Fuelling and Gut Training Protocol For First Time Ultramarathons
This simplified protocol is designed for athletes aiming to complete their first ultramarathon. It emphasizes straightforward, foundational practices to build confidence in fuelling, hydration, and recovery without overwhelming detail. The goal is to help athletes finish comfortably, avoid bonking or GI distress, and learn basic strategies that can be expanded upon in future races.
Overview
Duration: 8-10 weeks (adjustable based on race timeline).
Primary Goals:
Establish basic fuelling and hydration habits.
Minimize GI distress through gradual gut training.
Develop an understanding of race-day nutrition needs.
Phase 1: Baseline Assessment and Initial Adaptation (2-4 Weeks)
Objective:
Assess hydration and fuelling needs while introducing small CHO and fluid challenges during training.
Steps
Simple Assessments:
Hydration Needs:
Conduct a sweat rate test (weigh yourself pre- and post-session) during a 60-minute run.
Use this data to guide fluid intake (typically ~500-750 mL/hour).
Fuelling Habits:
Note current training nutrition (e.g., "Do I use gels? Do I eat before a run?").
Gut Training:
Start with small amounts of CHO during training (~20-30 g/h).
Use easily digestible sources like diluted sports drinks or single gels.
Daily Nutrition:
Focus on balanced meals:
Carbohydrate: ~50-60% of total calories.
Protein: 1.4-2 g/kg/day to support recovery.
Fat: ~25-30% of total calories.
Hydration:
Drink water consistently throughout the day (target ~2.5-3 L daily).
Add electrolytes to one bottle of water during longer sessions.
Water or juice/sports drink as liquid fuel if training over 90mins
Example Training Sessions
Low-Intensity Fuelling Test:
Session: 60-minute zone 2 run with 20-30 g CHO from a diluted sports drink or a gel.
Focus: Practice sipping fluids every 10-15 minutes to mimic race conditions.
Hydration Test:
Session: 90-minute bike ride with ~500 mL/hour fluid. Measure weight changes to estimate sweat rate.
Key Actions
Baseline Testing:
GSRS Questionnaire: Assess baseline GI health (e.g., symptoms like bloating, diarrhoea, reflux).
Sweat Rate Test: Conduct a 60-90 minute moderate-intensity session:
Weigh pre- and post-session.
Record fluid intake to calculate sweat rate and determine fluid replacement needs using the precision fuel and hydration spreadsheet.
Phase 2: Building Tolerance (CHO and Fluids) (3-6 Weeks)
Objective:
Gradually increase CHO and fluid intake to align with basic race-day requirements (~40-60 g/h and ~500-750 mL/hour).
Why This Phase Matters
Building CHO tolerance and fluid intake capacity prepares you for the metabolic demands of ultra-endurance racing. Simultaneously, this phase introduces techniques to enhance fat oxidation during lower-intensity sessions, ensuring energy availability as glycogen depletes late in a race.
CHO Training:
Progress CHO intake weekly by ~10 g/h during longer sessions.
Use a combination of sports drinks, gels, bars, jelly sweets, and real food, to test different formats.
Hydration:
Focus on consistent fluid intake (~500 mL/hour). Add ~500-750 mg sodium per hour if sweating heavily or training in heat.
Pre-Race Foods:
Practice eating a pre-run meal (e.g., oatmeal with banana) 2-3 hours before long sessions.
Recovery Nutrition:
Within 30 minutes post-session, consume a snack combining CHO and protein (e.g., chocolate milk or a smoothie).
Example Training Sessions
Dual-Source CHO Trial:
Session: 90-minute run, consuming 40-50 g/h CHO from a mix of gels and drinks. We recommend PFH products
Focus: Practice timing (e.g., 1 gel every 30 minutes).
Long Run Hydration Practice:
Session: 2-hour zone 2 run with ~500 mL/hour fluid. Include electrolytes in one bottle.
Educational Guidance for Athletes
Why Fat Matters: During longer events, as glycogen stores decline, your body increasingly relies on fat for energy. Training your body to efficiently use fat delays fatigue.
CHO Tolerance is Key: Increasing your CHO intake progressively reduces the risk of GI distress while ensuring energy availability for high-intensity segments.
