Sports nutrition can be a little confusing with a ton of options and even more opinions out there. There’s also the perception that it’s “just for the pros” but when you are looking at being in the saddle for over three hours at the Classic or even eight for the Maxi it’s important to give your body a helping hand!
So what kind of nutrition is going to allow you to enjoy the ride and take in the scenery?
There may be a myriad of options out there but for most of us the three core fundamentals of nutrition we should consider are hydration, energy and recovery.
Get these right and you can be confident you’re giving yourself a fighting chance of performing at your peak and reducing the already significant impacts on your body.
- Hydration
Depending on the conditions it can take as little as one hour of exercise for the performance-sapping effects of dehydration to kick in. Symptoms include increased fatigue and perception of effort, increased core temperature and decreased alertness. These effects can kick in with just a 2% loss of body mass in fluid and losses up to 7% are not uncommon. Let’s put that into perspective, that’s seven kilograms in fluid loss for a 100 kilogram person! Stay on top of your hydration with Endura Performance Fuel! - Energy
Your body only has enough glycogen (energy) stores for between 60-90 minutes of moderate intensity riding. Once you’ve burned through these stores your risk of running out of energy increases the further you push. For longer events such as the Noosa Classic and Maxi you’ll need around one gram of carbs/hour per kilogram of body weight. Do this and you can ensure your energy tank remains full! - Recovery
The first 30 minutes post-ride are crucial to your recovery. Your body is exhausted and crying out for you to replace what you’ve just burned through and the sooner you start re-fuelling the better.The key nutrients to consider are:
- Hydration/electrolytes – aim to replace 150% of the fluid you’ve lost and one or two doses of electrolytes.
- Energy – you need to replenish glycogen levels, crabs are the best option and aim for one gram per kilo you weigh.
- Protein – the building block of muscles and a recovery must-have, aim for at least 10 grams of protein.
- Inflammation-reducing foods such as blueberries, almonds and green leafy vegetables are definitely worth including.
A healthy and fresh meal of protein and veggies washed down with an electrolyte-rich drink is a great way to kick off your recovery but if you are time poor Endura Optimizer ticks all the boxes for an easy and delicious recovery option!
The most important tip we can give is don’t wait until race day! Just like you wouldn’t trial a new bike during a race without a trial run you shouldn’t wait until race day to see how your body reacts to Gels and Electrolytes.
The best bet is to trial your nutrition in training to:
- Teach your body to digest nutrition under the stress of riding hard.
- Know what, when and how much works for you.
We recommend starting to work Gels and Electrolytes into your longer rides (anything over a couple of hours) early in the piece in order to give you more confidence on the big day.
