Nutrition for during the race
Sprint triathlon
For a sprint triathlon, your main focus is hydration. Plain water is sufficient for most conditions. Be guided by your thirst. You won’t need to consume additional carbohydrate during the event as you should have sufficient glycogen stored in your body to fuel you for a sprint distance.
Long distance races
For longer-distance races, begin fuelling as soon as you exit the swim.
- Aim to consume 30 - 90g carbohydrate/ hour, depending on the intensity and duration of your race – divide this into two or three ‘feeds’ per hour.
- The cycle part of the race offers a greater opportunity to consume food. Options that supply 30g carbohydrate include 500ml Perple Sports Drink or the Perple Endurance Mix. For more information, depending on event times, refer to Endurance Mix suggested use.
- ⚠️ Only Take high-carb snacks that you have trained with.
The amount you need depends on how hard and long you’re exercising:
- 1 – 2 hours: 30g carbs/ hour
- 2 – 3 hours (easy/ moderate): 30 - 60g carbs/ hour
- 2 – 3 hours (hard): 60g carbs/ hour
- 3 hour + (easy/ moderate): 60g carbs/ hour
- 3 hour + (hard): 60g – 90g carbs/ hour
Research suggests that 90g carbs/ hour may be optimal for top endurance athletes when racing longer than 3 hours. You’ll need to train your gut over several weeks to absorb 90g/ h. The theory is, it’s possible to consume 60g glucose alongside 30g fructose per hour, since the two different sugars are absorbed via different transporters. Perple Endurance mixes have taken care of all this for you, without risk of upset stomach. Depending on your intensity and duration see Endurance Mix guidelines.
Hydration
Check the location of water and feed stations on the course beforehand so you can plan where and when to hydrate or get fuel. Only consume fuel provided if you have practiced with it in training. You should have a good idea how much you need to drink from your training runs: drinking between 400 – 800 ml fluid per hour will likely prevent dehydration as well as over-hydration. Many triathletes competing in longer distances use an aerobar-mounted drinks system, which allows you to drink while staying streamlined.