HOW TO FUEL GUIDE: 50KM RUN
BY STEVE BORN
Once I retired from my chosen sport of ultramarathon cycling, I decided to do a bit more running. And while I had done a few 10 km races and half marathons on the road, once I started running trails I was hooked. So. Much. Fun. My current furthest distance is 30 km, and I am working towards increasing that to 50 km.
One of the things that has always helped me—whether I’m cycling, Nordic skiing, or running—is fuelling properly and using supplements sensibly. Doing that always made my day much more enjoyable, and I know it will for you as well.
After speaking with a veteran ultrarunner, it was suggested to me that while there are many variables that determine course difficulty (and therefore finishing time), as a general guide a 50 km course with moderate technicality and about 915 metres of vertical gain should take:
- 4.5–5.0 hours for faster runners
- Up to 8 hours for slower runners
Before you get to the product suggestions, here is some essential 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.
Faster Runners – Finish time is 4.5 to 5.0 hours
OPTION #1 – “Carbs only” + Anti-Fatigue Caps + Endurance BCAA+
To cover your calorie needs, one of our “carbohydrate only” fuels— Hammer Gel or HEED—will be completely sufficient. Given a choice, I would personally opt for Hammer Gel, as it is a more concentrated fuel than HEED; I can get the calories I need more quickly—consuming 1 serving every 30-45 minutes—I can drink plain water to take care of hydration needs, and I’ll take Endurolytes or Endurolytes Extreme (in capsules) to cover my electrolytic mineral requirements.
Should you decide to use HEED instead of Hammer Gel (perfectly acceptable!), you’ll want to make sure you’re consuming the appropriate amounts. Each scoop of HEED contains 110 calories. I (Steve Born) personally use 1.75 scoops of HEED 2.0 an hour, which supplies 192.5 calories, an amount that works well for larger athletes like me (I’m 200 pounds). A 1.0 scoop (110 calories) per hour works well for lighter-weight athletes. Medium-weight athletes will find that 1.25 scoops (137.5 calories) to 1.50 scoops (165 calories) per hour is an excellent amount.
Continue to take Endurolytes or Endurolytes Extreme hourly to satisfy your electrolytic mineral requirements.
NOTE: With this fueling option it is essential to take 1-2 capsules of Anti-Fatigue Caps and Endurance BCAA+ every hour.
OPTION #2 – “Carbs + protein fuels” Perpetuem 2.0 or Sustained Energy 2.0 + Anti-Fatigue Caps + Endurance BCAA+
Regarding calories, you can do your entire race on Perpetuem 2.0 or Sustained Energy 2.0, or you can do all but 1 hour on either of these two fuels, with 1 hour’s calorie needs covered via Hammer Gel (for a little variety in the menu).
Each scoop of Perpetuem 2.0 contains 90 calories. I (Steve Born) personally use 2.25 scoops an hour, which supplies 202.5 calories, which works well for larger athletes like me (I’m 200 pounds). For lighter-weight athletes, 1.0 scoop (90 calories) to 1.25 scoops (112.5 calories) per hour works well. Medium-weight athletes will find that 1.50 scoops (135 calories) to 2.0 scoops (180 calories) per hour is an excellent amount.
THE ADVANTAGES OF THE MULTI-HOUR FUEL BOTTLE
Instead of making a 1-hour bottle of either Perpetuem 2.0 or Sustained Energy 2.0, which would mean I’d have to drink a full bottle of flavored/semi-flavored liquid hour after hour (which I wouldn’t like), while also having to stop and make more (which burns up precious time), I would make a bottle of either fuel that contains a few hours’ worth of fuel.
To make (for example) a 4-hour bottle, I’d start by using the smallest water bottle I have (less flavored drink mix I have to consume). Then, I fill that water bottle 1/3 full of water, add a couple of scoops of Perpetuem 2.0 put the lid on, and shake well. I’ll repeat the process until I’ve mixed the appropriate number of scoops in my one bottle (for me, that’s 9 scoops for Perpetuem 2.0 and 8 scoops of Sustained Energy 2.0). Now, because I have 4 hours of fuel in one bottle, I only have to drink ¼ of that bottle every hour, augmenting that with water from a hydration pack or from the aid stations to take care of my hydration needs.
Again, the benefits of using a multi-hour bottle of fuel:
- You get to drink and enjoy plain water from another bottle to care for hydration needs and cleanse the palate. Yes, some liquid is left in the multi-hour fuel bottle. However, over 3-4 hours, it's pretty minimal, so that you can consider that fuel bottle a "calories only" bottle.
- By keeping your calories separate from your fluids, you can keep track of you taking care of those two areas of your fueling from sources that are independent of each other. Additionally, in hot weather races, your ability to process calories may diminish while your fluid and electrolyte requirements may increase. Keeping the three entities of fueling—calories, fluids, and electrolytes—independent of each other will allow you greater flexibility with your dosing, making it easy to alter your intake of any or all of those fueling components whenever necessary
NOTE: With this fueling option, continue to take hourly doses of 1-2 capsules of Anti-Fatigue Caps. Note that while it is not an absolute necessity to take Endurance BCAA+ every hour (because your fuel has amino acids in it), there are still tremendous benefits to be enjoyed by taking 1-2 capsules hourly during the event.
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT AID STATIONS: Most organized trail running events will have an awesome spread at their aid stations, offering a wide range of foods and snacks. And while it certainly looks inviting, you’ll want to avoid the temptation to eat much of what’s being offered. Cookies, cupcakes, doughnuts, and other similar foods may taste good going down, but it’s guaranteed to result in stomach issues not too far down the road… and that’s no fun at all. If you want to enjoy a little solid food while you’re stopped briefly at an aid station, opt for fruits such as bananas, cantaloupe, pears, watermelon, papaya, and mangos. These are all alkaline fruits, and since you’re an “acid-producing machine” while running your race, these fruits will help balance blood and muscle pH, and that will negate stomach issues from occurring. Also, make sure that you don’t overconsume solid food, even these healthy fruits, as that will cause your body to use its finite energy to digest food instead of helping you get down the road faster.
