HOW TO FUEL GUIDE: HALF OR FULL IRON TRIATHLON DISTANCE
BY STEVE BORN
This step-by-step fuelling protocol is very easy to set up, just as easy to follow, and it doesn’t require you to carry loads of products on your bike or on your body. It saves time and, best of all, it’s highly effective.
Although most of the text sits under the Full-Iron Triathlon heading, the advice is the same—with slight adjustments—for a 70.3/Half-Iron Triathlon.
Before you get to the fuelling protocol, here is some very important and useful information.
5 Simple Ways to Improve Athletic Performance Now
There are lots of steps you can (and should) take to optimise athletic performance, but here are a few very easy ones. Start with these straight away and you’ll notice rapid improvements in endurance.
1) Stay properly hydrated all day long
With roughly 60% of your body made up of water, it’s vital to maintain good hydration all day. Unfortunately, many people live in a state of ongoing mild dehydration, and that hurts athletic performance and overall health.
Starting now, gradually increase your fluid intake—mainly from pure, clean water—so that the total amount you drink each day is 33–40 ml per kg of bodyweight (plus whatever you drink during exercise).
Example: 82 kg athlete should consume 2,700–3,300 ml of fluids daily, in addition to what is consumed during exercise.
During exercise, drink 470–770 ml per hour, and up to 830 ml per hour in hot weather.
2) Fuel lean
It’s interesting to know how many calories you burn per hour during exercise; however, that number isn’t the deciding factor in how many calories your body can comfortably take in.
The goal is to consume the smallest amount needed to keep energy levels where you want them, hour after hour. For most athletes, that means 120–180 calories per hour. Larger athletes (90+ kg) can often manage 200 calories or slightly more.
If you find that’s not quite enough, that’s an easy fix: take in a little more. Remember, it is always easier to fix a “not enough” problem than an “I overdid it and now my stomach is rebelling” problem.
3) Ditch the sugar
Some fuels combine simple sugars (glucose, sucrose, fructose, etc.) with complex carbohydrates (maltodextrin), based on the idea that multiple carbohydrate sources can create more energy per minute than a single source.
Keep in mind that many “multi-carb” studies involve athletes working at very low intensities—more like recovery pace—where they could probably consume almost anything without trouble.
Instead, choose complex carbohydrates (maltodextrin), such as in Hammer Nutrition’s:
- Hammer Gel
- HEED
- Sustained Energy 2.0
- Perpetuem 2.0
Unlike simple sugars, complex carbohydrates provide quick-acting, longer-lasting energy and are far less likely to cause stomach issues, even at high intensity.
4) Don’t eat for 3 hours prior to your workouts and races
By avoiding calories in the 3 hours before workouts and races, you put your body in an ideal state to use its limited stores of muscle glycogen efficiently, while also tapping into body fat stores more effectively.
Adopt this practice in all your workouts—even early morning ones—and you’ll often see major improvements in endurance in a relatively short time.
Note: If you must have some calories before exercise, something easy to digest (for example, one serving of Hammer Gel) 5–10 minutes before the start—but not earlier—is acceptable.
5) “Refill the tank” ASAP after all your workouts
Your body wants to reward you for training by strengthening the immune system, rebuilding muscle tissue stronger, and storing more readily available fuel (glycogen) in the muscles.
To get these benefits, supply your body with what it needs right away—ideally within the first 30 minutes after exercise (the sooner the better): complex carbohydrates and high-quality protein, such as those found in Recoverite and Vegan Recoverite.
Supplement Recommendations
In the 4 days prior to your event—T, W, Th, and F for an event on Sat—loading with Race Day Boost saturates the body’s cells with trisodium phosphate, a compound with a wealth of research supporting its benefits for athletic performance.
Trisodium phosphate supports the functioning of all three of the body’s energy-producing systems: the ATP-CP system, the lactic acid system, and the oxygen/aerobic system. With Race Day Boost, you are supporting short-, medium-, and long-term energy production. No other product can do that.
Led by Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and idebenone, Race Caps Supreme supplies the body with key substrates (think: catalysts or “spark plugs”) that help produce energy cleanly, efficiently, and consistently from the air you breathe and the calories you consume.
