Clare Gallagher,聽, began her ultrarunning career while undergoing a teaching fellowship in a rural corner of Thailand. There wasn鈥檛 a single sport-specific gel packet or PowerBar within a hundred-mile radius of her town. Gallagher, now 25,聽improvised, sucking down Coca-Cola, Thai milk coffee, pure sugarcane, and lots and lots of packets of sweet sticky rice.
Not only did Gallagher feel fine eating this unorthodox combo, but she also started kicking聽ass, winning her very first ultra. Now, when Gallagher looks at the prices of sports nutrition products, she rolls her eyes: 鈥淲esterners are so self-righteous with our extravagant nutrition strategies that cost more than a month of student loan payments鈥攆or one race,鈥 she says.
Plus, gels, bars, and powdered sports drinks are not exactly fine dining鈥攅specially in large quantities, when it feels like your taste buds are being assaulted by pure sugar. This is why more endurance athletes these days are eating real food while training and racing. 鈥淚t gives me something to look forward to,鈥 says ultrarunner Dylan Bowman of his favorite salted fudge brownies.
We caught up with six athletes to hear about their favorite unorthodox fuels, and then asked , a New York鈥揵ased registered dietitian to weigh in on what, if any, benefits these foods might convey. (A necessary disclaimer: Not every workout requires this kind of fueling. If you鈥檙e going out for under two hours, we suggest you stick with water and maybe a gel.)
Clare Gallagher, Ultrarunner
Favorite Race Food: Frosting and Sour Patch Kids
The Backstory: 鈥淲hen packing my fuel for Leadville, I was completely disenchanted at the thought of buying 20-plus gels, and I am a sucker for frosting anyway. It occurred to me that I鈥檇 actually like the frosting better than gels,鈥 Gallagher says. 鈥淪ame with Sour Patch Kids. I could buy endurance-specific gummies, or I could buy 1.9 pounds of Sour Patch Kids and have plenty to share with my crew for the rest of the weekend. I hate to think my genius frosting idea was born out of me being cheap, but it really was just that.鈥
The Result: Gallagher鈥檚 Leadville win, which was the second-fastest female time ever, speaks for itself. Still, though, observers gawk. 鈥淧eople say my diet is appalling and unhealthy. To them, I say, 鈥業 think I鈥檓 doing just fine, thank you very much.鈥 I can鈥檛 eat gluten. I eat very little meat. I avoid dairy because I also have Hashimoto鈥檚 disease. If someone has evidence that eating frosting and Sour Patch Kids instead of some $300 baby-food vomit formula repurposed into Premium Fuel for Endurance Athletes is going to kill me, then I鈥檓 all ears.鈥 Plus, Gallagher is now officially sponsored by Frost鈥檇, a coconut oil鈥揵ased frosting company founded by fellow ultrarunner Jessica Hamel.
Anselmo鈥檚 Take: Frosting has simple carbs for quick energy and no fiber to wreak havoc on the GI tract, and it鈥檚 easy to eat. No chewing required.
