Use the Endurance Athlete Nutrition Field Guide (https://www.rapidsnailracing.com/Rapid-Snail-Racing-Endurance-Athlete-Nutrition-Field-Guide)to set your targets based on the day’s workout type and session length. Here are the core rules it covers: Daily carbs and protein (all in g per kg of body weight per day) Carbs: • Low Carb (3–4 g/kg/day): rest, recovery, mobility, technique swim, generally under 60 minutes • Medium Carb (5–6 g/kg/day): most “normal training” days, endurance ride/run, aerobic swim, tempo/threshold • High Carb (6–8 g/kg/day): longer than 60 minutes moderate to hard, bricks, double sessions, or anything over 120 minutes • Carb Load (8–12 g/kg/day): taper days, race simulation, and the day before race Protein: • 1.4–1.6 g/kg/day: rest days and light recovery • 1.6–1.8 g/kg/day: most standard training days • 1.8–2.2 g/kg/day: heavy strength, high volume, bricks with strength Hydration basics • Daily baseline: about 35–45 mL/kg/day • During exercise: 0.4–0.8 L per hour (based on sweat rate) • Post exercise: 1.25–1.5 L per kg of body weight lost Fueling during training and racing (carbs per hour) • Under 60 min: not required, but can help practice fueling and support post workout needs • 60–90 min: 30 g per hour • Over 90 min: 30–60 g per hour • Over 2.5 hours: move to a personalized plan based on body weight and discipline, and practice it before race day Recovery essentials • Carbs: 1.2 g/kg within 30 minutes, repeat hourly for 3–4 hours if rapid recovery is needed • Protein: 0.3 g/kg (about 20–40 g) within 30–60 minutes • Fluids: replace about 150% of fluid lost within 4–6 hours Quick “don’t ignore this” section The guide also flags RED-S warning signs (fatigue, recurring injuries, poor recovery, mood changes, hormonal issues, weakened immunity, and more) and includes simple plate portion control rules plus key endurance micronutrients like iron, calcium, vitamin D, sodium, magnesium, and zinc.

It means practicing your race fueling in training so your stomach can handle it. Don’t wait for race day to try new gels, drinks, or timing, your gut is trainable, but it needs reps.

Often you can get by with just water/electrolytes, but having some carbs can help, especially if you’re racing hard or it’s hot. For Olympic distance and longer, nutrition becomes much more important.