Race nutrition becomes important for endurance events lasting longer than 1 hour. Energy supply is important before your glycogen storage get depleted, which is also known as “hitting the wall”. Intensity and duration of the event dictate what you should eat or drink. Liquid race nutrition is preferred for short or intense races. A 1 – 3 day carbo-loading phase is only required for events lasting longer than 2 hours while 300-600ml of a sports drink 3 – 1 hour before race start can be beneficial for any duration. The most important point is to practice race nutrition in your training and never try anything new on race day.
A few examples of a race nutrition strategy:
Race duration | Carbohydrates per hour |
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30-60 minutes | Mouth rinse with a carbohydrate rich sports drink |
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1-2 hours | Up to 30g |
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2-3 hours | Up to 60g |
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>3 hours | Up to 90g |
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In regards to hydration, the general rule is to drink by thirst. Individual hydration needs are dependent on many factors including climatic (temperature and humidity); sweat rate and sodium loss; event duration and intensity. The general advice for events lasting longer than 1 hour is to aim for approximate 400-800ml of water per hour, regularly at 15 minutes intervals and to take small gulps. Hydration will need to be at the higher end in hot or humid conditions and lower end in cool conditions or lower intensity. Salty sweaters and runners prone to cramping need to check that their drinks contain sufficient electrolytes.
Example Marathon Nutrition:
- 3 – 1 hour before race start: 300-600ml of a sports drink.
- 5min before race start: 200ml of sports drink or energy gel plus 200ml of water.
- During the race: energy gel and water or sports drink every 30 minutes.
Remember to practice in training!