HElp Center
Race Day Nutrition
Updated on:
August 1, 2024 10:48 PM
RACE DAY NUTRITION
Whether you're training for a race, or showing up on race day, proper nutrition is key to getting the most out of your performance.
If you're well fuelled, your training will be executed better and your body will have an easier time adapting to your training. If you're properly fuelled, you'll have the energy you'll need to perform at your absolute best on race day.
We've created the nutrition calculator below that calculates the calories you'll burn while training and racing. This calculator can be used for triathlons, half-marathons, marathons, ultrarunning events, cycling races like Gran Fondos, duathlons, swimruns, or even wild endurance adventures like marathon swims.
Simply enter your details below get results personalized to you that account for your speed and body weight.
How This Nutrition Calculator Works
This calculator was created based on the science of how nutrition impacts sports performance.
This calculator is great is because it accounts for two of the most important variables when determining the calories you require during your training and racing: your personal weight and your personal speed.
When you weigh more you'll burn more calories, when you weigh less you'll burn fewer calories.
When you're going faster you'll burn more calories, and when you're going slower you'll burn fewer calories.
Combine these inputs with how long you'll be racing or training, and the outputs generated in this calculator will be very close to the exact amount of calories you'll be burning when racing or training.
Finally, the calculator recommends that you replace 25% of the calories you'll burn because this is a very safe amount for most stomachs to digest during exercise, while providing you enough calories to maintain your energy.
How to Consume Calories When Exercising Based on This Calculator
Now that you've got the amount of calories you need to replace during your racing or your training, it's time to create a schedule for when you consume these calories.
Here are some basics:
- Consume approximately only large bottle of fluids each hour during exercise. This should be a light electrolyte drink with 10-40 calories per bottle
- Stick to liquid calories (gels are fine) during run training and running races
- Calories can be liquid or solid (chews, bars, and real food) during cycling or swimming events
- Space out taking your target calories into 18-30 minute intervals
- There's no need to consume calories for workouts of 75 minutes or less
Want More Endurance Race Nutrition Info?
Whether you're strictly a runner OR you're a triathlete, check out our book Triathlon Nutrition Foundations where we outline exactly how to implement this calculator in your training and racing. (Yes, this book can be used by runners who aren't doing triathlon!)
This book is rated 4.7/5 on Amazon and comes from one of the most highly rated endurance training series of books in the world: The Triathlon Foundations Series.
- How to time your calories throughout the race
- What type of calories to take on the bike vs the run in a triathlon
- What type of calories NEVER to take
- Easy hacks to avoid cramping and digestive upset
- How to avoid a DNF due to stomach issues
All of those questions (and more) are answered in the book Triathlon Nutrition Foundations. To purchase a digital download instantly, visit mymottiv.com/triathlonnutritionfoundations
Triathlon Nutrition Foundations (and the three other Foundations books: Triathlon Swimming Foundations, Triathlon Bike Foundations, and Triathlon Running Foundations) are also available in soft-cover on Amazon.
MOST ASKED QUESTIONS
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Everyone is different, but it's not required to have a full day off every week to make solid progress and avoid injury..
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