“Joy and Satisfaction, you feel at the end. To get there, you have to enjoy tormenting yourself and taking care not to lose energy during the race”, says Karina Bonta, member of BikeXpert Team.
During a strenuous bike race, like the newcomer CARPATHIAN MTB EPIC, there are two major concerns for the athlete that could be addressed nutritionally: glycogen stores and electrolytes lost in sweat.
Our glycogen stores – the carbohydrates that are stored in our muscles and liver – are our main fuel during endurance events so it is important that the athlete does his best to maximize his carbohydrates reserves. This aspect is mainly achieved in the preparation phase as was already discussed in the previous article.
However, during the race there is one simple strategy to help preserve these stores and that is to consume rapidly digested carbohydrates. Then the body uses these as a source of energy thus preserving glycogen. This strategy is also very useful when there is a high level of fatigue – due to glycogen depletion and low glucose levels – and there’s an elevated demand for carbohydrates.
In practical terms, this means approximately 0,8-1 g/minute exercise or about 30 g for every 30 minute of the race. It is important also to combine different sources of carbohydrates – maltodextrin, glucose, fructose – to avoid gastrointestinal distress and to improve carbohydrate oxidation. These recommendations can be achieved by taking 500 ml of Goldrink GoldNutrition® or one Extreme Fluid Gel GoldNutrition®.
“Good results in a competition depend on both training and nutrition but also on how long you can withstand suffering and stress. Often, departures are the most painful moments in the race – the pulse grows, you feel like choking, your legs hurt – and when you struggle with strong opponents you can’t coddle yourself for the rest of the race. Joy and Satisfaction, you feel at the end. To get there, you have to enjoy tormenting yourself and taking care not to lose energy during the race. Make sure you take some isotonic drink from time to time and don’t wait until you get thirsty! Take a gel at 30 minutes and be careful to eat at least one bar if you participate in a 2 hour race”, considers Karina Bonta, an Elite athlete and member of BikeXpert Team.
Thankfully, the products mentioned above also cover the other essential aspect in intra-workout nutrition, electrolyte balance. This simply means replenishing several minerals that are lost through sweat and it can hardly be done by food alone. When these minerals reach critical levels they can result in not only poor performance, but also serious health issues like hyponatremia, meaning low sodium levels, or painful cramps generally related to magnesium and potassium imbalances.
Efficient mineral and carbohydrate replenishment will guarantee your body functions at optimum level during the entire race allowing you to appreciate the ride!
Stay tuned to find more about the recommendations of GoldNutrition specialists!