Week 9

Welcome to Week 9!  
(6 weeks to go)

This week is our second brick session (slightly longer than Week 6), where we will take a first look at hydration and fueling.

Topics & To-Dos

• Hydration and Fuel Needs:  Up to now, you likely did not need any hydration for training other than water (except if you’re in a high heat area), and sessions were not long enough to need fuel during a workout.  However, as we continue building hours, there are a few times when adding calories and/or electrolytes (mostly sodium and potassium) will benefit you:
  • Electrolytes lost in sweat: If you are a moderate to heavy sweater, adding electrolytes (calorie free) along with your water hydration will help replace what you lose
  • Calories burned in efforts longer than 60-75 minutes.  Taking in calories that are mostly carbohydrate based can help replace what your body is burning.  While it can be beneficial to “teach” your body to burn its own fat for fuel during training, you will want to use fuel during your race to maximize your performance.  Since we all tolerate types and amount of fuel differently, it’s critical to practice during training to test options and allow your body to use the fuel with minimal discomfort.

• Hydration and Fuel Types:  For Olympic distance efforts we want fuel to come from mostly carbohydrates and from 1) liquid calories and/or 2) water + gels/blocks.  I recommend to stay away from solid fuel sources such as energy bars, as you run the risk of not digesting the fuel soon enough to be able to use.

  If you are using gels or blocks, always consume with water only.  The carb concentration is using with sports drinks will be too high, often resulting in stomach cramping.  We will practice more during the last weeks to find what works best for you.

  Note that most sports fuels will have some electrolytes but check your packaging.  Standalone electrolytes are available, mostly in tablet form that you dissolve in water.

• Fueling Amounts :  How much fuel you take in per hour and the timing of that fuel is very individual.  Smaller bodies typically need fewer calories than larger ones.  We normally think about fueling as grams of carbs per hour (every gram has 4 calories).  Intake ranges from about 30g (120 cal) to 75g (300 cal) per hour for Olympic distance times depending on the person.  On your longer bike and run sessions going forward, experiment with taking in a bit of fuel.  Start at the lower end and experiment for taste, concentration of carbohydrate, and palatability.

• Carbohydrate Concentration :  The old rule of thumb was to consume calories in a ratio of about 4-6% carbohydrates to get maximal fuel without causing GI distress and cramping.  

  The percentage is calculated as grams carbohydrate/mL of liquid.  So 25 grams of carbohydrate/500mL liquid = 5% concentration. (note that 50g of carb x 4 cal/g carb = 200 calories).  

  Newer sports drink formulations can pack a greater concentration without the stomach issues but for the length of an Olympic distance race, you can stick with the 4-6% rule, or about 150-200 calories per 750mL bottle, per hour.

• Drink Mostly Water:  The calories and electrolyte needs listed above are intended for long and/or race situations.  For everyday life and shorter workouts less than than 60 minutes, water is just fine.