HOW TO FUEL GUIDE: GRAVEL RACES

By Steve Born

If you were to ask me what the most popular sport is right now, without hesitation I would say gravel racing, aka gravel grinders. And why not? It's a discipline that has grown at an astounding rate in the last few years, and for good reason.

If you love cycling, what could be more fun and challenging than a race that combines elements of mountain biking and road cycling? Beautiful, often brutally challenging terrain, primarily on rural roads and trails, with minimal to no vehicular traffic? That's what gravel racing is all about!

Proper fueling and some carefully selected supplements are just as important as the training you've done and the gear you've acquired. They can help you perform these grueling races while making your day on the bike So. Much. More. Enjoyable.

Before we get into product recommendations, here are some basics.

5 SIMPLE WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE NOW

There are many steps you can and should take to improve your athletic performance. Those below are especially easy to implement. Start them right away and you'll soon experience noticeable improvements in your endurance and overall workout performance.

1) Stay adequately hydrated all day

Since your body is about 60% water, maintaining optimal hydration levels throughout the day is vital. Unfortunately, many people - perhaps even you - live in a constant state of mild dehydration, which adversely affects athletic performance and overall health.

From now on, gradually increase your fluid intake, primarily by drinking clean, high-quality water. Drink approximately 33-39 ml of fluid per kg of body weight daily. For an 82 kg athlete, this means 2.7-3.2 liters of fluid daily, in addition to what is consumed during exercise. During exercise, consume 473-769 ml of fluid per hour.

2) Fuel moderately

It may be interesting to know how many calories you burn per hour during exercise, but this value does not determine how many calories your body can absorb from fuel. The goal of calorie intake is to consume the minimum amount that keeps your energy levels at the desired and necessary level hour after hour.

For most athletes, this means 120-180 calories per hour. Athletes weighing more than 91 kg can consume 200 calories or slightly more per hour. If you find this is not enough, you can easily adjust it: simply consume a little more. It's always easier to fix a situation where you had too little energy intake than when you overdid it and your stomach is protesting.

3) Eliminate sugar

Most sports fuels consist of short-chain carbohydrates, i.e., simple sugars - glucose, sucrose, fructose, and other similar sugars. Hammer Nutrition fuels do not contain simple sugars. Instead, we use the complex carbohydrate maltodextrin.

Maltodextrin and certain simple sugars both rapidly increase energy levels, which is a desirable trait. However, simple sugars consist of only one or two saccharide molecules, so energy levels can drop almost as quickly. After a few good minutes, you have to fight your way out of the energy deficit for more minutes. This is often called "rapid rise and crash" and hardly makes winter sports or other physical activities enjoyable.

Maltodextrin is made up of many loosely linked saccharide molecules, so it provides fast-acting, yet much longer-lasting energy without extreme fluctuations in energy levels. Another advantage is that the body can digest and use larger amounts of calories for energy production without slowing down transit through the digestive system. You can effectively digest up to three times more calories from maltodextrin than from any simple sugar, which essentially eliminates stomach upset.

4) Do not eat in the three hours before training, races, and events

If you don't consume calories in the three hours before a workout, race, or other sporting event, your body will be in an ideal physiological state to use its limited muscle glycogen stores as efficiently as possible. At the same time, it will have more effective access to the vast amount of energy available in body fat stores.

Practice this with all your workouts, even early morning ones. In a relatively short time, you will experience significant improvements in your endurance.

Note: If you absolutely need some calories before starting exercise, consuming an easily digestible energy source, such as a serving of Hammer Gel 5-10 minutes before starting, is acceptable. Do not consume it earlier than that.

5) Refuel "the tank" as soon as possible after every workout

Your body wants to repay you for the work you've done in training by strengthening your immune system, rebuilding muscle tissue, and storing more readily available fuel - glycogen - in your muscles. To achieve these endurance-supporting benefits, all you need to do is provide your body with the necessary nutrients immediately.

Ideally, this should happen within the first 30 minutes after exercise. The sooner, the better. You need complex carbohydrates and high-quality protein, like what Recoverite and Vegan Recoverite provide.

SUPPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

Race Day Boost

The Race Day Boost loading protocol, performed in the four days leading up to a race - Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday for a Saturday gravel race - saturates the body's cells with sodium phosphate. Numerous studies support the beneficial effects of this compound on athletic performance.

Trisodium phosphate supports the function of all three energy production systems - the ATP-CP system, the lactic acid system, and the oxygen-based, aerobic system - making it an excellent ergogenic aid. Race Day Boost improves the performance of the body's short, medium, and long-term energy production systems. No other product can do this, and no matter what length gravel race you choose, Race Day Boost is an excellent solution.

Fully Charged

Hammer Nutrition's pre-workout supplement supports athletic performance in many ways without the use of stimulants or excessive amounts of caffeine. Taking a serving of Fully Charged 15-30 minutes before starting your ride will allow you to enjoy the benefits of this special product for about three hours, often even longer.

For rides longer than three hours, you can consume additional servings. You can find more information about this unique product in the article "Charge Up or Be Left Behind".

Anti-Fatigue Caps

This unique dietary supplement significantly increases endurance by neutralizing fatigue-causing ammonia that accumulates in the blood and muscles during high-intensity and prolonged endurance exertion. Both forms of exertion are a defining part of many winter sports and physical activities.

Take 2-4 Anti-Fatigue Caps 15-30 minutes before starting, and then 1-2 additional capsules per hour.

Endurance BCAA+

As a perfect complement to Anti-Fatigue Caps, Endurance BCAA+ provides the key amino acids - branched-chain amino acids, namely leucine, isoleucine, and valine - that the body needs to cover a small portion of its energy requirements during long exertions. This helps protect lean muscle tissue from breakdown.

BCAA supplementation has also been shown to reduce feelings of fatigue, both mentally and physiologically. The dosage is the same as for Anti-Fatigue Caps.

GENERAL FUELING RECOMMENDATIONS

Success "during" the race begins "after" the race

After every workout, it is vital to "refuel the tank." This is one of the keys to noticeably improving athletic performance. When you start a workout or race, your body primarily uses muscle glycogen as fuel for the first approximately 60-90 minutes.

The more consistently you perform immediate post-workout nutrient replenishment - Recoverite or Vegan Recoverite are ideal for this - the more glycogen you can store in your muscles, in addition to many other benefits. Muscle glycogen stores can provide up to about 60-90 minutes of energy for subsequent workouts and races.

Stop all calorie intake three hours before the start

You can read about the importance of this in point four of the previous section.

Take Endurolytes or Endurolytes Extreme as a "pre-emptive strike"

Taking a serving of Endurolytes or Endurolytes Extreme 15-30 minutes before the start will cover your electrolyte-mineral needs for the first hour of the race. This allows you to focus on finding your comfortable, steady rhythm and not have to take capsules during this period.

The dosage of Endurolytes can be between 1-6 capsules. Most athletes use 2-4 capsules per hour, with the exact amount depending on body weight and temperature conditions. In a race held in warm weather - especially if you haven't adapted to these conditions yet - I recommend taking 1-2 Endurolytes Extreme capsules before the start.

Take the first dose of Anti-Fatigue Caps and Endurance BCAA+

Taking 1-2 capsules of both products 15-30 minutes before the start allows these nutrients to be available in your body during the first hour of the race.

Consume 1-2 servings of Hammer Gel 5-10 minutes before the start

The 1-2 servings of Hammer Gel consumed at this time will supplement muscle glycogen stores with additional calories, without disrupting how efficiently the body uses its finite muscle glycogen supply as fuel.

CHOOSING FUEL DURING THE RACE

Gravel races offer a variety of distances. I have chosen the following distances from a popular race's offering, and they adequately cover a wide range of possible distances.

No matter which distance you choose, the most important thing is to provide your body with an adequate amount of calories, fluids, and electrolytes, while keeping your fueling as efficient as possible. In this case, that means spending as much time as possible on the bike.

50 KILOMETERS

Since this distance is expected to take no more than three hours to complete, a carbohydrate-based sports fuel will perfectly cover your calorie needs. We offer two excellent options for this.

