How to Carry Nutrition & Hydration for your next Adventure

This article is for Adventure Racers, Runners, Cyclists, Kayakers, some triathletes, multi-sporters and for anyone else getting out there for an adventure for at least a couple hours needing a place to carry food.

Running/Trekking

Backpacks/ running vests

• If you are getting into adventure racing, multisport or trail running it is SUCH a useful investment to get a quality running vest. Also comfy for mountain biking. They fit snuggly on your body to limit chafe and come in a useful variety of sizes. If you are running anything up to 12hrs generally about an 8-12L is plenty big enough. The best part? Lots of pockets at the FRONT for food! Back pockets mean having to stop and get food out or asking your team mate to reach in all meaning slowing down. The other awesome thing is they come with soft flasks – lightweight 500mL bottles that are great for sports drink, water or electrolytes and easy to fill. Most have a spot for a water bladder in the back (very useful) for extra water – up to 3L depending on the bag and bladder you choose (Tip! Only use water in your bladder and dry it out after every use otherwise it will go mouldy quickly!) Salomon and Ultimate Direction have heaps of great options! If you are just starting out – Anaconda and Rebel have fantastic bags for a fraction of the cost.

Tights & Shorts Pockets

• Tights nowadays are fashionable with pockets – well why not? Super useful for a quick snack spot. However also think about these pockets usefulness for chucking the map and compass in your pocket for a quick shoelace tie – often it can be more comfortable to keep them free and empty. Have a try on your next training run!

Bum bags

• Personally, I don’t find them as comfortable as a good running vest however they are useful for shorter sprint events where a whole pack isn’t necessary or if water is supplied on the course and you just need a few bits of nutrition. Bottom line (mind the pun) get one that fits snuggly and is comfortable on your hips or waist. If it makes your tummy sore or flops around while running – try something else. You can also get pretty snug drink bottle holders for your waist too; I haven’t tried these so cannot comment! Just make sure to avoid the drink bottle hand holders if you want your hands free for navigation, grabbing trees, scrambling or if doing a multi discipline event.

Kayaking

Always remember to have a way to waterproof your food in the kayak – nothing worse than soggy race food!

Lifejacket

• If you are choosing to invest in a lifejacket go for one that has big pockets on the front and a pocket on the back for a water bladder. Some have drinking mechanisms you can set up to be “hands free” or you can rig these up yourself. If you are borrowing one – then you may not have time to pack it with food – so perhaps you just need to keep your new back pack handy to get food out! Often in an adventure race you’ll need to keep your mandatory gear on you anyway.

On the kayak and paddle itself!

• Depending on what you’ll be doing most of the time it is safe to carry a drink bottle in the front of the kayak near your feet. Just take care not to lose it if you need to get in and out for checkpoints on an adventure race!

• If you are using your own kayak you may already have a spot to store a picnic, stash a drink bottle or have a water bladder on the bottom of the boat under your legs.

• Some bars stick well to your paddle – so for a shorter multisport event consider sticking bite sized chunks to your paddle the night before and wrap it in glad wrap for the night. For adventure races there is just no time for this pre-race prep and often your paddle is thrown in a bag somewhere. Or if you are borrowing a paddle – don’t even bother considering this!

Cycling

There are three main places to carry food and hydration for cycling – on the bike, on yourself and in bike bags. Cycling is often a good leg (if you are doing other disciplines also) to catch up on any missed nutrition or hydration such as after a swim leg of a triathlon.

On the bike

• Check out how many bottle cages you can have on your bike and have as many as you can because you never know when you will step up the distance or rides in the heat and will want them all! Most road and gravel bikes can take two or three (one underneath) and it is the benefit of having a bigger frame if you are a tall person! Hard tail mountain bikes can take one or two and usually dual suspension can only hold one. Ask your local bike store if you are unsure!

• Check out the size of your cycling bottles – they go up to 1 Litre! Which will fit in most frames (I am a shorty and I fit them in all bottle cages). Cycling tends to have a trend for little bottles because they are light. If you are sacrificing your hydration, you may be “that person” who is always asking for a water fill stop, then adding 500g to your bike will not be slower in comparison.

• What can you tape to the frame? For a short distance triathlon, multisport or adventure race you might decide you don’t need a bag on your bike and you can get away with taping a gel, or bar to the top tube of your bike so it is staring you in the face as a reminder to “Eat Me”! Use electrical tape to not damage your beautiful carbon … or use it anyway as it is easy to get off!

