The half iron distance triathlon (half) might be one of the most challenging events in which to plan your nutrition. Finding not only the right amount of energy, but also the right balance of energy can lead to some confusion and uncertainty.
When we help athletes navigate a half fueling plan, we look at the individual athlete and their specific goals. There are some generalizations we can start with, but ultimately it's about helping the athlete find what is going to work best for them. There is no black and white with sports nutrition, just a bunch a grey.
Below we will break out some generalizations for you, and then delve into two specific plans for two very different athletes.
Half Fueling Generalizations
- Your success at this distance will be tied directly to your nutrition.
- The half distance is where the body will shift away from all carbs (glycogen) to a mixture of glycogen and fat.
- This shift is tied directly to your intensity, but there are a lot of other factors that play into that which we will discuss another day.
- Energy sources - start solid on the bike and shift towards liquid on the run.
- Athletes can rely on a carefully crafted liquid nutrition plan without fear of GI distress.
- Bike Nutrition
- Calories per hour
- 250 – 400
- Macro breakdown
- 75 – 85% carbs
- 15 – 25% fat
- Optimal calorie sources
- Uncrustables
- Bars & waffles
- Chews
- Liquid (dextrose + sucrose blend)
- Hydration
- Fluid = 20 – 35 oz. per hour
- Sodium = 500 – 750 mg per hour
- Calories per hour
- Run Nutrition
- Calories per hour
- 150 – 300
- Macro breakdown
- 90 – 100% carbs
- minimal, if any fat
- Optimal calorie sources
- Chews
- Candy
- Liquid (dextrose + sucrose blend)
- Hydration
- Fluid = 15 – 25 oz. per hour
- Sodium = 650 – 900 mg per hour
Sample Plans
Our sample plans look at one female athlete and one male athlete. Our female athlete (Option #1) takes a more aggressive approach to her half racing. Her nutrition plan also pushes the boundaries on what we perceive a female athlete can consume while racing. Our male athlete (Option #2) takes a more leisurely approach to his half racing. His nutrition plan trends towards the lower side of standard practices.
Pre Race Breakfast:
3 – 4 hours before race start
This is a prime time to top off energy stores before the big event. If you played your cards right the day before, you should wake up hungry. A hungry stomach will process your pre race breakfast and the day's other calories a lot better than if you wake up with last night's dinner still sitting in your stomach.
The objective is to get in as many calories as possible without taking up a lot of room in your stomach. You do not start the swim overly full.
Option #1
- 1 cup coffee
- 8 oz. water
- Preload – 1 srv.
- Instant Oatmeal – 2 packets
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- 2 Ensure
Nutritional Breakdown:
- Calories = 875
- Fat = 24
- Carbs = 140
- Pro = 30
Option #2
- 1 cup coffee
- 16 oz. water
- Preload – 2 srv.
- 1 banana
- 2 tbsp. peanut butter
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 12 oz. coconut water
- 1 srv. NBS Women's Recovery
Nutritional Breakdown:
- Calories = 585
- Fat = 18
- Carbs = 83
- Pro = 31
Pre Swim Hydration & Glycogen Top Off
2 hours prior – 30 minutes before start
This is where you make sure your body is holding onto as much water as possible. If you haven't done so, give our Optimal Hydration blog a read.
Option #1
- 2 hours prior to start
- Sip 24 oz. of hydration over the next hour
- 1 hour prior
- Preload – 1 srv. in 8 oz. water
- 30 min prior
- 1 srv. Carbo•Hydration concentrated into 10 oz. water
Nutritional Breakdown:
- Calories = 220
- Fat = 0
- Carbs = 55
- Pro = 0
Option #2
- 2 hours prior to start
- Sip 24 oz. of hydration over the next hour
- 1 hour prior
- Preload – 2 srv. in 16 oz. water
- 30 min prior
- 1 banana
Nutritional Breakdown:
- Calories = 255
- Fat = 1
- Carbs = 60
- Pro = 1
Swim:
Nothing
T1:
Nothing
Bike:
Your bike nutrition will either make or break your run. The goal is to consume as nutrition as possible without upsetting your GI.
Option #1
- Calories per hour= 375
- Fat per hour= 0
- Carbs per hour= 94
- Pro per hour= 0
- Sodium per hour = 900
Hour 0 – 1
- 1 pack of high sodium chews
- 2 srv. of Carbo•Hydration in 24 oz. water
- Water as needed
Hour 1 – 2
- 1 pack of high sodium chews
- 2 srv. of Carbo•Hydration in 24 oz. water
- Water as needed
Hour 2 – 3
- 2 srv. of Carbo•Hydration in 24 oz. water
- Water as needed
Option #2
- Calories per hour= 300
- Fat per hour= 4
- Carbs per hour= 60
- Pro per hour= 3
- Sodium per hour = 775
Hour 0 – 1
- 1 Uncrustable
- 3 tbsp. NBS Women's Hydration in 24 oz. water
- Water as needed
Hour 1 – 2
- 1.5 waffles
- 3 tbsp. NBS Women's Hydration in 24 oz. water
- Water as needed
Hour 2 – 3
- ½ serv. chews
- 2 tbsp. NBS Women's Hydration in 12 oz. water
T2:
Nothing
Run:
Your caloric intake during the run will be less than on the bike. The fuel type will change to something easier to digest and process while running. Energy sources typically tend to be all carbs as process items with fat during the run can be a challenge.
Option #1
- Calories per hour= 250
- Fat per hour= 0
- Carbs per hour= 57
- Pro per hour= 0
- Sodium per hour = 620
Hour 0 – 1
- 2 srv. Carbo•Hydration concentrated in 10 oz. water
- 2 piece hard candy
- 1 piece of bubble gum
- Water as needed
Hour 1 – 2
- 2 srv. Carbo•Hydration concentrated in 10 oz. water
- Water as needed
Option #2
- Calories per hour= 250
- Fat per hour= 0
- Carbs per hour= 63
- Pro per hour= 0
- Sodium per hour = 690
Hour 0 – 1
- 6 pieces high sodium chews
- 3 tbsp. NBS Women's Hydration in 12 oz. water
- Water as needed
Hour 1 – 2
- 6 pieces high sodium chews
- 3 tbsp. NBS Women's Hydration in 12 oz. water
- Water as needed
As you can see, fueling for your event is very specific to you. We've said this a thousand times and we will say it a thousand more – you start with an educated guess and tweak the plan until it best suits your goals.
We hope this helps you navigate your own half nutrition plan. If you would like to use some of the products we outlined in the plan, we have a bundle deal to help you save some money on your nutrition.
Happy training and racing!