WHAT TO DRINK WHILE ON THE RUN
The effectiveness of sports drinks on race day might be overstated
With race season underway, runners are testing out their speed. And while quality training runs provide the foundation needed to perform at your best, making smart decisions about what to drink before and/or during a race can also help maximize performance.
Traditional advice suggests sports drinks are the best choice. But that’s old-school thinking. Science has pointed the way toward more options than sipping Gatorade, which is good news for those who never took to the taste of sports drinks or who can’t stomach a dose of carbohydrates while on the run.
The physiology behind the performance benefits of consuming liquids before and/or during a run may vary slightly between options, but the outcome is similar: a delay in the onset of fatigue. In measurable terms, the result is a potential two to three per cent improvement in the time it takes to cross the finish line — a worthwhile outcome for any runner.
So with your best performance in mind, here’s a look at beverage options come race day, along with practical tips on how much and how often to imbibe.
SPORTS DRINKS
The most popular option among the running crowd. It’s the carbohydrates found in sports drinks that provide the performanceenhancing benefits.
It’s interesting to note that much of the research related to consuming carbohydrates during exercise has been done on cyclists. And since runners, especially female runners, tend to have more stomach issues than cyclists, it’s worth reviewing whether the promise of improved performance in runners is overstated.
The latest research suggests that the boost in speed associated with ingesting carbohydrates before or during shorter-running races (those less than 90 minutes) is underwhelming and isn’t worth the risk of upsetting your stomach.
In fact, stomach distress is more common when consuming carbohydrates during higher-intensity workouts.
That said, there’s promising research claiming you don’t need to drink carbohydrates to reap their performance-enhancing benefits. Simply swirling a carbohydrate solution around in your mouth for five to 10 seconds, similar to how you use a mouthwash, has been shown to improve running performance over distances lasting 30 to 70 minutes.
The physiology behind how carbohydrate mouth rinses work is still unclear, but it seems like rinsing your mouth with a carbohydrate-laden beverage sends a signal to your brain that allows for improved activation of the motor units responsible for running. To be effective, you need to repeat the rinse-and-spit routine periodically over the course of the race.
For longer races, getting your carbs from a sports drink is a better option than swirling it around in your mouth. Drink 100 to 200 mL of your favourite sports drink every 15 to 20 minutes, as tolerated. Just be careful not to assume that drinking more will offer more gains. Exceeding the recommended amount of carbohydrates during a run won’t result in faster times, but it may cause your stomach to revolt.
As for gels, a popular choice among those who find it difficult to consume fluids while on the run, there’s a body of evidence suggesting they are more effective during races that last more than two hours, which means they might not be the best option for any runs under marathon distance.
CAFFEINE
Whether you take your caffeine by the mug, in pill form or by consuming an energy drink, research consistently shows that consuming three to six millilitres of caffeine per kilogram of body weight one hour before race time offers the best results for short races (5K and 10K).
But the science lacks consensus in the details. Some studies indicate better results for runners who don’t habitually consume caffeine. Others suggest cutting back on your daily caffeine fix days before a race is enough to reap caffeine’s benefits.
In practical terms, runners opting for a caffeine-related boost in performance should be prepared to drink two to three cups of coffee or 500 mL of an energy drink an hour before the race starts. Keep in mind that the research behind the benefits of caffeine for races greater than 10 km is limited.
Also worth noting is that a hit of caffeine, especially in the mornings, can result in an urgent need to hit the port-apotty. So if you opt for caffeine on race day, test out the viability of ingesting it one hour before the start of your run to ensure it doesn’t result in an unwelcome detour.