Cycling clothing

• Cycling Jerseys are awesome if you are not planning on wearing a back pack. They generally have 2-3 pockets and sometimes a zip for the car key or credit card! Usually there is enough room for some repair kit, nutrition and sometimes an extra bottle in the heat. Just get used to pulling food out of your back pocket, have your place for nutrition in the side pockets for easy access and keep your repair kit in the middle as hopefully you won’t need this one! A perfect spot for bananas and lollies (Tip: keep lollies in a little snack sized snap lock bag!)

• Cycling knicks, bib shorts, tri shorts or tights some but not most have mesh pockets on the sides which are super handy for extra nutrition like bars and gels. Avoid storing things that are not going to fall out or get squished like lollies and bananas.

Cycling Bags & Backpacks

• Backpacks – see up in “Running/Trekking”

• Top tube bags (also known as the “Gas Tank”) a seemingly small bag that ties on to the front or back of your top tube but can carry oh so much food! In perfect position to nibble away at your hearts content. This would be the first bag I would go for on shorter events such as the Maximum Adventure Race! Generally, I get sideways looks if I use this on my road bike due to breaking road cyclists fashion code (but for ironman length or long road races they simply are perfect!). Mountain bikers are much more forgiving and Adventure Racers will actually come over and ask where you got it from. Here is a full review from Bikepacking.com for the gear junkies out there!

• Snack pouches. These can hang between the handlebars and front of top tube on your bike. You can carry just one or both. Awesome for a hungry rider to access a handful of goodies, stash a bunch of bars, snakes, a curled-up Sammie, potatoes or a banana. They also fit drink bottles but just check how well they handle the weight – maybe use your fashionable 500mL or 750mL bottles here! There are also some purpose built that attach to the outside of some gravel and mountain bike forks.

• Handlebar bags vary in size. Kmart actually has a great little one for small adventures which would work well off road with an extra zip tie. For long events or adventures that need something more robust – my personal favourite which I have truly tried and tested on my Gravel bikepacking trip to Tassie is the Ortileb Bikepacking Accessory bag (waterproof, 3.5L, easy to unclip while riding) which either goes directly on your handlebars or goes nicely over top of a front roll bag. Awesome for bike packing or storing mandatory gear to get it off your back. Fits filled rolls, freeze dried meals – the lot!

• “Not for race” food bags Saddle bags, panniers and lightweight bike racks are all possibilities for carrying stuff on your bike – but you don’t want your race / cycling food in them as they are not easily accessible! Unless of course you don’t need it until dinner.

Got an event coming up? Logistics driving you nuts? Book in an appointment and we can nut it out together. Or check out this webinar recording: Planning Nutrition and Logistics for your next Adventure Race.

If you need help with your Race Day Nutrition plan, Training Nutrition Essentials or have other dietary requirements. Nicole, your Sports Dietitian can help you out in Brisbane, Gold Coast or Online via Telehealth.

Carb Loading, Pasta, Weetbix galore? – Nutrition before your next Adventure Race

Pre-event nutrition is like topping up the fuel tank before you head away on a long drive. You are maximising your muscle glycogen fuel stores for the adventure ahead.

Pre-Race Dinner

The pre-race dinner is important to prepare you or your athlete to wake up feeling rested, with a happy stomach and fuelled for the event ahead. We want to eat food you are familiar with ensuring you are catering to your USUAL dietary needs eg: gluten free, lactose free, avoiding onion or garlic. Don’t try anything new the night before race day if you can help it! Have a carbohydrate drink with the meal or after to top it up.

Hydration – Try to sip water throughout the day and especially in the evening before an event. It does not pay to scull just before bedtime so you are not up all night to the bathroom so get started early in the day and keep on top of your fluids. Have a drink containing carbs with your meal such as a natural fruit juice or a milo/hot chocolate (each have 25g carbs per cup) before bed to top up the carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates - It true in a way to “eat lots of pasta”. Carbohydrates are the main source of fuel for exercise that we want to keep the tank topped up with. By combining rest and a high carbohydrate meal the day before a race we are maximising carbohydrate available for during the race.

