Gels with caffeine during the tri race, when?

Triathlon Forum
2

I think this depends on a few factors – how does your body react to caffeine? And, what’s the distance?

For me, in a sprint, I’ll go:

  • 1x caffeinated (20mg) gel about 15-20 minutes before my wave’s start
  • 1x non-caffeinated gel in T1 (and none on the bike)
  • 1x highly caffeinated gel (40mg) grabbed in T2 and consumed on the run if I feel that I need it.

In longer distances like a 70.3, I’ll go heavier on the caffeinated gels during the run but much less so during the bike (going for more bars instead).