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Olympic nutrition

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  • 20-06-2012 3:56pm
    #1
    RacoonQueen
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 20,366 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    Soooo...obviously this can be a pretty personal thing, what works for one doesn't work for others kinda thing, but, in general, what sort of nutrition should I be looking at during an olympic?

    Gel before the swim and a couple of gels on the bike? Early on then shortly before getting off? with sports drink would that generally be enough? Wouldn't be enthusiastic about taking a gel before the swim...

    More concerned about preventing/minimising cramp than energy to be honest - from experience and with no pressure/time goal I know running a slow 10k off a slow bike is doable with just sports drink.

    Saw people taking gels in Athy - fast people and slow people. Is taking gels common in a sprint? :eek:


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    #2
    tunney
    Registered Users Posts: 12,583 ✭✭✭✭tunney


    RacoonQueen wrote: »
    Soooo...obviously this can be a pretty personal thing, what works for one doesn't work for others kinda thing, but, in general, what sort of nutrition should I be looking at during an olympic?

    Gel before the swim and a couple of gels on the bike? Early on then shortly before getting off? with sports drink would that generally be enough? Wouldn't be enthusiastic about taking a gel before the swim...

    More concerned about preventing/minimising cramp than energy to be honest - from experience and with no pressure/time goal I know running a slow 10k off a slow bike is doable with just sports drink.

    Saw people taking gels in Athy - fast people and slow people. Is taking gels common in a sprint? :eek:

    Sip a carb drink on the bike or take A gel.

    you've plenty of stores for an olympic.


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    #3
    RacoonQueen
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 20,366 Mod ✭✭✭✭RacoonQueen


    tunney wrote: »
    Sip a carb drink on the bike or take A gel.

    you've plenty of stores for an olympic.

    Cool. That's what I'd have thought, but google it and you'll see them talking about multiple gels and more carb drink than the stomach can handle etc etc etc


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    #4
    tunney
    Registered Users Posts: 12,583 ✭✭✭✭tunney


    RacoonQueen wrote: »
    Cool. That's what I'd have thought, but google it and you'll see them talking about multiple gels and more carb drink than the stomach can handle etc etc etc

    I've also seen people with 2 litre camelbaks for sprint tris........


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    #5
    tunney
    Registered Users Posts: 12,583 ✭✭✭✭tunney


    tunney wrote: »
    I've also seen people with 2 litre camelbaks for sprint tris........

    Sorry is this elitist???


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    #6
    mloc123
    Registered Users Posts: 9,454 ✭✭✭mloc123


    tunney wrote: »
    I've also seen people with 2 litre camelbaks for sprint tris........

    aaah, my first 5mile race I wore a camalbak.. and a hoody. Those were the days.


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    #7
    elvis jones
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,197 ✭✭✭elvis jones


    I've seen people so super sprints with 5 gels taped to the bike and 3 on the belt for the run............glad i wasn't need time toilet wise later on that evening.

    Its been said the average person has 2 to 3 hrs of energy stored so as Tunney said an energy drink should be enough to keep you topped up and hydrated.


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    #8
    RacoonQueen
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 20,366 Mod ✭✭✭✭RacoonQueen


    mloc123 wrote: »
    aaah, my first 5mile race I wore a camalbak.. and a hoody. Those were the days.

    I wore tracksuit bottoms and carried my phone in my hand/pocket. :D


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    #9
    El Director
    Registered Users Posts: 4,137 ✭✭✭El Director


    A couple of years ago I raised more than a few eye brows by revealing my Hell Of The West nutricition: 3 gels before swim, 4 on the bike and two on the run :eek: funny thing is I had, still to this day, one of my best performances! No cramps either.

    Well it's that time again and this Sat it will be one gel before the swim, 750ml of water+nun tab and a gel on the bike, one gel at beginning of run and another with me just in case, water at stations. Of course a lot depends on how hot it will be, the year of excess gel consumption it was really hot.

    Tunney-what do you reckon of the above? Am I still over doing it?


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    #10
    MrCreosote
    Registered Users Posts: 2,320 ✭✭✭MrCreosote


    For me it's something small to eat about an hour beforehand, then two gels on the bike at about 15k and 30k. Water to drink.

    I'm not sure gels will do much to help prevent cramps?


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    #11
    nerraw1111
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,818 ✭✭✭nerraw1111


    My one and Oly. I had one bottle of water with a nuun tab. Took 3 gels on bike. Took another on the run.

    To do it again, I'd skip the gel on the run. Stomach was fairly crampy after the last one, although it was a caffeine one.

    That said, the high 5 isotonic gels are great to take on a run. Quenches the thirst.


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    #12
    ray o
    Registered Users Posts: 706 ✭✭✭ray o


    Last year I was told by a couple of people to have 1/2 gels on the bike and another on the run. I never had a comfortable run after taking a gel but I always had doubts before a race and went and took one thinking I would get used to them. Made the same mistake in Nenagh this year, had a gel on the bike and took another on the run and got cramps again. Lesson learned....finally. In my next race I went with High5 4:1 drink on the bike and no gel on the run. I finally had a run with no stomach cramps and it felt great. Everyone is different, Eld must have some serious digestive system to handle all those gels but in experience less is best.


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