Protein and other “normal foods” to keep including! -  Some vegetables and a lean protein source is still important the night before – for muscle repair, fullness and to keep your bowels going in their regular routine the night before. Don’t try anything fancy here and they don’t need to be the star of the show on the plate just part of the action on the side!

How much should I eat? This is so individual I cannot tell you! Aim for at least 50g but if you are a bigger or hungry person you will need more! My suggestion? Eat until you are comfortably full but not bursting! Eat a greater proportion of the carbohydrate on your plate than normal (half your plate of food).

Some perfect Examples (with carbs):

-        Fried Rice (50g per cooked cup) with added chicken, lean beef, tofu and/or egg + chopped vegetables

-        Chicken Enchiladas (30g per wrap) with a side of homemade sweet potato or baked potato wedges (30g per cup)

-        Pasta bake (30g per cup cooked pasta) with a topping of tomato base sauce, vegetables and chicken or beans topped with cheese

-        Spaghetti bolognaise pasta (30g per cup cooked pasta) with lean mince, added vegetables and cheese with a side of garlic bread.  

-        Roasted vegetable salad including good portions of potato and sweet potato (30g per cup) + some other vegetables such as zucchini, carrot or capsicum topped with chicken, feta (add a tablespoon of pesto per person for some yummy flavour!) and/or chickpeas for a vegetarian option!

-        Stir fry with lean beef or chicken, vegetables and rice (50g per cooked cup of rice)

Need a convenient meal on the go?

-        Try Radix or another freeze-dried meal – just add hot water (service stations, campgrounds can have or take a cooker)

-        Grab 3 ingredients:

o   Microwave rice/quinoa pot / packet

o   Microwave vegetable pouch / pre made salad

o   Can of flavoured tuna, salmon, chicken, beans or chickpeas

-        For the team:

o   Pre-roasted chicken +

o   White buns or wraps +

o   Coleslaw or salad +

o   Hummus / Avocado as desired

-        Subway with steak / chicken and vegetables – go for safe sauces that you have had before!

-        Service station sandwiches / toasted sandwiches + juice

What about carb loading?

Carbohydrate Loading is effective to “super-compensate” your muscle glycogen and fuel stores. It is like filling up the tank AND taking a spare jerry can of fuel for the journey. Great for the biggest events of the season and when done well, it does improve performance and the bodies fuelling capacity. However, there are ways and means of doing it properly without compromising; weight, good nutrition in the lead up and picking what events to do it with. Get in touch with me if you want to talk about carbohydrate loading for your next event!

Pre-Race Breakfast

You want to E-A-T:

-        Easily digestible carbohydrates that are not too high in fibre. How much? At least 1g carbohydrate per kg body weight for your pre-race breakfast. Eg: if you are a 60kg person eating 60g carbohydrates.

-        Add some protein to keep you full

-        Time it 2-4 hrs prior to your event You may also need a Top up snack if it is more than 2hrs before like a gel, banana, or sports drink.

Examples (including carbohydrates) might include:

- 3 x weetbix + skim milk + banana and a fruit yoghurt (85g carbs)

- 2 x white or wholemeal bread with Honey or Jam on one + Peanut butter / an egg on the other + glass of juice (65g carbs)

- 1 medium can (approx. 200g) creamed rice + banana (70g carbs)

- Smoothie made with banana or 1 cup other fruit + 200mL skim milk + honey (55g carbs)

- Porridge (1/2 cup oats) with skim milk (1 cup) , dried fruit (2 Tablespoons) and some honey or maple syrup or brown sugar on top (75g carbs) or try this Bircher Muesli Recipe

- 1 large Up and Go (65g carbs)

- Baked beans (the one for two) on 2 x toast (70g carbs)

- Weetbix Slice and glass of juice (60g carbs)

Got an event coming up? Get your nutrition sorted now! Book an appointment with Nicole, your Adventure Racing Sports Dietitian today! Or get in touch: ascentsportsnutrition@gmail.com

What makes a good competition day breakfast?

You have spent months training, early mornings, exhausted evenings, missing sleep in’s and the odd social occasion because you are focussed on your goal. Whether it be your first 10k, wanting to break 3hrs for a marathon, complete an ironman, your standard Saturday netball, the season AFL final or a day hike you have had planned for months – you have worked hard. But what are you going to have for breakfast on that important day?  

