Food and Drink

Food and hydration are not a one shoe fits all scenario. However, there will be categories of nourishment that you’ll want to gravitate to more than others.For the food portion; size, calories and “weight in the stomach” are definitely the big three you want to consider. Energy gummies are our favorite when doing long endurance races. They are compact, pack a punch when you need calories and they don’t slow you down when you need to run or turn the cranks on your bike, because of how light they feel in the gut.On the other hand, there are certain foods to avoid. Anything organic to earth is a hard sell, because while healthy for you and certainly a good way to get calories, fruits and vegetables don’t hold up well in your back pack when getting banged around. Bananas for instance will turn to mush, and completely destroy the interior of your pack. So not only are you out a banana, a potential meal, but now you have a mess to clean up.Everybody is different and different foods offer different results. The best thing you’ll want to do is experiment leading up to your race by eating things before doing a workout and see how your bodyreacts. While we tend to carry foods designed for long exercise and racing, Energy gummies, some people have responded well to eating pizza and chips while racing. Don’t be afraid to try new things and have some fun with the foods you buy for the race.Here are some foods you may want consider: (Recommended)

 Energy gel

 Energy gummies

 Granola bars/Clif bars

 PB&J 

Trail Mix

 Pizza 

 Chips

(Not Recommended) 

Bananas

 Fruit

 Donuts 

Twinkies

Soft vegetables

What can be more important than keeping yourself hydrated? Hydration may be the singular, most critical thing when racing. It will determine your performance, help keep cramps away, cool the body and just overall assist with your comfort level. As an added bonus, many beverages have added calories which can greatly increase energy levels and nullify hunger.Just like food, some beverages are designed more towards fitness and replenishment while others are geared towards recreation and relaxation. Gatorade, for instance, is probably one of the most popular sports drinks as it is great for replenishing not only fluids, but also electrolytes and potassium, among other things. Pickle Juice is something that might spark your interest as it helps tremendously with stopping cramps and getting quick into the blood. The vinegar in pickle juice has been known to help control sugar levels as well. If you like pickles, you might want to consider bringing a bottle of the juice along during your next adventure race. You might find it very refreshing.(Recommended)

 Gatorade

 Water

 Pickle Juice

 Milk (Especially chocolate milk)

Coconut Water

 Tea 

Soup broth

On the flip, some drinks are detrimental to performance and hydration. Soda is full of syrup and unwanted chemicals that give your body zero nutritional value. The carbonation sits heavy in thestomach and slows you down. Beer or any alcoholic beverage will actually have the opposite effect of what you’re trying to achieve. Your body will start using more fluids to try and purge the ethanol from your body, making you more dehydrated.Both of those drinks are not recommended, but could potentially have their own purpose. I have known individuals to drink soda during their adventure races and perform very well. They like the taste and it boosts both their energy and spirits. Alcohol could take the edge off in a difficult situation, but it’s not recommended and some races even ban the substance altogether out on the course.(Not recommended)

 Soda Beer, or any alcoholic beverage

 Energy drinks

Fruit Juice