Nutrition advice and product usage for triathlon obviously varies depending on the distance of the event you are competing in.

The basic information of supplementing 60-70g carbohydrate per hour still remains and is what you should aim to be doing. This should be taken in as much fluid as necessary to remain hydrated and will obviously vary depending on weather conditions. It is definitely recommended to sip at regular intervals rather than take large doses.

As with all endurance events it is important to ensure you are well carbohydrate loaded and hydrated in the days preceding the event.

A couple of strong points that need emphasizing are to practice in training what you intend to do on race day, and don't over eat/drink on the bike.

Sprint Distance Events

Sip a 6-8% solution of either PSP22 or Go throughout your warm up and race preparation. If it is particularly hot then use Go rather than PSP22. Take a Go Gel 5 minutes before the start of the race. During the bike leg carry a bottle of Go or PSP22 at 6-8% and aim to drink about 200ml. This should ideally provide enough energy to see you through the 5Km run, in case of emergencies it is always worth having a Go Gel next to your running shoes that you can take onto the run course. Always ensure you remain hydrated throughout the event and drink on the run if necessary.

Olympic Distance Events

Again Sip a 6-8% solution of either PSP22 or Go throughout your warm up and race preparation. If it is particularly hot then use Go rather than PSP22. Take a Go Gel 5 minutes before the start of the race. During the bike leg carry a bottle of Go or PSP22 at 6-8% and aim to drink around 500ml. Take a Go Gel within the last 5Km of the bike to set yourself up for a fast transition and the run. Have a Go Gel next to your running shoes in transition and take it with you to consume at half distance. Always ensure you remain hydrated throughout the event and drink on the run if necessary.

Half and Full Ironman Distance

Pre Swim - good breakfast if you can eat, Go Bar, Banana, PSP22 and keep drinking little amounts up to 20 min's to go. Take a Go Gel 5 minutes before the start of the race. In swim transition (particularly in Ironman events) it is always useful to have a Go Gel that you can take whilst getting changed, and maybe a drink of Go that you can have a few mouthfuls of whilst running to the bike then leave it in transition.

Bike - have 2 solutions of energy drink on your bike, probably best to have a combination of PSP22 Original and Go. You need to take electrolytes on board because of the duration of the event. A bottle mixed with PSP22 Original at 10% and Go at 6% will provide 580Kcal in a litre, 2 bottles of this mix on the bike gives you well over 1000Kcal. Take GO Gels with you and take extra water on board from feed stations. Each Go Gel provides 88Kcal. People have a tendency to take too much on board on the bike and suffer on the run, it's a fine balance getting it right. Practice in training what you intend to do on race day. Eating a Go Bar during the bike section is also another good way of taking extra calories on board.

On the Run

Go-Gels and water are the way to go along with regular sips of an electrolyte drink. Take or make provision to have enough Go-Gels to consume one every 30-40 minutes. Also see recommendations for marathon running.

Read what happened when one of our UK representatives took on the Swiss IRONMAN here