New fuel plan - what am I doing wrong?

[Deleted User]

Hi guys - 

Suffered severe GI issues last night, exactly 6 hours after my "Big Day"  1hr/4hr/1hr session.  Not fun.  I just recently changed my fuel plan - so I am not sure if it is because of the change or because of the new plan itself.  Can someone take a look at my plan and tell me if anything is glaringly wrong?  

I am 5"11 and ~160lbs.  

Old Plan:  Carbopro + Nuun tab for the first two bottles (1 bottle/hr) and a Cliff gel every 30min.  Then water bottles and gels.  Bad plan, I know now!  Never had GI issues, but had bonking/loss of energy on 3hr+ rides.  That has been the extent of my nutrition until I joined EN a couple of months ago..

New Plan:  Did my sweat test two weeks ago.  Lost 2lbs.  Which means I need 48oz/hr.  I have Gatorade Endurance coming soon so that I can practice, but for the training yesterday I used packets of Ucan (130cal/packet).  Here is what I did on the 4hr ride:

@ 0:10':  Powerbar gel (110cal)

@ every 0:15'': 10oz ucan...2bottles/hr (260 cal)

@ 0:40':  half a Powerbar (~100 cal)

Total per hour:  ~470 cal

I have never taken in that much fluid during a ride, but I felt great - focused, very little fatigue, and energy to spare.  The run went great as well.  I was cruising in Z2 the entire way.  No issues when I got home.  Ate some pasta, PBJ, chicken sandwich....then 6 hours later it was game over!

So, do you think it was just the switch from water/gel to sports drink/gel/bar....or is that switch fine and it is something wrong with my new fuel plan?  

Need to get this dialed in soon, but not sure what to start tweaking first.

Thanks        

 

 

 

Stephanie Hartmann

UCAN is not meant to be put in your bottles. It's food. You eat it all at once. That said, it obviously worked because you didn't have to eat eat eat.

Probably all the stuff you ate later was just too much. Or you ate something bad, like the pasta. Hard to say.

[Deleted User]

Posted By Stephanie Hartmann on 23 Feb 2015 11:21 AM

UCAN is not meant to be put in your bottles. It's food. You eat it all at once. That said, it obviously worked because you didn't have to eat eat eat.

Probably all the stuff you ate later was just too much. Or you ate something bad, like the pasta. Hard to say.

Alrighty, thanks Stepanie.  

Wish I had known that before I drank 200oz of it in short order.  No more ucan in bottles, on long rides.  From what I've read, it looks like you are supposed to take it 30min. before and maybe 90min later if you really need it.  Glad I could be a guinea pig in the name of science.  So, if anyone is wondering, you can take UCAN as your fluid calories and get some incredible energy/performance results...as long as you know you made a pact with the devil.  Oh yes you will pay for it!     

Mark Maurer

I used UCAN for one season and did what Stephanie suggests and drank it in larger portions. It replaced my other nutrition on the bike. I drank water or electrolyte drinks for hydration during the training and the races. That said, I always bonked on the run when I did UCAN and I was only doing HIMs that year. So last year I switched to food and an electrolyte drink for the bike and blocks and gels with an electrolyte drink for the run and it worked great for me on a very hot IM. You have to find what works for you but if it didn't hit until 6 hours after the workout it could have been something that you ate the night before or as Stephanie suggests, what you had afterwards. 

Stephanie Hartmann

I have friends that use it exclusively in half and full ironman races. But they are amazingly disciplined people. I am not. My nutrition guy says not to leave yourself 'out there'... take an emergency sugary something with you in case you need it. gel bar something. we'll see. I don't usually NEED anything on long rides, I just want something. Usually something salty. I've mixed ucan and peanut butter and salt into little balls. kinda yummy. We'll see how my first really long brick goes. gels make me pukey so I'm crossing my fingers the UCAN works for me. I used it for an 8 hour bike ride 2 weeks ago and it was great. I ate a half a peanut butter sand wich at 4 hours and another at 6 hours. Not because I needed them, I was fine, but because they looked yummy. )

UCAN doesn't cause GI distress. All the crap we eat AFTER the race...yep, that does!

