Fueling Strategies for Training and Competition: Race Day™ Next Level© Performance Nutrition Guide
By Lisa Dorfman, MS, RD, CSSD, CCMS, LMHC, FAND
@TheRunningNutritionist
Endurance training and competition demand that your body be optimally fueled. A well-fortified diet is the best line of defense for hitting the wall, while also keeping adequate energy levels for your muscles and your mind.
Whether you’re a recreational fitness aficionado or an Olympic-level athlete, the goal of performance fueling is to boost your system with optimal, short and long-term carbohydrate nutrients, adequate fluids and electrolytes like sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium and magnesium.
Timing and types of nutrients vary for each athlete. Planning YOUR individual strategy will come down to 1) relying on evidenced-based information; 2) following proven formulas; and 3) trial and error. Testing out different workouts and fueling combinations, as well as comparing your favorite products to new ones on the market and measuring results will yield your winning combination.
Numerous factors such as age, gender, physique, diet, overall health, fitness level, training regimen, medical history, genetics, habits, and lifestyle all have a role to play to determine the exact macronutrient composition and quantities of fluids needed for any given workout or race. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution, this RaceDay Next Level© Performance Nutrition Guide will provide basic guidelines for staying fueled and hydrated for triathlon training and competition.
For personal guidance , download the RaceDay App to provide you with a list of products that can meet your pre competition, racing and post-race fueling needs at App Store or Google Play.
Training & Competition Fuel
As your training intensifies, staying physically and mentally energized is the key to feeling great as you build longer workouts. The human body is a complex machine, with thousands of biochemical processes working in harmony to generate the energy required for steady state exercise and high-intensity workouts. Preventing energy depletion means replenishing sugars in your blood, muscles, and liver; replacing fluids and electrolytes lost from sweat, and mentally boosting focus to keep one’s eye on the finish line.
Carbohydrates
Believe it or not, you don’t have much sugar to spare. Right now, you only have about 60 to 90 minutes’ worth of stored sugar (called “glycogen”) in your liver and muscles. And even that number depends on your daily dietary intake of carbs and the intensity and duration of your daily training. If your glycogen stores drop to critically low levels, training for any length of time or at any speed will be an effort, and as veteran athletes say, you will “bonk.”
Gradual glycogen depletion can result from days of training without adequate carbohydrate replacement. Repetitive, high intensity work and spurts of faster speeds on top of your longer steady state session can also contribute to this loss. To avoid the “bonk,” you need to eat enough total daily carbohydrates and make sure that you carb-fuel before, during and after running.
Pre-Workout Meals
A pre-workout meal improves performance more so than fasting can. Athletes who train before breakfast risk depleting their liver glycogen stores which can in turn impair performance, particularly during endurance training.
A pre-workout snack helps to maintain optimal levels of blood sugar for muscles and can help restore liver glycogen stores. If you train first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, make sure to have had a carb-loaded dinner the night before, such as two servings of 100% whole grain pasta, brown rice, peas or corn with a serving of fruit, vegetables or low-fat dairy.
Have an hour before your workout begins? Keep your snack simple. Skip the fiber, fat and spices to avoid training “trots” and indigestion. Exercising on a full stomach may cause indigestion, nausea and even vomiting.
It’s advisable to get a quick energy snack one to four hours prior to your workout. To determine how many grams of carbohydrates you’ll need, multiply your kilogram body weight by the number of hours before your workout. To convert your weight from pounds to kilograms, divide your weight number by 2.2, then multiply the resulting number times the hours prior to your workout. For example:
A person who weighs 59 kilograms (or 130 lbs.) will need:
59 grams of carbohydrates one hour before workout. Food option: one banana and one serving of oatmeal.
118 grams of carbohydrates two hours before workout. Food option: one cup of whole grain cereal with almond milk and one banana.
177 grams of carbohydrates three hours before workout. Food option: one cup of brown rice, one cup of black beans and a green salad.
