When to use solid or real food in your nutrition plan

· Solid or real foods ·

Hi Saturday Morning Fan,

In Saturday, when an athlete plans an activity, the first recipe presented is for Speed Nectar. From there, it’s possible to adjust the plan and add other products such as different drinks, gels, or any custom products that an athlete wants to use.

One of the questions we often receive is about using solid or real food either as an addition to Speed Nectar, as an alternative, or as a complement. Today, we’ll explore the concept of adding solid or real food to a nutrition plan.

When do we need to add solid foods to a plan?

Actually, never! It is perfectly possible to fuel long training sessions and races on Speed Nectar alone or on other liquid nutrition options. We have had athletes using Speed Nectar for Ironman triathlons and for long ultramarathons without eating anything else.

From a fueling perspective, it is not necessary to consume anything solid to provide carbohydrates or salt.

However, there are a few occasions when athletes may choose to eat something solid, especially during longer races. This could include eating something as a treat to give them a mental boost, eating something with a different texture to break up the monotony of only drinking, or eating something for the sensation of having something in your stomach.

It is possible to add some solid foods into a race nutrition plan, but we’d recommend keeping these as a very small proportion of the total nutrition intake during that activity.

What are some options for solid foods?

The basic principle to follow is to choose something that is primarily carbohydrates, with low fiber, low fat, and low protein content. The goal is to avoid anything that could cause stomach issues or discomfort that may impact the rest of your fueling plan.

Options could include white rice, boiled potatoes, some fruits, or even bread. It’s okay to include a small amount of non-carbohydrate foods with these options to add some flavor. This could mean adding some soy sauce to the rice or adding some butter and salt and pepper to the potatoes. Usually, athletes are looking for something salty, solid, and perhaps even a little acidic in flavor as a break from the sweetness of their drinks.

As long as you’re not eating a huge portion of these solid foods, it’s okay to use something that satisfies the flavor, sensation, or texture demand you’re looking for.

How to account for solid foods in your nutrition plan

If you’re following our advice and only eating a small portion every few hours during a very long race, then you don’t need to include it in your plan. Consider it a bonus; as a relatively small portion of the total caloric intake for the race, it’s not important to count it.

If you are planning to eat solid foods more consistently, then you can add these into your nutrition plan in Saturday on the recipe page. Select the option to “Add Product,” then choose “Custom” and add the details of the carbohydrates and sodium for what you plan to eat.

The bottom line

It is not necessary to use solid fuels during long events. However, if you want to, you can have small portions of foods that meet the principles described above. As always, test anything new in training, be smart about sticking as closely as possible to the guidance provided in the app, and allow yourself some flexibility to adjust to the conditions on the day and how you’re feeling during the race.

· Hammer HEED review ·

Hammer is one of the oldest sports nutrition companies that many athletes have relied on in their careers. In this video we review HEED, their long-standing sports drink. Does it live up to the current sports nutrition recommendations?

HAMMER HEED (OG of Endurance Fueling)

· Saturday Merch ·

If you'd like to share your support for Saturday and show that you're a part of Team Speed Nectar, you can find our new range of merch on our website.

Have any thoughts, comments, or questions that you'd like to share? Please email us anytime!

Dr. Alex