[Deleted User]

Thanks for the insight Mark and Stephanie. I'll try to eat differently post workout and hopefully that will help. Interested to see how the Gatorade Endurance sits for future workouts. Do you worry at all about Gatorade's sugar content?

Stephanie Hartmann

I don't tolerate the sugar in any of the sport drinks very well...or gels. So I'm kind of stuck with the slow release carb idea of UCAN. I do kind of like power bars and that's what I used to use before long workouts and races (13.1). i leave it in the package and chop it into 6 or 8 pieces..leaving the wrapper on. It doesn't cut through, so it stays relatively contained (not messy). I would eat a third-ish before the race and the rest throughout. Didn't upset my stomach. And then just water. Worked well. As I worry about longer races and running I think I'm going to have that as my back-up. Weird what works and what doesn't. NUUN is my electrolyte of choice and they are easy to carry. Perform is insta-puke, as is HEED. I like vitalyte but I think it's smart to use what will be out there if you can tolerate it.

Shaughn Simmons

1) Determine your sweat rate by performing a sweat test.  How much do you lose per hour under conditions similar to those you will race in?

2) Based on your sweat loss, determine how much fluid, sodium, cal you need per hour.   For an IM, I know I need about 24 ounces of fluid everything 30 minutes and 400 cal/hr as well as 1200-1500 mg of sodium per hour at 85 degrees and 75% humidity based on a sweat rate of 56 ounces/hour

3) Train with what will be available on the course.  Make it easy on your self and learn to use the mix on the course that will be handed up.

4) Practice, practice, practice during your long training rides and dial it in so that it becomes second nature and a matter of execution come race day.

5) Use the nutrition guidance in the wiki....invaluable: http://members.endurancenation.us/R...on+Central

SS

 

rlh2000

I've had huge GI issues with gatorade in the past, so I'm experimenting with some other options this year. I thought I tolerated Perform better than gatorade, though still had some GI issues in IM (not as bad as I've had with gatorade though!). I'm bummed to not have the ease/convenience of on course nutrition, but not worth the portapotty visits later. I'm trying out Skratch labs stuff now.

[Deleted User]

Posted By Rachel Hawe on 23 Feb 2015 03:29 PM


I've had huge GI issues with gatorade in the past, so I'm experimenting with some other options this year. I thought I tolerated Perform better than gatorade, though still had some GI issues in IM (not as bad as I've had with gatorade though!). I'm bummed to not have the ease/convenience of on course nutrition, but not worth the portapotty visits later. I'm trying out Skratch labs stuff now.

Skratch is great.  I also like their "Feed Zone" and "Feed Zone Portables" books.  Their whole philosophy on solid food makes a lot of sense.  But how do you use your own nutrition during an ironman - you don't have time to mix your own bottles of Skratch each time right?  

rlh2000

I think I'll have three bottles on my bike and three in special needs and mix a few as I go, but this is my first time doing my own thing so I don't know yet. I just know my run will not be pretty if I do Gatorade.

David Howard

I find that I have pallet fatigue on rides >4 hrs. below that long I can get all my cal's from fluids. I actually start experimenting with bonk breakers and power bars and even some rice ball type solids from Feed Zone books (plan on trying more this year). I will race with the course Gatorade and use one holder for H20 and my aero bottle with whatever "magic powder" that I add mix periodically from lill packets (EFS or other) has been my favorite by race day. I've only had a couple post long ride GI issues and once during the IM run. Seems to be from over concentrated drink and too high heart rate. The wiki is helpful and if going more dilute then be sure to compensate with solids and electrolyte tabs. Make only 1 tweek at a time...note variables such as when/what last meal, temp, humidity, sun exposure, pre ride hydration etc.