The RaceDay App will provide you with a list of products that can meet your pre- and post-workout carbohydrate needs. Check out the chart at the end of the blog to find out what the research says about your fueling needs.
Fuel During Exercise
Sports fuels are especially formulated for consumption while training or competing as an efficient way to replenish without losing your pace, your focus or upsetting the gut. Whether they come in the form of sports drinks, gels, blocks, blasts or bars, these fuels are typically high-carb, low-protein and fat, and unleash energy into your bloodstream quickly.
Consuming carbohydrates during longer workouts also improves performance, speed, recovery, and may help to prevent post-race respiratory issues. Although they may not always stave off fatigue, they can definitely delay its onset. Eating during exercise can also help you recover faster and feel more energized for your next workout.
During those final minutes of exercise, when muscle glycogen is low and athletes rely heavily on blood glucose for energy, their muscles feel heavy, and they must focus extra hard to maintain the intensity. Studies show carbohydrates consumed during exercise can also spare endogenous protein to help maintain blood sugars and improve performance.
When it comes to fueling, the specific form of carbohydrate makes little difference, although some athletes perform better with certain forms of sugars over others. Some athletes prefer a sports drink, while others like orange slices or a sports gel with water. Training is a great time to experiment with your workout fuel since not every choice works for every athlete. Trying out different brands and flavors will help you find the best one for you, so you can work out the GI kinks and compete without a snag on race day.
The recommended amount of carbs to be consumed during training is about 25 to 30 grams every 30 minutes. For races lasting more than 2 1/2 hours, higher intakes (up to 90 grams per hour) may be warranted if tolerated. For most athletes, exceeding a total of 60 to 70 grams per hour from all sport fuels combined can cause major gut distress. Keeping mental tabs on your total consumption will help you to avoid unnecessary pit stops during your workout.
Combining protein and carbohydrates in a sport fluid or snack may also improve performance, muscle protein synthesis and net balance, as well as recovery. Ingesting amino acids in small amounts alone or in conjunction with carbohydrates before or after exercise appears to improve net protein balance and may stimulate protein synthesis during activity and recovery.
It’s important to try any products prior to competition. Sometimes the serving size, taste or sugar sources can upset your system. Keep in mind that you may need less or more than the serving size on the label, depending on your energy and stress levels. Listen to your body and not the portion size.
Post-Workout Fuel
Recovery fuel strives to enhance recovery from exercise depletion, promote more effective training adaptation, and enable you to return faster to training. Improvement in your training efficiency can lead to significant performance benefits and sport career longevity, which helps to maintain immunity and long-term health.
On average, only 5% of the muscle glycogen used during exercise is resynthesized every hour after exercise. At least 20 hours will be required for complete restoration after all-out training sessions if you replenish and consume carbohydrates throughout the remainder of the day. Waiting until after you’ve showered, dressed, and headed off to eat can significantly slow down muscle replenishment. Delaying the consumption of carbohydrates for too long after training reduces overall muscle glycogen resynthesis, which can impact your next workout.
The highest capacity of muscle glycogen synthesis has been achieved with the equivalent of 1 to 1.85 grams carbohydrates per kilogram bodyweight per hour, consumed immediately after training, and at 15- to 60-minute intervals thereafter, for up to five hours.
This means snacking on carbs throughout the remainder of the day and during main meals is recommended. If you like sweets, this is the time to indulge since sweeter carbs have been shown to result in higher muscle glycogen levels 24 hours after working out, compared with the same amount of complex carbohydrates.
Adding approximately five to nine grams of protein for every 100 grams of carbohydrates (or about a 3:1 ratio of carbs to protein) has been shown to enhance muscle recovery, may further increase glycogen resynthesis rate, provide amino acids for muscle repair, and promote a more anabolic hormonal response.
