Nutrition and Hydration

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Nutrition Basics

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Digesting food while we are at rest is very different process from when we are in motion. At rest, digesting is one of the body's main functions, and most of the blood supply is diverted to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. In motion, blood is diverted away from the GI tract to the muscles to deliver oxygen and nutrition to the muscles to create adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the substance that fuels muscles. Decrease the intensity of the motion, and there is enough blood left in the GI area to continue digestion/absorption process; maintain high intensity, and no blood can be spared.

If food (due to inadequate blood supply from the intense exercise and/or food contents) will remain in the stomach and will not be allowed to enter the intestine, it can result in cramps and nausea and it will result in minimal flow of nutrients from the intestine to the blood. As some of the blood supply may be directed to help to digest food that entered intestine, it will divert blood from the muscles to the intestine with a resulting feeling of muscle fatigue.

Your training should tell what foods work best. Make each long training session an experiment in nutrition.

During endurance events it is common to get tired of eating. Your mouth and jaw muscles are tired, your stomach upset or just un-interested, and few foods taste good. Again, experiment and train for this before the event.

Eat small portions often (as opposite of large meals few times). Gorge - and blood supply may have to make a choice between the stomach (to help with digestion) or the rest of the body (muscles, other organs, and even brain). It may decide to contribute too much to the stomach with a resulting feeling of depleted energy, sleepiness and apathy.

Eat aggressively the day before the event. The goal is to cram your muscles with glycogen. Emphasize carbohydrates like pasta, bread, vegetables, whole grains, and fruit. In fact, it is smart to begin boosting carbo intake two or three days before the race day. Same with fluids, start hydrating at least day before the race. Without this pre-hydration, your performance may plummet after a couple of hours of racing. And do not ever rely on water alone.

Smooth pedaling motion in cycling means you can eat just before a long ride without risking stomach upset. And you will need a full "tank" because cycling consumes about 40 calories per mile. A 100 miles incinerates about 4,000 calories. Many long-distance riders add some protein and fat, perhaps as scrambled eggs or an omelet. They feel that these foods supply energy for a prolong period comparing only to pure carbos.

During the event, remember to drink before you get thirsty. Your sensation of thirst lags behind your need for liquid. Hydrate often and in small portions. Consider a back-mounted hydration pack for convinience, and as an obvious and constant physical reminder. Monitor your urine, it should be plentiful and clear/pale yellow.

Re-hydrating is especially important on multi-day stage events. If you get a little behind each day, too soon after a couple of days you will be severely dehydrated and unable to race on the same level. Same applies for muscles - you need to replace glycogen by eating immediately after a race.

Liquify food. In liquified form food is easier to consume and digest.

Eat a well-balanced diet. Do not neglect getting all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Certain supplements (as sodium) are just as important to success in training and racing as nutrition or training. See more data of certain supplements at Supplements Page.

Provide enough coolers, for cold foods, drinks, water and ice.

Support crew is responsible for nutrition and hydration aspects. Purchasing supplies, cooking, blending, density of drinks, and feeding procedures should be pre-determined with athlete.

Do not mix waterbottles for pure water, carbo-replacement drinks, or liquid foods. Mark them ahead of time or color-code them. Make sure there is an adequate supply of water bottles and other food containers.

Nutrition Logistics Checklist

• food
  pre-race
  event
  post-race/recovery
  crew meals
• ice
  
• water
  drinking and cooking
  general use (cleaning, spraying, showers).
• food prep and storage equipment
  cutting board
  knife
  vehicle lighter plug-operated Hot Pot (S. King Company, tel. (888) 892-2547)
  battery-operated blender
  thermos
  coolers
  ziplock bags and foil

• Practice pre-race and race time nutritional strategy prior to the race!
• Prevent mouth sores from drinking carbo replacement mixes and liquid foods by using mouthwash periodically.

basics | solid foods | liquid foods and drinks

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Solid Foods

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• Energy Bars
  The first modern energy bar is commonly believed to be "cooked up" in the marathoner Brian Maxwell's kitchen in the mid 1980s. He called is PowerBar, and it started sport nutrition and marketing revolution. Energy bars designed with a mix of simple and complex carbohydrate, plus small amounts of fat and protein. Some brands have higher fat and/or protein content based on different nutritional theories nad marketing approaches. Some brands also add vitamins, minerals, and herbs, antioxidants, or stimulants (caffeine or guarana). One of the most important factors in deciding on your choice of energy bar is its taste. Any bar will supply carbos, but if you will not enjoy its taste you will not eat it...
  Some of the brands on the market today include: ClifBar, Powerbar, Balance, PR Nutrition, SmartFuel, TwinLab, SportTharma, GeniSoy, Stoker, Odwalla, Phil's, Boulder, etc. For additional information and comparison chart go to Bars Page.
• Fruits
  Bananas, oranges, melons, watermelons, grapes, pineapple, dried fruits, raisins.
• Potatoes
  Baked, boiled, mashed, fried.
• Bread and Bagels
• Sandwiches, Burritos and Roll-ups
  Peanut butter and jelly, banans and fruit jam, fruit jams, turkey, ham, cheese, egg.
• Pancakes
• Pierogy and blini
  Roll-ups with potatoes, meat, bananas, fruit jam.
• Pizza
• Burgers, Hotdogs and Doughnuts
  Yes, there are proponents of such nutritionals.
• Pasta, Noodles and Rice
  Plain and in soups.
• Pretzels, Chips, and Crackers
• Cookies and Pop-Tarts
  Fig Newtons, Nilla Wafers, Graham crackers.
• Candy, Nuts and Chocolate
  M&M's, jelly beans, gummy bears, Sneakers bar, peanuts, ice cream, fudge.
• Cereals and Granola

