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THE RUN2NOWHERE!!! FOR THE LOVE OF THE TRAIL

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BY NEIL VALLANCE

McGregor is a small slice of Western Cape heaven. It might be known as the creative hub for artists, but the trail network around McGregor is undoubtably a work of art. The R2N is happening on the 9-11 September 2022 and Hammer Nutrition will be there to keep you fuelled!

The art of fuelling correctly cannot be understated. Any athlete that has ever experienced stomach or digestive issues will attest to this. Likewise, running low on energy or hitting the wall is not ideal. The Hammer products use the highest quality natural ingredients to keep blood sugar levels stable and reduce stomach distress. Here are your basic fuelling guidelines for this amazing trail adventure.

  1. Before each stage:

Loads of athletes think that they have to have breakfast before exercise, especially on race day. But, from a physiological perspective, you only need 200 calories of complex carbohydrates in the few hours before your morning exercise or race. The 200 calories utilised overnight are sourced from liver glycogen to keep your body functioning effectively. Eating OR drinking too many calories may leave you with fluctuating blood sugar levels, undigested food bouncing around in your stomach and may cause you to burn through your carbohydrate stores faster and reduce fat utilisation. What you will need:

  • 1 scoop of HEED (100 calories) in 400-500ml of water, consumed in the 90 minutes before starting.
  • 1 Hammer Gel (80-100 calories), consumed 30 minutes before starting.
  1. During each stage:

Hourly caloric intake during exercise is a topic of argument, science and marketing! Hammer has consistently stated the #lessisbest principle to avoid overloading your stomach, and allowing the body to effectively supply energy from your fat stores. The fat stores are a prime source of fuel for endurance exercise and over fuelling and consuming simple sugars can reduce the body’s ability to access this valuable resource. Carbohydrates still need to be consumed to reduce severe depletion of carbohydrate stores and those same carbs can help you to better utilise your fat stores! A special mention must go to Endurolytes Extreme. Even though McGregor will most likely be cool, thus reducing the chance of cramp, the duration and having to do a stage the following day could mean you deplete your electrolyte stores more than you realise. What you will need:

  • 120-180 calories per hour, or a maximum of twice your body weight in calories.
  • 1 cup of HEED on course will contain 40-50 calories, or 100 calories per 500ml.
  • 1 tsp of Hammer Gel will supply 50-60 calories.
  • 1 Endurolytes Extreme in the hour before starting and 1 every hour during the stage.
  1. After each stage:

Refuel, refuel, refuel! The best time to refuel is straight after finishing. Quicker refuelling means faster recovery and increased the ability to delay fatigue during the next stage. Refuelling after each session from now until your race will help you recover faster and increase your carbohydrates stores, thereby helping to delay fatigue during each day’s stage. What you will need:

  • 30-60g of complex carbohydrates and 10-20g of protein.
  • 1 cup of Recoverite will contain 15g of complex carbohydrates and 5g of protein.
  • 30-45 minutes later you should be having a healthy and nutrient dense recovery meal…and then you may have your glass of wine and/or beer.

The vibe and atmosphere in McGregor and out on their magnificent trails, is one to savour. Follow the above advice and you will be primed for your best performance and maximum enjoyment.

If you are struggling or have previously struggled with your fuelling and hydration, please do not hesitate to contact Hammer at fuelingexpert@hammernutrition.co.za.

For your convenience, there will be a Hammer Nutrition stand at registration where can may purchase your Hammer goodies and get that last minute nugget of advice.

See you in McGregor!