By Neal Henderson MS, CSCS
Competing effectively in Ironman requires equal parts physical, mental, and nutritional strategies.  Many athletes place too much emphasis on the physical and mental preparation and go into the race without a solid plan for their nutritional needs.  Because an Ironman race can take between 8 and 17 hours to complete, there [...]

By Neal Henderson MS CSCS
Boulder Center for Sports Medicine, Sport Science Director
For years, well intentioned coaches and exercise physiologists have given endurance athletes very strong recommendations to ensure high carbohydrate intake during training and racing to optimize performance.  Some recent experimental evidence and the actual practice of some very successful athletes has many of us [...]

1. Jon Baker – Elite Cyclocross Racer
Early meal 2-3 hours before race: 1 cup oatmeal (old fashioned oats). Mixed with a handful of almonds, and a handful of raisins. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, and soymilk after cooking. Bigger meal (If 4 hours prior to race): add to the above oatmeal serving (usually a larger portion) 2 fried [...]