BY SELENE YEAGERYou would think that after, oh,
25 years of endurance training
and racing (not to mention writ-
ing about it for a living), I’d have
my sports nutrition dialed. And
honestly, I thought I did. That
was until a few years ago in Kansas, at
mile 160 of the Dirty Kanza, when I found
myself overcome by a wave of nausea and
vomiting off the side of my bike.
I’d gone from feeling really good to feel-
ing really awful in what seemed like the
f lick of a switch—that same switch also
turned off my power, leaving me creeping
along until I finally reached an aid station,
where a Coke and some food helped me
soldier on to the finish. This wasn’t my
first race-day dietary debacle, but it was,
by far, the most surprising.
Frustrated and f lummoxed, I sat down
with Boulder-based sports physiologist
Allen Lim, Ph.D., to dive into all the ways
we mess up our fueling and what we
can do to dial in our nutrition for peak
performance.❯❯
MASTER
YOUR
NUTRITION
TO BANISH
GUT ROT
FOR GOOD
DRINKS
FOR
EVERY
RIDE
NUUN ENDURANCE
MIX, $24 FOR 12
On longer rides,
when hydration
is a priority, this
mix has the right
amount of sugar
and electrolytes
like sodium.SKRATCH LABS SPORT
HYDRATION, $35 FOR 20
Formulated with
the optimal sugar/
sodium balance,
this mix enhances
water absorption
by actively ushering
the fluid out of your
intestine and into
your bloodstream.OSMO ACTIVE
HYDRATION, $35 FOR 24
This low-carb,
sodium-rich mix is
another good choice.
It’s also available in
a women’s formula
to manage blood
plasma changes
during the
menstrual cycle.SIS BETA FUEL, $38
FOR 12
When it’s tough to
eat enough, Beta
Fuel has 321 calo-
ries and 80 grams
of carbs designed
to go from your
gut to your blood-
stream without
traffic jams.MAURTEN DRINK
MIX 320, $48
FOR 14
This carbohy-
drate sports
drink converts
to a hydrogel in
your stomach
for a smoother
transition to the
intestines.20 BICYCLING.COM • ISSUE 5 Photography byTREVOR RAAB