Hammer Gel is the best choice if you want to take in calories in a more concentrated form, while preferring to drink water for hydration. It is recommended to consume one serving of Hammer Gel every 30-45 minutes.

Hammer Gel does not contain a full-spectrum electrolyte profile. In addition to the pre-race dose of Endurolytes or Endurolytes Extreme, you should therefore consume one of these products every hour during the race. If you don't want to take capsules, add 1-2 tablets of Endurolytes Fizz OR 1-2 scoops of Endurolytes Extreme Powder to your prepared bottle for each hour.

HEED mixed with water is for those who prefer to consume a flavored sports drink. One scoop of HEED contains 110 calories. I, Steve Born, personally use 1.75 scoops of HEED 2.0 per hour, which provides 192.5 calories. This amount works well for larger athletes like me - my body weight is 91 kg. For lighter athletes, 1 scoop per hour, or 110 calories, is appropriate. For medium-weight athletes, 1.25 scoops, or 137.5 calories, or 1.5 scoops, or 165 calories, can be an excellent amount.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Carry and, if necessary, consume additional Endurolytes or Endurolytes Extreme capsules in case the electrolyte content of your HEED bottles is not entirely sufficient. This could be indicated, for example, by feeling a slight sign of an impending muscle cramp.

For more information on this topic, check out Brian Frank's short article and video.

NOTE: Consume additional doses of Anti-Fatigue Caps and Endurance BCAA+ hourly for the entire duration of your ride.

100 KILOMETERS

If you're a fast cyclist, you can complete this distance in about three hours - slightly faster or slower. In this case, the Hammer Gel and/or HEED fueling plan presented earlier for the shorter distance will be perfectly sufficient. Continue consuming Anti-Fatigue Caps and Endurance BCAA+ hourly.

If your estimated finish time is closer to four hours, you can still use the carbohydrate-only Hammer Gel/HEED fueling plan. Pay particular attention to consuming Anti-Fatigue Caps and Endurance BCAA+ hourly for the entire duration of your ride. A second dose of Fully Charged taken halfway through the race can also be extremely beneficial.

For a target time of around four hours, another option is to use Perpetuem 2.0 or Sustained Energy 2.0 as your sole energy source from start to finish. These fuels for long-duration efforts contain complex carbohydrates, protein, and important complementary nutrients. Perpetuem 2.0 also provides a small amount of healthy fats.

One scoop of Perpetuem 2.0 contains 90 calories. I, Steve Born, personally use 2.25 scoops of Perpetuem 2.0 per hour, which provides 202.5 calories. This amount works well for larger athletes like me - my body weight is 91 kg. For lighter athletes, 1 scoop per hour, or 90 calories, or 1.25 scoops, or 112.5 calories, is appropriate. For medium-weight athletes, 1.5 scoops, or 135 calories, or 2 scoops, or 180 calories, can be an excellent amount.

One scoop of Sustained Energy 2.0 contains 100 calories. I, Steve Born, personally use 2 scoops per hour, which provides 200 calories. For lighter athletes, 1 scoop per hour, or 100 calories, or 1.25 scoops, or 125 calories, is appropriate. For medium-weight athletes, 1.5 scoops, or 150 calories, or 1.75 scoops, or 175 calories, can be an excellent amount.

ADVANTAGES OF THE MULTI-HOUR FUEL BOTTLE

When using Perpetuem 2.0 or Sustained Energy 2.0, instead of a one-hour fuel bottle, I would prepare a multi-hour fueling kit in a single bottle. Using one-hour servings would mean I'd have to drink a full bottle of flavored or mildly flavored liquid every hour, which I wouldn't like. Also, I'd have to stop regularly to mix new servings, which would take valuable time.

To prepare a four-hour bottle, for example, I would choose the smallest bottle available to me, so I would have to consume less flavored drink mix. I would fill the bottle one-third with water, add a few scoops of Perpetuem 2.0 or Sustained Energy 2.0, close it, and shake it thoroughly. I would repeat this until the correct amount of powder was mixed in the single bottle. For Perpetuem 2.0, this means 9 scoops, and for Sustained Energy 2.0, it means 8 scoops.

