I specialise in ironman triathlons. How many kilojoules do I need for this event?
A. You probably need to focus on carbohydrate requirements per hour of exercise, more so than kilojoule requirements. Carbohydrate, unlike fat and protein is a fuel source for your muscles during ironman racing that is stored in limited quantities within the body. So your focus during an ironman event should be on replacing hourly carbohydrate and fluid requirements. You should consume roughly 1 gram of carbohydrate per kilogram body weight per hour of exercise during an ironman.
A. You probably need to focus on carbohydrate requirements per hour of exercise, more so than kilojoule requirements. Carbohydrate, unlike fat and protein is a fuel source for your muscles during ironman racing that is stored in limited quantities within the body. So your focus during an ironman event should be on replacing hourly carbohydrate and fluid requirements. You should consume roughly 1 gram of carbohydrate per kilogram body weight per hour of exercise during an ironman. To compensate for the lack of opportunity to eat or drink during the swim, make sure you have a breakfast meal that provides roughly 2g of carbohydrate per kilogram body weight a couple of hours prior to race start. For an 80kg athlete, this would be 3 x English muffins, 1.5 tablespoons of jam, and 750ml of a sports drink. Make sure they are foods you are familiar with, are low in fibre, rich in carbohydrate, low-fat and easily digested. During the hour before race start, try drinking 500ml of sports drink and
