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Nutritional plan for a trail

In this article, you will find advice on how to best prepare for and manage your race from a nutrition and hydration perspective.

These are general tips, to be adapted according to the format of your race and your own habits. You will find nutritional plans by race format at the bottom of the article (examples: the 12 races of the UT4M 2023).

How to eat before a trail?

It is important to increase your muscle glycogen energy reserves in the days before a race.
For example, you can do an energy recharge using Carbo Powder. If this is the case, from D -4 to D -2, you will drink 200 g of Carbo Power diluted in 1.5 l of water every day throughout the day.

D -1: only water to avoid overloading the stomach.

What to eat the morning of a trail?

The morning of the event: have an energy-boosting and digestible breakfast.

For example: an energy bar, energy cream or a slice of sports cake (e.g., homemade recipe for a before-workout cake), plus a hot drink of your choice.
Eat the bar or cake in small pieces, 1 to 2 hours before the start of the effort.

To go further, see our article "What to eat before a race?".

How to eat during a trail?

Drink as soon as you start exercising and every 10 minutes a few sips of water or an energy drink, such as Authentic Booster +.

Every 30 minutes, eat a few small pieces of energy bar (e.g.: energy bar).

At the top of each big climb, and before going down, have an energy compote (e.g.: a homemade energy apple compote), a dose of fluid energy gel or some energy gums.

During
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Energy gums - Boost Gums

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How to eat on an ultra trail?

- For the first 50 kilometers, we recommend drinking only decarbonated sparkling water (e.g. Badoit, Saint-Yorre) and still water and/or an energy drink. Drink a 500 ml flask every hour.

Start eating salty or sweet bars: one bite every half hour.
Take an energy compote or a dose of fluid gel at the top of each big climb.

- After 50 km: take a flask of water and a flask of energy drink in the normal dosage or a little more concentrated (for the Authentic Booster +: 3 doses in 500ml) if the temperature is cold outside.

At the 50 km refreshment stations: drink two or three glasses of pleasure drinks to rehydrate well (soda, fruit juice, soup, carbonated sparkling water like Badoit, Vichy, Saint-Yorre etc.)
Eat protein foods, like cured ham, a few pieces of cheese; some fruit if you fancy it for vitamins and minerals (¼ orange, small pieces of banana); some salty crackers for sodium intake, bars or high-protein chips.
Eat above all what you enjoy and what you digest well!

- Halfway through your journey (90 km): take a slightly longer break where you will eat whole-wheat pasta with Gruyère cheese, soup, pancakes with ham and cheese, small sandwiches... (if you can eat enough, e.g. 20 to 30 tablespoons). Eat according to your hunger. Always remember to take a dose of fluid gel or an energy compote at the top of each big climb. If the descent is long, you can also take another dose of gel or an energy compote in the middle of the descent. - At 120-130 km: the same meal as at 90 km. Always hydrate yourself well, ½ liter of energy drink/hour, and consume compote or energy gel before each descent.

How to optimize your recovery after a trail?

When you stop exercising, the recovery phase is an important moment. Indeed, just after crossing the finish line, and in the 30 minutes that follow, it is a privileged moment where there is a "metabolic" window. That is to say, our body will better recharge its muscular and hepatic glycogen (carbohydrate reserve) at the same time, and it will begin to rebuild its tissue proteins (muscles, bones, viscera, etc.) and illuminate the waste in order to also rebalance our body at the acid-base level.

For this, it is first recommended to drink bicarbonate and sparkling water just upon arrival, such as Badoit or Vichy Saint-Yorre, which helps to buffer the body's acidity.

Then, it is recommended to take a recovery drink (such as Authentic Récup au chocolat) which will be made up of simple and complex carbohydrates in order to recharge the liver muscle glycogen and also rich in proteins in order to replenish muscle tissue and mineral salts (sodium, potassium, magnesium).
For more indulgence, you can:
- consume the recovery drink in the form of smoothies or milkshakes (e.g.: Authentic Nutrition recipes),
- eat a high-protein bar or post-workout chips with the end of your sports drink.

Once you have regained some appetite, we recommend eating solid foods such as dried fruits (raisins, apricots, figs, dates, etc.), protein-oil-rich fruits (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, etc.), fresh, raw fruits, and then cereals (rice, quinoa, tapioca, oats, etc.) and animal or plant-based milk. You can also eat energy cakes, pancakes, clafoutis, and creams. Don't forget to keep hydrated until your next meal or until bedtime. To learn more, see our article "How to optimize your sports recovery? How to optimize your sports recovery?".

trail nutrition plans

Source: advice written by our team, in collaboration with a dietitian nutritionist and our trail ambassadors.

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