Triathlon Nutrition: Liquids, Semisolids, And Solids

In cool-weather workouts and long races in which your sweat rate is relatively low but you’re still burning lots of carbs, gels can be preferable to sports drinks.  In such cases you will take the gels with somewhat less water than you would take in warmer weather.  This will prevent you from having to urinate frequently, which is what will happen if you consume too much fluid while sweating lightly.

Like energy gels, energy bars provide concentrated carbohydrate energy without providing fluid. The major difference between energy gels and energy bars is that the latter do a better job of satisfying hunger. Exercise suppresses hunger by affecting the release of hormones that control appetite. Consequently, if you start a workout or race with an empty stomach, you may forget about your hunger until after you’re done. But exercise doesn’t kill hunger completely. During very prolonged exercise, hunger can become just as intense as it does at rest. Triathletes routinely experience a rumbling stomach on the bike during long workouts and races.

Many athletes assume that hunger is an indicator of increased or unmet energy needs. This is not the case. The body operates in a state of ever-increasing energy deficit throughout exercise, whether you’re hungry or not. This means two things: 1) you need to take in calories during exercise regardless of hunger and 2) you don’t need to make any special effort to quell hunger during exercise.

Hunger can become and unpleasant distraction, however. And when that’s the case you should address it. While a sports drink and/or energy gels will provide all the energy your muscles can use, they won’t do much for your hunger. To stop the rumbling you’ll need to switch to solid food. It’s important to choose foods that are easily digested and metabolized, though. Your best options are bars, chews and similar products that are formulated specifically for use during exercise. These products are high in carbs for quick muscle energy and low in fiber, fat, and protein for easy absorption.

To minimize the risk of GI distress, switch from a sports drink or gels plus water to just water 15 minutes before you consume solid food such as an energy bar during exercise. Wash the bar down with water and don’t resume using a sports drink or gels for at least another 15 minutes afterward. You’ll need to experiment a bit to determine exactly what your stomach can tolerate.

Matt Fitzgerald is the author of Iron War: Dave Scott, Mark Allen & The Greatest Race Ever Run (VeloPress 2011) and a Coach and Training Intelligence Specialist for PEAR Sports. Find out more at mattfizgerald.org.

FILED UNDER: Nutrition TAGS: Perform