Breakfast Before
Breakfast should be light and high in carbohydrate, cereals, toast and porridge are good examples. To start your caffeine loading program, drink one 750ml bottle of Energy Drink Caffeine Hit, in the period 60 to 90 minutes before the start of you ride. At the same time take the following Energy Gel Caffeine which contain a moderate caffeine content.
50kg to 60kg: 1 x Energy Gel Caffeine
60kg to 70kg: 2 x Energy Gel Caffeine
70kg to 90kg: 3 x Energy Gel Caffeine
You can substitute Energy Gel Aqua Caffeine for Energy Gel Caffeine.
During your event
To maximise your carbohydrate intake, you should focus on drinking as much Energy Drink with Protein as possible. Depending on how much you are able to drink, you may need to take gel to further boost your carbohydrate intake. If you drink the following amounts of Energy Drink with Protein each hour, you should also take the number of gels shown:
800ml to 1200ml: No Gel
600ml: 1 x Energy Gel Caffeine
400ml: 2 x Gels
200ml: 3 x Gels
The first gel each hour should be Energy Gel Caffeine. Any remaining gels taken in that hour should be standard Energy Gel (no caffeine).
Sensitive To Caffeine?
If you have a medical condition or do not wish to use caffeine for another reason, then simply switch each of the products detailed above with the non-caffeine equivalent from HIGH5 and ignore the section on caffeine loading before your event.
Anti-cramp strategy
The American College of Sports Nutrition states that:
“Muscle cramps are associated with dehydration and electrolyte deficits and muscle fatigue.”
Adding ZERO Neutral Tabs to your drink boosts the electrolyte content and provides magnesium. This might be particularly useful in hot conditions.
After
Drink 400ml Recovery Drink as soon as you finish. Eat a balanced meal one to two hours later.
In the late evening drink 400ml Recovery Drink. When mixed with milk, Recovery Drink is absorbed more slowly and provides a long lasting feed while you sleep.
Notes
- Substitute Energy Gel Aqua for Energy Gel if you wish.
- These guidelines should provide your body with the maximum amount of carbohydrate it can absorb. Try not eat anything else, as normal solid food will slow the absorption of the special High5 carbohydrate. If you do feel the urge to eat solid food, then stick to rapidly absorbed carbohydrate such as white bread (with just a smear of spread to help it go down), pasta or high carbohydrate energy bars. Try to stay away from meat and high fat items such as chocolate.
- Carbo-loading before an event can increase the amount of carbohydrate you have stored by 30%.
- If you drink 1000ml per hour and are therefore not taking gel with caffeine during your event, you should aim to consume 500ml Energy Drink Caffeine Hit once every 3.5 hours (heavy weight riders) to 5 hours (lighter riders). This will keep your caffeine levels in the performance enhancing zone.
- A few of the riders that suffer from cramps, may also find that caffeine can make them worse, so you may wish to substitute the caffeine products listed with their non-caffeine equivalents.