Triathlon Fuel Strategy for Endurance
Triathlon is an endurance sport and as such, an energy replacement strategy is required. This strategy is just as important as your strategy for the swim, bike and run. Failure to keep your hydration levels up can lead to the so-called bonk and can create a serious risk to your health. Many people at the ‘06 Coeur d’Alene Ironman suffered from over-heating due to extreme heat conditions and a few actually crashed during the bike ride through the mountains. I know of one person who ended up with a broken collarbone because they ran off the road during a steep decent on the bike. Needless to say, the EMS tents were full and busy during that race.
As the weather gets warmer, my bike rides are getting longer. This means I’m sweating more, and I’m changing the way I pack fuel when I train. As you develop your own fuel replacement strategy for racing and training, keep this rule in mind — the harder the ride, the more you need to pay attention to supplemental calories. When I’m packing my fuel, I factor in several things:
- Length of the ride
- My current training level – how fit I am, which usually depends upon the season.
- How long it takes me to recover
- The heat
- How well I take the heat – In the Spring, I’m not as “used” to the heat as I am in the Fall. The hotter the day, the more sodium I need.
- How much I’ve already eaten and drank before the ride.
- How long the training or race is: The longer the ride, the higher carbohydrate content in your energy drink you need.
As you study fuel replacement and nutrition, you will need to practice and refine your strategy during training so that you know EXACTLY what you need. Too much and you will have an upset stomach. Too little and you will deplete your energy levels. You should also train with the brand you will use on race day. Find out what will be offered on the course and then either train with it or carry your own perferred brand. During an Ironman however you won’t be able to carry everything needed during the day so plan accordingly.
During my last Ironman Race, it was a hot day — low to mid 90s. I consumed a 24 oz bottle of Gatorade Endurance Formula, a bottle of water every hour and a gel like Gu 
Gale Bernhardt has done quite a bit of research on sweat rates and sodium-loss rates, that you can look at here. And you can read about Electrolytes here.
When I’m doing a sprint triathlon, obviously, because this is such a short race, I usually drink some water and have Gu 15 minutes before the start of the race, then drink one bottle (24 oz) of Energy Drink race on the bike along with two additional packets of Gu. I like to drink water during the run — but not too much. Most races have water and energy drinks at each aid station, typically a mile apart on the run. Also be sure to replenish after every training or race day to speed your recover. I like to take Recover tablets from SportsQuest Direct to help speed recover.
Here’s another great article here, Fueling on the Bike.
I had never heard of this one, but Ultracycling says a good strategy to satisfy your needs in a hot event is “an aid station has salt and boiled potatoes, you can dip a potato into the salt before eating it.” I’ve never tried it but I have eaten pretzels or broth/soup and even a cola to sooth an upset stomach. Eating 12 hours of Gu and Powerbars can be hard to stomach after a long day.
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