Niezgoda Fitness Systems Articles

Ironman Nutrition

With Ironman racing being the hot topic the last few months and Ironman Hawaii just around the corner I thought it would be a good idea to talk about Ironman Race Day Nutrition. So let's get started:

Remember never try new foods the week of the race and practice your nutrition plan during your long training efforts.

Swim
I recommend using electrolyte tabs pre race. I like Lava Salts and also the the one's put out by Hammer Strength. Take one tabs 2 hours before the start and another 1-2 tabs 30 to 60 minutes pre swim.
30 min before the swim drink 8-12 oz of water and a few bites of an energy bar. 15 min before, sip on a sports drink or take a gel and some water.

Bike
In the first 5-10 min after leaving the swim drink a few sips of water (only water) and continue drinking
12 oz of plain water during first 30 minutes of bike. It is best not to take in anything other than water when first on the bike, just so you can settle down. Your stomach was just horizontal and not it's vertical so taking in calories can shock your system too much.

At 15 -minute intervals from then on, eat or drink your calorie intake should be about 150 -300 cals per hour. Some people can take in slightly more calories per hour so practice with this and find out what works for you.

Your calories can be in any combination of solid or liquid foods. Plan to eat a mixture of sports drink, bars (with water) and gels (with water) in between aid stations. If you are taking in less than 150 calories per hour, there is a good chance you will not finish the race.

Run
In the beginning of the run it is best for most age group triathletes to walk through the first few aid stations. This will give you a chance to use your muscles in a different way, and help to ensure sufficient hydration and nutrition.

Stick to the 150-300 calories per hour. However, keep in mind that many people cannot handle consuming as many calories as they can during the bike portion of the race.

Plan on alternating energy gel and sports drink during the run. Be careful with solid foods, and large amounts of protein, some people will have a hard time digesting real food during the run. Practice and see if you can eat energy bars, pretzels, etc during your run. Again, take in calories every 15 min. 24 oz of a sports drink and 3 energy gels (w/ water) will equal about 300 calories.

If you are going to use your own sports drink, you will need more of it than you can carry in bottles. One way around this is to mix a very thick bunch of it and put it in a clear bottle. Mark off serving sizes on the bottle, and then you can add one serving to an empty bottle + water from the aid stations. Your bike will be lighter, and you will have your special drink! BUT, you must practice this and be very careful how you mix and measure your drink - too rich and you will get GI distress, too thin and you won’t get enough calories. Start practicing now!

I also like caffeine. I start consuming caffeine about half way threw the bike leg. This works well for me. Once you start to consume caffeine you most likely will need to consume it for the rest of the race. Because of this it is a safer bet (if you choose to use caffeine) start using it during the run, many people don't start consuming it until mile 13 of the run. Try to stick to 100-200mg of caffeine per hour taken in smaller doses. For example take in 50 mg every 30 min

Your nutrition/hydration plan could like this:

Just water for the first 30 min on the bike

After your initial 30 minutes with just plain water:
1st 15 minutes: one Gel (94-100 cals) & 8 oz of water.
2nd 15 minutes: 1/3 bottle sports drink (about 100 cals)
3rd 15 minutes: one Gel + at 8 oz of water.
4th 15 minutes: a few bites of an energy with water (about 50 calories)

Plan on finishing 24-32oz of fluid per hour or about 1 bottle on a cool day and 1.5 to 2 bottles per hour on a hot day.

If you find that you are urinating often more than 1 to 2 times during each half of the bike ride or if you get diarrhea try taking in salt.

And just keep alternating. If you plan on eating solid food, substitute it for the Gel. Don't mix sports drink with other food stuff as it will be hard for your stomach to digest this mixture.

Most people can tolerate consuming more calories during the bike portion than on the run. So, practice with more calories early in the bike ride and your last few feeding session on the bike cut your calories down to about 150. By the time you get to the run, it may be difficult to eat and absorb solid food, or gels.
During the run it's a good idea to carry some table salt and pop some of it every third feeding time. This will aid in electrolyte balance, and may reduce fluid loss. If you hate the taste of salt, you may try taking electrolyte tabs. A good electrolyte tab will have an electrolyte break down similar to:


100 mg of Sodium Chloride
25 mg of Magnesium (Chelate)
50 mg of Calcium (Chelate)
25 mg of K (Chelate)
6.5 mg of B-6
1.5 mg of Manganese

Plan Well, Eat Well, Race Well!