So often we plan and train for months for a sporting event whilst we plan nutrition the night before! Good nutrition won’t make a weekend warrior an elite athlete. However, it will quickly make an elite athlete mediocre if not done well! What nutrition will do is make YOU (weekend warrior, average athlete, elite athlete or whoever you are!) feel like an absolute superstar on the day and perform at the absolute best you can be. Great nutrition is like a secret weapon you have above all the others – you can always mask a certain amount of pain, fatigue, those few sleep in’s and missed trainings, or that slightly slower speed if you have the best fuel to keep you going. 

Where does good nutrition start? Well on race or competition day of course it starts with a good breakfast.

Key Ingredient #1 Carbohydrate

Eating carbohydrates at breakfast is like topping up the fuel tank. Carbohydrate is the primary source of fuel for our bodies during sport. When we work at a higher intensity (race day, competition day, finals in particular) we also burn through carbs a lot faster. In fact, our muscles can only store 60-90mins of carbohydrate therefore we have to maximise that by topping it right up for the meal before. It is also why we often need to think about nutrition DURING an event too!

Key Ingredient #2 Type of carbs

This mostly depends on how you tolerate food before training. Fibre is great for day to day health however on race day it can be a bit of a problem if you are feeling those butterfly tummy nerves or have difficulty with stomach discomfort during sport. Fibre isn’t crucial for performance so on event day we can leave it out. Go for things like white bread, cornflakes, bananas, juice, sports drink or smoothies in particular if you have stomach issues or want to keep the carbs simple and easy to digest. Liquids do not sit for a long time in your stomach making them more comfortable again if you have a few butterflies.

Key Ingredient #3 How many carbs

Generally, about 1g per kg body weight eg: a 60kg person needs about 60g carbohydrate for breakfast. What does this even look like? Check out the examples below based on a 60kg athlete. If you have a bigger engine then you need more fuel! Smaller engine? Less fuel required – on paper however you still might have a good appetite! If you can eat more – comfortably then go for it! Remember this is your time to maximise the fuel within your body and make the most of that precious 60-90mins worth!

Key Ingredient #4 Add a bit of protein

Day to day protein is essential at breakfast as it to keep us full throughout the morning. It also helps with recovery if brekkie is post exercise and helps with recovery anyway even if our training was at a different time in the day. On event day we still need to feel satisfied and not hungry, it is still beneficial to have amino acids around for recovery however if we are talking the main event of the season… the carbs trump in the priority list. Plan your brekkie based on Key Ingredients 1, 2 and 3 (the right amount and type of carbohydrates) first – then include some protein. Protein is better when it is low in fat where possible to reduce the risk of stomach upset during that high intensity activity coming up or to prevent irritating those butterflies in the stomach. Include things like; low fat milk, fruit flavoured yoghurt (as it has extra carbohydrates), peanut butter or eggs.

Key Ingredient #5 Timing

Breakfast timing is important – if you have problems with your tummy then having breakfast 3-4hrs before an event helps for your food to digest before you get started. It is then important to have a small top up snack within an hour of starting such as 250mL sports drink, a banana, some lollies or a gel. Breakfast within 2hrs of the event start is fine without a top up snack and good for those who tolerate food well before an event.

This is all well and good but sleep may also be compromised in the process if your marathon starts at 7am for example. It is always a balance to get both right, but make sure nutrition is just as much of a priority as sleep. Consider for you the impact of 30mins less sleep vs having a decent pre-race breakfast and what performance different that might make.

What are some ideas that have all the ingredients?

-        3 x weetbix with a Banana, skim milk and a fruit yoghurt

-        2 x white or wholemeal bread with honey or jam with a glass of juice

-        1 medium can of creamed rice

-        A smoothie made with a banana, 200mL skim milk, honey

-        Porridge with skim milk, dried fruit and some honey or maple syrup on top

-        A large (350mL) up and go and breakfast biscuit or muesli bar

-        Baked beans on 2 x toast

-        French toast with maple syrup

-        Weetbix Slice and a glass of juice

But where does good nutrition actually start?

With your breakfast every day to fuel your training too! Imagine if you could have a race day quality breakfast every day of your life to fuel your body and brain to be the absolute best it can be. Now this one is more individual and the above factors might vary day to day. For example; you are more likely to tolerate things like fibre, fruit, healthy fats and need things like a certain amount of protein to contribute to the day to keep you fuelled for more than just sport. There are also the longer-term considerations of having foods that include lots of vitamins and minerals to ensure you have enough of things like iron to keep up with a heavy training load.

Training for Breakfast

Yes, there are some trainings where it is beneficial not to eat beforehand – but these fasted sessions are best used strategically. Just remember when “Breakfast is best”, before high intensity, skill sessions or long trainings that mimic a race or competition. The other thing we often forget is that training is not only training muscles but also training our gut. If you are the person who struggles to eat before exercise or the above suggestions have made your stomach curl just at the thought of trying to eat all that prior to race day – your gut needs training too! Starting with just a small bite of something before training morning or afternoon can help to overcome this.

““Breakfast is best” before high intensity, skill sessions or long trainings that mimic a race or competition”

Where to next?

Breakfast is where good nutrition starts – however the pre-event meal, carb loading, race plan nutrition and recovery nutrition are all very important parts of your race or competition day nutrition plans too!

Get in touch!

If you need help with your Race Day Nutrition plan, Training Nutrition Essentials or have other dietary requirements Nicole can help you out. She is an Accredited Sports Dietitian with Sports Dietitians Australia and works with athletes from many sporting codes to be the best they can be with elite level sports nutrition. From ballet dancers, to boxers to ultra-endurance runners to rugby players Nicole loves personalising nutrition to your sporting logistics! She has worked with people with medical conditions such as Irritable Bowel syndrome, Diabetes, Coeliac disease and requiring weight loss and can work with you to alter metabolism and body composition.

Book an appointment with Nicole, your Sports Dietitian today! Now based on site with the team at Physiologic.

What's the deal with Caffeine?

Caffeine is part of every day life for most - in our daily fix from the local coffee shop, your cup of tea in the afternoon or that delicious square of chocolate (or two!) in the evenings. It is also very common on the shelves in our sports drinks, gels, pre-workouts and all by itself in the form of NoDoz. It is a bit of a minefield knowing how to take caffeine, when to take it and know the risks. There are certainly proven performance benefits and it is one of the only legal performance enhancing drugs available therefore it is worth considering in your performance nutrition plan.

I hope to guide you through the evidence - read on below!

What does caffeine do?

Caffeine is a stimulant drug that affects our central nervous system. It allows us to work at a higher intensity before our brain tells us we are working too hard. We FEEL like we are working at about 80% when actually we might be hitting 100%. There is also some evidence to say caffeine may help us use fat as a fuel source for energy at higher intensities therefore somewhat sparing our glycogen stores, always useful for endurance sports! The other factor of course is it improves our alertness - great for anyone needing to stay awake overnight, concentrate in events where navigation, skill or precision is involved.

Where is caffeine found?

Sources include:

• Espresso & plunger type Coffee (80-200mg per serve)

• Tea & Instant coffee (30-40mg)

• Chocolate (

• Coke / Cola (50mg)

• Energy drinks such as Red Bull, V & Mother (80-160mg)

• NoDoz (100mg per tab)

• Sports Gels (

• Sports drinks (

• Pre-workout supplements (

Given the range of caffeine in sources such as a cup of coffee - it is better to use more prescriptive sources for race day to ensure you are getting in what you had planned!

Photo: espressoexpert

Who benefits from taking caffeine?

• Caffeine improves performance to a greater extent in longer events, lasting more than one hour so is good for cyclists, long distance runners, triathletes, multisporters, mountain bikers and adventure racers to trial.

• It improves alertness so is excellent for navigation events, technical skills and for events requiring sharp focus

• There are also responders and non-responders to caffeine. The non-responders do not experience any of the performance enhancing effects of caffeine - nor the alertness felt from a cup of coffee in the morning. It is really a simple test to know if you respond or not. Are you a person that can have a cup of coffee in the evening and go straight to sleep? You’re likely a non-responder.

• If you regularly consume a large intake of caffeine you can become desensitised to the effects for performance. Sometimes it can be useful to reduce your day to day intake in order to gain performance enhancing benefits on race day. DO THIS SLOWLY! You certainly don’t want to be experiencing withdrawal symptoms in the week leading up to an event only to feel a tad more normal on race day

How much should I take?

1-3mg per kg of body weight.

