Fuelling and hydration are often referred to as the “4th discipline” of triathlon because getting this aspect of your race right is crucial if you want to perform at your best.

Here's some advice to help you nail your strategy on race day, including a guide to what'll be available at the feed stations on course...

Sprint

For shorter triathlons, your main aim should be to get to the start line optimally fueled and hydrated because it's likely that you’ll be racing on stored energy and dehydration is rarely an issue in an event of this length.

Because of this, your plan should major on what you'll do in the build-up to the race, but we've provided some advice about what you might drink and eat during the race, should you feel the need to.

Before the race

Fuel

What to do

  • Aim to carb load in the day or two before your event, to top off your stored energy (glycogen) levels
  • Eat an energy gel in the final 15 mins or so before you start. This'll provide additional fuel to be utilised in the early stages and increase your focus and energy levels

Why?

  • Carb-loading is a well-known tactic used by endurance athletes
  • Think of your glycogen stores as the fuel you have in the tank before a long journey. The more you start with, the longer you can keep going before you need to top-up
  • Simple carbs taken in the last 15 mins will hit your bloodstream around the start of the race, increasing energy availability just as energy use is ramping up in your body

Hydration

What to do

  • Consider drinking a strong electrolyte drink (like PH 1500 about ~90 mins before your swim start. You'll see a sachet provided in your race pack
  • This is known as ‘preloading’ and it can significantly improve your performance
  • Finish your drink ~45 mins before you start to allow your gut to absorb it
  • Drink the electrolytes in water you’d have drunk anyway so you don’t overdo it
  • DON’T just drink lots of water before a race! You can end up diluting your blood sodium levels, increasing the risk of a race-ruining condition called hyponatremia (low blood sodium levels)

Why?

  • It’ll boost your blood volume, a proven way to enhance performance during intense exercise, especially in the heat
  • It’ll help your cardiovascular system cool you down and deliver oxygen to your working muscles. This reduces fatigue and enables you to maintain your performance for longer
  • PH 1500) electrolyte drink is a very effective preloader as it contains 3x more sodium than typical sports drinks
  • Preloading may also help you avoid cramp, which can be triggered by sodium depletion

During the race

Fuel

Given the relatively short duration of your race, and assuming you have carb loaded sufficiently, you should have enough stored energy (glycogen) to get you round without consuming much, if anything, during the race.

You might consider carrying a single energy gel (like our PF 30 Gel) on the bike to increase energy availability in the second half of the race if you feel you can do so without any GI upset.

Pro tip: If carrying your own gel, fasten it to the top tube or stem of your bike with a small tab of duct-tape at either end so you can grab it easily during the ride or take it with you on the run if you didn’t eat it during the ride.

Hydration

Whilst you’re highly likely to be able to complete the whole race without becoming significantly dehydrated even if you drink nothing at all, it's generally a good idea to have a bottle of water (or perhaps or a light carbohydrate drink such as our PF Carb & Electrolyte Energy Drink Mix) available on your bike, especially if you’re racing in hot conditions.

Having some fluids available on your bike will enable you to have a quick drink in T2 before you start the run.

Checklist for adjusting your intake

Signs you may need to drink more include:

  • Feeling thirsty/dry mouth
  • Heart rate drifting upwards when compared to power output or effort
  • Tight, twitchy or crampy muscles

Signs you may need to drink less include:

  • Feeling bloated
  • Feeling water ‘sloshing’ in your stomach
  • Peeing too frequently

Signs you may need to increase your energy intake include:

  • Hunger
  • Attitude or mood deteriorating
  • Craving sugar

Signs you may need to decrease your energy intake include:

  • Feeling/being sick
  • Bloating
  • Upset stomach

Want to carry some fuel and electrolytes?

Use the Free Fuel & Hydration Planner to learn your specific numbers and grab a taster pack. Don't forget to use this link for 15% off your order.

Questions?

Book a free one-to-one video call with one of our fuelling experts or email hello@pfandh.com.

Olympic

Your plan should focus on ensuring that you take in enough carbohydrate, fluid and sodium to fuel the work required and keep you hydrated.

These are the 3 key elements of a solid fueling plan, everything else should be considered secondary to understanding and hitting these numbers.

Before the race

Fuel

What to do

  • Aim to carb load in the day or two before your event, to top off your stored energy (glycogen) levels
  • Eat an energy gel in the final 15 mins or so before you start. This'll provide additional fuel to be utilised in the early stages and increase your focus and energy levels

Why?

  • Carb-loading is a well-known tactic used by endurance athletes
  • Think of your glycogen stores as the fuel you have in the tank before a long journey. The more you start with, the longer you can keep going before you need to top-up
  • Simple carbs taken in the last 15 mins will hit your bloodstream around the start of the race, increasing energy availability just as energy use is ramping up in your body

Hydration

What to do

  • Consider drinking a strong electrolyte drink (like PH 1500) about ~90 mins before your swim start. You'll see a sachet provided in your race pack
  • This is known as ‘preloading’ and it can significantly improve your performance
  • Finish your drink ~45 mins before you start to allow your gut to absorb it
  • Drink the electrolytes in water you’d have drunk anyway so you don’t overdo it
  • DON’T just drink lots of water before a race! You can end up diluting your blood sodium levels, increasing the risk of a race-ruining condition called hyponatremia (low blood sodium levels)

Why?

