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Sports Nutrition
Energy Gels & Triathlon
The sport of 'triathlon' is comprised of a varied range of race distances. To keep things simple, we have broken down this sport category into the 4 most common triathlon race distances. Within each race distance below are race-day tips and suggestions on how to use Carb-BOOM! Energy Gel and Pro-BOOM! Recovery Gel.
Note: All mentions of the words gel or gel packets below are in reference to Carb-BOOM! carbohydrate energy gels & Pro-BOOM! gel information is clearly defined and only found in the 'post-race' sections.
Sprint Distance Triathlons (? mile swim, 12.4 mile bike, 3.1 mile run)
Carb-BOOM! energy gels are a great stomach friendly option to make sure your body is prepared for a sprint triathlon. Consume 1-2 packets about 20-30 minutes before the start. As most sprint tris are completed within 1-2 hours you most likely wont need to eat a gel during the race, but it's not a bad idea to have one on hand in the bike-run transition area if you feel the need for a little extra boost.
Olympic Distance Triathlons (1 mile swim, 25 mile bike, 6.2 mile run)
Pre-Race: Eat a high carbohydrate breakfast (toast, bagels, hashbrowns, etc) at least 2 hours prior to the start. If you have trouble eating breakfast on race morning (due to nerves, etc) try consuming 2-3 gel packs about 1-1 1/2 hours prior to the start of the race. (Some athletes have even spread it on bagels!)
During the race: Eat your first gel in the transition area from the swim leg to the bike leg. Consume a second gel in the transition area from the bike leg to the run leg.
Post-Race: The early hours following a race (0-4 hrs post-event) is the most optimal time to replenish carbohydrate stores in the body. Eat 1-2 packets of Pro-BOOM! Recovery Gel immediately to 30 minutes after stopping in order to begin the rebuilding and repairing process. For complete details, review the article, "Nutrition & Recovery: Priming the Pump for Tomorrow" and our guide on "How to Use Pro-BOOM! Recovery Gel".
Half Iron Distance Triathlons (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run)
Pre-Race: Look to consume a big breakfast 2-3 hours before the start. Timing is importan to try not to eat a large meal too close to race start as you want to ensure that digestion is complete. Make sure you've got lots of carbohydrates included (pancakes, bagels, toast, hashbrowns, fruit etc). And don't be afraid to shake a little added salt on top! You'll need the extra sodium resources later on in the day.
During the race: Eat your first gel in the transition area from the swim leg to the bike leg. Take 3-4 gels with you on the ride (tape to a top-tube, put in a gel flask, however you like to carry them). Consume subsequent gels every 30-45 minutes thereafter. As for fluids, here's a good tip we like to suggest: Have 2 bottles ready for use on the bike segment one filled with water and the other with your favorite sport drink. Alternate between the two, shooting for a total fluid intake of 24-32 oz per hour. Determine your body's ideal nutrition regimen, whether this entails gels and water only, gels and sport drink, etc. but focus on an overall target of ingesting 300-400 calories per hour.
Post-Race: How you approach the short term recovery process at this distance will make a noticeable impact on how you feel the next day. Depending on your body weight, eat 1-2 packets of Pro-BOOM! Recovery Gel immediately after the finish and again 30 minutes post-finish. Have a good 'feeding plan' in place for the next 4+ hours. It's important to eat a meal high in carbohydrates and protein during this critical window (a plate of spaghetti and meatballs provides a good source of both). For complete details, review the article, "Nutrition & Recovery: Priming the Pump for Tomorrow" and our guide on "How to Use Pro-BOOM! Recovery Gel".
Iron Distance Triathlons (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run)
Pre-Race: You're in for a long day, so start it out right by making sure you get plenty of calories and carbohydrates in your system for breakfast. Wake up early to be sure that you can get in a good meal 2-3 hours before the start. As per above, pancakes, toast, bagels, hashbrowns, and fruit are all good carbohydrate choices. (And again, don't be shy about shaking an extra bit of salt on your plate.) Consider consuming some protein as well (peanut butter, eggs, etc), your muscles will be thankful later in the day. 20-30 minutes prior to race start, eat one packet of Carb-BOOM! to ensure that your blood sugar, muscles and mind are primed and ready to go.
During the race: Eat 2 gels in the transition area from the swim leg to the bike leg. Consume subsequent gels every 30-45 minutes thereafter. Aim for a fluid intake of 24-32 oz per hour (this can be accomplished with sport drinks, water or a combination of both) and a total caloric intake in the range of 300-400 calories per hour.
Because you'll be exercising for such an extended period of time don't forget to try and replenish some of the sodium you'll be losing through sweat. Midway through the bike segment may be a good time to try and eat some salty foods if your stomach is able to handle solid foods during competition. Pretzels are rich in sodium as well as being high in complex carbohydrates. Nuts are also a good option to consider. Make sure to experiment with this during your training sessions rather than try it for the first time on race day all GI systems are not the same and some athletes are more sensitive to different types/forms of nutrient intake during intense exercise than others. (Some athletes are only able to ingest liquid and gel supplements while others have no problem eating bars, fruit, etc.) Regardless, sodium issues are important to address in order to avoid potential hyponatremia concerns. To find out more about this subject, read our article, "Summer Training & Competition: The Lowdown on Hyponatremia".
Post-race: Same recommendations as the half iron distance but even more important to follow after an event of this magnitude. Depending on your body weight, eat 1-2 packets of Pro-BOOM! Recovery Gel immediately after the finish and again 30 minutes post-finish. Have a good 'feeding plan' in place for the next 6+ hours. Think fluids, carbohydrates, protein and salt and having a big comfortable couch nearby isn't a bad idea either. For complete details, review the article, "Nutrition & Recovery: Priming the Pump for Tomorrow" and our guide on "How to Use Pro-BOOM! Recovery Gel".
Additional Tips
- Find a flavor that tastes great since you'll be using gels successively throughout the event.
- Keep in mind that every athlete is different. You'll need to experiment to find your body's optimal regimen for gel intake. Pack gels with you on several training sessions and try taking them at different times and in different amounts to determine what system works best for you.
- If you don't have an easy way to carry five or six gels, consider purchasing a gel flask. Gel flasks are small plastic containers similar to water bottles that can be clipped on shorts, attached to a bike handlebar or slipped in a pocket. They hold four to six servings of gel and are an efficient way to carry your fuel.
- Water, water, water! Make sure to drink at least a cup of water with each gel to wash it down and help with hydration levels'it helps to time gel consumption with water stops/aid stations on the course as well as during transition areas.
- If you haven't yet tried caffeine as part of your training/racing nutrition regimen it's worth giving it a shot. You may see an improvement in your finish times as a result. Caffeine can be advantageous to endurance exercise by sparing glycogen stores, helping muscle contractions and providing that little extra mental perk so needed during a grueling race.
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Vanilla Orange and Chocolate Cherry are the only Carb-BOOM flavors that contains caffeine, with approximately 50 mg per packet. This is roughly equivalent to 1/2 cup of regular drip coffee. Learn more by reviewing the article, "Fast Facts on Caffeine: Performance Benefits for Athletes".
As you know, the sport of triathlon can be very time intensive. Many triathletes train more than once per day and/or may have heavy workouts back to back (i.e long afternoon bike ride followed by an early a.m swim). Taking appropriate steps during the recovery period is therefore very important to maximize the quality of successive training sessions. Pro-BOOM! recovery gels were developed specifically for scenarios such as this and can be a useful "tool in your nutrition regimen. As we like to say" Recover smart today. Perform better tomorrow.
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