Therefore a 70kg athlete should try a 70mg dose then experiment with doses up to 210mg. If you start experiencing side effects (see Cautions! below) it is best to go for a lower dose. Taking more than this range has not shown to give any further performance benefits and can actually be harmful.

When should I take it?

Take the dose approximately 1 hour before you want to peak in your race because it takes about this long to kick in. For example if you are running a marathon perhaps you will take it 1 hour in so that you get the caffeine in your system after the start nervous jiggles, but kicking in right when it would be amazing to have a lower perceived exertion (i.e PAIN) at halfway or towards the end of the race. It is also important to know that caffeine wears off after 3-4 hours. If your race is longer than this you may need to take a second dose. Also think about this when you have late afternoon races as you might forgo a decent night’s sleep! For those competing in very long events 24 hrs + duration it isn’t feasible to have the benefits of caffeine for the entire race so you might decide when would be strategic. Eg: around your usual bedtime so you feel awake in the hours after that, in the middle of the night 2-4am when there is still a few hours until daylight or at any sleepy times in the following days / sleepy disciplines / slow moving times as required!

Cautions!

Try in training first! Some people hyper-respond to caffeine and experience shakes, intense nervousness  or headaches, impaired sleep and sometimes need to urinate frequently which can affect negatively on performance. From experience this isn’t fun! This can be especially detrimental for those sports in which concentration or skill is required. The first time I tried caffeine in a race it was a 12 hr adventure race in Central South Island New Zealand in September in the snow and I won’t forget how annoying it was to have to get off the bike in the snow to empty my bladder every 20 minutes! Let alone how distracted I was from navigating on the map and on technical mountain bike sections. I learned my own lesson of what trialling in training means!

It is also possible to overdose caffeine and therefore it is important to plan for and know how much you are taking. Watch out for high caffeine products such as pre-workouts or gels/sports products containing caffeine. Because of course you want your sports nutrition - if you only have gels with caffeine you have no choice but to consume it. If you mix it up and have some with and some without, or if you take your caffeine separately in the form of NoDoz then you have more flexibility.

Keen to try caffeine in your next event? Unsure where to start in tailoring a caffeine strategy for your sport?

Get in touch for my Race Day Nutrition package or an Initial Consultation.

Beginners Guide to Adventure Racing Nutrition

Image: Maximum Adventure Race

New to adventure racing? Or have you done a couple before but have no idea what to eat? Tried your best to plan nutrition but felt sick or bonked halfway? Do you have a 3-6hr event coming up? Read on to get your nutrition plan sorted.

How long are you out there for?

It is good to plan your nutrition per hour that you are out. Are you doing a 3hr, 4hr, or 6hr race? Is it all running or is it multi-sports? If you are racing over a mealtime eg: 8am – 2pm you might need to think about something more substantial to have mid-way through as you are skipping a meal and might find yourself a bit peckish! Is it going to be hot, rainy or cold? Think about the environment as a good starting point!

What type of food do I need and how much of it?

• You mainly want to be eating easily digested carbohydrates that are low in fibre and high GI. Fat and protein are not as useful for fuelling shorter events but they do get more important for longer events

• Start in training with 30-60g CARBOHYDRATES per hour and progress up to what you want to eat in a race

• In a race aim for 60-90g CARBOHYDRATES per hour but see how you go in training

• Always practice in training first and then stick with whatever you get to. If you can only eat 45g per hour in training without feeling sick then that is also your goal for race day.
  

Approx. 30g carb examples:

o   3 x snakes lollies

o   2 x small baked potato in tinfoil

o   2 x pieces of white bread in a vegemite sandwich

o   1 x white bread with a thick layer of honey or jam

o   1 x large slice of cold pizza

o   1 x white bread roll

o   1 x Weetbix slice (check out recipe!)

o   1 x oat-based muesli bar from the supermarket

o   1 x creamed rice pottle

o   1 x bottle sports drink (made at 4% carbohydrates)

o   1 x sports gel

o   1/2 cup of pretzels

o   4 x Cliff brand Bloks

o   1 x 250mL juice box

o   10 dried apricots

o   1 x 300mL can coke

o   2 x mini packets of shapes crackers

o   1 x banana

What a smorgasbord of snacks!