Phase 3: Race Simulation and Refinement (2-4 Weeks)
Objective:
Refine fuelling and hydration strategies under conditions that mimic race day.
Why This Phase Matters
This phase focuses on training the body to sustain energy demands during prolonged efforts while resisting fatigue and muscle damage. By mimicking race-day conditions, athletes developthe ability to maintain CHO oxidation, hydration, and gut function under stress. Incorporating protein supports muscle preservation, while targeted fat utilization ensures energy availability in the later stages of ultra-endurance events.
Ct full fuelling and hydration strategies (~40-60 g/h CHO and ~500-750 mL/hour fluid).
Simplified Caffeine Strategy:
Optional: Practice consuming a small amount of caffeine (~30-50 mg) during the final hour of a long run.
GI Management:
Stick to low-fibre meals before simulations to reduce risk of GI distress.
Emergency Options:
Test simple, easily digestible foods (e.g., cola, bananas) for late-session fuelling.
Example Training Sessions
Full Race Simulation:
Session: 3-hour long run on hilly terrain. Use your planned race-day nutrition strategy (~50-60 g/h CHO and ~500-750 mL/hour fluid). Eg. 1 gel and 1 chew per hr
Late-Stage Fuelling Test:
Session: 2-hour run with the second hour focused on higher CHO intake (~60 g/h) and liquid fuelling with a carb mix in your bottle.
Educational Guidance for Athletes
Why Late-Stage CHO Matters: As fatigue sets in, maintaining CHO availability becomes critical for high-intensity efforts. Training your gut to process 90-120 g/h ensures you can sustain power output.
The Role of Protein and Fat: Protein protects your muscles during long sessions, while small amounts of fat provide steady energy for ultra-endurance events.
Hydration Under Fatigue: Fatigue can impair fluid absorption, so consistent hydration strategies must be tested under similar race conditions.
Example Sessions
Progressive CHO Simulation:
Purpose: Train the gut for increasing CHO loads under fatigue.
Session:
3-hour run with 60 g/h CHO in the first 90 minutes and 90 g/h in the final 90 minutes.
Use a mix of gels, drinks, and chews. Test late-stage liquid fuelling.
Downhill Simulation:
Purpose: Mimic race-day downhill sections and test protein integration.
Session:
2-hour run on hilly terrain with 10-15 minutes of downhill running every 30 minutes.
Consume 90 g/h CHO + 5 g protein/hour using energy bars or protein-enhanced drinks.
Heat and Hydration Trial:
Purpose: Train hydration and sodium strategies under warm conditions.
Session:
3-hour bike ride or run in heat, consuming 1,000 mL/hour fluid with ~1,000 mg sodium/L.
Evaluate fluid tolerance and late-stage energy levels.
Race Simulation with Fat Inclusion:
Purpose: Test small fat intakes for ultra-endurance sessions.
Session:
4-hour run on mixed terrain. Fuel with 90 g/h CHO + 5 g/hour fat (e.g., peanut butter packets or trail mix).
Race-Week Guidelines for Novices
Carbohydrate Loading:
2-3 days before the race: Increase CHO intake to ~6-8 g/kg/day, potentially higher the day before.
Stick to low-fiber, easily digestible options (e.g., rice, pasta, bread, fruit juices).
To avoid feeling too full, add in extra drinks, eg. fruit juice, to help with carb intake.
Hydration:
Drink consistently (~2.5-3 L/day). Add electrolytes to two bottles of water the day before the race.
Pre-Race Breakfast:
Eat 2-3 hours before the race (e.g., oatmeal with honey, banana, and a small sports drink).
Race-Day Fueling:
CHO: Target 10g/hr below the max you have tested and tolerated, eg. ~40-60 g/h, using products tested during training.
Hydration: Sip ~500 mL/hour, with electrolytes if sweating heavily.
Athlete Education Points
Fuel Consistently: Small amounts of CHO regularly (every 20-30 minutes) help sustain energy and avoid bonking.
Hydrate Wisely: Sip fluids throughout the race; don’t wait until you feel thirsty.
Recovery Matters: Focus on balanced meals post-training to support long-term adaptations.