Training for an ultra-marathon takes months of dedication and sacrifice but all your efforts can go to waste if you mess up your race-day nutrition and fuelling plan. Proper race-day nutrition is essential to maintain energy levels and sustain your efforts to the finish line, which is why it's not something you can or should decide on the week of the race.
Avoid the energy rollercoaster
Optimal fuelling requires planning and preparation weeks, even months, in advance. A common mistake ultra-runners make is consuming supplements designed for high-intensity efforts during lower-intensity events.
This can wreak havoc on your energy system, leading to energy spikes and blood sugar crashes, and often causes digestive distress and nausea. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to fuelling, it is important to understand that a three-hour marathon requires a different strategy than a 10-hour Comrades run.
Even within the same event, an elite athlete's fuelling plan will differ significantly from a club runner’s. Pace, duration, personal preference and tolerance ultimately dictate your fuelling needs.
Despite these differences, there are three universal laws that apply to everyone:
1. Keep it simple: Don't overcomplicate your strategy.
2. Controlled intake: More isn't always better. Consume measured amounts for optimal results, with a time-feeding strategy often best. Aim to eat little bits early and often (also known as drip feeding, but more on that later).
3. Plan, test, retest: Practice your fuelling strategy during long training runs and qualifying or practice races to fine-tune your approach and avoid surprises on race day.
Create a plan
A scheduled drip-feed method is often a sensible plan as it can help stabilise energy levels and minimises the risk of tummy trouble.
This plan requires eating and drinking small amounts more frequently. Setting an alarm on your watch at 20 to 30-minute intervals reminds you to take something in, even if you don’t feel a dip in energy levels. This is important to replenish glycogen stores before you run out.
When it comes to calculating how much you need, general recommendations suggest aiming for 60-90g of carbs per hour.
Athletes who run at a lower average pace and relative effort can shoot for the lower end of the range while more serious runners should aim to the higher end. Elite athletes train their bodies to tolerate in excess of 100g per hour.
Nutrition specifics
Once you have settled on your ideal fuelling strategy, consider your dietary preferences. Some athletes prefer solids while others prefer liquids. A combination often works best.
A mix of whole foods and supplements is the ideal approach, especially for runners who intend to be out on the course for 9 hours or more. Different tastes and textures breaks up the monotony of eating and drinking every 20-30 minutes. When deciding what and when to eat, think about how easy it will be to chew and swallow your chosen fuel source, especially as the race distance increases.
In the early stages of a race, runners can still generally tolerate solid foods as there is still sufficient blood in the gut to support digestion.
In the later stages, blood can start to pool in your legs and rising fatigue levels can make it harder to chew and swallow, or even keep solid food down. This is when liquids and gels might offer better options.
And always remember the golden rule: Nothing new on race day! If you haven't tested something before the race, don't include it on race day, not matter how tasty that free bar or gel looks in your race pack!
On race day, stick to the fuelling strategy you planned and tested. This will ensure you have confidence in your approach, which is the key to a successful ultra-marathon.