You have months of intense training under your belt. The Ironman event that you’ve been preparing for is now on the horizon. Soon it will be time to taper your training in preparation for race day. In this article we’ll explain the importance that good nutrition plays as you taper.
Taper your workouts and calories
On nearly a daily basis over this period, you’ve been overloading the muscles that power you in the water, on the bike, and on your feet. You’ve then been providing the nutritional building blocks, hydration, and rest needed to promote recovery and adaptation to the physical stress of your workouts. Having repeated this cycle too many times to count, you are demonstrably stronger and faster than when you first conjured up this crazy idea of competing in an Ironman. And with the actual event looming, it is now time to allow your body to fully recover from the weeks on end of strenuous training. Your goal is to be rested, healed, and prepared to perform at your best when race day arrives.
For many Ironman triathletes, the full rebuilding and healing process known as tapering typically takes about 2–3 weeks. Lighter training may require a taper over a shorter period. Tapering involves a gradual step down in training volume and intensity, and that means you’re burning fewer calories. As you taper, back off on calorie intake accordingly, to avoid unwanted weight gain. But as you are adjusting your calorie intake, make sure to trim calories from fat rather than from carbs and protein. You’re going to need carbs for fueling, and protein to help with the repair of muscle tissue.
Plan to carbohydrate load
A few days to a week before the event, you’ll want to carbohydrate load, ideally with a regimen that you’ve put to the test prior to a few of your longer training sessions. Carbohydrate loading will maximize the carbohydrate fuel reserves (glycogen) in your muscles. This is important because during an Ironman you can burn upwards of 10,000 calories. But with limited opportunities to consume calories during the race, you will be relying heavily on the fuel reserves that you already have on board. Your primary muscle fuel options are fat and carbohydrates. You have plenty of fat, but it’s only the fuel of choice when you’re exercising at a low intensity. When you’re going hard in the water, on the bike, or when running, your muscles rely increasingly on your glycogen reserves. However, these muscle glycogen stores are limited and can be substantially depleted within only about 90 minutes of vigorous exercise. When carb reserves run low, your muscles fatigue and you’re forced to slow to a pace that fat reserves can fuel. That’s not the way to reach your target finishing time.
Fortunately, you can substantially boost your muscle glycogen stores by carbohydrate loading a few days before the competition. Done properly, carbohydrate loading can improve your Ironman time by 2–3%. That may not sound like much — but if you do the math, that’s 12–18 minutes off a 10-hour finishing time!
Effective carbo-loading is relatively simple on paper. During the last stage of your taper, consuming an increased carbohydrate diet, about 4.5–5.5 grams per lb (10–12 grams per kg) body weight during each day of loading will result in supersaturated muscle glycogen stores within about 24–48 hours. Don’t worry if you have travel days between when you carbohydrate load and the day of the race. Muscle glycogen levels remain high for up to 5 days after carb loading as long as you rest or you engage in only light workouts.
Where many athletes stumble is by not consuming enough carbs during the glycogen-loading phase. For example, a 150-lb (68-kg) triathlete should aim to consume roughly 675–825 grams of carbs on each of their loading days. This equates to 2,700–3,300 calories daily from carbs alone! This level of intake requires a concerted effort to take in lots of carbs at every meal and snack. The ritual pasta feed the night before the competition does not in and of itself equate to effective carbo-loading. The following is an example of a 1-day menu for a 150-lb (68-kg) athlete striving to consume 675 grams of carbohydrates.