RaceDay Next Level© Performance Nutrition Chart*
Energy for Training and Competition
Carbohydrate Guide for Pre-Training and Competition
Weight lbs/KG ≤45 min 45-75m 1-2.5hr ≥2.5hr
Carb mouth rinse 30g/hour 30-60g 30-60g 60-70g
Or no carbs up to 90g/hr
(On hot days, reduce carbs % by 10%)
Weight lbs/KG Pre and Hourly Carbs
1 hr before 2 hrs before 3 hrs before Carbs Avg Pro/hr
1.2-2.5 hours
1g/kg 2g/kg 3g/kg avg 30-60g/hr
Pro Avg/hour
5-10 g0.25g/kg/hour
100/45 45g 90g 135 ≥2.5 hours 11g
110/50 50 100 150 60-70g/hour 12.5
120/54 54 108 162 up to 90g/hour 13.5
150/68 68 136 204 17
180/81 81 162 243 20.25
200/90 90 180 270 22.5
220/100 100 200 300 25
240/109 109 218 327 27.25
260/118 118 236 354 29.5
280/127 127 254 381 31.75
300/136 136 272 408 34
Post-Race Carbs and Protein
Carbs 0-4 hrs post Average 1-1.85g/kg/hr
20-40 g Pro avg/.25g/kg
Weight lbs/KG Carbohydrate (Gms) Protein (Gms)
100/45 45-83 11
110/50 50-92 12.5
120/54 54-99 13.5
150/68 68-125 17
180/81 81-149 20.25
200/90 90-166 22.5
220/100 100-185 22
240/109 109-201 25
260/118 118-218 29.5
280/127 127-234 31.75
300/136 136-251 34
Medical Disclaimer. The Service, Content and other services and information presented by the RaceDay Next level Performance Nutrition Guide is for educational purposes only and is in no way intended to diagnose, cure, or treat any medical or other health condition. The Service, including any Content therein, does not constitute medical advice and is not intended to be and should not be used in place of the advice of your physician. Before starting any diet or fitness program, consult your physician to determine if such program is right for your needs. Do not start a diet or fitness program through the Service if your physician or healthcare provider advises against it. This is particularly true if you (or your family) have a history of high blood pressure or heart disease, or if you have ever experienced chest pain when exercising or have experienced chest pain in the past month when not engaged in physical activity, smoke, have high cholesterol, are obese, or have a bone or joint problem that could be made worse by a change in physical activity. Do not start this program if your physician or health care provider advises against it. If you experience faintness, dizziness, pain or shortness of breath at any time while exercising you should stop immediately.
References
American College of Sports Medicine. Exercise and Fluid Replacement. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: February 2007 - Volume 39 - Issue 2 - p 377-390
Baker L, Sweating Rate and Sweat Sodium Concentration in Athletes: A Review of Methodology and Intra/Interindividual Variability. Sports Med (2017) 47 (Suppl 1):S111–S128.
Belval, L. et al. Practical Hydration Solutions for Sports. Nutrients 2019, 11, 1550.
Dorfman, Lisa. Krause's Food & The Nutrition Care Process, 15th Edition, Chapter 22, Nutrition for Exercise and Sports Performance. (W.B. Saunders, 2019)
Dorfman, Lisa Legally Lean: Sports Nutrition Strategies for Optimal Health & Performance, Momentum Media (2015)
Driskell, J. and Wolinsky, I. Editors. Sports Nutrition Energy Metabolism and Exercise, 2nd Edition, 2008.
Fink, H and Mikesky, A. Practical Applications in Sports Nutrition, Sixth Edition, 2021
Getzin, A.R.; Milner, C.; Harkins, M. Fueling the Triathlete: Evidence-Based Practical Advice for Athletes of All Levels. Curr. Sports Med. Rep. 2017, 16, 240–246.
Greenberg, Jayne, Calkins, Nichole, Spinosa, Lisa. Designing and Teaching Fitness Education Courses. Dorfman, L. Chapter 5, Nutrition, Wellness and Consumer Issues, pp97-130. Human Kinetics, Illinois, 2022
Jager, R. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017; 14: 20.
