Long Course Nutrition Guide

A huge part of racing long course is nutrition. Races can be made or wrecked based on how well you execute the nutrition plan. 

Before the race, settle on a nutrition and hydration strategy with me as part of your race plan. 

Your plan should be super simple. Ridiculously simple. That way its easy to execute on the day under pressure. 

The Race :

The base “per hour” guidelines that we work outwards from are: 

• 0.8 - 1.2 grams of carbs per kilo of body weight 

• 1 bidon of hydration (600-700ml)

• Approx. 500-700mg of electrolytes 

We then fine tune that according to your individual needs. 

One of the most important aspects to also consider is logistics. How will you carry all this fuel with you ?

Have a look at your bike and consider how many places you have to store gels and bottles. Most likely you will need at least 2 bottles. You will also need a place to store gels. That could be in the pockets of your tri-suit or in a bento box on the top tube of the bike.

Finally …..Have a strategy and test it in training. Week after week. Know what you will be doing so it’s settled in your mind and it has been proven to work.

Race Day Breakfast:

Your goal is arrive on the start line with a full load of glycogen in your body. Overnight your body will have burned approximately 600-1000 calories just through your basal metabolic rate.

Get up 3 hours before race start and start eating. Aim for 600 calories as a minimum. Don’t have too much fibre.

The Day Before The Race :

Use a carb loading strategy that you know works for you by testing it. A good place to start is a minimum of 6-8g of carbs / kg body weight. You will have to work hard at this to get it in. The benefit is that coupled with a good breakfast on race day you will have a full load of fuel (glycogen) on board ready to start the race.