Fueling for 10k

[JohnnyCakes 593]

as long as your body is "fat-adapted" (i.e. can access energy from fat stores instead of carb/sugar in the blood or glycogen) then you really don't need to eat anything before a race. just be hydrated with Water.

when i started doing races, i learned the hard way that all that G2/gatorade/powerbar crap is a detriment. it takes energy to process that stuff - energy you need to run! it spikes your blood sugar then causes a surge of insulin, effectively blocking off access to fat stores. it is because of a decades-long marketing campaign that people think they need all this sugar before (or during) long distance endurance exercise. it's simply not true.

if you follow a low-carb diet (does NOT need to be fully ketogenic, btw), and have trained on this diet while running in a semi-fasted state (don't eat for a few hours before running), then you will be able to run all damn day and not "bonk".

that said, there is ONE product that can even help those fat-fueled runners i just described. but again, only if you are running and hour or more. it's a technological breakthrough called "superstarch". it's a powder -> drink formula made by a company called Generation UCAN and basically it's a form of slow-release carbohydrate that doesn't affect blood sugars. in fact, even if you are in ketosis, this will not throw you out of it. it's pretty cool. it's been out about 5 years.

give it a try if you think you need some extra "oomph" on those long runs...

https://www.generationucan.com