What do Ironman athletes drink?

Here are the basic fueling guidelines to go by:

Use a properly formulated sports or electrolyte drink such as Gatorade Endurance Formula (served on bike course) that contains additional sodium.

What should I drink before an Ironman?

Pre-load a few hours before the start of the race with a 500-750ml dose of a very strong electrolyte drink (1500mg of sodium per litre or more). Studies have shown this can boost endurance performance as it expands blood volume and therefore reduces cardiovascular strain.

How do you rehydrate for an Ironman?

For an IRONMAN, Precision Hydration highly recommend 'preloading' your hydration, especially if you will be racing in the heat. This involves drinking a strong electrolyte drink (strength tailored to your needs) the night before your event and 90 minutes before the start of your IRONMAN.

How much should I drink during an Ironman?

This is especially important to remember in Ironman because the risk of hyponatremia from drinking too much is greater than in shorter events. Most athletes will need to take in between 600ml and one litre per hour during a long distance ride.

What do athletes eat during an Ironman?

As a general rule of thumb, endurance athletes should aim to eat 60-90 grams of carbohydrate per hour during IRONMAN events, with athletes typically able to consume more calories and fluids during the bike leg and fewer calories during the run portion of the event.

How To Fuel For An Ironman | Triathlon Nutrition Tips For Going Long Distance

What do race triathletes drink?

Eating and drinking during events

During Olympic distance and sprint distance triathlon racing, athletes should aim to consume between 30-60g of carbohydrate each hour. This can be achieved through a combination of sports drinks, carbohydrate gels and through solid forms of carbohydrate e.g. Sports bars or muesli bars.

How many calories do Ironman athletes burn?

Put all the sports together and you'll burn 7,000 calories or more during the course of the race. An elite athlete racing at the most aggressive paces in all three sports and finishing in eight to nine hours could burn 8,000 to 10,000 calories.

How do triathletes stay hydrated?

At least four hours before a triathlon or other endurance activity, drink 1 ounce of fluid for every 10 pounds of body weight (or 5-7mL/kg) to start the event well-hydrated. Don't experiment with new beverages before or during a competition; stick with the tried and true.

Can you listen to music during an Ironman?

Rule 1: Unplug your iPod. For safety's sake, you can't blast "Born to Run", or any music, during the race.

Can you use a Camelbak in an Ironman?

Wearing a Camelback is permitted in a triathlon according to UCI and Ironman Triathlon rules. It is considered a hydration pack which is not forbidden by the rules. Hydration packs are great as they allow you to drink on the go and are able to carry large amounts of water, generally between 50 and 100 oz (1.5-3L).

How do you carry water in a triathlon?

What is an Ironman special needs bag?

This bag contains all the gear you will need on the bike. This includes your helmet, bike shoes, socks, food, drinks and sunglasses. Full distance triathlon transitions are unique because they may have men's and women's changing tents.

What should I eat after Ironman?

Meals will generally include good quality protein such as chicken, fish or lean beef, some carbs from rice, pasta or potato and plenty of salad and veg – chicken fajitas with peppers, guacamole and dirty rice (cooked with meat and spices) are a favourite.

What should I eat the week of an Ironman?

Complex carbohydrates, like whole-grain breads, pasta, tortillas, and quinoa will help you build up your glycogen stores throughout the week. Finally, heart-healthy fats like avocados, olive oil, and nuts are perfect for salad additions or snacks.

What should I eat on an Ironman bike?

With the early start of an Ironman, you're going to want to focus on eating an easy on the stomach breakfast that is low in fiber and easily digested. That means sticking with simple carbohydrates like a bagel or even rice, and possibly some fruit and just a little bit of easy to digest protein like egg or nut butter.

What is PH 1500?

PH 1500 is a very strong electrolyte drink designed to help you start hydrated (and stay that way once you're sweating, if you're a heavy/salty sweater). Dissolve 1 tablet in 500ml of water. Strength. Our electrolytes come in different strengths to match how YOU sweat.

Why is water important for a triathlon?

Water plays many important roles in our body including maintaining blood volume, transporting nutrients, getting rid of waste products and importantly, regulating our body temperature by sweating to lose heat. It's well known that dehydration negatively affects performance.

Why is hydration important for triathletes?

As athletes exercise, the core body temperature rises. In response, the body sweats to dissipate excess heat so it doesn't overheat. Staying hydrated replaces the water lost through sweating and is essential for thermoregulation, helping to prevent cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Why are triathletes so skinny?

This is not too surprising when you consider that gravity affects running more than it affects swimming and cycling, which is why elite runners are typically smaller than elite swimmers and cyclists. In a nutshell, this study demonstrated that it pays to be lean and light in triathlon.

What does a triathlete body look like?

Ideally, a triathlete is tall and lightweight to have that 'edge' on the triathlon event. But every athlete is unique, some may be taller, while most are just on average height. However, the general rule is to work on a body that balances all the features of being a swimmer, biker, and runner.

How long does it take to recover from an Ironman?

While research on muscle recovery after an iron-distance event indicates that muscles require two to three weeks of recovery following an Ironman or marathon, it may be much longer before the mind and the rest of the body are ready to tackle another endurance event.

How hard is the Ironman swim?

The training is close to all-consuming. If you can run a marathon, you can do an IronMan. Swimming is the biggest challenge for most. You don't have to be anywhere near a "good" swimmer to do 2.4 miles in open water in under than 2:20 (the typical cut off time), but you do have to be able to swim a little.

How much do triathletes eat?

A general rule of thumb is that you should aim to consume 16-30 calories per pound of lean body weight—men and endurance athletes generally require the upper end of that scale. Conversely, some triathletes may eat too much, especially after heavy workouts.