As my up-downwind sessions with the parawing get longer and longer I’ve run into the issue of needing some fuel along the way. Without a snack or drink I notice a sharp drop in skills after about an hour, making everything a lot more difficult. last time I brought a bottle of coke and a snickers bar. Made things a lot better but got me thinking there must be healthier options than a candy bar and soda. What do the more seasoned downwinders keep in their snack pack?
Carbs (fructose and glucose). You are feeding a fire when you fuel during high intensity activity and you just want to feed it with the most efficient fuel. Wouldn’t really worry about nutrition or micronutrients until you refuel after the activity.
If you are feeling that drop in skills at the hour mark, you should probably be topped up better before the activity starts, or should begin fueling earlier.
I use gels which are extremely carb dense. candy bar and coke is fine too. If you want to avoid processed products, you can substitute with dates, honey, fruit, rice balls, etc… It just becomes a question of how much you need to eat and how well your stomach can handle it. These products aren’t going to be as carb dense or bioavailable as gels, so you will need to carry/consume more volume (which could be impractical or lead to gut issues) and the energy hit will be more delayed.
High intensity athletes (cyclists and runners) have entered a new paradigm in carb consumption over the past several years and are now fueling at rates well in excess of 100g carbs/hr for long periods of time. They are introducing specific training protocol for their guts to be able to process/ tolerate this kind of carb consumption. This is multiples of what elite athletes were consuming a few years ago, and it has resulted in performance breakthroughs as well as big improvement in recovery. Its a pretty interesting area of sports science/nutrition that is rapidly evolving. Recreational foiling doesn’t necessitate this kind of consumption, although I could see the downwind racers start to introduce similar protocol (from what I can gather they are generally fueling 40-60g/hr which is a much more traditional level, although some may be going hi carb).
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For multi hour DW I’ve had success using Tailwind endurance fuel in a small bottle at high concentrations and keep a few gels in the lifejacket in case.
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Race gel, or race chews are the easiest most practical answer. Small enough to carry in pocket of shorts or impact vest and give you the most dense energy in a small package to bring with you on the water. Many include a shot of caffeine which helps give you a boost on the last half of your session. Plenty of options available.
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I did a >6 hour DW send on fig Newtons in 200 calorie packages, large bottle of coconut water and water. Loaded up on salty pretzels beforehand as well.
I tend to dislike gels, gummies or more simple sugar mixes, though they probably are going to be more performant and easier to carry and eat.
Snickers bars likely have more fat than desirable that can slow digestion.
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For more healthy options you can make your own or buy bars made with chia seeds, honey, oats. For those wanting to avoid glucose spikes- I managed to do a few seasons of racing while on a keto diet. There is a product called Ucan which comes in gels, bars or powders to mix with drinks. It is a low glycemic, slow burn complex carb that doesn’t spike blood sugar. Ain’t cheap but pretty good stuff, easy on the stomach. A full serving drink onshore will get you a solid 90 minutes, supplement with bars for out on the water.
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There is a lot of marketing around optimal electrolyte/carb fueling but it’s pretty basic unless you are racing.
Most of the time you are fine on electrolytes from meals throughout the day, a lot of the benefit of an electrolyte mix is it is tasty and makes you drink more water.
For sugar/carbs for the average long session you can pretty much eat whatever.
I like to fill a water pack with coconut water or fruit juice. Bringing a fruit like and apple/orannge/banana is probably healthier but you don’t want any choking hazard if you are eating while riding.
Drinking from a can is tricky while riding.
For me it’s easy to forget to eat/drink when you’re having fun so it helps to bring something super tasty that you are excited about.
Eating and especially drinking a lot immediately after the activity makes a big difference in recovery.
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Nerds Gummy Clusters. You can close the thread now. Discussion over.
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