FUELLING FOR AN IRONMAN
We know half and full Ironman races require a ton of coordination, which is why we recommend simplifying your nutrition with Endurance Fuel. Combining your calories, electrolytes, and hydration into one bottle allows you to focus your energy on the race and less on complicated fueling calculations. Using our step-by-step guide, you can plan your nutrition for a half or full Ironman.

Dial In Your Base

Regardless of mileage, sport, or time, we recommend the following mixing guidelines for Endurance Fuel:

200 calories (2 scoops or 1 stick pack) mixed with 500-750ml of water per hour

Depending upon intensity and heat, you can adjust the total amount you drink. Train with this ratio and listen to your body’s hunger and thirst cues to dial in the exact amounts your body needs.

Swim

For the swim portion, we recommend pre-loading with 100-200 calories of Tailwind. Sip it slowly over the course of an hour leading up to your swim.

Bike

  1. Estimate how many hours the bike portion will take to complete. You will need one 700ml bottle per hour.
  2. Fill each bottle with 200 calories of Endurance Fuel (2 scoops or 1 stick pack). Start with as many bottles that you need to get to each aid station for refills/resupply. Pack pre-mixed bottles in your Bike Special Needs Bag to switch out at the halfway mark. 
  3. Alternatively, you can create a Tailwind concentrate with your total calories and drink only plain water at aid stations. Tailwind Trailblazer, Brittany Balcar, uses this method for a full Ironman:

I create a Tailwind concentrate to take with me on the bike. I make two 700ml bottles with 600 calories of Endurance Fuel in each bottle and every time I take a sip of the concentrate I also take a drink of water.

Mike from Tailwind UK, that's him at Ironman South Africa in the picture above says:

On an IM bike I would expect to take c. 6 hrs and would want to get through 6 stickpacks.

 Whilst you could put 3 sticks in each bottle in practice what I’ve done is put all sticks in 1 bottle which is then marked off into 6 segments with the idea of 1 segment an hour to get the Tailwind in evenly.  The second bottle being water to satisfy thirst which may be variable dependant upon weather conditions.  The water bottle can then be swapped out at aid stations with no need to mix tailwind on the go.

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