I have been trying to practice getting the right amount of caloric intake while on my long rides, but cant figure out how to do it. References that I have seen recommend about 400 calories per hour. I feel like I would have to eat non stop. What does everyone use and how much on long rides?? I usually take a couple bottles of gatorade, bottle of water, about 6-7 Gu gels, a banana, and a powerbar. Plus I will stop at a gas station and refill water and buy another bottle of Gatorade. Plus Endurolytes. I estimate I need about 2500 calories during the bike at IMOO, but just not sure the best way to get it all in. I sure dont want to start the run in caloric deficeit. I have seen a product called CarboPro (i think) in articles, but have never tried it.
Thanks - Dan
PS - 60 degrees and low humidity here in Missouri, awsome training weather!!!
You’re on the right track. Experimentation is the best route, but 400 calories is a good guess to begin with. Figure a whole bar per hour plus two gels; or a whole bar, a gel and a whole banana. Later in the ride (last hour) I usually cut the solid and just eat the gels. You’ll get a few extra calories swigging the gatorade.
I schedule it out so I eat about every 20 minutes. Just to have some discipline around it.
I’d suggest you try some Extran, which delivers 320 calories/80g carbs per 200ml/6.75 oz juice box. I pour one of these in a large bottle, add a scoop of Cytomax (or whatever electrolyte replacement powder is handy) and top it off with water. One of these per hour, plus Hammer Gels when the mood hits(one every 60-90 minutes) and my supplements (2 Endurolytes, like you use, as well as 1 Race Caps Supreme every hour) and I can go all day.
For the really long rides, I throw additional Extran boxes and ziploc bags with more Cytomax (one scoop per bag) in my cycling jersey pockets. I’ll stop at a deli to buy cold water to refill bottles, and like I said, I’m good to go as long as my butt can handle!
For IM races I’ll premix 3 bottles to put on my bike, plus an additional two in the needs bag. For the run I throw on Extran box in with my shoes just to get me started – calorie injestion can be harder to accomplish while running, so I usually rely on the Gatorade on the course, plus whatever gels theyv’e got out there.
I’ve used this approach for three years now and just hope the Extran guys stay in business!
Just to counterbalance the conventional wisdom which I stuck with for 3 IM’s, at 215 pounds 400 cals/hr was my target for the bike which I accomplished along with considerable GI distress. I just could not absorb that kind of intake. 225 +/- /hr is where I am these days…Today’s brick, 450 cals (total) over 4:10:00 (B: 3:40, R: 30). Mind you I lost a bottle along the way so I was down more than expected but ran well off the bike. I think its Hammergels website that sites research re absorbtion rates, far less than what you might think.
It’s an experiment of one, you just have to figure it out through trial and error. Try a 5 hr bike followed by 1 hr run @ 400 cal/hr on the bike and see what happnes.
400 cal per hour is pushing it. It’s possible to train your body to assimilate that, but most folks can’t do it. I’d say 300 is realistic, 350 if you’re going for the podium. Ditch the Gatorade, because it has too much sugar.
I’ve tried three things that work really well for me. HammerGel Sustained Energy, mixed with Enduralytes gives you some protein along with all those carbs, and doesn’t burn too fast the way most sugared drinks do. On really hot days, I can up the electrolyte concentration, but have found that this is tricky, because too much can trigger diarrhea. That can really bugger your run…
Endurox works well, but tastes like battery acid. At least Sustained Energy only tastes like wallboard…
What I’ve just started using is Metagenics Pro Gain. It’s a 5:1 Carb/Protein mix with an electrolyte profile built in. It’s high quality. On a really hot day, I can still mix in some Enduralytes powder.
I find that the protein really makes a difference on long days and long races, and especially shows up in post race fatigue and soreness being minimized.
not really. you burn about 100 calories per mile running no matter how fast your going. uphill a bit more downhill a bit less. this is fairly standard when looking at sub 2:20 marahoners to 5hr marathoners. the faster athletes actually burned slightly more calories, think auto engine at 100mph and 65 mph. I’m willing to bet if I dug through my physiology textbooks that swimming and cycling would be the similiar.
I forgot to mention that I stop for a cup of coffee and a couple of donuts on the swim/bike transition, and like to smoke a cigarette or two during the run to relax.
Actually I have read that the issue is not speed but weight that you are carrying and how much energy (ie claories burned) needs to be expanded to move a 150 lb object 140+ miles v. a 185 lb object.
Then there is the issue of general economy which Pros have a huge advantage over a IM BOPER
“you burn about 100 calories per mile running no matter how fast your going. uphill a bit more downhill a bit less.”
You’re right about the uphill, downhill part, but cal/mi is dependent on your weight. 100 cal/mi would be for someone about 135 pounds. Calories are a measure of energy, so it takes about .75 calories to move a pound one mile.
the faster athletes actually burned slightly more calories, think auto engine at 100mph and 65 mph.
Don’t know, but I think that’s probably due in part to greater wind resistance at higher speeds. Obviously, the top pros are more efficient with their movements than we mortals, but on the bike, wind resistance gets major at 25-27 mph (avg)
“I’m willing to bet if I dug through my physiology textbooks that swimming and cycling would be the similiar.”
Absolutley. Swimming and cycling have a much bigger efficiency variation from the elites to the BOPers than does running.
Pros who go on to win racers are the ones who get their nutrition RIGHT. You can have a poor technique, but still a very fast technique, so if you get your nutrition right, you will still have a good race.
Think of it this way: Which car would win a 1000mile journey? The fast, fuel efficient, non energy wasting car that runs out of fuel, or the bombie, non fuel efficient, moderate speed car - although slow, still getting the fuel in, to get the job done.
Nutrition is critical! After suffering at IMMoo last year I’ve done lots more reading on nutrition. Apparently most folks can only digest approx 300 calories per hour when under the stress of racing. Just because you burn 400 or even 900 calories an hour does not mean you can/have to take that many in. There’s been some good discussions on Gordo’s website of late http://www.coachgordo.com/cgi-bin/config.pl Lots of folks drink all their calories to aid digestion. CarboPro is one product that will allow you to easily drink all of your calories if you choose. CarboPro is has zero taste, so you can just mix it straight with water or mix it with something for a bit of flavor. Good luck!
This is what I used earlier this year (IMNZ) and was aiming at 450 cal per hour (using Pro4 product). 172cm and 70kgs at the start line. There was some calorie recovery on the bike to make up for no intake during the swim of course…
0 - 20 mins water only,
20 - 1.22 3 gels, 1 bar, 1 electrolyte, water
1.22 - 2.44 4 gels, 1 bar, 1 electrolyte, water
2.44 - 4.06 3 gels, 1 bar, 1 electrolyte, water
4.06 - 5.38 2 gels, 1 bar, 1 electrolyte, water
The times were broken into each of the bike “legs” from and to Taupo and I estimated my times. In the end I was 5 minutes slower than my estimate…
In practise I found it worked well, although it was probably a little high in calories, I took a couple of breaks from eating when my gut made its presence felt on the bike and only used 3 bars and 11 gels. I had a plan similar to this for the run, but ditched it and just went by feel and coke.
Result was a PB and I had my best Ironman run ever by a long shot. The result wasn’t just down to nutrition on the day of course, but I am pretty sure it helped.
