A person at rest spends about 70–80 kcal per hour. With physical exertion, energy consumption increases to 800–1000 kcal per hour, primarily due to the intense work of the muscles, brain and nervous system.
Muscles consume mainly the previously stored carbohydrates in the form of glycogen, as well as small amounts of amino acids and fatty acids. Their reserves are quite large, and can provide muscles with energy for a long time.
The brain is quite another matter. Despite the significant need for glucose during exercise (50–70 g or 200–350 kcal per hour), the supply of carbohydrates in the liver does not exceed 100 g. Therefore, for the normal functioning of the brain, it is necessary, first of all, to replenish supplies with a complex of carbohydrates, as well as a small amount of amino acids.
And if everything is more or less simple with amino acids: the necessary 5–7 g can be taken at a time, then with carbohydrates it is already more difficult. The total amount of glucose (and carbohydrates are primarily a source of glucose) in the entire volume of a person’s blood is normally only 8–12 g. But the nervous system and organs need about 2–3 g of glucose per minute of work.
With an intense load, even all the glycogen stores in the liver will be enough for only 20-30 minutes, and after their depletion, there will be a decrease in concentration of attention and endurance and general fatigue of the body.
Eating Carbs While Exercising – A Necessity
Consumption in such a situation of simple carbohydrates in the form of glucose and sucrose will lead, among other things, to a rapid and sharp increase in insulin concentration, which is unacceptable during physical activity.
Therefore, specialized products for taking during intense physical activity contain, in addition to simple carbohydrates, also complex ones. They provide a slow and even absorption of 3-4 g of carbohydrates within 10-15 minutes after taking a serving.
Forms Of Sports Nutrition
Most often at races, the organizers offer runners to replenish their carbohydrate supply with bread, fruits or dried fruits, which is certainly better than nothing, but not convenient and not entirely correct.
First, all of these products must be thoroughly chewed and washed down with water to swallow. Secondly, the absorption of nutrients is slow.
Even the process of digestion itself takes away energy from the runner, which must go entirely “into action”, in other words, running. And finally, it is impossible to calculate how many units of the product you need to eat in order to make up for the missing elements.
The most convenient form of nutrition during physical activity is gel. Modern gels with a high content of complex carbohydrates are convenient, tasty, they are absorbed very quickly and do not burden the digestive tract.
The quality of sports gels is determined primarily by the ratio of simple and complex carbohydrates: complex should be at least 30% of the total. The concentration of carbohydrates in the gel and its consistency are also important – it should be exactly a gel, and not fruit jelly or sweet syrup. In addition, the gel should not freeze at negative temperatures.
If taken correctly (about 20 g of gel every 20-30 minutes), the amount of carbohydrates (2-3 g per minute) is supplied to the bloodstream, which allows you to train intensively for several hours. Like always however, do this in moderation. If you feel strained, make sure to rest. There is no point pushing beyond your limits only to not be able to exercise for weeks because of an injury.
If you plan to run a long race, you need to take about 20 g of the gel before starting the load, the next serving after 40 minutes and then 20-25 g every 30 minutes or so.
You should also be aware of the expenditure of energy and substances depends on the speed at which the athlete runs and on their muscle mass. For example, a 60kg pro runner needs 50% more gels than a 100kg beginner. Also, as a rule, the consumption of men is slightly (up to 30%) higher than that of women.
High-quality gels also contain succinic acid – a powerful activator of metabolism in the body – and trace elements: sodium and potassium, the reserves of which are also depleted during physical activity.
- Gels taken during training and competition
- Maintain high performance during exercise
- Replenish the loss of body fluids and micro-elements
- Provide the nervous system with the necessary amount of glucose with a minimum use of glycogen stores in the liver
- Reduce the release of cortisol into the blood
- Supports the immune system
Your body needs additional nutrition during any intense physical activity, not only during races, but also during extended workouts. Choose a form that is convenient for you and eat in the required amount, depending on the duration and intensity of these loads.
Eating Gels While Running
The basic recommendation is to drink due to thirst and focus on the consumption of at least 30 grams. Carbohydrates per hour. To be more precise, over shorter distances (for example, 10 km), carbohydrate consumption does not affect performance.
But on races lasting 60-90 minutes carbohydrates should be taken in an amount of 30 grams. If the race lasts more than 90 minutes, it is better to consume 60-90 grams in hour. Most people cannot digest more than 60 grams on the run without stomach problems.
And even if in training it was possible to calmly consume more than 60 grams per hour, it is worth considering whether to go beyond this limit on the race – the situation is more untenable and this can affect your body’s response. Beyond this value, the risk outweighs the potential benefit.
Yes, there are very different examples among elite athletes: someone uses 90 grams per hour in a marathon (but these are rather exceptions), some are nothing – and amateurs are also all different, so you have to experiment and look for your own approach.
Matt Fitzgerald analyzed all the typical nutritional strategies in marathons and half marathons and combined them into 5 groups.
They are sorted by usefulness for sessions longer than 2 hours: the first is preferable, but it may not suit everyone (everyone has different stomach sensitivity, preferences, etc.) – then you can use the second, if it does not work – the third, and so on.
- Sports drink + gels + water
- Gels + water
- Only a sports drink
- Only water (+ optional mouthwash with a sports drink)
- Nothing
Most elite athletes, according to Fitzgerald’s observations, adhere to the first strategy, and if they do not absorb gels well, the third.
Sports Drink & Gels & Water
Get 60 gr. per hour from one sports drink is difficult, because you will have to drink too much liquid. Therefore, it is wise to supplement them with gels. You should always know what kind of drink you will drink to estimate how many carbohydrates can be in a glass and how many food will you have.
And then calculate how much you need to add gels.
Gels are best washed down with water: gel and sports drink can cause stomach upset, too concentrated carbohydrate shock is obtained.
In practice, most likely, you will have to drink at every necessity: somewhere you can limit yourself to a sip, if you no longer pull, somewhere with a whole glass.
Gels & Drinking Water While Racing
Elite and professional athletes also have more options that amateur runners. There are plenty of specialized options out there that we can also avail of however these products tend to be rather expensive.
And we – amateurs – are forced to drink what we are given. It’s great if it’s your favorite drink while also giving you the boost you need. While not always a bad thing, you can be given a gel that is unfamiliar to you while racing. If you rely on gels to give you a boots, I would recommend to just bring your own gels, removing the inherent risk of being given a gel that you are not keen on. Make sure to drink water to re-hydrate too!