Fueling for a Multi-Leg Race

A multi-leg race can be anything from a team relay race like Ragnar Relays or a stage race. Whether you are taking turns to run the distance as a team or running a set distance each day for days on your own, fueling during both activity and rest is crucial.

Don’t Let Yourself Go Into a Glycogen Deficit

Keeping glycogen stores topped off is key. Glycogen is your body’s energy stores. You typically have about 90 minute before you start dipping into your reserves. Keeping your tank topped off by consuming simple carbs (sugar) is imperative and will really help you in the long run. Pun intended. 

Endurance Fuel, made with simple sugars, is ideal for delivering quick energy and keeping those stores topped off. If leg after leg you are becoming more depleted, that final leg is going to be a struggle. Fuel smart and you will run strong every lap of your race. A bonus perk (another pun) is the caffeine options of Caffeinated Endurance Fuel. They can help you fight off that sleepiness if you have a night leg.

Stay Hydrated

Sipping Endurance Fuel will also keep you hydrated and your electrolytes replenished. Dehydration can cause headache, muscle fatigue, and nausea and ultimately be hard to recover from. The best option is to consume water and electrolytes consistently throughout your race. Condition dependent, aim for at least 20 oz of water + electrolytes per hour (don't worry, Endurance Fuel does the math on the electrolytes for you). 

Take Advantage of Down Time

Make the most of your time between legs and focus on recovering quickly. Rebuild Recovery provides your body the protein it needs to repair muscles (which will help with soreness), tops off those glycogen stores with simple sugars, and replaces the electrolytes you lost while sweating. For best results, be sure to drink within an hour of finishing your leg. If you decide not to fuel during your segment (ie. legs shorter than an hour), then this recovery piece afterwards becomes even more important. Bonus - it’s easy to mix and drink while crammed in a van with five of your smelly friends.

Plan It Out

Calculate how many windows of activity and rest each person will be fueling for. You can learn about how to calculate Endurance Fuel needs per leg here. Using single serving packs of Endurance Fuel and Rebuild Recovery is a great way to share the fuel with your whole team so you can all run your best for the entire distance. For a stage race, it's an easy way to portion out your fuel and recovery for the duration of your event.

We’re Your (Digital) Support Crew

Need help figuring out what your multi-leg fueling plan looks like? Send us an email at supportcrew@tailwindnutrition.com.