Example Carbohydrate Loading Menu
| Breakfast |
| 2 cups dry breakfast cereal (48 grams carbs) |
| 1 cup nonfat milk (12 grams carbs) |
| 1 banana (27 grams carbs) |
| 2 halves toasted English muffin with 2 tablespoons strawberry jam |
| 8 oz orange juice (26 grams carbs) |
| Total: 164 grams carbs |
|
| Snack |
| 1 PowerBar® Performance Energy bar (45 grams carbs) |
| 1 cup fresh fruit salad (32 grams carbs) |
| 8 oz PowerBar® Endurance sports drink (17 grams carbs) |
| 94 grams carbs |
|
| Lunch |
| 1 turkey sandwich with 2 slices sourdough bread (30 grams carbs) |
| 1 cup fresh or canned fruit (32 grams carbs) |
| 16 oz PowerBar Endurance sports drink (34 grams carbs) |
| 96 grams carbs |
|
| Snack |
| 16 oz fruit smoothie (62 grams carbs) |
| 5 saltine crackers (11 grams carbs) |
| 73 grams carbs |
|
| Dinner |
| 2 cups noodles with stir-fried chicken (80 grams carbs) |
| 1 cup broccoli (10 grams carbs) |
| 1 cup fresh fruit (32 grams carbs) |
| 20 oz soft drink (68 grams carbs) |
| 190 grams carbs |
|
| Snack |
| 1 PowerBar Performance Energy bar (45 grams carbs) |
| 8 oz PowerBar Endurance sports drink (17 grams carbs) |
| 62 grams carbs |
|
Grand Total: 679 grams carbs
Preparing for the day of the race
As you look ahead to the day of your race, work through the logistics of what it’s going to take to get you, your bike, and all your gear to the event. Take into account any travel that you’ll be doing and develop a plan that provides you with ready access to foods and beverages. The goal is to implement a tested plan for how to get you, your equipment, and your hydration and fuel sources to their intended locations.
Remember that the day of the event is your opportunity to put into action everything that you have been practicing during these many months of training. That includes the before-race hydration and fueling strategies, as well as how to hydrate and fuel on the course. Avoid the temptation to make any last-minute switches to your pre- or during-race protocols. Instead, use those foods, beverages, and sports nutrition products that you are familiar and comfortable with.
Nerves might be an especially disruptive factor just before the event itself. Don’t let this throw you. You can still start the race fully hydrated and fueled. Smaller, more frequent meals may be easier to tolerate under these circumstances, and liquid carb sources often go down easier than solid forms.
The day before the event, “graze” on carbohydrate snacks, and consume sodium sources as well. Continue to select from foods and beverages that you are familiar with.
Get a read on the race-day temperature/humidity conditions and formulate a hydration plan based on your sweat rate in those conditions. Make mental adjustments if conditions change.
Race-day nutrition
The goals for the morning of the race are to consume some carbs to top off your muscle and liver glycogen stores, to consume fluids to ensure that you’re hydrated, and to do both in a way that leaves you feeling comfortable. Most athletes are comfortable eating their pre-race meal about 2–4 hours prior to a race, but experiment during training with the timing and quantity of carb intake in order to find the approach that works best for you. Fasting overnight can substantially deplete the amount of glycogen that you have stored in your liver. Liver glycogen is important for maintaining your blood sugar level, which is a critical factor in avoiding fatigue. So don’t pass on the opportunity to consume carbohydrate fuel before the race.
The pre-race meal should contain familiar carbohydrate foods and fluids without slow-to-digest fat and fiber. Toast with jam or honey, fruit, fruit juices, liquid meal supplements, a sports drink, and an energy bar are popular pre-race meal choices. If you have pre-race jitters, a liquid meal supplement can provide an easily digested alternative to solid foods.
To ensure that you are fully hydrated going into a competition, consume 14–20 oz (400–600 ml) of water or sports drink about 3 hours before your race. This will lead to urine production if you are well hydrated. If it doesn’t, or if the urine that you produce is dark in color, drink another 8–12 oz (250–350 ml) about 2 hours before the race. It’s fine to sip water or a sports drink right up until the race in order to top off fluid levels, especially if conditions are hot or humid.
With dedicated training and a solid nutrition and hydration plan during your taper, you’re ready to do your best on race day. Good luck!
References:
Burke L. Middle- and Long-Distance Running. In: Practical Sports Nutrition. Human Kinetics Australia, 2007; 109–139.
Burke L. Preparation for Competition. In: Burke L, Deakin V. Clinical Sports Nutrition.
3rd ed. McGraw-Hill, 2006; 355–384.
Coleman EJ. Carbohydrate and Exercise. In: Dunford M., ed.: Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutritionists’ Dietetic Practice Group. Sports Nutrition — A Practice Manual for Professionals. 4th ed., American Dietetic Association, 2006; 14–32.
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