Hi Shred,
No problem at all and sorry to hear about the cramps, although great to hear you’ve been getting on top of the issue!
It sounds like you’ve got a good handle on your own requirements in different conditions and the big thing is to listen to your own sense of taste and thirst. There won’t be a ‘one size fits all’ or rigid plan when it comes to fuelling and hydration, and it will be a case of testing different products out in different conditions during training to see what works best for you.
We generally aim to take on ~60g of carbs per hour (across all of your foods and drinks), with enough fluid to stop you getting thirsty and a sufficient amount of sodium to offset what you’re losing in your sweat. It will be a case of testing out different products to see what suits you’re own taste and needs.
Andy came up with a few examples of the types of things he’s tried eating during various races in different conditions…
- Boiled new potatoes with butter and salt (DW Canoe race) = ~5g carb per potato.
- Mini croissant with cheese and ham (NZ Coast to Coast race) = ~ 15g carb each.
- Pizza slices (TransAlpine trail run) = ~35g carb per slice.
- Marzipan balls (DW Canoe race) = ~10g per ball.
- Flat Coke (Most long races, in the later stages!) = ~ 52g carb per 500ml/16oz.
- Malt loaf with butter (Many long bike training sessions) = ~15g carb per slice.
Thanks again for your question and feel free to get in touch if you need any further info.
Cheers!
Chris