6) ASAP after the race. “Refill the tank” ASAP with Recoverite Refueling your body with two scoops of Recoverite within the first 30 minutes after your race takes advantage of the glycogen synthase enzyme when it’s most active. This allows the body to replenish and increase its glycogen stores while also providing the raw materials (the amino acids from protein) to help rebuild the muscle tissue and support the immune system.
7) Enhance your recovery even more! Mix 1 scoop of Creatine Boost mixed in with your bottle of Recoverite
8) Supplements for superior recovery! We also recommend the following supplements to maximize your recovery by reducing aches and soreness, protecting your joints, replenishing your body with vitamins and minerals, and supporting your immune system via antioxidants:
- 2 capsules of Premium Insurance Caps
- 2 capsules of Tissue Rejuvenator or Vegan Tissue Rejuvenator
Slower Runners – Finish time is up to 8 hours
Primary-to-sole fuel is Perpetuem 2.0 These are our long-duration fuels, containing complex carbs, protein, and key auxiliary nutrients (Perpetuem also contains a small amount of healthy fat). These are both such complete fuels that you could use them as your sole source of calories from beginning to end. That said, I do like some variety in the menu, so I alternate with other Hammer Nutrition fuels.
Each scoop of Perpetuem 2.0 contains 90 calories. I (Steve Born) personally use 2.25 scoops an hour, which supplies 202.5 calories, which works well for larger athletes like me (I’m 200 pounds). For lighter-weight athletes, 1.0 scoop (90 calories) to 1.25 scoops (112.5 calories) per hour works well. Medium-weight athletes will find that 1.50 scoops (135 calories) to 2.0 scoops (180 calories) per hour is an excellent amount.
I would carry a full Hammer Flask of Hammer Gel. This holds 5 servings, which easily covers 2 hours’ worth of calorie requirements, and for some 2.5 hours. Plus, it is a LOT LESS MESSY than the single-serving packets.
Solid Food. A great option for some solid food during my up-to-8-hour fueling plan, I’d consume 1/2 to 2/3 of a Hammer Bar. Super easy to chew, really tasty, and quite satisfying.
Continue to take Endurolytes or Endurolytes Extreme hourly to satisfy your electrolytic mineral requirements.
So, in 1 bottle, 1 flask, and 1-2 bars I have all the fuel I need to take care of my calorie needs for 8 hours. Carry enough Endurolytes for at least 8 hours.
NOTE: With this fueling option, continue to take hourly doses of 1-2 capsules of Anti-Fatigue Caps. Note that while it is not an absolute necessity to take Endurance BCAA+ every hour (because your fuel has amino acids in it), there are still tremendous benefits to be enjoyed by taking 1-2 capsules hourly during the event.
Here’s a possible fueling plan that will cover up to 8 hours on the trail, using the above-listed fuels:
- Hour #1 – ¼ bottle of Perpetuem 2.0 or Sustained Energy 2.0 + water + Endurolytes (or Endurolytes Extreme)
- Hour #2 – ¼ bottle of Perpetuem 2.0 or Sustained Energy 2.0 + water + Endurolytes (or Endurolytes Extreme)
- Hour #3 – ½ to ¾ Hammer Bar+ water + Endurolytes (or Endurolytes Extreme)
- Hour #4 – Up to ½ flask of Hammer Gel + water + Endurolytes (or Endurolytes Extreme)
- Hour #5 – ¼ bottle of Perpetuem 2.0 or Sustained Energy 2.0 + water + Endurolytes (or Endurolytes Extreme)
- Hour #6 – ¼ bottle of Perpetuem 2.0 or Sustained Energy 2.0 + water + Endurolytes (or Endurolytes Extreme)
- Hour #7 – ½ to ¾ Hammer Bar+ water + Endurolytes (or Endurolytes Extreme)
- Hour #8 – Up to ½ flask of Hammer Gel + water + Endurolytes (or Endurolytes Extreme)
SPECIAL NOTE: On a hot-weather day consume Perpetuem in the first four hours...
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT AID STATIONS: Most organized trail running events will have an awesome spread at their aid stations, offering a wide range of foods and snacks. And while it certainly looks inviting, you’ll want to avoid the temptation to eat much of what’s being offered. Cookies, cupcakes, doughnuts, and other similar foods may taste good going down, but it’s guaranteed to result in stomach issues not too far down the road… and that’s no fun at all. If you want to enjoy a little solid food while you’re stopped briefly at an aid station, opt for fruits such as bananas, cantaloupe, pears, watermelon, papaya, and mangos. These are all alkaline fruits, and since you’re an “acid-producing machine” while riding your century, these fruits will help balance blood and muscle pH, and that will negate stomach issues from occurring. Also, make sure that you don’t over consume solid food, even these healthy fruits, as that will cause your body to use its finite energy to digest food instead of helping you get down the road faster.
ASAP after the race. “Refill the tank” ASAP with Recoverite Refueling your body with two scoops of Recoverite within the first 30 minutes after your race takes advantage of the glycogen synthase enzyme when it’s most active. This allows the body to replenish and increase its glycogen stores while also providing the raw materials (the amino acids from protein) to help rebuild the muscle tissue and support the immune system.
Supplements for superior recovery! We also recommend the following supplements to maximize your recovery by reducing aches and soreness, protecting your joints, replenishing your body with vitamins and minerals, and supporting your immune system via antioxidants:
