The most important fuel for you is carbohydrates. These are what your muscles can burn most efficiently, and provide the majority of energy during endurance exercise.
This is what you need to know about carbohydrates:
• Humans can absorbed up to 90g of carbohydrate per hour during exercise, if the right ratio of carbohydrate is ingested.
• The affect of this carbohydrate is dose related, the more you have the harder you can go.
• The amount you can tolerate is not dependent on body size, it is based on how trained your gut is: the more you have the more you can tolerate.
So what does this mean for you if you are training for the State Ocean Swim Series?
• A sports drink is a great way to get carbs and fluid, find the taste you like and keep your bottle up one end of the pool.
• A sports drink is not going to have you operating at your peak, for an extra boost, knock back a gel between sets.
• Whole foods are preferred by some, but not suitable for all. The extra fibre and other nutrients can slow absorption and result in gastro intestinal distress.
• If you have come to swimming from another event and haven’t tolerated carbs in the past, the lesser impact of swimming may mean that you won’t have the same problems as before, so give them a go.
Despite the fact that you may not use carbs during the event itself, they will make a big difference on event day if you use them well in training.
For more information check out Trailblazer Nutrition.