basics | solid foods | liquid foods and drinks

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Liquid Foods and Beverages

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• Water
• Commercial pre-mixed drinks
  Gatorade, Powerade, All Sport. For additional information and comparison chart go to Drinks Page.
• Electrolyte- and carbo-replacement drinks
  From the early 1960s when "electrolyte fluid" was brewed up at the University of Florida to replace the substances lost in sweat by the school football team, sport drinks market developed into a huge industry. While Gatorade with its current formulation (added sugars and flavorings) is still around, a huge marketplace of sport drink brands fight to sell you their versions of fluid, electrolyte, and carbohydrate replacement drinks.
  Some of the common sport drinks on the market today include: Cytomax and Revenge, Exceed, CLIP, Amino, Ultrafuel, XLR8, Isostar, Hydrofuel, Powerbar Perform Plus, Carbofuel, Carboplex. For additional information and comparison chart go to Drinks Page.
• Meal replacement and recovery drinks
  Spiz, Met-RX, Metabolol Endurance Formula, Ultramet, Endura Optimizer by Unipro, Gatorload. For additional information and comparison chart of recovery drinks go to Drinks Page.
• Energy gels
  Convinient single-serving gel packets changed world of race nutrition to a better place. Gels with about 100 quickly and easily digested calories of pure carbos ingested with couple of ounces of water can provide energy within minutes. As with all of the sport nutrition products, you must find a product that tastes good for you. Some ot the brands also contain vitamins, nutrients, and even caffeine.
  Most common brands on the market today are: GU, PowerGel, Hammer Gel, Clif SHOT, Leppin Squeezy, Fireball. For additional information and comparison chart go to Gels Page.
  
• Commercial nutrition supplements shakes
  Ensure, Boost, and Nestle's Sweet Success - Plus versions (note: these commercial products use a fairly low quality of the ingredients but they are a great convinience - 350 kcal in a small package that easy to consume; good concentrated source of calories in liquid form but nutritionally may be an eqivalent of liquid cookies).
• Juices
  OJ, V8, Kern's Mango and Papaya nectars (some of the tropical fruits, as pineapple and papaya, have chemicals which help digest proteins; there is belief that the chemical bromelain, found in pineapple, may help remove damaged tissues after a hard training and racing).
• Ice Teas and Lemonaids
• Soups
  Chicken broth, chicken noodles, beef bouillion, pea soup.
• Sodas
  De-fizzed Coca-Cola and Pepsi (Pepsi may contain more sugar), Surge, Jolt, Mountain Dew (contains vegetable oils, i.e., fats to settle your stomach).
• "Red Bull"-type of "energy drinks"
  In 1982, Red Bull invented mass-market stimulant-laden soda "energy drink". Since than, many other similar products appeared, all hoping to share marketing success of hip high-octane beverage. Most products are loaded with caffeine (typically about 80 mg per can, or about as much as a cup of coffee). Some add exotic ingredients - guarana (plant with berries that mimics caffeine and contains more than twice the caffeine of a coffee bean), ginseng (plant with reputation to help the immune system but without conclusive scientific evidence), and taurine (building block for proteins). More common contents are electrolytes (as sodium), vitamins, and carbos (mainly from high-fructose corn syrup, the cheapest sugar, same as in sodas). Obviously, such drinks are better that regular water in certain training and racing conditions, but should not be considered to be true energy and electrolyte replacement sport drinks. These drinks will rev you up fast but this buzz will be followed by hypoglycemic crash. Among other products on the market today are: Sobe Adrenaline Rush (8.3 oz can contains taurine, d-ribose, l-carnitine, guarana (50mg), and caffeine (86mg); 300 percent of daily value of vitamins B6 and B12, 100 percent of vitamin C), Hype (contains taurine, ginseng, guarana and caffeine; 25 percent of daily value of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, E and C), Venom (8.4 oz can contains taurine, mate, bee pollen, ginseng, guarana (50mg) and caffeine (40mg); 100 percent of daily value of vitamin C, ribiflavin, niacin and vitamin B12), Bawls (10 oz bottle contains 64mg of caffeine, and guarana flavor), AMP (from the makers of Mountain Dew; contains high-fructose corn sugar, guarana, caffeine, taurine, ginseng, orange juice from concentrate), Blue Ox Total Impact (8.4 oz can contains caffeine (95mg), vitamins B1, B6, B12), 180 (8 oz can from the maker of Bud, Anheuser-Busch, contains guarana (50mg) nad caffeine (90mg), vitamins B6, B12, C), Red Bull (contains taurine and caffeine; 113 calories and 215mg of protein from 8.3 ounce can).
• Coffee and Tea
• Honey, Syrups, Puddings
  Maple syrup, fruit jam.

basics | solid foods | liquid foods and drinks