What to eat and drink during exercise?

Following on from our ‘What do eat and drink before exercise’ blog, here’s some tips on fuelling during exercise, be it training or on race day.

Timing is key:

• If you are heading out for a shorter exercise session (less than 90mins) and providing you had an optimal meal before exercising, you may not require fuel during exercise and instead the focus should be more on hydration.
• Workouts outlasting the 90-minute mark begin to take a different toll on your body. Over 90-minutes, carbohydrates begin to play a key role in keeping your body fuelled for continued endurance exercise.
• As you exercise for longer durations, your body will begin relying on fats for fuel. This is one of the main reasons why we suggest eating real food during exercise, as your body will process it more efficiently while giving your body a nice mix of nutrients.
• Eating during the swim aspect of your triathlon is simply not possible, so provided you have eaten an optimal meal before starting your race, you should be able to hold off until you are comfortable on the bike before consuming nutrition.
• Know where you will store your fuel and if you will rely on aid stations. Know where the aid stations are in the race, how you will open packaging in a hurry and what foods are easy to chew, swallow and digest.

Type of nutrition:

• Sports nutrition has been created for all the right reasons- to ensure you are able to quickly and efficiently replace what you lose when exercising and to fuel your body with the energy it needs to perform effectively.
• Try to exercise using a mix of wholefoods and sports nutrition. Consume small doses at a time and ensure you compliment any wholefoods consumed with sips of water to ensure it digests properly and aids digestion of calories in the heat.
• Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred fuel for prolonged competition and exercise, but not all carbs are created equally-. Low-GI foods provide sustained energy over time, whereas high-GI foods provide an energy spike but are short lasting. Plan your nutrition accordingly.
• Electrolytes are minerals needed for the body to process energy, and are lost through sweat when exercising. It is hard to keep the level of electrolytes up with only a sports type drink due to the volume required, so electrolyte tablets and gels are an ideal source.

Top nutrition tip for race day:

• Do not try anything new on race day. Train on what works best for you and then stick to it on race day. Find out what the on-course nutrition will be, and then train with it in the lead up so you have no surprises with flavours, textures, digestion and even working out how to open the packaging!

Top nutrition tip for race day:

• Do not try anything new on race day. Train on what works best for you and then stick to it on race day. Find out what the on-course nutrition will be, and then train with it in the lead up so you have no surprises with flavours, textures, digestion and even working out how to open the packaging!

On Course Nutrition:

Available at Aid Stations on course at the 2020 Mount Festival events, and found at all major sports stores across NZ:

Clif Bar – Chocolate Chip and Cool Mint Chocolate (http://www.clifbar.co.nz/shop/product_line/clif-bar)

Clif Bloks – Mountain Berry, Ginger Ale and Orange (http://www.clifbar.co.nz/shop/product_line/bloks-energy-chews)

Clif Gels – Citrus and Razz (http://www.clifbar.co.nz/shop/product_line/shot-energy-gel)

Nuun Sport – Lemon Lime (https://nuunlife.com/collections/nuun-sport/products/lemon-lime)