Known for blending his scientific expertise with a love for pushing limits, our Head of Research Dr. Tim Podlogar once again tested the boundaries of performance—both physically and nutritionally—by competing in the Arlberg Giro, a 150-kilomenter cycling race in Austria with 2,500 meters of elevation gain.
Here is how the esteemed Sports Nutrition researcher prepared for the intense endurance race.
Heat Training
Dr. Podlogar loves to put his body under extreme strain. So, before the race, he decided to experiment with heat training: he elevated his core body temperature to 40°C. While this is something that many professional endurance athletes try, it is not something we recommend you try unless you have proper guidance!
Pre-Race Loading
As a nutrition researcher, Dr. Podlogar is very aware of how important it is to carb load before an endurance event. This ensures that glycogen stores in the body are topped off.
On the day before the race, he did an activation ride and then started eating fast carbohydrates. His choices? Gummy candies, pasta and rice.
Also Read: Carb Loading Guide
Race-Day Breakfast
Even when an athlete does carb loading properly, it is still important to have additional carbohydrates before the race. This helps top off glycogen levels in the brain, which deplete during sleep.
The body is able to absorb carbohydrates better when they are in the form of glucose and fructose. So, to ensure his body had the energy it needed, Dr. Podlogar had a pre-race breakfast of white rice (glucose) and topped it off with fructose.
When Dr. Podlogar reached the starting line at 5AM (the first competitor to arrive) his glycogen stores were soaring and he was ready for action.
Slick Conditions and Fast Descents
The downhills on the Arlberg Giro are fast and the weather on race day was all rain. Other athletes might have been intimidated, but not Dr. Podlogar. There’s nothing he likes more than blazing full speed on a slippery road he hasn’t ridden before.
"This is gonna be fun," he thought as the race began.
During his first descent, Tim discovered another interesting fact about this race - the road was full of traffic.
PRO TIP:
When going downhill at high speed, especially on a slippery surface, it is of paramount importance to be confident and relaxed. And don't mind the speeding vehicles, it's nothing but a Jedi mind trick.
Fueling During the Race
Even with his glycogen levels topped off from loading, Dr. Podlogar still needed to fuel during the race so his body wouldn’t run out of energy.
He consumed two Nrgy Gels 45 per hour, to give him the recommended intake of 90 grams of carbohydrates per hour. He also had two bottles of Nrgy Drink 45 with him, but only drank 300 ml because the weather was colder than expected.
"I thought I might pass out at one point, but fueling kept me going," he said.
Dr. Podlogar crossed the finish line wet and exhausted, but extremely happy.
For more info, read our Fueling Guide
Tim's Race Performance Stats
- Race Duration: 4 hours, 8 minutes, and 46 seconds.
- Average Speed: 36.18 km/h.
- Average Power: 254 W (approximately 4 W/kg).
- Calories Burned: 4,000.
- Carbohydrate Intake: 90 grams per hour.
- Top Power Output: 743 W.
- Fastest Speed: 80.6 km/h.
Even though Tim had no ambitions to win this race and is, after all, a lab geek, he finished in fourth place total and second place in his age group, missing first place position by 39 seconds!
And after the race, Tim recovered with a well-deserved bottle of Regen. Learn more about the best recovery practices here.
