Nutrition for Time Trials

For the shorter time trials of 10 and 25 miles it’s going to be your pre-race nutrition that is key to your performance, as it is unlikely you will eat during the event. This starts days before, making sure you are eating healthy and consistently throughout the day. Aim to get a portion of carbohydrates and protein with every meal. There should be no need to actually increase what you eat leading into the event, as your natural tapering (reducing your training) will allow your muscles to store the energy from carbohydrate.

Hydration is important as well. Dehydration is not something you can reverse in a couple of hours, in fact it can take several days to be fully rehydrate. Sipping OTE Hydro Tabs regularly is advised in the days leading up to the time trial. As a rule we say ‘always try and stay just ahead of feeling thirsty’.

As your start time approaches it’s usually time to start warming up. This will differ for everyone and also be dependent on the weather, however most people take to the turbo or rollers for a static warm up. This is where the last phase of your pre-race nutrition comes into play. Start to sip an OTE energy drink during the final hour before your start time and continue to do so during your warm up. OTE energy drinks are perfect for this as they have been developed to be pH neutral and therefore kind on the stomach. There is one final element, one in which research has found to be very beneficial to events such as time-trials; a hit of caffeine. Ingesting an OTE caffeine gel around 30 minutes before your start time will allow the caffeine to kick in just in time for your depart. You will also benefit from taking on board the additional carbohydrate from the gel. A few more swigs of energy drink on the way to the line and you should be well fuelled, hydrated and  ready to go!

Fuelling during a 10 mile TT is not necessary, especially if you have followed the above advice, your body should have enough glycogen to fuel you for the duration. However, during a 25 mile TT due to the high intensity, it may be worth consuming an Energy Gel a third of the way into the event to provide you with that extra energy for the final push. Remember not to leave fuelling until its too late in the race as your body will not have enough time to process it and reap the benefits. During a 25 mile TT it is also important to take the weather conditions into consideration and think about your hydration. If it is very hot and you are able to carry a bottle it may be worth taking regular sips at strategic parts of the course (where it is safe) to help prevent dehydration affecting your performance. Opt for OTE Hydro Tabs or Energy Drinks as they both contain electrolytes to help replace the salts lost in sweat.

Once you have crossed the finish line, had a little warm down and made your way back to the car, always try and think recovery. Chances are after such a big exertion your appetite is probably going to be suppressed, this is normal. However, try not to let this affect your recovery as the optimal time for your body to recover post exercise is within the first 30 minutes – ‘The Window of Opportunity’. OTE high protein recovery drinks are convenient and perfect in situations like this. You can make it up before you head off to the event and have it there waiting to be consumed as soon as you get back to your car or HQ. Make sure you follow the recovery drink with a good meal 2-3 hours later and you will be well on your way to recovering fully from your time trial.