The has become one of the most iconic endurance events in the country. Depending on how fast you ride, you鈥檒l be on course for between six-and-a-half (that鈥檚 record pace) and twelve hours (that鈥檚 the cutoff). And no matter how good of shape you鈥檙e in, if you get the fueling wrong you鈥檙e unlikely to succeed.
Your hydration needs are fairly straightforward. Like with any cycling event over 90 minutes, aim to drink 18 to 24 ounces of liquid per hour containing 250 to 300 milligrams of sodium (with an additional 100 milligrams coming from food), says Kelli Jennings, a registered dietitian with . If you weigh more than 180 pounds, aim for 24 to 32 ounces.
Food is a bit more perplexing. While an athlete can burn 1,000 calories per hour or more, the body can鈥檛 process that much nutrition while exercising. For efforts over five hours, Jennings suggests between 300 and 400 calories per hour that includes a mix of carbohydrate sources (glucose, fructose, and maltodextrin), but experiment to see how much food your body can handle.
A host of companies advocate separating hydration and fueling to prevent dehydration and intestinal distress. A at England鈥檚 University of Birmingham showed that optimal fluid absorption came from drinks with just a three percent concentration of carbohydrates, while more concentrated drinks slowed the rate of absorption.
Citing such research, and , in particular, push athletes to hydrate with their low-concentration drinks and feed on solid food. Allen Lim, Ph.D., of Skratch, along with BMC Racing Team chef Biju Thomas, have published with recipes for portable foods to eat while racing such as these cashew and bacon rice cakes.
In this strategy, you would shoot to consume 24 ounces of Skratch or Osmo per hour and take care of the your caloric needs with solid food. If you don鈥檛 have time or energy to prepare homemade bars, a few good options include the new energy chews, bars and waffles from , and the almost-like-homemade .
Some companies insist that they can deliver all the calories an athlete needs (plus electrolytes and other minerals) in a formula that鈥檚 right around the optimal three percent mark. has been customizing sports drink formulations since 2006, and last month they launched a line of stock drink mixes. A single bottle takes care of both hydration and nutrition so there鈥檚 less to think about and mess with while you鈥檙e riding.
We鈥檝e been testing both as well as a couple of the company鈥檚 custom formulations, and we鈥檝e so far found the drinks to work well in events up to 12 hours. Infinit also cites studies that show consuming a sports drink with multiple types of carbohydrates, like theirs, can and allow the body to than drinking one with a single type of carbohydrate. Another all-in-one liquid fueling product that we鈥檝e tried with good success is , even though it contains only one carbohydrate source, maltodextrin.
The truth is there is no one right approach. That means it鈥檚 time to start experimenting with the options when you train. Start with the basic recommendations (18 to 24 ounces of fluid and 300 to 400 calories per hour), and practice feeding consistently during rides (think: every 15 minutes). Pick an approach (liquids only or liquids and solids) and follow it until you figure out which products work for you.
On race day, have a plan for the number and types of calories and bottles you鈥檒l need, and coordinate accordingly with your support crew (or the race-provided aid stations). Consider having a back-up product in case your chosen fuels aren鈥檛 sitting well, and carry a few hundred extra calories for emergencies, too.
Most important, be vigilant to eat and drink every 15 minutes鈥攊t鈥檚 easy to get sidetracked and forget your nutrition in the excitement, which in an event this long will inevitably lead to you bonking.