SLOWTWITCH QUESTION ONE: If you were to compete in a half-Ironman, what would be your nutritional regimen during the race?
NOTE: The answers to their first question come from Peter Reid, a PowerBar-sponsored athlete and two-time Hawaii Ironman champion.
My bike bottles are filled with a carbohydrate drink. The solution is not too strong. I found that if the mixture is too strong it is hard to digest. Too sweet and I won't drink enough of the mixture. It is better to be too weak than too strong. This way you will drink all of your solution.
The first few miles of the bike I typically eat a whole PowerBar for an Ironman event and half a PowerBar for a half-Ironman event. Halfway though the bike section I will down a PowerGel along with some water from an aid station. I will try to get water from all the aid stations until I run out of my own carbo solution, and then I will grab some energy drinks from the aid stations. A few miles before the end of the bike section I will down another PowerGel with some water. During the run I will have a PowerGel one-third and two-thirds of the way through along with some water. I have also found that it is good to have different flavors of PowerGel on race day. For some strange reason my tastebuds get unpredictable during a race. A flavor that I will totally enjoy while training sometimes becomes repulsive on race day and vice versa. I don't understand it, but I prepare for it by having different flavors with me while racing.
SLOWTWITCH QUESTION TWO: Why are gels typically sold in 100 calorie packets?
The PowerBar® PowerGel® was developed as a 100-calorie packet based on what size packet would fit easily in the athlete's hand or pocket. Of course, a 200-300 calorie packet would be a benefit for training purposes, but the packet would be large and so might not be convenient for the athlete. Our recommendation is to use one packet of PowerBar® PowerGel® every 30-45 minutes during exercise to supply needed calories during training.
SLOWTWITCH QUESTION THREE: Are there new or different delivery systems on the horizon?
This is an interesting concept and may be technically feasible. However, most gel-like substances need some heat processing to ensure a smooth consistency, which we know is important to the athlete.
SLOWTWITCH QUESTION FOUR: What is the life of a gel in its plastic container?
Our example would be to treat the gel in a plastic flask as you would ketchup. Both ketchup and PowerBar® PowerGel® are shelf-stable products, meaning they can be kept at room temperature due to the pH of the products. However, it is recommended that after the products are open they be refrigerated to prevent the growth of yeast and mold.
