17 May Nutrition Needs During Training and Race Day Nutrition
by Dr. Matt Fontaine There are several great articles out on the web on nutrition for race day. I will just say, train with the food you choose beforehand. Get to know if your body can handle gels, if so, how many before getting nausea. Can you safely eat a Cliff bar on the bike? Gatorade and electrolyte tabs are essential for hot days. Don’t make the mistake I made. The day before IM 70.3 Timberman I picked up the New Gatorade Recovery drink, which has 230 calories and 16 grams of protein. I thought I was so smart to have a protein drink on the bike. Had I drank it before the race I would have realized it was very thick and sweet. Not what you want when it’s hot and you are climbing hills after a 1.2 Mile swim. Lesson learned. Test out all nutrition including drinks before your race. Don’t make the mistake of not testing out your race day hydration choice, or you might end up drinking some sludge that goes down like a salty molasses infused margarita. 