SLOWTWITCH QUESTION ONE: If you were to compete in a half-Ironman, what would be your nutritional regimen during the race?
For competing in a five-hour event I would suggest the following E-CAPS / Hammer Nutrition products:
- Hammer Gel at 2-3 servings an hour and/or Sustained Energy at 2-3 scoops an hour used alternately or as preferred by individual tastes. This will provide sufficient calories (200-350/hour) without overfeeding.
- Endurolytes for electrolyte replacement at a dose of 2-5 capsules an hour depending on the athlete's body size, length of event, intensity during event, and climactic conditions.
- Water at approximately 16-24 ounces per hour (also taking into consideration the fluid from Sustained Energy mixture).
Here are the reasons for these suggestions:
As we all know, carbs are king when it comes to fueling the body in all forms of endurance exercise. However, carbohydrates can enhance performance or hinder it, depending on what type is used and how much is used. Misinformed athletes continue to misuse simple sugars, or use too many complex carbohydrates prior to exercise, during exercise, and after exercise.
Complex carbohydrates are superior to simple sugars in that they allow a greater volume of calories to get into the bloodstream from the GI tract than does anything containing simple sugars. The biggest problem is that once only a minimum (it doesn't take much) of the short-chain sugars are present in the blood channels, a "sugar/insulin spike" occurs followed by traumatic blood sugar below-fasting depression, or a "bonk." Because complex carbohydrates may enter at a relatively high 15-20 percent solution, the typical crashing "bonk" is not typically as low as the simple sugar "crash."
The other question people always seem to ask relates to the glycemic index (GI) of various carbohydrates. Prior to exercise this is critical unless the pre-workout meal is completed three hours prior to exercise, thus allowing insulin levels to return to baseline. After exercise begins, the glycemic index impact on insulin release is moderated DURING exercise and is inhibited because sympathetic nervous system hormones are generated in a low depleting blood sugar environment. In other words, the body has a highly effective way of regulating insulin during exercise. Processed simple sugars are usually in the 95-110 GI range, while processed complex carbohydrates are generally in the 110-130 GI-range, depending on the type of maltodextrin used. During exercise glycemic index is not a factor unless an athlete consumes more than the liver can return to the energy cycle (about 280 carbohydrate calories per hour maximum).
While allowing for a greater allowance for the larger athlete, a maximum of 280 carbohydrate calories an hour is the most the liver can return to the energy cycle. Yes, you may be using up 400-500 calories or more an hour, but your body cannot replace those in equal amounts on an hourly basis. The body can only process a given amount of calories an hour and to force additional food down in the hope of "topping off" or "getting ahead of" calorie needs will usually backfire. Instead of having more calories available for fuel, they will sit in your stomach causing, at the very least, bloating, at the most, nausea and vomiting. Few things will slow you down faster or cause you to have to stop than taking in more calories than your body can handle. Even the leanest of athletes have several thousand calories available in the form of stored fatty acids, most carrying nearly 100,000 calories of energy from their stores of fatty acids. Body fat stores are the fuels of choice, providing 60-65 percent of your energy needs, when exercise goes beyond two hours in length.
Once exercise goes beyond 90 minutes, it will be necessary to incorporate protein into the fuel mix. After about 90 minutes of exercise, our bodies begin utilizing protein as a partial fuel source for energy demands. After the first 70-90 minutes of exercise, and until you stop exercising, 12.5-15 percent of the calories you burn will come from protein. Technically, this process is called gluconeogenesis. This process is unavoidable, and if you don't provide protein in your fuel, your body will literally scavenge it from your muscles. It’s called catabolism, also known as "protein cannibalization," and it'll cause premature muscular fatigue while you exercise (due to excess ammonia production), as well as more post-workout soreness, in addition to compromising your immune system in the long run.
The final ingredient for proper fueling during exercise or a race has to resolve the electrolyte issue. Electrolyte replacement during exercise is a necessary procedure that is also highly individualistic. This is because everyone's body is different, racing duration and intensities are different, and weather conditions are different. With that in mind, it's no wonder there are so many schools of thought when it comes to electrolyte replacement. Even if the athlete has never cramped, it is still extremely important to provide the minerals necessary for proper cellular metabolism, cardiac function, and muscle contractions. All too often the endurance athlete finds out too late that these electrolytes have been depleted through bodily fluids and perspiration, the signs of which are muscle weakness, nausea and cramping. We believe that while sports drinks may contain one or more electrolytes, it is important to replace the specific ones primarily used during exercise in a form (capsules) that allows alteration of dosages based on body weight, BMI, length and intensity of training, and weather. In addition, electrolyte loss can vary by several hundred percent, depending on the extent of heat stress and the degree of acclimatization, while caloric and fluid needs do not vary by more than 10-20 percent.
In addition, there's always been a lot of talk about supplementing salt to one's intake during exercise or races, especially during long, hot efforts. The truth is that the human body needs very minute amounts of sodium to function normally. We need only 250 mg of sodium each day (athletes maybe 500 mg), which is easily supplied by natural, unprocessed foods. The average American consumes approximately 6,000 to 7,000 mg per day. The average athlete stores at least 8,000 mg of dietary sodium in tissues.
Most athletes perform successfully using from 80-300 mg sodium per hour in prolonged endurance events. Mechanisms regulating sodium excretion in kidneys are very complex and lengthy. Sweat losses generate large losses in sodium and chloride, which are re-circulated by a positive feedback loop monitored closely by hormonal receptors throughout the body. In other words, the body has very effective mechanisms to regulate and re-circulate sodium and potassium. Rapid replacement of sodium neutralizes the body's hormonal defenses, allowing water replenishment to dilute sodium content. A high sodium electrolyte supplement is temporal and contradictory to natural physiological serum electrolyte control. One reason salt tablets were eliminated from professional athletic training kits is that shortly after a sodium-depleted athlete would slug a few salt tablets, stomach cramps would bend him or her over double. If the athlete overdoes it in regard to sodium intake, he/she will be interfering with normal/natural body mechanics, the hormonal and enzymatic functions. In other words, if athletes start going heavy on sodium consumption, replacing losses too rapidly, they’d better stay heavy on it because they are overriding normal body functions.
SLOWTWITCH QUESTION TWO: Why are gels typically sold in 100 calorie packets?
With Hammer Gel, the athlete can carry a flask of gel containing 5-6 servings, allowing for a consumption of 200 calories without having to deal with individual 100-calorie serving packets. Hammer Gel already solved this problem a long time ago.
SLOWTWITCH QUESTION THREE: Are there new or different delivery systems on the horizon?
I believe that another company already tried this. I think having Hammer Gel available "in bulk" with an easy delivery system (via the flask) already solves a lot of problems. Mixing a powder into a solution is one extra step that I would suggest many athletes don't want to bother with. Additionally, try mixing a concentrated powdered gel, one containing primarily short-chain carbohydrates, in water. Chances are it will not dissolve completely in solution.
SLOWTWITCH QUESTION FOUR: What is the life of a gel in its plastic container?
The shelf life of Hammer Gel is eight months, up to a year if refrigerated. Once opened, we suggest it be kept in the refrigerator. Unopened it can be kept either in the refrigerator or in a place out of direct heat and sunlight.
