Introduction:
The right nutrition plays an important role in your performance. Support your body in all aspects of sports activity with the right nutrients in order to increase your performance. PowerBar will give you valuable nutrition tips so that you can reach your full potential. In addition, as the official Sports Nutrition Partner, we provide the Challenge race with PowerBar Energize bars, PowerGel®s and Isoactive Isotonic Sports Drinks directly on course.
Sports Nutrition Basics
No nutrition experiments on the day of competition
Every athlete is individual!
A competition situation should be simulated in advance during training in order to get a feeling of what should be consumed/drunk in which QUANTITY and at what TIME before and during exercise. This can prevent unpleasant surprises or symptoms caused by a drop in blood sugar levels.
In general, food that is difficult to digest should be avoided
Excessively fatty, very spicy foods or foods rich in dietary fibres, such as fresh whole wheat bread, can cause discomfort and gastrointestinal complaints during competition, especially if consumed in the last hours before the event.
3-4 hours before the start, an easily digestible carbohydrate-rich meal helps to replenish the body’s energy stores (glycogen stores).
For example, easily digestible breakfast cereals with banana slices and yoghurt (if milk products are well tolerated!), pasta with low-fat sauce (e.g. tomato sauce with a little parmesan), white rolls with honey, jam or low-fat cold cuts are recommended. Be sure to drink enough with it!
More answers to nutrition questions can be found at: www.powerbar.eu
Consume a carbohydrate-containing snack and liquid within the last hour before the event for optimal preparation
Rice crackers with honey, white raisin rolls or carbohydrate-containing sports bars such as Energize bars together with some fluid are an ideal choice. For athletes with a very sensitive or nervous stomach, liquid carbohydrate sources (e.g. PowerGel®s with a little water) are an alternative.
During the event ensure a regular and adequate intake of fluids and carbohydrates
The actual fluid requirement during exercise depends on various factors such as climate and weather conditions, individual rate of sweat loss and exercise intensity. If you have not tested an individual drinking strategy, the “15-minute rule” can help: Drink approximately 150ml of fluid every 15 minutes. Special isotonic carbohydrate electrolyte drinks such as the Isoactive Isotonic Sports Drink help maintain endurance performance and promote water absorption during longer endurance periods. In addition, the Isoactive Isotonic Sports Drink contains the five electrolytes that are lost most through perspiration: sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium and calcium. The electrolyte sodium (a component of table salt) is sweated out most and is therefore a particularly important component of sports drinks.
The optimal amount of carbohydrates to be consumed during an event depends primarily on the duration and intensity of the exercise and must also be adjusted according to the individual tolerance of the athlete. In general, between 30g to 90g of carbohydrates per hour are recommended for prolonged endurance exercise (For example: a PowerGel® contains approximatley 25g of carbohydrates. All nutritional information for PowerBar products can be found under: https://www.powerbar.eu/ ). Practice your carbohydrate strategy several times during training and never try anything new during the race!
After the competition recovery is the highest priority
In addition to sufficient sleep, targeted nutritional measures have a decisive influence on effective and rapid recovery: carbohydrates are important to replenishing the depleted glycogen stores (energy stores in liver and muscles). In addition, protein for muscle repair and maintenance as well as fluid and electrolytes (in particular sodium) are necessary for an efficient compensation of a fluid deficit. Recovery Max Advanced Regeneration Drink, 30% Protein Plus bar with sufficient fluid, pretzels with a large pot of fruit yogurt or a low-fat sandwich with a drink are recommended immediately after the race.
Good luck and have lots of fun!
