The KAP sani2c Adventure and Race are coming up on the 11th to 14th of May and if you’re entered to ride, getting your nutrition right should be high on the priority list! In this video and article, we’re going to do a quick run through of the basics to getting your race nutrition in good order and prevent you running out of gas on the Unitrans Iconic.
The information in this video is taken from the nutrition page on sani2c’s website that was written by Bevan from Nutrihealth, sani2c’s official nutrition plan partner. They offer personalised race fuel plans, short term weight loss programs or sport nutrition consultation. Check out their details at the end of the page if you would like to get in touch.
Nutrition Tips For Stage Racing
Don’t want until registration day to figure out how you’re going to fuel your 3 day sani2c! Start practicing your fuel plan now and see how the body responds.
Let’s begin with looking at the two types of fuels, carbs and fats. Your fats kick in on the endurance demands of your ride while carbs are faster burning for shorter and more intense efforts. You body will draw from both energy supplies at the same time while variances in which fuel is being used more are linked to your fitness, carb stores and when you ate your nutrition.
So we now know that it is important to fuel up with both carbs and fats for your training rides and race day. So carbo loading right? Cramming as much spaghetti bolognaise into your body as you can! Hold up there.. Overeating is a completely different kettle of fish to carbo loading and you don’t want to end up in said kettle. An intake of about 7 grams of carbohydrates per kilo body weight should be sufficient to top up your carb stores and you’ll want to kick into gear this loading process 2 days before the event.
Your carbohydrate stores are generally quite thin and that is why the loading process is necessary. Fat stores don’t need much attention with a normal diet. Even the lean mean finely tuned athletes among us will have a decent fat store.
Breakfast is one of my favourite words and it is a crucial meal to set you up for a good day on the bike! The prime time to eat is 2 to 3 hours before your ride so that your body has time to process the good stuff. Top up the carb stores in your liver with 100g of carbohydrates; a decent bowl of cereal or sani2c porridge should do the trick!
When it comes to on-the-bike fuel, a bottle of sports drink with 30 to 40 grams of carbs and another bottle with plain water is ideal. An intake of 30-60 grams of carbs per hour is the rule of thumb but you’ll need to fine tune that for your own performance needs.
Eating every 20-30mns is ideal to hit that 30-60 gram total carb intake. Stick to the food types you’re used to from training, be that bars, gels, bananas, roast beef, Ultramel, or whatever you fancy! Plan your feeding ahead of the ride and stick to the plan. Get involved at the lunch stations (water tables) and keep topping up your bottles as you go.
When day 1 is under the belt, don’t forget that you need to prepare the body for rounds 2 and 3. Get at least 20-30grams of protein and at least 40 grams of carbohydrates into your body as soon as you’ve crossed the line. Don’t wait for lunch, start the recovery process asap. 2 super M’s will do the trick to hit the carb and protein targets!
Now we’ve thrown the word “carbs” and a lot of numbers around so let’s wrap this up. As said before, don’t delay to getting your nutrition plan sorted and in practice. The sooner you can form a plan and practice it the better! If it all seems too much and you need somebody to tell you exactly how many carrots and apples to eat, reach out to Bevan at Nutrihealth.
We’ll see you in our next video! Enjoy your carbs.
Contact Bevan from Nutrihealth:
Cell – 083 435 5630 / Email – [email protected]
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