  • It’ll boost your blood volume, a proven way to enhance performance during intense exercise, especially in the heat
  • It’ll help your cardiovascular system cool you down and deliver oxygen to your working muscles. This reduces fatigue and enables you to maintain your performance for longer
  • PH 1500 electrolyte drink is a very effective preloader as it contains 3x more sodium than typical sports drinks
  • Preloading may also help you avoid cramp, which can be triggered by sodium depletion

During the race

The bike section offers a great opportunity to fuel and hydrate proactively in order to set up a strong run as most athletes find it easier to eat and drink on the bike than when they’re running.

For this reason it's common, and considered good practice, to ‘front load’ the ride with a higher hydration and energy intake than you aim for on the run.

Fuel

What fuel is available at the feed stations?

What to do

  • Use our Fuel & Hydration Planner to get an idea of how much carbohydrate (and fluid and sodium) you'll need per hour to perform at your best
  • Some athletes racing a standard distance triathlon will benefit from higher intakes of 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, as long as the amount consumed doesn’t cause stomach problems
  • The higher the amount of carbohydrate you’re aiming to ingest, the more crucial ‘training your gut’ in the lead up to your race becomes
  • An hourly intake of ~60-90 grams per hour is not something all athletes can achieve immediately and it can take a bit of time to build up to this rate of consumption, especially if you’ve been prone to suffering from GI issues in the past

Why

  • When it comes to powering high intensity endurance exercise, carbohydrate is the main source of fuel used by your body
  • Glycogen (stored carbohydrate) is a finite resource. 90-120 minutes of hard activity will generally deplete your stores enough to significantly compromise your performance. So, at some point, taking in carbs is necessary to maintain a high level of performance

Pro tips

  • Time your intake of fuel on the bike to coincide with straight stretches of road or on a gentle downhill. This makes it easier to eat comfortably
  • If you prefer liquid calories on the bike, consider using PF Carb & Electrolyte Energy Drink Mix in your bike bottles. It contains 30g of carb per 500ml serving, so can provide some or all of your carb requirements, depending on the total amount that you drink
  • Try to eat your gels early on in the run, as they'll take around 15 mins to be absorbed and for the energy to become available to your muscles. Eating them too near to the finish will limit the benefits you actually get from the product before crossing the finish line
  • Carry your own fuel on the run if possible. Gels weigh very little and this approach allows you to use some you’ve properly tested in training. It also means you won’t accidentally miss picking one at a busy feed station and can eat them whenever you like

Hydration

What hydration products are available at the feed stations?

  • PH 1000, a low-carb electrolyte drink containing ~2x the sodium found in typical sports drinks
  • Water

What to do

  • Few athletes can get away with not drinking at all during an Olympic distance triathlon. The risk of performance-limiting dehydration is just too great
  • Most athletes can comfortably drink 500-750ml during the ride. This is typically enough to set you up for a good run
  • Take drinks from feed stations on the run if you feel thirsty, but don’t force yourself to drink a set amount as this is unlikely to benefit your performance
  • Experimenting within these guidelines, whilst learning to listen to your body, is the best way to work out how much you need to drink during a race
  • On the day, factors such as your pace and the weather will influence what you actually need and you should adjust your intake according to how you feel as the race unfolds

Why

  • Taking on board an appropriate amount of fluid and electrolytes is essential to maintaining your blood volume and supporting the cardiovascular effort you’ll be putting in
  • Hydration is, of course, particularly important during hotter events, when body temperature regulation is an issue and your sweat losses can really mount up.

Pro tips

  • Squeeze aid station cups across the top to form a slit to pour water out of. This’ll reduce the amount that gets spilled and the amount of air you swallow
  • Pre-mix and carry (at least some of) your own fluids on the bike if possible. This approach allows you to use drinks you’ve properly tested in training and gives you more control

Checklist for adjusting your intake

Signs you may need to drink more include:

  • Feeling thirsty/dry mouth
  • Heart rate drifting upwards when compared to power output or effort
  • Tight, twitchy or crampy muscles

Signs you may need to drink less include:

  • Feeling bloated
  • Feeling water ‘sloshing’ in your stomach
  • Peeing too frequently

Signs you may need to increase your energy intake include:

  • Hunger
  • Attitude or mood deteriorating
  • Craving sugar

Signs you may need to decrease your energy intake include:

  • Feeling/being sick
  • Bloating
  • Upset stomach

Try the on-course fuel/hydration in training

"Nothing new on race day" has always been solid advice.

Use the Free Fuel & Hydration Planner to learn your specific numbers and grab a taster pack to thoroughly road-test the on-course fuel and hydration before your race.

Don't forget to use this link for 15% off your order.

Questions?

Book a free one-to-one video call with one of our fuelling experts or email hello@pfandh.com.