I have completed 5 Sprint distance races in the last 11 months and am looking to step up to the Olympic distance within the next 90 days.
I have completed one Sprint already in 14’ and have a solid base built for my continued training.
Please educate this “newbie” on what I need to know about Olympic distance nutrition before, during and after the race.
I’m particularly interested in what nutritional needs should be considered during the race.
Your help is greatly appreciated!!
Thanks!
Todd
before - the usual breakfast you have on any given day
during - 1 large bottle of spots drink on the bike is usually sufficient for most people on hot days. Maybe a small one on cool days.
after - whatever you enjoy eating
I’ll do Gatorade or whatever my sports drink of choice is while on the bike. Just one bottle should be enough. At the start of the run (or maybe the very end of the ride), I’ll take a gel.
That’s it. With a good enough breakfast (I’ll take in around 800-900 calories in the 60-90 min leading up to the race), you don’t need much more.
Please educate this “newbie” on what I need to know about Olympic distance nutrition before, during and after the race.
Many will obsess about this, and make it way too complicated. Follow Jack’s advice - keep it simple.
Assuming appropriate levels of glucose storage in your body - you have roughly two hours of “fuel” to burn. Therefore, based on your estimated finish time, you really only need a little top-up on the carbohydrate calories that you will need, and any properly mixed sports beverage should be more than adequate.
You don’t need to overthink this. Normal breakfast. Maybe a gel before the swim start. Sports drink of your choice on the bike. You don’t need anything for the run. If it’s exceptionally hot run you can grab drinks from the hydration station.
I avoid dairy on race mornings.
Whatever you do, test it out beforehand. The cardinal rule is to not try something new on race day. Setup your own “race” in training and test your nutrition choices. Make sure they are compatible with your body and digest well.
I usually do a normal breakfast 2-3 hours before start, gel before swim start, and a bottle of sports drink on the bike. I stash a gel in my tri top for the run in case I might need it but usually never do.
Day before I have a gel for breakfast. Morning of I’m usually up by 4:30 and down a gel. About 10 mins before swim start I down another gel. On the bike I have 22oz of water + Skratch. I take one gel with me on the run but don’t always use it.
1 bottle of Gatorade for a redlining a race for 2.5 hours?
Yes, it can be done but why? Sure your body has enough to do it, but you cannot run yourself completely out of fuel and finish strong.
I don’t understand the statement "I have completed one Sprint already in 14’ and have a solid base built for my continued training. " but he’s most likely going to be on the run for 40+ minutes, why not be fueled up to start that run?
jaretj
1 bottle of Gatorade for a redlining a race for 2.5 hours?
Yes, it can be done but why? Sure your body has enough to do it, but you cannot run yourself completely out of fuel and finish strong.
2:15 to 2:30 is approximately the time I intend to finish depending on how my training continues to progress.
My sprint finish time from two weekends ago was 1:09 but the swim (pool) was last due to a cold weather here in KY and I sort of bonked on it as I was frozen by that point.
Also, I’m a 47 year old age grouper and event is the Olympic Rev 3 in Knoxville.
Thanks for the info so far.
Yes, it can be done but why? Sure your body has enough to do it, but you cannot run yourself completely out of fuel and finish strong.
I am not suggesting that. He should get 150 - 300 calories carbohydrate from a sports drink (depending on size of drink and personal needs), which should be sufficient. Could be a gel as well washed down with water on the bike.
Keep in mind as intensity goes up and if you are truly “red-lining” it, gastric emptying and efficiency really starts to drop off. Thus you are at a tipping point of getting just the right amount of calories and not over-loading the system and shutting it down - then you are into all kinds of other complications and issues.
For the well trained and for those truly in touch with there needs, this is typically all that is needed. Of course you’ll get all kinds of other stories, and marketing from some/many of the sports nutrition companies.
How dehydrated are you people starting the race! 
I have a carb rich breakfast around 3 hours prior. Drink a small bottle of eLoad or EFS drink after breakfast / during the lead up to the start.
I only drink around half a bottle of drink on the bike and also try to get a premixed gel / water down in T1. I don’t feel thirsty for the race so I don’t drink. I may grab a tiny cup or two on the run.
When I do drink I try to not have anything for the last 15 mins of the bike.
I am not sure that in 2 hours of even high performance you can get dehydrated enough to really lower your abilities providing you start well hydrated. I race in late 20C to early 30C temps here in BC, but it’s not humid so maybe that has an effect.
I used to drink a whole bottle on the bike because I thought I had to. I race a lot better without.
I run a 2:10 Oly so mid to front-ish.
Overall, I’m starting to realize less is more. You can do yourself more damage by over eating than under. Don’t worry about under eating. You can quickly recover if that happens, which in a sprint or oly is very unlikely. Just eat a normal breakfast and have a bottle with you on the bike. Maybe a gu or gell if you’ve trained with it and like it. Otherwise, I’d recommend not over thinking it.
Please educate this “newbie” on what I need to know about Olympic distance nutrition before, during and after the race.
Many will obsess about this, and make it way too complicated. Follow Jack’s advice - keep it simple.
Assuming appropriate levels of glucose storage in your body - you have roughly two hours of “fuel” to burn. Therefore, based on your estimated finish time, you really only need a little top-up on the carbohydrate calories that you will need, and any properly mixed sports beverage should be more than adequate.
Interesting, I always feel like I run out of fuel after an hour. I have bonked many a half-mary and 1.5+hour workout before realizing. So would you say that I’m not eating enough on a regular basis?
Consistent with a lot of the previous comments, I tend to run out of fuel around two hours. If I drink a sports drink on the bike and then over the first half of the run, then I’m usually OK. In the past I made the mistake of just drinking water until the middle of the run. I waited too long to start the sports drink and then had major issues, including getting goofy-headed during the last few miles of the run.
I’ve never done well with gels or solid food during a race and prefer liquids.
Mark
gel 30 min before, half a bottle of water on the bike.
I usually eat 4 packets if instant oatmeal about 2.5 hours before the start, drink water as needed on the drive to start, then a little Gatorade in a bottle I leave at transition, swim, drink a little Gatorade at T1, one gel on bike about halfway through, chug some Gatorade at T2, and a cup of water or two on the run. Never feel hungry while racing.
Take a bottle on the bike and Just run. You’ll be fine.
I eat a pretty good breakfast probably 3 hours before gun time and then take some Gatorade or gel around 1 hour to go. I am a little different because in very hot races I find that I want more than 1 bottle on the bike, though I have never used 2 (usually like 1 and a half). On the run, maybe a gel at the start, probably not necessary but probably wont hurt anything either.