Last season I figured an IM bike nutrition plan that worked very well for me - gels, bars, and gatorade amounting to roughly 200 cal/hr. I’m somewhere in the beginning/middle of this season and have done some long rides trying to use the same nutrition strategy from last year, except it’s feeling like way too much in my stomach and I’m eating less (about 150cal/hr now) but still feeling generally ok. I weigh the same as last season, but given I took some serious liberty in the off season I’m a little less fit. Is it reasonable to see changes in nutrition plans as the season, and fitness, progresses (or regresses, whatever the case may be)?
As you get more fit and better trained, you start to kick into fat burning mode much earlier and maintain fat burning mode at a higher intensity level as compared to before being in as good shape.
When I start training for marathons, early in the training I’ll bonk a few times despite calories, but after getting a lot of long runs in, I don’t even need a single gel to finish a 24 mile run at pace.
Your body should be able to take in 250-350 calories per hour at your REAL ironman bike pace. If you are only taking in 150 calories per hour then you are either going too hard or maybe taking in too much non-caloric fluids like water or low concentration gator-aid.
As my pace increases on the bike the harder it is for me to take in food. At ironman pace I can eat 350-400 calories per hour (i’ve done this and it is a PITA/annoyance to eat that much) as long as I keep the fluid level down(20oz water), at half-ironman pace I take in about 250-300 in the form of solid food and gels with water. Olympic distance I can get maybe 16oz of fluid doped at 200 calories on the bike and then 1-2 gels with mouthfuls of water/coke on the run. If you are eating on a sprint you are losing.
Listen to this podcast… it is pure nutritional gold.
http://competitorradio.competitor.com/2010/03/asker-jeukendrup/
Give Lim’s rice cake a try for long ride real food. On my long indoor trainer rides (4+ hours) I eat a brownie sized rice cake every 1/2 hour. Turns out to be much cheaper than gels.
http://bicycling.com/blogs/theleadingedge/2009/07/07/garmin-slipstream-blog-riding-on-real-food/
On another note, I don’t think that there is any scientific basis for “training” your body to eat during exercise. Either you can do it or not, and if you can’t you need to slow down to a pace where you can.