AustrAliAn triAthlete | 83Holistic EndurancE
Training TOOLBOX
R ACE DAY NUTRITION STRATEGY
Now that you have some goal times that
are based on your current physiology we
can now develop a nutrition plan that
matches your goal pace and output.
If this isn’t your first Ironman, you will
be able to develop a subsequent plan on
what did and didn’t work for you last time.
If you’re a first timer, you can base it off
shorter distance races or the fuel that has
worked well in training.
Here are some considerations when
planning for Ironman nutrition:
• The early start time - what time would
you have to get up if you want to eat a
breakfast prior?
• Aid station locations - where are they
and will you use them?
• Special needs - where are they and will
you use them?
• Flavour fatigue - you might like the
taste of your chosen sports drink over
two hours, but how will you feel after
12-hours?
• Gastrointestinal distress - the longer
the race, the greater the risk of gut
upset and subsequent toilet visits.
Choose your fuel wisely and ensure you
test planned volume in training.
• Hunger - do you need to include solids
in your nutrition plan?
• Are you predominately a fat or
carbohydrate burner at race pace/
intensity? This will dictate the volume
or quantity you need for your given
race pace.How do you know if you are predominately
a carbohydrate burner or fat burner? You
might have an instinctive answer based on
the number of times you visit bonk town
and crave sugar or carbohydrates (a key
indicator you are a sugar burner). If you are
a trained fat burner, you will probably
notice needing to carry less fuel than your
comrades and cravings for all things sweet
or starchy are pretty rare too.
As an endurance athlete, being a fat
burner is what you want to work towards
to give you a metabolic advantage. To
determine if you are a sugar burner or fat
burner, the most precise way, is to conduct
a Metabolic Efficiency Test (MET). From
this testing protocol you will have data to
build an accurate nutritional plan, for both
day-to-day (general) and race day (sports),
which suits your personal physiology. An
MET will establish your cross over point
(COP), the point (heart rate or power
output) at which you burn more carbo-
hydrates than fats. This enables a plan
that prevents bonking and allows you to
express your full potential while also
working towards optimal body composition
and metabolic health in training.FAT
OR CARB
BURNER?The best way to find
out which one you
are is to conduct a
Metabolic efficiency
Test (MET).
Being a fat burner is
what you want to
work towards to
give you a metabolic
advantage.© Korupt Vision© Korupt Vision