
HEED — Total Calories: 250 – 275. Electrolyte profile: Sodium chloride = 155 – 170.5 mg, Potassium = 40 – 44 mg, Calcium = 77.5 – 85.25 mg, Magnesium = 40 – 44 mg - 85+ kg:
Hammer Gel – 3 to 3.5 servings/hour or
HEED – 3 scoops/hour
HEED — Total Calories: 300. Electrolyte profile: Sodium chloride = 186 mg, Potassium = 48 mg, Calcium = 93 mg, Magnesium = 48 mg
* These are estimated doses. Each athlete should determine in training, under a variety of conditions, their personal optimum.
Post Race Nutrition and Supplements For All Triathletes
Recovery begins when the race ends. As soon as practical after you leave the chute and cool down it’s time to replenish your body with high quality, easily digested carbohydrates and protein. Recoverite is Hammer Nutrition’s all-in-one, 3:1 ratio of carbs and protein (and specific auxiliary nutrients) recovery drink. It’s convenient, easy to make, and delicious. 1 – 3 servings (2 – 6 scoops) of Recoverite in 500 – 800 ml cold water provides 166 – 498 calories from 30 – 90 grams of complex carbohydrates, 10 – 30 grams of whey protein isolate, plus ample amounts of recovery-boosting glutamine. It’s just what your body craves after a tough race!
Steve Born is a technical advisor for E-CAPS with over a decade of involvement in the health food industry. He has worked with hundreds of athletes – ranging from the recreational athlete to world-class professional athlete – regarding their supplement/fueling program. Steve is a three-time RAAM finisher, the 1994 Furnace Creek 508 Champion, 1999 runner-up, the only cyclist in history to complete a Double Furnace Creek 508, and is the holder of two Ultra Marathon Cycling records. In February 2004 Steve was inducted into the Ultra Marathon Cycling Hall of Fame.
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