Avoiding the Three Big Fueling Mistakes for Endurance Events

How I learned that "Less is More".

Hey runners! Remember when our only choices for fueling were water and Gatorade? Fueling for endurance events such as half marathons, marathons, or ultra-marathon races has gotten complicated, with a lot of misinformation out there. In this blog post, I’ll go through the three big fueling mistakes I often see runners make.

My Fueling Story:

About 19 years ago, I showed up for my first ultra-marathon, a 40 mile trail race. Before that, I was a marathoner and accustomed to fueling with just water or Gatorade. At the start of the ultra-marathon, the race director handed me two Hammer gels and said, “You’re going to need these.” I had no idea what they were at the time. But 2 hours into the race, I started to slow, and one of those gels immediately gave me the boost I needed. This marked the beginning of my 19-year career in ultra-running and a great relationship with Hammer Nutrition.

During those years, I learned that less is more when it comes to fueling. Most runners I observed were constantly cramming in sugary foods to complete their races. However, there's a different, more effective path – one that involves becoming fat-adapted.

Understanding Fat Adaptation:

Fat adaptation means converting your metabolism to be more flexible, allowing your body to burn fat for fuel when needed and to burn glycogen and carbs during high-intensity moments. This metabolic flexibility is crucial because a carb-dependent runner often loses the ability to efficiently burn fat. If you’ve been running a long time, you might have been taught that carbs are essential to fuel your runs. While that’s true to some extent, the majority of the American diet is carb-heavy, often from refined and processed foods. This leads to carb dependency, which can be addictive and detrimental to your performance. However, by becoming fat-adapted, you can reduce the ups and downs of energy spikes and crashes, leading to more stable energy levels and better performance. To illustrate this, the FASTER study from Ohio University, found several advantages for fat-adapted runners compared to high-carb athletes, such as higher fat oxidation rates and the ability to sustain energy better during long events.

The Three Big Fueling Mistakes:

1. Carbo-loading Before an Event:

Carbo-loading is so 1980s! It used to involve starving yourself for a few days and then piling on the carbs before an event. Your body naturally replenishes its glycogen reserves daily, so there's no need to top them off with excessive carbs. If you’re fat-adapted, you already have energy stores ready to go.

2. Eating Right Before the Race:

Many runners eat a bagel or banana right before a race, thinking it will give them a quick energy boost. However, consuming carbohydrates immediately before a race triggers your metabolism to rely on carbs instead of burning fat, which hampers your performance. Try to eat about three hours before the event, allowing time for digestion, or skip the pre-race meal altogether if you're fat-adapted.

3. Consuming Excessive Calories During the Event:

Some sports companies and coaches recommend consuming 400 calories per hour during endurance events. However, your liver can only convert about 240 calories of carbohydrates to glycogen per hour. Brian Frank from Hammer Nutrition suggests a simpler approach: consuming one calorie per pound of body weight per hour. This balance ensures sustained energy without the risk of gastrointestinal distress.

Choosing Your Fuel:

It’s essential to test different fuels (liquids, gels, or solids) and find what works best for you. Everyone is different, so experimenting during training will help you determine the optimal fueling strategy for race day. If you know which fuel is offered during your race, practice with that fuel beforehand to make sure it doesn’t cause issues for you.

Conclusion:

To recap, avoid these three common fueling mistakes by not carbo-loading, not eating right before the race, and consuming the appropriate amount of calories during the event. By becoming fat-adapted and following these guidelines, you'll be able to enjoy your long runs and races with plenty of energy and maximize your performance.