You want extreme sports? How about a 135-mile marathon through Death Valley in July? If running is not your thing, perhaps maneuvering over rocks, sand ...

You want extreme sports? How about a 135-mile marathon through Death Valley in July? If running is not your thing, perhaps maneuvering over rocks, sand and water via mountain bike on a single-track trail over 24-hours or swimming the chilly English Channel fits your bill better. Or maybe you enjoy a variety of sports and want to dive into a non-stop 140-mile swim/bike/run combo or a lengthy 6-12 day trek over a rugged 300-mile course using mountain biking, river rafting, horseback riding, mountaineering and fixed ropes, kayaking and navigation skills. Regardless of your niche, extreme sports require extreme nutrition.

This article will lay the nutritional groundwork important for extreme success in your sport — the Four Nutritional Extremes of Ultra-Training and Racing. Extreme Training Diet Extreme athletes require 3-5 daily grams of carbohydrate per pound of lean body weight, which approximates 60-70 percent of total calorie intake. For example, a 175-pound adventure racer with 15 percent body fat (or 85 percent lean) requires ~450-750 grams (1,800-3,000 calories) of carbohydrate to preserve liver and muscle glycogen stores and help sustain his heavy training load.

Athletes training for stage events like the Tour de France may require even more carbohydrates, with estimates up to 6-7 grams per pound of lean body weight. Carbohydrate focus should be on such nutrient-dense foods as potatoes, corn, whole grains, fruits, legumes, pasta and brown rice. Extreme athletes require 0.5-1 gram of high-quality protein (e.g., egg, dairy, whey, fish, chicken, beef, soy) per pound of lean body weight, which is approximately 15 percent of total calorie intake.

For example, a 100-pound ultra-marathoner with 10 percent body fat (90 percent lean) requires 45-100 grams of daily protein to protect against muscle catabolism. A menu to fulfill this protein dose could include three cups of low fat milk, two tablespoons of peanut butter, a cup of edamame (soybeans), one hard-boiled egg and four ounces of salmon. The remainder of energy consumed by the extreme athlete (approximately 20-25 percent) should be in the form of desirable fats such as avocado, nuts, seeds, olives and plant oils.

Extreme Hydration

The average extreme athlete requires approximately one liter of fluid per hour. Note that sweat rate is highly variable and some athletes may require over two liters per hour to stay hydrated. For every 8-12 ounces of fluid ingested, the following dosing pattern with electrolytes should be followed to ensure optimal muscle function: 150-250 mg sodium, 45-75 mg chloride, 50-80 mg potassium, 20-30 mg magnesium, 10-15 mg calcium. Extreme Nourishment During extreme racing, energy expenditure often times skyrockets to 20,000 calories for some extreme athletes.

Studies report that ultra-distance athletes have consumed anywhere from 200-800 calories per hour to meet their high energy demands, although most will only be able to comfortably digest 200-300 calories per hour. As a general rule, aim at replacing 30-50 percent of your total calorie output. It is important to experiment with consumption of higher calorie levels (300+ calories) to see what intake you can tolerate. The key during extreme racing is to protect the limited storage supply of carbohydrates (glycogen) within our liver (~130 grams or 520 calories) and muscles (~400-500 grams or 1,600-2,000 calories).

When an extreme athlete fails to nourish properly with carbohydrates during training and racing, carbohydrate stores could be 50-75 percent lower making depletion more likely. Beyond two hours of racing, adding a gram of protein per 4-7 grams of carbohydrate may help spare muscle glycogen 25 percent longer thereby aiding endurance performance. Protein can be added in the form of solids (bars, nuts, turkey jerky) or liquids (protein powder). Because extreme athletes train and race at lower heart rates, small amounts of fat may also be included as part of the total calorie replacement protocol although carbohydrates and proteins should be favored.

 

Kim Mueller, M.S., R.D. is a registered sports dietitian and competitive endurance athlete who provides nutritional counseling and meal planning to athletes all around the world. For more information on her services, go to www.kbnutrition.com or contact her at kim@kbnutrition.com.