If you haven’t blocked it from your memory already, summer was pretty awful in terms of humidity and heat. I would often break into a flop sweat just walking the dog, so running in those conditions in practically unbearable. 

I'm reminded of a conversation I had with Dr. Allison when she first started her first half marathon experience and just how unaware a lot of folks are about fueling and nutrition.

So I thought I'd share some fueling and hydration strategies from PRE-ACTIVITY to POST ACTIVITY and everywhere in between. 

Trust me, regardless of what duration your mode of exercise fits into, you’ll learn something from this blog. 

I am pulling this information directly from Precision Fuel & Hydration, an international company that helps build custom fueling strategies for athletes of all levels. 

I’m not sure you caught this recently, but mutants like David Roche don’t smash the Leadville 100 (trail run) course record by winging their nutrition strategy. (Check out his massive 600 calories per hour story).

HERE WE GO!

To get the most out of your session, you'll want to start well-fueled and hydrated.

BEFORE TRAINING

Fuel

• Eat a light but carb-dense meal or snack around 2-3 hours before your workout to top off your glycogen stores (your body’s fuel tank)
  
  
• If that’s not feasible, then your carbohydrate intake during the session might need to be higher (if tolerable), as your ‘fuel tank’ could already be partially depleted
  
  
• Taking in a small dose of carbohydrate immediately (10-15 mins) before tougher sessions can deliver additional fuel for the early stages, increase your focus and boost your energy levels. You may also benefit from some caffeine at this time.

Hydration

• Typically, drinking to thirst throughout the day will be sufficient to start your session hydrated
  
  
• But, if you think you’re dehydrated (and you anticipate high sweat losses during the session), you can consume a stronger electrolyte drink before you start. Think PRELOADING
  
  
• To be clear, you don’t need to preload before every training session. It’s a tactic to use before a particularly long, intense, sweaty session.

TRAINING LASTING  UNDER 1 HOUR 

Fuel

• In most cases, if you’re starting well-fueled, you needn’t worry about taking in carbs during activities lasting less than an hour, depending on intensity. 
• When you’re going for <30 minutes, carbohydrate ingestion has been shown to have little-to-no effect on performance
• For ~45-60 minutes at an “all-out” intensity, then there’s some evidence that your performance may benefit from a small amount (~30g) of easily digestible carbohydrate (a gel or chew). 
• Another strategy here is called “carb rinsing” where you ‘swish and spit’ with a carb fueled drink and trick your brain into thinking carbs are on their way! 

Hydration

• If you start well-hydrated, you might not need to drink anything during your session
• However, it’s not a bad idea to have some fluid nearby during most activities, especially if it’s incredibly hot and humid (SEE KANSAS SUMMER).
• In regards to electrolyte intake, it's highly unlikely that even the heaviest, saltiest sweaters need to worry about sodium replacement in the context of a single, short session. 

So for MOST of our training sessions, our fueling and hydration strategies are minimal and really start before our workout. 

TRAINING LASTING 1-2 HOURS 

Fuel

• As the duration of your workouts increases, so does the potential upside of consuming more carb. Carbohydrate ingestion will most likely improve your performance for sessions lasting 60-120 minutes
• The target range for this situation is ~30-60g of carbs per hour.
  •  This equates to about 500ml-1L (16-32oz) of an energy drink, or about 1-2 energy gels or chews per hour
• The longer you’re training and/or the higher your intensity, the more likely it is that erring on the higher end (~60g/h) will be beneficial. 

Hydration

• This is kind of a ‘twilight zone’ for hydration, as how much fluid and electrolytes you need to consume depends on how much you’re sweating. 
• The ‘optimal’ amount and timing of drinks hinges on your individual sweat rate and exercise conditions (e.g. weather temperature, session intensity, etc)
• Everyone can tolerate a degree of dehydration without a significant drop in performance, so drinking water to thirst may still suffice here.
• Listening to your body is a good start, but as levels of dehydration rise, your performance and thirst signals can be impaired. 
  • If you’re a heavy/salty sweater, it’s a good idea to be more strategic about your intake.

Key Takeaway- On sessions lasting from 1-2 hours, carbs are more important than electrolytes. 

Fuel

• Beyond 2 hours, research generally points towards a standard relationship:
•  higher carb intake = better performance.
• Aim for higher intakes of ~60-90g carb per hour, as long as it doesn’t cause gastrointestinal issues 
• This is not easy to achieve with 1 gel per hour or 1 energy block
• Start training your gut NOW! 
  • Most folks can’t comfortably ingest 60+g per hour of carbs without some GI distress at first. This is a necessary and challenging step!  

Hydration

• Training for 2+ hours definitely requires fluid intake to maintain an optimal output
• You could start experimenting with around ~500ml (~16oz) per hour and adjust up or down from there as necessary.
  • Again- this is likely a LOT more than you are currently drinking. Stopping for a 4 oz cup at the aid stations won’t cut it! 
• In hot conditions, sodium replacement is even more important.  You have ‘stores’ of sodium in the body, so complete replacement isn’t necessary, but your intake will be dictated by how salty your sweat is. 
• Some folks are very salty sweaters, and other folks aren’t. If you regularly have salt-stained clothes or crusty skin after your efforts, your electrolyte needs are higher.