Your nutrition and hydration at the UTMB® will rely on gels and energy bars for solid fuel. Given the huge choice available on the market, it can sometimes be hard to know where to start. Beyond questions of brand and taste, here are some tips to help you make your choices.
How to fuel during the race?
Solid nutrition helps satisfy the need to chew and contributes to topping up your energy intake. To achieve this, you need to find a subtle balance between several parameters:
- Digestive tolerance
- Energy needs
- Meeting the need for solid and savoury food
- Respecting a biological rhythm for solid food intake
Generally speaking, for efforts lasting more than 4 hours (a drink alone is sufficient for shorter durations), consuming 10 to 15g of carbohydrates per hour in solid form is necessary. This can be achieved by eating half a ripe banana, 1 fruit jelly, 1 marzipan, 1 dietary effort biscuit, or 1 small energy bar every 1 to 1.5 hours. Of course, the alternative is to eat at aid stations with cooked rice, potato, a small sandwich with cool cream cheese and ham, or soup during low-intensity periods. After such food breaks, remember to drink water rather than energy drinks.
You should take care to chew thoroughly and always consume small quantities at a time. Chewing is very important as it reduces the digestive effort — swallowing food whole consumes extra energy. Heavy digestion can also lead to gastric issues, particularly during exercise. It is therefore important, from your training phase onwards, to practise chewing carefully and slowly.
Should you choose energy bars or gels?
It's still a matter of personal taste, but significant progress has been made on both fronts and these products are increasingly well tolerated and easy to digest. Ideally, set off with a mix of both. Choose fairly complete bars designed for long endurance efforts. In shops, you'll find bars and gels sold with UTMB or ultra trail labels: these products have been specially made to provide enough energy for this type of long effort. Energy bars are best consumed when you have a little time and can chew carefully. Ideally, eat them while stopped or during less intense sections. Gels are better reserved for periods of intense effort, moments when you urgently need a glucose boost, and especially towards the end of the race when chewing and digestion can become difficult. Also vary the flavours and tastes, while sticking to a brand or product range you have already tested and can tolerate without issue. To find out more:
