Running Smarter vol. 6
Making / Testing a Fueling Plan for a Race Many athletes underfuel for half and full marathon races, and that can negatively impact their performance. Preparing and executing your race day fueling plan will set you up for success. Current recommendations call for 60g-100g of multiple transportable carbohydrate (such as a 2:1 glucose-to-fructose formula) per hour. Ingesting that much carbohydrate can be hard on our GI system during a race, so it’s important to practice taking on fuel in training to “train the gut.” Practicing your fueling during long runs (and select workouts) leading up to your goal race will let your body become more familiar with absorbing carbohydrate while exercising and will help you identify which fuel sources work best for you.
When preparing your fueling plan you will want to consider:
● Expected race duration
○ the longer the race, the more important fueling becomes
● Which nutrition products you’ll use
○ The consistency of energy gels can make a difference. Gels that are more liquidy
and less sludgy can be digested more easily.
○ Caffeine can improve focus and provide a performance benefit, but it can also
have a diuretic effect. Make sure to test caffeinated products in training to see
how your body responds.
○ Our electrolyte needs will vary based on the environmental conditions on race
day. In hotter or more humid environments, you may need to supplement with
salt capsules/tablets or use gels with a higher sodium content.
● Fueling frequency
○ This will depend on the composition of the nutrition products you are using. The
carbohydrate content of various gels can range from 20g to 50g per sachet.
○ Many gels and chews need to be consumed with water to be absorbed properly.
So consider where the water stops are on course and see how that lines up with
your fueling schedule. Isotonic energy gels, which are more liquidy, can be
consumed without supplemental fluids and thus give you more flexibility.
● How you will transport your fuel (pockets, belt, vest)
○ Many races provide gels at select aid stations, but unless you’re an elite athlete,
you’ll likely benefit from consuming gels more frequently than what is offered on
course. If planning to use on-course nutrition, try to test it ahead of time. Many
races advertise their nutrition sponsor, so find some of that product and test it
prior to the race.
After you’ve designed your fueling strategy, you’ll want to test it on multiple long runs. You can then revise it to include preferred flavors or fine tune the consumption frequency. Once you dial in your fueling, your energy levels, stamina, and endurance will benefit.
Having thoroughly tested your plan in training, you will enter race day more confident and more prepared to perform.
Mike Flynn, General Manager & Program Director; Big River Running Company
314-656-8033, mike.flynn@bigriverrunning.com