The Fuelling Mistake That Ruins Long Races
RunLab
5,797 views
How do elite ultra runners keep fuel down? Nausea and stomach upset end more ultramarathons than almost anything else, but GI issues on the run usually have a clear cause you can fix.
In this video we sit down with sports scientist Chris Harris during UTMB week. He looks after the race fuelling strategy for Western States winner Caleb Olson, and he breaks down why your body rejects fuel mid-race and why the culprit is often how much you've drunk rather than how much you've eaten. Most nausea in ultras comes from fuel sitting in the stomach without enough water to absorb it, a process called delayed gastric emptying. We also cover how many grams of carbs to aim for each hour, how to reset when your stomach turns, and how to train your gut for race-day fuelling. GI issues are also what ended Chris's Backyard Ultra earlier this season.
Elite trail runner Vlad Shatrov adds how he uses real food once races go beyond 50 km, and gives a full update on the hamstring injury he picked up at UTMB.
Whether you are training for your first 100 miler, coming back from a race your stomach ended, or just want to keep fuel down on long runs, this video gives you a practical way to fuel better, reset when nausea hits, and train your gut before race day.
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A big thanks to our friends at Altra, who not only look after our feet on the trails but also support the channel and help us bring these videos to you. With room for your toes, plus comfort, balance and strength built in, Altra helps you stay out there longer.
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📌 Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:40 Why Nausea Happens in Ultras
02:33 The Hydration Mistake That Causes Nausea
03:35 How to Recover From GI Upset
05:00 When to Eat Real Food
05:51 How to Train Your Gut to Handle Fuel
08:18 Vlad's Injury Update
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📺 Related Videos
UTMB Doc: How to Survive Your Worst Race Day
How to Survive Your Worst Race Day | A UTM...
Mistake That Ended My Backyard Ultra
The Mistake That Ended My Backyard Ultra
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8 Comments
Sorry to hear what Vlad was dealing with. Hope the hamstring heals well and you’re back running properly soon.
I had a similar experience in my own marathon recently, obviously on a much smaller scale than UTMB. Months of training went perfectly, then about halfway through the race my legs suddenly became incredibly painful and I ended up hobbling/walking/half running my way to the finish, obviously not in my target time, and now recovering my hamstring as well.
It’s amazing how much emotion comes out at the end after all that training and expectation. Seeing Vlad in tears at the finish really resonated. Huge respect for getting it done.
All the best for the recovery Vlad
All the best with the healing Vlad, I hope you're back on the trails fit and healthy soon.
Carb intake of 60-80g/hr is interesting, but also peoples bodys are different and most dont absorb that amount so they need to over shoot to get the body to absorb the amount required. Eg some going 100-120g/hr intake, but body only sees the lesser eg 60-80g/hr
The Fuelling Mistake That Ruins Long Races
RunLab
5,797 views
How do elite ultra runners keep fuel down? Nausea and stomach upset end more ultramarathons than almost anything else, but GI issues on the run usually have a clear cause you can fix.
In this video we sit down with sports scientist Chris Harris during UTMB week. He looks after the race fuelling strategy for Western States winner Caleb Olson, and he breaks down why your body rejects fuel mid-race and why the culprit is often how much you've drunk rather than how much you've eaten. Most nausea in ultras comes from fuel sitting in the stomach without enough water to absorb it, a process called delayed gastric emptying. We also cover how many grams of carbs to aim for each hour, how to reset when your stomach turns, and how to train your gut for race-day fuelling. GI issues are also what ended Chris's Backyard Ultra earlier this season.
Elite trail runner Vlad Shatrov adds how he uses real food once races go beyond 50 km, and gives a full update on the hamstring injury he picked up at UTMB.
Whether you are training for your first 100 miler, coming back from a race your stomach ended, or just want to keep fuel down on long runs, this video gives you a practical way to fuel better, reset when nausea hits, and train your gut before race day.
📱 Our Channel Partner
RunMotion plans are built by real runners and coaches, with coaching logic built into the system, not just a generic algorithm.
RunLab viewers get a free month of premium here:
https://bit.ly/RunMotion-RunLab
💧 Our Fuel and Hydration Partner
Get 15% off your Precision order, discount automatically applied through this link:
https://bit.ly/precision-runlab-discount
Build your own race fuelling and hydration plan with Precision's free planner:
https://bit.ly/PrecisionTrainingPlanner
👟 Our Footwear Partner
A big thanks to our friends at Altra, who not only look after our feet on the trails but also support the channel and help us bring these videos to you. With room for your toes, plus comfort, balance and strength built in, Altra helps you stay out there longer.
Check out the range here:
https://bit.ly/altra-runlab
📌 Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:40 Why Nausea Happens in Ultras
02:33 The Hydration Mistake That Causes Nausea
03:35 How to Recover From GI Upset
05:00 When to Eat Real Food
05:51 How to Train Your Gut to Handle Fuel
08:18 Vlad's Injury Update
🎒 Gear we use
Some links below are affiliate links. Buying through them supports the channel at no extra cost to you.
The Lights We Use:
https://bit.ly/Fenix-RunLab
Use Code RUNLAB20 for 20% off (Australia only)
The Sweat Sensor We Use:
https://alnk.to/a47u9qq
The Ice Bandana We Use:
https://bit.ly/ice-bandana
Our Favourite Running Singlets:
https://bit.ly/blacksheep-RunLab
📺 Related Videos
UTMB Doc: How to Survive Your Worst Race Day
How to Survive Your Worst Race Day | A UTM...
Mistake That Ended My Backyard Ultra
The Mistake That Ended My Backyard Ultra
🏃♂️ Follow Vlad
Strava
Strava: strava
Instagram
Instagram: vlad_protrailrunner
🎥 Follow Chris
Strava
Strava: strava
Instagram
Instagram: chrisbeavon
🎬 Follow RunLab Media
Instagram
Instagram: runlabmedia
📩 Business enquiries
info@runlab.media