Articles
Fueling for Endurance Races
By Matt Hanson, EdD
Dr. Hanson shares his tips about how to train to upgrade your race-day nutrition plan, not just your race-day performance.
When to Cram Carbs In an Ultra-Endurance Event
One of the most frequent questions we get is how much carbs do I need to take (or, often, how much can I take) during my long-duration events, races, or training? This blog is a follow-up to the previous blog about increasing carbs/hour during endurance exercise, where Dr. Bucci answered that question. One thing he didn’t cover in that last blog is that, with higher carb intake, timing is everything, so in this blog, Dr. Bucci addresses when to go big on carbs.
How Many Carbs Should Endurance Athletes Really Consume Per Hour?
One of the most frequent questions we get is: How many carbs do I need to take during my long-duration events, races or training lasting more than three hours? The prevailing wisdom has long been set at 30-60 grams per hour (120-240 calories/hour), and usage directions for EFS & EFS-PRO are based on this time-tested range. But emerging research suggests athletes can ingest more and more carbs per hour: 90-140 grams or 360-560 Calories. That’s 1.5 to 19 times MORE carbs than the endurance experts have agreed upon for years!
Top Five Mistakes of Beginner Triathletes
By Josiah Middaugh
Every triathlete was a beginner at some point, picking up one, two, or possibly three completely new sports. With huge variations in the training history, skill, and fitness levels of new triathletes, it makes finding sound training advice even more difficult.
To help any aspiring triathletes and provide a refresher to vets looking to refine their game (these comments don’t only apply to beginners), I’ve written down some of the most common mistakes I see triathletes make – or that I’ve made myself!
Diet & Fueling in Taper Time
By Matt Hanson, EdD
The Ironman World Championships are finally going to happen and I couldn’t be more excited. I have had a fantastic build, am healthy, and eager to toe the line – It is officially taper time.
I’ve been asked quite a few times recently by the athletes I coach about how they should change their diet when they are leading into a high priority race, so I thought I’d throw a few of my thoughts on the matter together since I’m sure others have similar questions.
How Your Biggest Gains Can Be Found In The Off Season
By Matt Hanson, EdD
As a coach, I’ve noticed a trend that goes on repeat year after year. Athletes tend to reach out 4-5 months prior to their first big race of the season and continue working with the coach through the fall when their final race is complete, but then they disconnect for the winter months. While I certainly understand the need to check out from the daily grind for a period of time at the end of the season, I really think this is a difficult approach to take if you are looking for the best possible performance.
“Full stick until the line” – Facing the Heat in Castelo Branco
By Kyle Murphy
Rally Cycling’s talented all-rounder, Kyle Murphy, has been quietly putting together another impressive year with strong showings throughout the season. He finally clawed his way to the top step on stages two of the Volta a Portugal.
Calling that race “hot” is an understatement, so we asked him about his approach to hydration and fueling, as well as his general impressions of how the day went. His initial response was, simply, “Tough race!” However, he did elaborate on fueling, hydration, tactics, and the importance of keeping a cool head when the race is figuratively (and, in this case, literally) heating up.
The Fourth Leg – A Professional Approach to Ironman Fueling & Hydration
By Matt Hanson, EdD
We have all heard the saying, “nutrition is the fourth leg of a triathlon.” And no doubt we have all heard horror stories and seen (and even smelled!) the evidence of when someone gets their nutrition plan for long-course triathlon racing very wrong.
