Nutrition

There are some basics to nutrition, but like running shoes, what your friend likes won't necessarily work best for you. Experiment and use what works best. If you feel that electrolyte depletion is causing you to bonk or cramp, choose nutrition with more sodium & potassium or supplement with S-Caps, Salt Stick, or Endurolytes. 

Bonking, or losing steam before the finish, or 'Hitting the Wall' is the result of one or all of three things. First, insufficient fueling and/or hydration, and you can usually eliminate that issue by fueling properly. Don't neglect to eat (Carb Load) and hydrate well during the three days leading up to longer races. Second, pace yourself correctly. Most often you will race better if you run negative splits. That does not mean to think negative thoughts, but to run the later part of the race faster than the first part. If you go out too fast you almost always pay for it at the end. Even 10 seconds per mile faster than goal pace in the first miles can spoil a strong finish. Third and most important, train smart. For best results, follow an established training program, such as Hal Higdon's or Jeff Galloway's, after you have built a solid running foundation. Most of us would agree that mileage increases should not exceed 10% per week, and just as we should practice hard/easy days, also follow hard weeks with easier weeks. Recovery days are just as important as hard days, so plenty of rest (sleep) is required for optimal race training. A friend said it well, 'There is no such thing as over-training, just under-recovery. Pro Triathlete Malaika Homo.

I have found that 150 calories per hour works well. That means I take one gel about every 45 minutes in training. On race day I take a gel every 30-40 minutes and I feel better fueled and more energized. For energy chews you simply take total calories per packet and divide by chews per packet - Honey Stinger chews have 160 calories for 10 pieces - so I'd consume one packet per hour, or 2-3 chews before each aid station or every two miles, and chase with water. I often take a gel with water 20 minutes before the start of long and short races, just to top off the tank.

Post-workout/race nutrition: Protein and Carbs, get'em in your body as soon as possible after the run, within 20 minutes. I find it easiest to use a recovery drink such as Ultragen or Endurox or Recoverite, and chocolate milk is excellent nutrition. If you don't get it in your system after hard workouts you won't get the most benefit from the effort. I don't take Ultragen after every workout, but usually only after the hardest ones. A quick PB&J with milk and a yogurt is enough after easy runs.

Pre-race meals can vary according to the race distance. For 5Ks I may not eat anything before the pre-race gel, but for Halfs and Marathons I consume a few hundred calories four hours before the race. For marathons I eat oatmeal with very little or no milk and sip on a sports drink, or toast or bagel with jam or honey, or an energy bar, or Pop-Tarts, etc. Find out what works for you during training and don't vary it race-day morning. Oh, and sleep Thursday night because you may not sleep well Friday night (for a Saturday race).

 

                   
NUTRITION FACT SHEET
                   
ENERGY GELS CALORIES SERVING CARBS SUGAR SODIUM POTASSIUM AMINO ACIDS CAFFEINE CARB SOURCE
                   
1ST End. Liquid Shot 80 30g 20g 10g 80mg 58mg yes no maltodextrin
Accel Gel 90 41g 20g 10g 100mg 50mg yes yes maltodextrin
Carb-Boom 110 40g 27g 2g 50mg 50mg no yes maltodextrin
Clif Shot 110 34g 22g 12g 60mg 80mg no yes maltodextrin
Clif Shot Bloks 100 30g 24g 12g 70mg 20mg no yes brown rice syrup
Crank E-Gel 150 55g 37g 7g 230mg 85mg yes no maltodextrin
GU 100 32g 25g 3g 50mg 35mg yes yes maltodextrin
GU Chomps 90 30g 23g 11g 50mg 40mg yes yes maltodextrin
GU Roctane 100 32g 25g 5g 125mg 55mg yes yes maltodextrin
Hammer Gel 91 36g 23g 2g 25mg 0mg yes yes maltodextrin
Honey Stinger 120 37g 29g 29g 50mg 85mg no no honey
Honey Stinger Chews 160 50g 39g 24g 80mg 40mg no no honey
Jelly Belly Sport Beans 100 28g 25g 19g 80mg 40mg no yes sucrose
Powerbar Blasts 130 40g 30g 24g 40mg 0mg no yes maltodextrin
Power Gel 110 41g 27g 10g 200mg 20mg yes yes maltodextrin
                   
ENERGY DRINKS CALORIES SERVING SIZE CARBS SUGAR SODIUM POTASSIUM AMINO ACIDS CARB SOURCE  
                   
1st End. EFS 96 30g 24g 16g 270mg 160mg yes maltodextrin  
Accelerade 120 31g 21g 20g 190mg 65mg yes maltodextrin  
Camelbak Elixir 10 6g 1g 0g 420mg 70mg no n/a  
Gatorade Endurance 50 16g 14g 14g 200mg 90mg no fructose  
GU Electrolyte Brew 140 34g 34g 11g 325mg 50mg yes maltodextrin  
Hammer Heed 100 29g 25g 2g 100mg 0mg yes maltodextrin  
Hammer Perpetuem 280 69g 54g 7g 231mg 156mg yes maltodextrin  
nuun 3 5g 0g 0g 180mg 50mg yes n/a  
Powerbar Perform 70 18g 17g 10g 190mg 10mg no maltodextrin  
Zym 4 5g 0g 0g 0mg 100mg no n/a  
                   
RECOVERY DRINKS CALORIES SERVING SIZE CARBS SUGAR SODIUM POTASSIUM PROTEIN CARB SOURCE  
                   
1st End. Ultragen 320 93g 60g 60g 350mg 200mg 20g glucose  
Endurox R4 270 75g 53g 30g 190mg 100mg 13g maltodextrin  
GU Recovery Brew 250 60g 52g 17g 160mg 70mg 8g maltodextrin  
Hammer Recoverite 170 49g 32g 3g 55mg 0mg 10g maltodextrin  
Powerbar Recovery 90 24g 20g 10g 250mg 10mg 3g maltodextrin