KEY 70.3 NUTRITION

Honing your nutrition strategy is key for middle-distance success. Here’s the essential training and race-day fuelling advice…

TRAIN TO EAT

You must train yourself to be able to eat and drink while on the move; it’s essential to performance that you can fuel on the go. Eating smaller portions more regularly can be easier on the digestive system instead of scoffing a whole energy bar in one go. Cut your energy bars up into quarters before you ride and set a timer on your watch to remind you to eat and drink. A rough guide is approx. 600-800mls of fluid per hour and 180-220kcals per hour.

DON’T OVEREAT

Don’t overeat for the sake of it in the days before the race. The concept of carb-loading doesn’t mean doubling your portions of pasta/bread/rice. Your reduced training volume will mean that you’re storing carbs for race day. Also avoid high fibre or spicy foods: your digestive system doesn’t need any additional stress during the race.

EXPERIMENT IN TRAINING

Experiment with different quantities of fluids and bars/gels. Make notes on how you performed and build up a system that works for you. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes in training, as this knowledge will prove invaluable on race day.

RECOVER & REFUEL

Begin your recovery from a session as soon as you’ve finished it by using a protein-based snack or drink. Enjoy a balanced meal with more protein within 2hrs of the session.

CHECK THE RACE BRAND

Use the products that the race organisers provide in training as it’s difficult to carry enough nutrition on your own. If the race-day products don’t suit you then you’ve time to find an alternative. And don’t try anything new on race day!