Certainly after physical conditioning, the most important thing in surviving & completing a 100K event has to be proper hydration & nutrition during the event. A few key pointers from a great Rock Creek article:
HYDRATION:
- Human Body Water Content: Water is essential to the human body. 60-70% of our body mass is water, up to 90% of our brain mass is water, and up to 75% of muscle tissue is comprised of water. Water is also the main component of blood, the important carrier of glucose, oxygen and other nutrients.
- Water Loss: In general, your body loses 64-80 ounces of water daily. This water needs to be replaced by daily fluid consumption of 64-80 ounces.
- Urine Color Test: Another, albeit much less scientific, way to determine daily fluid requirements is to evaluate your urine. Dark and concentrated urine is indicative of inadequate fluid intake. Urine should be pale yellow to clear, and copious.
- Avoiding Dehydration: In warm weather, the only way to ensure that you will not become dehydrated is to stop it before it happens. Weigh yourself before and after a hot weather workout to ensure proper rehydration. For every pound that you lose while running, rehydrate with 24oz of liquid or 150% of your total water loss.
- Drink, Drink, Drink: Take in 16 ounces of fluid for every hour of running. For every run that lasts longer than 90 minutes, replace electrolytes with a sports drink
- Drinking On The Run: Focus on continuing to sip continuously from your water bottle. It is best if you can either run with a handheld water bottle or find a comfortable hydration pack.
- What To Drink: Choosing the right liquid is critical to your hydrating success. Find a carbohydrate drink that will sit well with your stomach and budget. With an electrolyte beverage with 4% to 8% carbohydrate your body is able to absorb a proper balance of electrolytes which is recommended for any events lasting longer than an hour. Drinking a 10% carbohydrate solution can potentially cause gastrointestinal issues.
- Caffeine: Though beverages with caffeine provide hydration, try to limit your intake of these liquids throughout the day especially if you are planning on a long distance trail run.
- Electrolytes (Powder or Liquid): You can of course purchase the liquid ready-mix … but that runs out and you are left with water. Also, it’s probably better to just use plain water in your Hydration Packs. A better option for longer runs is to buy the mini-packs or tablets. This allows you to take plenty so that you have enough for the entire 100K.
- OPTIONS AVAILABLE IN JAPAN:
- Amino Vital: (US Website) A better option are the mini-packs or tablets which you can take along with water. This allows you to take much more with you and have it available for the entire 100K.
- Amino Value: This is also a very popular product in Japan. They are one of the official sponsors of the Tokyo Marathon. They too have the more compact mini-packs.
NUTRITION:
- How Much: Most experts recommend that athletes eat anywhere from 100 to 150 calories per hour to maintain proper glycolic and caloric balances.
- Carbs, Carbs, Carbs: Regardless of what type of food or gel you use for fuel delivery, carbohydrates remain your best source of energy for training and racing.
- Real Food: Remember not to shun real food for synthetic food options. Fig Newtons, Banana, Peanut Butter sandwiches and Larabars are all great options that can be easily packed.
- OPTIONS AVAILABLE IN JAPAN:
- Powerbar: OK, everyone knows about these… so enough said. They have nice gelpacks which are certainly easier on your teeth than the classic bars. They even have some electrolyte bars, but might be tough to find in Japan.
- Soy Joy: I’m a big fan of these … Plenty of dried fruit, taste great and easy on the stomach. I personally go for the Peanut Butter/Chocolate Chip variety as it has a bit more carb
- Powerbar: OK, everyone knows about these… so enough said. They have nice gelpacks which are certainly easier on your teeth than the classic bars. They even have some electrolyte bars, but might be tough to find in Japan.