These nutrients (and others in the product) are also potent antioxidants, providing an important cell-protecting benefit.
Take one dose of 2–3 capsules 15–30 minutes before the start, with additional doses of 1–2 capsules hourly during.
Hammer Nutrition’s pre-exercise supplement provides a range of performance benefits without relying on stimulants or excessive caffeine.
Take one dose 15–30 minutes before the start of your ride to enjoy the benefits for around 3 hours, often longer. If you’ll be exercising longer than that, additional doses may be taken. See “Get Charged or Get Left Behind” for more detail on this product.
This supplement can increase endurance by neutralising fatigue-causing ammonia that builds up in blood and muscles during both high-intensity and endurance exercise.
Take one dose of 2–4 capsules 15–30 minutes before the start, with additional doses of 1–2 capsules hourly during.
A strong complement to Anti-Fatigue Caps, Endurance BCAA+ supplies key amino acids—the BCAA (leucine, isoleucine, valine)—that help cover a small portion of energy needs during long exercise bouts and can help protect against lean muscle breakdown.
BCAA supplementation has also been shown to reduce the perception of fatigue mentally and physically. Dosing is exactly the same as Anti-Fatigue Caps.
Full-Iron Triathlon (Adapt for Half distance)
3.8 km swim, 180.2 km bike, 42.2 km run (marathon)
FUELING RECOMMENDATIONS
1) Success “during” starts “after”!
It’s vital that you “refill the tank” after all your workouts. This is a major key for improving performance.
When you begin a workout or event/race, the main fuel used for the first 60–90 minutes is muscle glycogen. The more consistent you are with immediate post-exercise fuelling—Recoverite are ideal—the more glycogen you can store in the muscles (typically maxing out around 60–90 minutes worth), ready for future workouts and races.
2) Finish all calorie consumption 3 hours prior to start
Finish all calories 3 hours before the start. See #4 above for why this matters.
3) “Pre-emptive strike” dose of Endurolytes or Endurolytes Extreme
Take Endurolytes or Endurolytes Extreme 15–30 minutes before the start to cover electrolyte/mineral needs during the swim.
Dose range: 1–6 capsules per hour, with most athletes using 2–4 capsules per hour, depending on bodyweight and temperature.
In hot weather—especially if you are not heat-acclimatised—use Endurolytes Extreme at 1–2 capsules hourly, with the first dose 15–30 minutes before the start.
If you prefer to drink electrolytes rather than take capsules: add 1–3 tablets of Endurolytes Fizz or 1–2 scoops of Endurolytes Extreme Powder to your water bottle. Take sips from 30 minutes to 10 minutes before the race to cover swim needs.
4) Consume 1–2 servings of Hammer Gel 5–10 minutes prior to the race
Take 1–2 servings of Hammer Gel 5–10 minutes before the start. This supplies calories to support muscle glycogen use during the swim without reducing how efficiently your body uses stored glycogen.
5) At T-1
Take a “pre-emptive strike” dose of Endurolytes or Endurolytes Extreme along with a drink from your multi-hour fuel bottle (see below), washed down with water.
A few seconds in transition to top up electrolytes and calories pays you back on the bike, because you can focus on settling into a smooth rhythm early.
To speed this up, keep Endurolytes or Endurolytes Extreme in a small container such as a flip-top capsule dispenser.
If you prefer drinking electrolytes: 1–3 Endurolytes Fizz tablets or 1–2 scoops of Endurolytes Extreme Powder added to your bottles will usually cover an hour’s worth of electrolyte/mineral needs.
6) Bike fuel
Use Perpetuem 2.0 to cover calorie needs using multi-hour bottle(s) (see below). Use plain water from another bottle or hydration system for hydration (no sugary sports drinks). Use hourly Endurolytes or Endurolytes Extreme (or sip from bottles containing Endurolytes Fizz or Endurolytes Extreme Powder) for electrolytes/minerals.
Carry a couple of packets of Hammer Gel in case you’re out there longer than planned.
Perpetuem 2.0
Each scoop contains 90 calories.