Dylan Bowman, Ultrarunner
Favorite Race Food: Salted fudge brownies
The Backstory: 鈥淚n 2013, my girlfriend, Harmony, and I had to do about six months of long-distance dating. One weekend, we met in Malibu, where I was running a 50-mile race. We hadn鈥檛 seen each other in more than a month, so she surprised me at the airport with a fresh batch of my favorite brownies. Up to that point, the brownies were a special indulgence, but in the context of the race that weekend, it dawned on me that they鈥檇 be a good addition to my nutrition arsenal. I didn鈥檛 bring enough gels to get me through the whole race, so I had Harmony give me a Red Bull and brownie bag at an aid station about halfway through the race.鈥
The Result: 鈥淭here were probably seven brownies in the bag, and I ate them all over the course of about 20 miles. I ended up winning the race, which seemed to validate this new and unfamiliar nutrition strategy. I鈥檝e had her make them before important races ever since.鈥
Anselmo鈥檚 Take: 鈥淭hese have quick simple carbs, plus chocolate gives a bit of caffeine, which, in moderation, can enhance energy and athletic performance. They are also likely have some sodium and potassium for electrolyte repletion.鈥
鈥淚f someone has evidence that eating frosting and Sour Patch Kids instead of some $300 baby-food vomit formula repurposed into Premium Fuel for Endurance Athletes is going to kill me, then I鈥檓 all ears.鈥
Amelia Boone, Obstacle Course Racer
Favorite Prerace Snack: Cinnamon Roll Pop-Tarts
The Backstory: 鈥淚 ate one before the Spartan Race World Championships in 2013 and won the race. So now it may be semi-superstition-related, but I actually find they sit really well in my stomach.鈥
Also on the Menu: 鈥淢y diet sounds like the standard American diet for kids. During races, I鈥檒l eat gummy bears, baby-food squeeze pouches, and peanut M&M鈥檚. After races, I house pints of ice cream; it鈥檚 the only thing I can eat for about 12 hours. My stomach tends to be in knots an unable to take solid foods after really long races鈥擨 mean, go figure, given what I eat during.鈥
Anselmo鈥檚 Take: 鈥淧op-Tarts are my prerace fuel, too. They鈥檙e perfect for quick simple carbs, and there鈥檚 no fiber to cause gas, bloating, or diarrhea. Also, they鈥檙e a total childhood comfort food, which might help calm nerves prerace. I鈥檝e brought them with me when traveling for races because they travel well and never go bad, which is kind of gross but kind of great.鈥
Phil Gaimon, Retired Pro Cyclist
Favorite Midrace Fuel: Chocolate croissants
The Backstory: During long stage races in Europe, Gaimon and his teammates would often grab extra pastries from the hotel鈥檚 breakfast buffet and save them for later in the day. 鈥淭here wasn鈥檛 a moment in the race when I wasn鈥檛 counting down to unwrapping those things,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 remember a moment where I went nuts for ten minutes to pull back the breakaway on a climb at the Tour of Provence. So I started to eat the pain au chocolat, but I was out of breath, and then the descent was insane, but I wasn鈥檛 going to spit it out and waste it, so I did a 20-minute technical downhill just holding it in my mouth.鈥
Also in His Pockets: , and his fans know it. Sometimes, before races, people would hand him wrapped cookies.
Anselmo鈥檚 Take: 鈥淎 chocolate croissant has carbs as well as some fat, which you鈥檇 need during multiday events. Also, the sheer deliciousness factor makes it appealing. It鈥檚 not cloyingly sweet like some other treats, so it鈥檚 good for someone who likes less-sugary things.鈥
Sean Burch, Mountaineer
Favorite Expedition Food: Peanut butter
The Backstory: 鈥淚鈥檝e always loved peanut butter, ever since I was a kid. I started letting myself eat a little more of it, and I thought I鈥檇 gain weight, but I didn鈥檛. Pretty soon I was eating more and more. Now I eat a pound a day. On expeditions, I make sure we bring peanut butter because I don鈥檛 trust that I鈥檒l be able to get it there. And I crave it. I look forward to eating it every single day.鈥
The Result: It has become an obsession for Burch. 鈥淚f there鈥檚 a sale on all-natural peanut butter, I buy the store out of it鈥攖he cashiers at my local store know me,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 wish I had a sponsor for peanut butter. I spend a fortune on it. But I鈥檓 willing to spend the money because it鈥檚 an investment in myself and my health.鈥
Anselmo鈥檚 Take: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great, no-chew food that鈥檚 full of protein.鈥 Plus, Burch says he only buys the all-natural variety, so it has no added sugars or hydrogenated oils.
Aaron Gwin, Red Bull Mountain Bike Racer
Favorite Between-Ride Snack: Pancakes
The Backstory: 鈥淚 make a batch of pancakes at home in the morning, and then bag up two to six of them, depending on how much riding I鈥檓 doing that day. I make them pretty healthy, adding protein powder to the batter so I get all the nutrition I need. I keep experimenting and adding new things. They鈥檝e gotten a little out of control the more that I keep adding ingredients鈥攖hings like sweet potatoes, bananas, peanut butter powder, and oats鈥攂ut I dig them. Pancakes give me a good base of carbs and protein for training days to keep me going without having to stop for long periods of time to eat, plus they鈥檙e easy to pack and digest, and I like the taste of them plain.鈥
Anselmo鈥檚 Take: 鈥淧ancakes have carbs galore, plus the little extra protein is probably good for muscle recovery after an intense and long workout.鈥