Fuel during Competition

Many endurance events result in dehydration despite fluid intake, since it’s almost impossible to balance water loss and intake. However, the more water you can drink in smaller amounts throughout your event, the less dehydrated you will become by the finish. In long events, this water should be consumed in addition to carbohydrate drinks.

As discussed above, a 6 to 8 percent carbohydrate solution is best for most athletes during long competition. This should also contain about 500 mg of sodium. Consume eight to sixteen ounces of this solution about every fifteen minutes. (Over the period of about an hour, this should provide about thirty to sixty grams of carbohydrate in addition to water and sodium.)

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Many athletes find that the addition of protein during exercise is also very helpful in long events. Whey protein concentrate powder is an effective source of protein. Mix about ten to fifteen grams of protein from whey powder into your carbohydrate drink. Avoid all hydrolyzed, isolated, and caseinated protein powders.

Many athletes prefer solid food to obtain some of their carbohydrate and protein needs, especially in very long events such as an Ironman or ultramarathon. In this case, a homemade energy bar recipe is provided at the end of this chapter and provides a good mixture of calories from carbohydrates, protein, and fat in an easy-to-digest form, and is easy to carry and chew.

A small amount of fat can also be helpful during competition and help in recovery after competition. A small amount of coconut oil, for example, cannot only make some solutions or foods more palatable but provides MCTs (medium chain triglycerides), which can contribute to energy needs.