I (Steve Born) use 2.25 scoops per hour (about 202.5 calories), which works well for larger athletes like me (about 91 kg).
- Light-weight athletes: 1.0 scoop (90 calories) to 1.25 scoops (112.5 calories) per hour
- Medium-weight athletes: 1.5 scoops (135 calories) to 2.0 scoops (180 calories) per hour
The advantages of the multi-hour fuel bottle
Instead of making a 1-hour bottle (which would mean drinking a full bottle of flavoured/semi-flavoured liquid every hour, and stopping to mix more), make a bottle that contains a few hours’ worth of fuel.
To make (for example) a 4-hour bottle:
1. Use the smallest water bottle you have (less flavoured mix to drink).
2. Fill the bottle about one-third with water.
3. Add a couple of scoops of Perpetuem 2.0
4. Put the lid on and shake well.
5. Repeat until you’ve mixed the required scoops into the one bottle (9 scoops Perpetuem 2.0
Because you now have 4 hours of fuel in one bottle, you drink about one-quarter of the bottle per hour, and use plain water from another source to meet hydration needs.
Benefits of the multi-hour bottle approach:
- You get to drink plain water from another source for hydration and to cleanse the palate.
- You don’t have to stop to mix more fuel, saving time.
- Keeping calories separate from fluids makes it easier to track each accurately.
- In hot races, you may need more fluid and electrolytes but fewer calories. Separating calories, fluids, and electrolytes gives you flexibility to adjust each one independently.
- If helpful, mark the bottle into four equal sections with a marker for a clear visual guide.
How much fuel to make
For an even-number estimate:
- Half-Iron distance: assume a 3–4 hour bike time.
- Full-Iron distance: assume a 6–7 hour bike time.
Half-Iron: one 3–4 hour bottle of Perpetuem 2.0 or Sustained Energy 2.0 usually covers calorie needs, but carry a couple of Hammer Gel packets in case you exceed 3–4 hours.
Full-Iron: make one 4-hour bottle (first four hours) and one 2–3 hour bottle (final two to three hours). Carry a couple of Hammer Gel packets just in case.
Hot weather fuel preparation & consumption
If it will be warm, make your fuel bottle(s) the night before and freeze them, if possible. For an Iron distance triathlon, you can put both bottles on the bike or leave one at Special Needs.
If it will be hot on race day:
- Freeze your first bottle of fuel.
- Freeze the second bottle too, but first wrap a wet face cloth/rag around it and secure with rubber bands, then freeze. This adds insulation and helps keep it cool. Leave this second bottle at Special Needs.
If it will be extremely hot:
- Freeze your 4-hour bottle.
- Leave the second bottle unmixed (powder only) at Special Needs, then add cold water and mix when you get there. Yes, you’ll spend a little time mixing, but it’s worth it for a cold, fresh bottle for the final bike section.
6a) Bike fuel during latter portion
Because you will switch from a lower-impact activity (cycling) to a higher-impact activity (running), consider reducing calorie intake by one-quarter to one-third during the last hour. This is optional, but many triathletes feel better starting the run when they do this.
7) At T-2
Before you transition from cycling muscles to running muscles, topping up electrolytes is a good idea if your last Endurolytes/Endurolytes Extreme dose was 30+ minutes before T-2.
If your last dose was 10–20 minutes before T-2, you can skip the transition dose and begin again during the run.
8) Run fuel
If you can keep a bottle of Perpetuem 2.0 cold enough at T-2 (for example, in a small ice chest), or if you’re willing to mix a bottle quickly with cold water, you can use either product during the run.
A common alternative is using Hammer Gel (carbohydrates) plus Endurance BCAA+ (key amino acids).
8a) Run fuel and hydration
Continue taking Endurolytes or Endurolytes Extreme at regular intervals and drink water only (no sugary sports drinks) from aid stations for hydration.
9) ASAP after the race
“Refill the tank” as soon as possible with Recoverite
Taking two scoops within the first 30 minutes after your race takes advantage of the glycogen synthase enzyme when it is most active, helping replenish and increase glycogen stores while providing amino acids to support muscle repair and the immune system.