So exactly what makes up a long exercise?
For everyone other than the complete sofa potato, a long exercise would be any exercise that …
A) has extremely great potential to practically totally diminish your body’s carb reserves, which in many cases has to do with 2+ hours;
B) an exercise that might not be quite as long as 2 hours, but is incredibly physically requiring for a minimum of longer than an hour, such as a tough day at the fitness center doing the Hardest Workout Ever Invented;
C) any physical effort that just entrusts the feeling of having done something entirely epic (and yes, “entirely epic” is an acceptable, peer-reviewed term in clinical literature … I think).
So if you got tired just reading C, b or, then it may be an excellent concept to avoid this post, due to the fact that if you make use of the nutrition tricks I’m about to give you, you’ll probably just handle unnecessary calories (although “sipping” little quantities of sugar throughout brief, intense workouts might potentially provide you some benefit for improved workout efficiency).
OK, here we go:
Long Workout Fueling Trick # 10: If you’re making use of gels, make certain you select the type of gels that have amino acids in them.
Very same for sports drink. Anytime you go long, and specifically over 3 hours, greater blood levels of amino acids will keep you from cannibalizing muscle, as well as lower your score of perceived exertion. GU Roctane is an example of a gel that has amino acids, Carbo Pro now has a sports drink with amino acids in it, and other drinks with protein include Infinit, Perpetuum and First Endurance.
Long Workout Fueling Trick # 9: Three to four times each month, attempt to include long or semi-long workouts that are minimally fueled.
In the short article 4 Crucial Reasons To Think Twice About Eating Carbohydrates Before A Workout, I speak about how this can train the body to use more fats as a fuel as well as to spare carb usage, both of which can be helpful during a long exercise. If you’re training for a long race, such as Ironman, simply don’t do all your long workouts in this state, given that you do wish to train your digestive tract to be able to soak up the number of calories you consider consuming throughout the race.
Long Workout Fueling Trick # 8: When it counts, such as in race or competition, eat early and eat typically.
Throughout the bike leg of an Ironman triathlon, I take in 350-450 calories per hour. Ironman legend Mark Allen was able to train his digestive tract to absorb approximately 600 calories per hour. While avoiding extensive carbohydrate intake throughout some training sessions can have benefits, it’s the last thing you want to do on a day that is going to last close to double-digit hours.
Long Workout Fueling Trick # 7: Take amino acids about 30-60 minutes before you go out.
Another amino acids trick, which I discuss in detail in another short article, is to take in some kind of amino acid pill or powder prior to you even head into the workout routine.Sure a piece of chicken has amino acids in it, however will take far longer to absorb than an amino acid supplement (like MAP, for instance), which you can pop right before you head out for your long exercise.
Long Workout Fueling Trick # 6: Try fats.
Medium chain triglycerides (MCT’s), such as exactly what you would get from coconut oil, entire coconut milk, or coconut flakes, can really provide more easily offered and rapid sources of energy than other kinds of fat. If you overdo consumption of MCT’s, you can get stomach distress, but before a long workout or long day of workout, chewing down a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil, guzzling a tall glass of entire coconut milk, or grabbing a handful of unsweetened coconut flakes can keep you going. Cocochia flakes (coconut + chia seeds) are also a tasty choice, and exactly what I utilize on long workout days.
Long Workout Fueling Trick # 5: Electrolytes can save your butt.
I have NEVER had a good Half-Ironman or Ironman triathlon performance without the regular consumption of electrolytes, like 2 every half hour for 9 successive hours, and my worst performances have come when I’ve dropped or forgotten my electrolytes. I personally consume the equivalent of 700-1200mg of sodium per hour (depending on temperature), blended with other electrolytes such as potassium, magnesium and calcium. You can carry electrolytes in coin handbags, empty film canisters, small ziplocks – whatever works for you.
Long Workout Fueling Trick # 4: Go high carb on longer exercise days.
A chronically high carb diet can leave to nerve and capillary damage, risk of persistent disease, weight gain, insulin insensitivity, metabolic syndrome and a host of other concerns – but if you, for instance, have one day of the week, or as soon as every couple weeks, where you A) go long and go tough and B) aren’t planning on making use of the “limit carbs to teach your body to burn fats” strategy, you should pick that day to pig out on carbs. The big exercise day will be the day during which this high carb intake is least likely to trigger significant body damage. This strategy can work well from a social perspective too. You can plan your huge 4 hour bike trip or legendary 2 hour weight training routine on the day you’re intending on striking a yard barbecue or going out for a dinner and a night on the town. This method can likewise keep you from being chronically carbohydrate depleted.
Long Workout Fueling Trick # 3: Eat clean before a long workout.
There’s nothing that ruins an impressive exercise like farts, bloating, gas, cramps, irregularity, diarrhea or indigestion. I recommend a big meal of clean burning carbohydrates 2-3 hours prior to your exercise. Frankly, I typically have my finest long workouts by simply rolling out of bed, not consuming anything, then starting to sustain about 30-40 minutes into the workout.
Long Workout Fueling Trick # 2: Don’t forget water.
Water is not a sexy topic, but for a lot of workouts where you’ll be sweating for long durations of time, you’ll be needing at least 24 ounces of water per hour, and sometimes, in excess of 30 ounces of water. In many cases, if you get thirsty throughout the exercise, you need to drink. Even if you can quickly complete a 2 hour exercise with no water, your exercise will be higher quality and your well-hydrated cells will recover faster as compared to rationing water, even if you seem like a hardcore Chuck Norris wannabe since you’re powering through your exercise with a cottonmouth.
Long Workout Fueling Trick # 1: Energy beverages and powders work.
I’m generally not a big fan of battering your adrenal glands through overstimulation of the main anxious system with high doses of caffeine. This method can have a magical effect if you’re an hour into a hardcore weight training session or halfway through a marathon. I make use of delta-E, because I’m not a big fan of the stroke enhancing danger of Red Bull, however you can even suffice with generic caffeine tablets.
If you overdo usage of MCT’s, you can get stomach distress, but prior to a long workout or long day of exercise, munching down a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil, guzzling a high glass of entire coconut milk, or getting hold of a handful of unsweetened coconut flakes can keep you going. Cocochia flakes (coconut + chia seeds) are likewise a tasty option, and what I make use of on long workout days.
Frankly, I typically have my best long workouts by just rolling out of bed, not eating anything, then starting to fuel about 30-40 minutes into the workout.
Water is not an attractive topic, however for most workouts in which you’ll be sweating for long durations of time, you’ll be requiring at least 24 ounces of water per hour, and in some cases, in excess of 30 ounces of water. Even if you can quickly complete a 2 hour exercise with no water, your workout will be higher quality and your well-hydrated cells will recover more quickly compared to rationing water, even if you feel like a hardcore Chuck Norris wannabe because you’re powering through your exercise with a cottonmouth.
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