Do we Overthink Nutrition at Long Distance? (Page 2)

Overthink, maybe.  Think, yes.  Many people have had poor performances or DNF's due to poor nutrition plans, or failure to execute a good plan.  Thinking up a good plan is free and necessary.

I've seen "one can only digest 250-350 calories per hour" posted somewhere in terms of calories per hour per pound of body weight, probably about 1.8 to 2.1.  For me, about 300 calories per hour, I weigh 160 pounds.  

For long distance racing go as hard as you can on the bike (go fast) and yet arrive at the start of the run with fresh legs and well fueled.  You can't digest as many calories an hour at upper zone 3, or more, heart rate.  Go fast, don't overcook your legs, and eat/digest are the three things which have to be optimized.  For me, it was mid zone 2 first half of the bike, upper zone 2 second half of the bike.  I've since been told this was conservative, but it worked for me.  I was able to run strong.

As for what to eat and how to execute the plan, sure, I'd like to keep it simple, but keeping track of consumption in calories/hour is hard math when your racing.  Perhaps an "all liquid" plan is simple.  I cut Powerbars into thirds (80 cals ea).  I use gels (80 to 100 cals).  And I grab a banana, or cookie, or whatever they have at each sag I pass, just for variety.  I set my interval timer to beep every 20 minutes to remind me and I eat 80 to 100 cals, alternating Powerbar, gel, banana, Powerbar, gel, cookie, etc.  Plus I sip water and sports drink regularly (50 cals per hour).  I have tested this on long training rides and gotten used to it.  I put a small baked potato and a Honey Stinger waffle in bike special needs bag.  My thought with the potato was it is low glycemic, so it would make a nice offset to all the gels.

I read somewhere there's no silver bullet, but possibly using a variety of sugars (diversification) enables more rapid digestion as the different sugars take slightly different absorption pathways.  Like they're processed at different places along the intestines.

On the run I drank a sip at every aid station (water and sports drink or broth) and ate a gel every 30-40 minutes.  This worked for me.  YMMV.

Here's a guy who's struggled with his nutrition plan and he's got plenty of people overthinking it for him.  But he's starting find what works.

http://triathlon.competitor.com/2012/05/news/lance-armstrong-back-on-top_54072

JP: Did you do something dramatically different or was it some details you fine-tuned that made a big difference?

LA: Well, I think there are two things: the amount of calories you consume, and the type—so either a sports drink, a gel or a piece of solid food. All of those things we considered, and I guess the takeaway for me was to consume a lot less calories than I had been consuming. I was ingesting a massive amount of calories in the other races, just assuming I could handle that, and my gut was turning off completely. And then it’s doing a much better job of hydrating the days and hours before the start of the race. In the other races I took in mostly sports drink water and gels, and [in Florida] I went with sports drink with salt tabs dissolved in the drink, and Honey Stinger Waffles—solid food [on the bike]. On the run I just took Coke and water at the aid stations. I started with two gels and didn’t feel like I needed the energy so just stayed with water and Coke. I wore a regular hat—not a visor—and was taking cups of ice and putting it in my hat and then putting my hat back on, just keeping the ice constantly on my head so that it would melt and drip down, keeping me pretty cool.

Yes, I have learned the KISS method as well from Bryan and his comments from other threads.  I was way over thinking, and just taking some of his advice has helped me understand where I need to be with my nutrition and that I was making it way more complicated than necessary.  

I also learned that a flipturn and a saltine are energy neutral, so thank you for that too! I might have to work that one in to my training plan.  

I am nowhere near an Ironman distance (headed there someday) but I do go for long rides on the bike. I never took in anything other than water and gels, and as they progressed passed 2-3 hours maybe some solid food for the hunger. 

A few weeks ago I was out for five hours with this same nutrition. I definitely went home in a hyponatremic state. Now I have that fear implanted me and have been taking sports drinks for the last three or four weeks. You do not find you have this problem with just gels and water?

Yes, we overthink it. Think less, take in less, TRIAL AND ERROR MORE.

As Bryan said ... you can correct taking in too little fairly easily. Take in too much, your only option is puke and that will dehydrate you more.

The farther along in my endurance journey, I've found the less I need. 

My personal opinion is, if possible (and I think it's possible for most; true food sensitivities are rare, even under duress), get used to what you can bring with you (hence KISS), but also be prepared to tolerate different things in case crap happens (and it WILL happen during an IM) so that if you need to live off or take something from the course, you know you'll be okay.

Good post Tom, very insightful.  The area where I've had issues in my nutrition is just not getting enough fluids.

On my first marathon and on some of my Oly Tri's I have gotten pretty dehydrated by the end of the race.  I've since corrected it by drinking a lot more in the races, but I'm probably drinking too much now.  I'll find that balance some day.