Tips for planning

• Take a variety of foods: some liquids, some sweets, some savoury, some snacky, some substantial

• Consider eating something a bit more substantial mid race like a mini lunch or whenever is convenient if you are racing for more than 3 hrs

• Try out a bunch of different combos in training, in a similar temperature to race day if possible and for the different disciplines

• Consider taking a couple of items just for “Mood Foods” that aren’t necessarily the perfect nutrition but they perk you up mid race! Eg: Mini chocolate bars, your favourite chips, a mandarin or other small fresh fruit

• Another golden rule is to eat a little bit, often. Aim to eat every 15-30mins. If you want to keep it simple you might choose 1 x snack option from the above list and eat every 30mins on the hour and half hour and you should be right!

• Remember to remind your team mates to do this too especially if they are distracted by navigating!

• Golden rule ALWAYS TRY IN TRAINING!

What should I drink and how much?

Some drinks can also contain carbohydrates and serve two purposes such as sports drink. Electrolytes are handy as they can taste good, making you drink more and replace lost electrolytes from sweat. However, water is just fine as long as you are fuelling at the same time! Remember that 1 Litre = 1kg so it is also important not to take way too much fluid. Know where along the course you can fill up your bottle and if you are prepared to take the time to stop.

How much? It is very individual and it depends how hot it is! In the heat you might need 750mL – 1 Litre or more per hour, in the cold might only need 300-500mL per hour. Try in training and go with your thirst! You might use a bladder in your backpack too. Make sure you know how much it holds and how much you need. You might not need to fill it all up! Also, try to keep just water in your bladder as any sugar or electrolytes causes it to go mouldy really fast even with a clean!

Image: Triadventure’s Wild Women Adventure Race

How do I carry my food?

• Clothing: you might wear a bike shirt that has pockets at the back for the whole race, or tights/cycling shorts that have pockets

• Backpack: a small hydration backpack or vest is handy. The best ones have lots of pockets on the front for storing food eg: one for your lollies, one for your muesli bars and a bladder pocket for your fluids or soft flask pockets

• Belt or hip bag: with a drink bottle holder – good if you hate backpacks but I find them particularly hard to sit tight

• Bike bags: a top tube bag is a really handy food storage and easily accessible.

• Drink bottle cages: are essential on your bike. Try and fit two on there if your bike allows and if you are in a hot environment, I love using 1 Litre bottles (normal bottles are 750mL).

• Lifejacket pockets: if you are buying your own lifejacket look for one with pockets in the font for easily accessible snacks!

Big pockets on lifejackets come in handy for kayaking nutrition.

Know the course rules and logistics

If you know that you are passing through a transition where you can pick up and leave gear, consider leaving a little bag of food and filled drink bottles. Then you just have to swap the bottles out (not spend time filling them up) and you can pick up more food without having to carry the whole 3 or 6 hours’ worth. Consider eating your heavy food in transition eg: a juice box or creamed rice.  

Should I eat different things on different legs?

Kayaking: Make sure your kayaking nutrition is waterproof! Otherwise, it might not look like anything nutritious at all! Even if you plan not to fall in (don’t we all?) you often get wet by just paddling and if you need to get in and out of the boat to collect checkpoints. Good options are gels or muesli bars.

Running / trekking: it is easier to eat your sandwiches because you have more hands than in the kayak or on the bike and you might walk for a little while. If you are competitive and running fast, you might not feel like large amounts of food and your sugary snacky foods more often might be best.

Riding nutrition: needs to be easy to access that is why stem bags are great and easily accessible pockets. Nibbling on snacks and muesli bars you can hold and bite easily are great (that’s why snakes are the best compared to smaller lollies!). The ultimate nutrition cycling skill is being able to open and eat a banana then throw away the skin without stopping pedalling!

Weetbix Slice - a favourite amongst Tiger Adventure teammates

Need more help?

Join me for my webinar: Planning Nutrition and Logistics for your next Adventure Race on at 6PM AEST Thursday 25th March 2021. Missed it? No worries it is available via recording here.

This advice is a is great place to start for most people, however some of you may need more individual advice. You might decide to get help if you:

• Have tummy upset problems, specific nutrition needs or medical conditions

• Are getting more competitive and want to maximise your nutrition to win!

• Want to attempt a longer race and are not sure where to start

Get in touch with a Sports Dietitian if this is you! I am available for consultations in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Online at Ascent Sports Nutrition and would absolutely love to help you maximise your Adventure Racing dreams!