Since there are four hours of fuel in one bottle, I only need to drink one-quarter of the bottle's contents per hour. I can supplement my fluid needs with water from other sources.

The advantages of using the multi-hour fuel bottle, summarized again:

I don't have to drink large amounts of flavored liquid every hour. Since there are four hours of fuel in one bottle, I only need to consume one-quarter of its contents per hour. I can cover my fluid needs with clean water from other sources - a bottle or a hydration pack. Like many other athletes, I find that clean water quenches my thirst better than liquid sports fuels. After refreshing my mouth with water, the next sip of flavored fuel is also more pleasant.

Since I carry four hours of fuel in one bottle, I don't have to stop every hour and mix another serving, thus saving time.

If necessary, use an alcoholic marker to divide your bottle into four equal parts. This will visually show you how much you need to consume in a given hour.

NOTE: If warm weather is expected, prepare your four-hour bottle the night before and place it in the freezer. This is a perfectly acceptable procedure and will keep the mixture cold for longer.

Don't forget about electrolytes! During your ride, consume encapsulated Endurolytes or Endurolytes Extreme hourly. The dosage of Endurolytes ranges from 1-6 capsules per hour, with most athletes using 2-4 capsules. The usual dosage of Endurolytes Extreme is 1-2 capsules. Take the first dose 15-30 minutes before the start, and subsequent doses hourly.

If you prefer to drink your electrolytes, add 1-3 Endurolytes Fizz tablets or 1-2 scoops of Endurolytes Extreme Powder to your prepared bottle for each hour. This may be enough to cover one hour's worth of electrolyte-mineral needs.

One more important thing! Carry 2-4 single-serving Hammer Gel packets in case you're out on the course for more than four hours and need additional calories to reach the finish line.

166 KILOMETERS

Our eight-hour fueling plan works excellently for this distance. Here's what you need to do:

1) Use Perpetuem 2.0 or Sustained Energy 2.0 as your primary or sole fuel

These fuels for long-duration efforts contain complex carbohydrates, protein, and important complementary nutrients. Perpetuem also provides a small amount of healthy fats. Both products are such complete sports fuels that you can use them as your sole calorie source from start to finish. However, I like variety, so I alternate them with other Hammer Nutrition sports fuels.

One scoop of Perpetuem 2.0 contains 90 calories. I, Steve Born, personally use 2.25 scoops of Perpetuem 2.0 per hour, which provides 202.5 calories. This amount works well for larger athletes like me—my body weight is 91 kg. For lighter athletes, 1 scoop per hour, or 90 calories, or 1.25 scoops, or 112.5 calories, is appropriate. For medium-weight athletes, 1.5 scoops per hour, or 135 calories, or 2 scoops, or 180 calories, can be an excellent amount.

One scoop of Sustained Energy 2.0 contains 100 calories. I, Steve Born, personally use 2 scoops per hour, which provides 200 calories. For lighter athletes, 1 scoop per hour, or 100 calories, or 1.25 scoops, or 125 calories, is appropriate. For medium-weight athletes, 1.5 scoops per hour, or 150 calories, or 1.75 scoops, or 175 calories, can be an excellent amount.

BENEFITS OF THE MULTI-HOUR BOTTLE

When using Perpetuem 2.0 or Sustained Energy 2.0, instead of a one-hour fuel bottle, I would prepare a multi-hour refreshment kit in a single bottle. When using one-hour servings, I would have to drink a full bottle of flavored or lightly flavored liquid every hour, which I would not prefer. In addition, I would have to stop regularly to mix new servings, which would take valuable time.

To prepare a four-hour bottle, for example, I would choose the smallest bottle available to me, so I would have to consume less flavored drink mix. I would fill the bottle one-third with water, add a few scoops of Perpetuem 2.0 or Sustained Energy 2.0, close it, and shake it thoroughly. I would repeat this until the correct amount of powder is mixed in the single bottle. For Perpetuem 2.0, this means 9 scoops, and for Sustained Energy 2.0, 8 scoops.

