You’ve
heard it a million times, but it bears repeating: “Nothing new on race
day!” Take the guesswork out of the fourth pillar — sports nutrition —
and you’ll have one less thing to worry about on race day. But first,
you’re going to have to answer some questions: Do you prefer gels,
bars, or a mix? What’s being offered on-course? After reading this
article, you should have everything you need to create a complete
nutrition pack list.
Energy bars
You may wish to
incorporate bars into your carb-loading regimen in the days leading up
to race day. For some, it’s hard to find simple, convenient solutions
to get all those carbs in. This is especially true if you’re traveling
a long distance or staying in a hotel a few nights before an event.
Three to four days before the event, athletes can use carb loading
guidelines as explained in week 28. If using a three-to-four-day
regimen to store the maximum amount of muscle glycogen, a 150-pound
(70-kg) athlete would need to consume about 675 grams of carbs per day.
You can also consider a bar for breakfast on the day of your race, when
you are looking for something that is familiar and easy to digest.
Energy gels
Are
you gellin’? Some people prefer gels to bars, because they can be
consumed quickly, are less cumbersome to carry, fit nicely in fuel
belts, and provide a quick hit of energy without a lot of chewing. They
also break up the monotony if you’re reaching your bar limit. Gels come
in a wide variety of flavors and caffeine levels. If you intend to use
gels for the bike leg of a race, tape the tops securely to the top bar
of your bike. During the race, you should be able to tear the bottoms
off with one hand while maintaining bike stability with your other hand.
Energy chews
This is yet another option for fueling during your race. POWERBAR® has a new product that is easy to take while you are on the go: POWERBAR®
GEL BLASTS are great-tasting energy chews with a refreshing liquid gel
center. They come in easy-to-open, resealable pouches and nonstick,
bite-size pieces for convenient refueling.
Beverages
Lean,
mean hydration machine: if you plan to complete the bike portion of the
race in seven hours or longer, it’s not possible to get all the fluids
you need without external help in the form of aid stations or fan
support.
Sports drinks come in all different formulations and
concentrations — this is another reason that gels can come in handy.
With POWERBAR®
ENERGY GELS, you get the electrolytes of a sports drink plus a carb
boost. This means you don’t have to worry about getting them all from
your sports drink and can simply drink the water that is always
available on course.
Ordering
A
150-pound (70-kg) Ironman athlete expecting to complete in
approximately 13 hours would require a combined total of about 750
grams of carbs, which is about 3,000 calories’ worth of carbs. You can
mix and match products to get to this goal:
- POWERBAR® PERFORMANCE (one bar): 240 calories, 44 grams of carbs
- POWERBAR® GELS (one packet): 110 calories, 27 grams of carbs
- POWERBAR® RIDE SHOTS (one packet): 190 calories, 45 grams of carbs
- POWERBAR® ENERGIZE SPORTS DRINK (16 fl. oz. [480 mL]): 140 calories, 34 grams of carbs
- POWERBAR® RECOVERY (16 fl. oz. [480 mL]): 180 calories, 40 grams of carbs
Procure
your energy products well in advance. Stories abound of people running
around town the night before or morning of an event looking for a
12-pack of favorite Tangerine gels. Stores vary as to which products
and flavor varieties they carry.
Better yet, order your products
online in advance, so you’re certain to get exactly what you need.
You’ll want to do this at least two weeks prior to the race or
departure for the event.