Trail Running Nutrition — Womens Epic Race

Gnarly Nutrition is psyched to announce its partnership with Women’s Epic Race, the first trail race in Utah created specifically for all levels of adventure-seeking women! And after just one season, Women’s Epic Race has already doubled in size, giving even more women the opportunity to get outside and hit the trails!

Gnarly’s partnership with Women’s Epic Race means that all of the race’s attendees will be hydrated while on-course at Brian Head Resort in June and Brighton Resort in July.

General Run Nutrition

Inadequate fueling before working out or a race, underfueling during an effort, and little focus on recovery after the fact can be a huge detriment to our physical efforts. Improper fueling can also mentally harm us: We’ll start believing we’re not strong or fit enough, even if we’re putting in big training miles on a weekly basis. Let’s quickly review the basic principles of fueling for runs!

Pre

Consuming even a small amount of carbohydrates ahead of a run will help you in terms of performance and set you up for success if you’re setting out for a longer distance. This is particularly true if we’re running or racing first thing in the morning because after a night of sleep our body’s carbohydrate stores, known as glycogen, are not full, and therefore the likelihood of not having the energy to push the pace on the track, run that last hill repeat or feel strong during that final mile is higher.

During

Both water and electrolytes intake during a run are equally important. Staying hydrated

increases energy, improves recovery and thermoregulation, and aids in mental clarity - all of which can have a significant impact on performance and injury risk.

For runs under 60 minutes, thirst is an effective indicator of when and how much to drink. When we get into longer runs, particularly those over 2hrs in length, having an effective hydration strategy to replace the fluids lost when we sweat is a good idea. Fluid loss varies dramatically from person to person and can be affected by effort level, clothing Type, fluid status and environmental factors like temperature and humidity. For these reasons it’s a good idea to test how much fluid you actually lose when you sweat and to perform this test a few times of year as seasons, fitness and possibly run location change. The good news is that a hydration test is easy to do. Check out this other article from Gnarly Nutrition on how to do one!

Electrolytes are essential minerals—like sodium, magnesium, calcium, and potassium—that are vital to many key functions in the body. We primarily lose electrolytes via sweat and urine and the electrolyte we lose in greatest abundance is sodium. The amount of sodium in sweat averages about 500 mg sodium/lb sweat (and ranges from 220 to 1,100 mg). Factors such as genetics, diet, temperature, humidity and how acclimatized you are to a particular environment can impact the amount of sodium you lose when you sweat. So how much sodium should you look to replace on longer training/racing days? We recommend starting with 300-500 mg sodium/hr - this can be through hydration mixes like Gnarly Hydrate or Fuel2O, salt tabs and even the whole foods you choose to fuel with.

Post

The post-run meal should be focused on: 1) re-hydrating; 2) replacing spent electrolytes; 3) restocking glycogen and; 4) repairing and building muscle.

To rehydrate and replace electrolytes lost in sweat, aim to take in 16-24 oz of water along with 300-500mg of sodium. The next order of business is to restock glycogen and give our muscles the building blocks they need for recovery. To this end, carbohydrates and protein should be consumed in a ratio of 1 part protein to 3 or 4 parts carbohydrate. You will want to take in at least 20g (80 cals) of high quality protein to kickstart muscle protein synthesis, so this means you should also be consuming 60-80g (or 240-320 calories) of carbohydrate to hit that ideal recovery ratio and replenish your glycogen stores.

Ideally you want to consume this post-run meal within 60 minutes of finishing your run. This is because glycogen resynthesis is maximized when we take in carbs within an 1 hour of exercising. If you miss this window, just try to eat as soon as you can but I would suggest packing to go snacks that will help you get in your post-workout fueling. Examples include a protein shake made with Gnarly Whey or Vegan paired with a banana, a protein bar that includes carbs, or maybe yogurt topped with granola and some fruit.

Rehydrating and hitting those carb/protein recommendations will make a world of difference in terms of how you feel after longer runs but also how you perform in subsequent workouts.

About Gnarly Hydrate

Gnarly Hydrate is the perfect choice for Women’s Epic Races since they are shorter in length (5 to 6 miles, respectively). Gnarly Hydrate is loaded with electrolytes and B vitamins, and is low on sugar - the perfect formulation to help runners push through to the finish line!

Electrolytes

Electrolytes are pivotal to athletic performance. Electrolytes, like sodium and magnesium, are critical for proper hydration, nerve function, muscle function and boyd pH.

A Little bit of Sugar

Too much sugar can interfere with, or actually sabotage, hydration. However, too little sugar can also interfere with electrolyte transport. Gnarly Hydrate has just enough sugar to effectively deliver electrolytes without causing gut rot.

B Vitamins for a Boost

Active individuals need more B vitamins for both energy metabolism and the production of red blood cells, including red blood cells. Gnarly Hydrate contains 5 B vitamins per serving!

Deliciousness

Gnarly Hydrate is light, refreshing and downright delicious. Plus it’s available in 3 amazing flavors - Orange Pineapple, Raspberry and Ruby Red Grapefruit - so you have options to help satisfy your thirst!

For longer days…

Carbohydrates are your body's main energy source during moderate to high intensity exercise and fueling with carbs will help you perform your best while also preventing the dreaded ‘bonk’.

The average person burns anywhere between 500-600 calories per hour when running. For runs in this range, we typically have enough stored carbohydrates, in the form of glycogen, to fuel these efforts. It’s when we get into longer runs that we really need to focus on taking in extra calories. It’s best to aim for 30-90g of carbohydrate per hour for runs lasting over 60 minutes. That’s 120-360 calories from carbohydrates. Where you fall in this range can be dependent on a number of factors, but as a rule, the longer your run is, the closer you should get to the upper end of this range.

When exercising we need food that our body will digest and turn into energy quickly and this is where simple carbohydrates like glucose, sucrose and fructose come in. These simple carbohydrates can come from sport nutrition products like gels, blocks or liquid nutrition like Gnarly’s Fuel2O, but they can also come from whole foods like potatoes, both fresh and dried fruit, and baked goods like fig newtons.

Gnarly Fuel2O was created with fueling, replenishment and recovery in mind. It’s the all-in-one, vegan-friendly solution to long days on the trails. Gnarly Fuel2O contains 100 calories, 250mg of sodium and 280mg of HMB per 12oz serving. Check out Gnarly’s Fuel2O product video to learn even more!