Jeukendrup, A.E.; Jentjens, R.L.P.G.; Moseley, L. Nutritional Considerations in Triathlon. Sports Med. 2005, 35, 163–181.
Kerksick, C. et al. ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review update: research & recommendations. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018 Aug 1;15(1):38.
Maughan, R. et al. IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete. Br J Sports Med 2018;52:439–455.
Thomas, D.T.; Erdman, K.A.; Burke, L.M. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance. J. Acad. Nutr. Diet. 2016, 116, 501–528.
Tiller, N. et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: nutritional considerations for single-stage ultra-marathon training and racing. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2019 Nov 7;16(1):50.
Vitale, K. and Getzin, A. Nutrition and Supplement Update for the Endurance Athlete: Review and Recommendations. Nutrients 2019, 11, 1289.
Professional Sports Nutrition Organizations:
Australian Institute of Sport. https://www.ais.gov.au/nutrition
Collegiate, Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA) What’s In Your Sweat?
Sherman, Taylor, RD and Siekaniec, Claire, RD.
Copyright 2021. All Rights Reserved. Next Level© Performance Nutrition Guide
Meet Lisa Dorfman, MS, RD, CSSD, CCMS, LMHC, FAND
@TheRunningNutritionist
Known internationally as The Running Nutritionist®, Lisa is an award-winning leader to industry, academia, the public & press for more than 3 decades. Lisa has built a global integrative culinary sports nutrition & performance private practice & corporate consulting business working with Olympian athletes, and prestigious luxury resorts such as Ritz Carlton, Sandals & Norwegian Cruise Lines. Lisa designs, writes, and speaks about delicious dishes, menus and diets and travels worldwide sharing the “gospel” of good food, fresh tastes, and plant-based cuisine. Her passion for food, fitness, emotional balance and for life is contagious.
A ’19 President’s Council National Excellence in Practice Award Recipient, Lisa is a Licensed Nutritionist/ Registered Dietitian, Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, Board Certified Professional Counselor, Certified Chef, Certified USAT&F & USA Triathlon Coach, Certified Reiki Practitioner, Certified Horticulturist & Fellow of The Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics. She served as the ’08 US Sailing Olympic Team Nutritionist for Beijing Olympics & Nutrition Expert for the Zumba Plate® program. She currently serves as a contractor for KBR as a High-Performance Nutritionist for Special Ops for the US Military at SOCOM South.
As a chef, she has been inspired by her colleagues and collaborations with some of the top chefs at spas, hotels, restaurants, as instructor at Johnson and Wales University & Miami Culinary Institute; as an intern at Culinary Vegetable Institute/Chef’s Garden. She founded the company CHI Energy Bites™ @CHIenerybitesofficial an organic, vegan, gluten free, superfood infused purpose driven pre- and post-workout snack to help athletes fuel optimally and recover completely after training and competition. She is an inducted member of prestigious organizations such as Les Dames d ‘Escoffier, Board Director of American Culinary Foundation Miami, and the James Beard Foundation. Lisa serves as Chef Alliance Director for Slow Food Miami and consults as Chef Ambassador for Fullei Fresh® Sprouts & Culinary Wellness Consultant for Chic Bahamas Weddings .
The author of 8 books, Lisa has appeared on 20/20, Dateline, Good Morning America Health, FOX News, CNN, MSNBC and ESPN & has been featured in numerous publications including: USA Today, Newsweek, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Men’s Fitness, Outside & Runners World magazines. In her spare time, Lisa has competed in more than 35 marathons (PR 2:52:32), Ironman USA Lake Placid, and hundreds of running and multisport races from track to ultradistances. She was a member of TeamUSA for the ’04 World Long Distance Duathlon Championships. Lisa is a wife and mother of 3, and pet mama to her dog Cookie.