Since there are four hours of fuel in one bottle, I only need to drink one-quarter of the bottle's contents per hour. I can supplement my fluid needs with water from other sources.

The advantages of using a multi-hour refreshment bottle, summarized again:

I don't have to drink large amounts of flavored liquid every hour. Since there are four hours of fuel in a single bottle, I only need to consume one-quarter of its contents per hour. I can cover my fluid needs with clean water from other sources—from a bottle or a hydration pack. Like many other athletes, I feel that clean water quenches my thirst better than liquid sports fuels. After refreshing my mouth with water, the next sip of flavored fuel is also more pleasant.

Since I carry four hours of fuel in one bottle, I don't have to stop every hour and mix a new serving, saving me time.

If necessary, divide your bottle into four equal parts with a permanent marker. This will visually show you how much you need to consume in a given hour.

NOTE: If warm weather is expected, prepare your four-hour bottle the night before and place it in the freezer. This is a perfectly acceptable procedure and will keep the mixture cold for a longer period.

2) Carry a Hammer Flask filled with Hammer Gel

The Hammer Flask can hold five servings of Hammer Gel. This easily covers two hours of your calorie needs, and for some athletes, it's enough for up to two and a half hours. Plus, it's much less messy to use than single-serving packets.

3) Solid food? Hammer Bar!

The Hammer Bar is an excellent option if you want to consume solid food during your eight-hour fueling plan. Consume half or two-thirds of a bar at a time. It's very easy to chew, truly delicious, and provides a pleasant feeling of fullness.

4) Don't forget electrolytes

During cycling, consume encapsulated Endurolytes or Endurolytes Extreme per hour. The dosage for Endurolytes ranges from 1–6 capsules per hour, with most athletes using 2–4 capsules. The usual dosage for Endurolytes Extreme is 1–2 capsules. Consume the first dose 15–30 minutes before the start, and subsequent doses every hour.

If you prefer to drink your electrolytes, add 1–3 Endurolytes Fizz tablets or 1–2 scoops of Endurolytes Extreme Powder to your prepared bottle for each hour. This may be enough to cover one hour's worth of electrolyte minerals.

Thus, in one bottle, one flask, and one or two bars, you can carry all the fuel you need to cover your eight-hour calorie needs. A capsule dispenser with a flip-top lid can hold enough Endurolytes capsules for at least eight hours, often even more. All necessary Endurolytes Extreme capsules will also easily fit.

With the sports fuels listed above, you can, for example, use the following fueling plan:

1. hour – ¼ bottle Perpetuem 2.0 or Sustained Energy 2.0 + water + Endurolytes or Endurolytes Extreme

2. hour – ¼ bottle Perpetuem 2.0 or Sustained Energy 2.0 + water + Endurolytes or Endurolytes Extreme

3. hour – ½–¾ Hammer Bar + water + Endurolytes or Endurolytes Extreme

4. hour – Up to ½ flask Hammer Gel + water + Endurolytes or Endurolytes Extreme

5. hour – ¼ bottle Perpetuem 2.0 or Sustained Energy 2.0 + water + Endurolytes or Endurolytes Extreme

6. hour – ¼ bottle Perpetuem 2.0 or Sustained Energy 2.0 + water + Endurolytes or Endurolytes Extreme

7. hour – ½–¾ Hammer Bar + water + Endurolytes or Endurolytes Extreme

8. hour – Up to ½ flask Hammer Gel + water + Endurolytes or Endurolytes Extreme

SPECIAL NOTE: In warm weather, consume Perpetuem during the first four hours…

5) Continue using supplements

Throughout the entire duration of cycling, consume additional doses of Anti-Fatigue Caps and Endurance BCAA+ every hour. A dose of Fully Charged consumed every three hours can also be extremely beneficial.

6) Finished? Great! Time to "refuel the tank"

After finishing your bike ride, consume two scoops of Recoverite or Vegan Recoverite as soon as possible. Complex carbohydrates will replenish the energy stores in your muscle cells, so you won't start your next day's workout with completely depleted stores. Protein helps to repair and rebuild lean muscle tissue while reducing muscle soreness. The amino acid glutamine provides excellent support for the immune system.