On the Etape du tour 2022 Briançon l’Alpe D’Huez, to face the 4500 m of difference in altitude and more than 8 hours of efforts for the majority of the peloton and to make your preparation conclude on a success the nutrition will play a dominating role. The following advice on nutrition management can also be adapted to other mountainous cyclosportive like the Marmot.
Of course, like any other performance factor, it is not nutrition alone that will determine your performance, your training, physical potential as well as your effort management will play a major role. I invite you to read the previous articles on the tour stage on the subject (see links :1 / 2 / 3 ).
For this topic on nutrition, we will see the steps before the effort, but especially the management during the effort. Because the right amount of energy and the type of intake (gels, bars, only carbohydrates or a varied source of protein-lipid-carbohydrates) depending on the intensity of the effort is crucial. Indeed, the first factor of fatigue (Fatigue = inability to maintain a level of effort leading to the cessation of the latter and possibly to the transition to a lower level of effort) is the decrease in muscle glycogen reserves (form of storage of sugars in the body). To overcome this, you must use 2 strategies:
The constitution of important reserves upstream, via specific training and an increase in carbohydrate intake 48 to 72 hours before the event (i.e. an increase in the share of carbohydrates in the diet to the detriment of lipids in particular, but not an overall increase in the quantity with the increase in calories consumed that would accompany.
A significant carbohydrate intake during exercise, the recommendations are 80-90g of carbohydrates per hour, but for the most part you are far from these recommendations. Moreover, recent studies confirmed by the use of these strategies within professional teams prove that an increase to more than 100g of carbohydrates/hour leads to a clear increase in performance.
For example, the study: “120g CHO/h and muscle damage after a marathon “by Viribay and al. (see infographic below).
Shows that on a Trail-Marathon (42 km and 1900m D+) the adoption of a strategy of 120 g of carbohydrates per hour induces a significant decrease in the markers of muscle inflammation.
Of course, this important intake of carbohydrates is only possible through the choice of adapted foods (easily assimilated gels), the use of these strategies only during intensive efforts (where the "doors" of the muscular cells open naturally without the intervention of the global control mechanism of carbohydrates which is the "axis" insulin - glucagon). And finally, the use of such a strategy requires adaptations of the organism and therefore a progressive specific training. For example, if you currently consume only 20g of carbohydrates per hour (i.e. 1 bar per hour) you will have to go through stages of 40g/carbohydrates per hour then 60g/h once your body and in particular your digestive system has adapted, and so on...
For this Etape du Tour 2022 I propose you the following nutrition strategy, following the effort management defined in the previous article, for a stage of the tour in 8h30.
This strategy does not take into account the official refreshments, which will be on important places to fill your pockets and bottles, but which for the moment have not been revealed by the organization.
Sector | CHO intake | Food type |
1) Briançon – Monétiers les bains | 60 g/h | Bars |
2) Lautaret | 80 g/h | Gels - fruit jellies - fruit bars |
3) Galibier | 90-100 g/h | Gels |
4) Valloire descent | 60 g/h | Solids, gingerbread, protein bars, rice cakes |
5) Col du télégraphe | 80 g/h | Gels - fruit jellies - fruit bars
|
6) Descent to st Michel de Maurienne | 60 g/h | Solids, gingerbread, protein bars, rice cakes |
7) Maurienne Valley | 60 g/h | Solids, gingerbread, protein bars, rice cakes |
8) First 2 portions of the Croix de Fer | 90-100 g/h | Gels - salty taste gels |
9) 3rd portion of the Croix de Fer | 80g/h and after St Sorlins d’Arves 90-100g/h | Gels - fruit jellies
|
10) Croix de fer descent | 60 g/h | Solids, gingerbread, protein bars, rice cakes |
11) Bourg d’Oisans Valley | 60 g/h | Solids, gingerbread, protein bars, rice cakes |
12) l’Alpe D’huez Ascent | 90-100 g/h | Gels - salty taste gels |
Intake should be done every 20 minutes from the start.
Each brand of nutrition, gel, bar having a different composition, it is up to you to count the number of carbohydrates in each food to set up your nutritional strategy with the food that suits you best in terms of digestion and taste, it is indispensable to vary the tastes and sweet / salty flavors to always accept this regular food after 8 hours of effort.
The hydration will of course be monitored and this is good because an isotonic effort drink allows both to provide part of the carbohydrates necessary to maintain your effort but also allows a better absorption of water and ultimately a better hydration. Remember to drink regularly throughout the effort, why not put a timer every minute to remind you?
If the temperatures are hot or even scorching, reduce the portion of energy powder in the powder-water mixture and provide a can without energy drink to be able to water yourself.
You are now ready to face the Etape du Tour, but don't forget, whether it is in terms of physical fitness or nutrition, the success of your race depends on adaptations beforehand and therefore on training.
Find our articles dedicated to the stage of the tour ( Key points to perform on the Etape du tour / analysis of the course / management of the effort ) and do not hesitate to follow our various blog articles on training and performance in cycling.