Nutrition During the Race
Walking a few miles on a cool day does not require much thought to nutrition during the walk. However, race a 10K or more on a hot day and careful consideration is needed. Walking far or in the heat requires you to consider hydration.  By the time you feel thirsty, it’s too late. Plan your hydration carefully. While everyone’s exact needs vary, the average person is capable of absorbing a liter of water an hour.  Drinking more will likely get you sick; drink too much less and you’ll dehydrate. You need a careful balance.

Take care not to drink too much water without any electrolytes.  Equally as dangerous as dehydration is hyponutremia, a condition marked by low blood sodium levels.  Low blood sodium leads to nausea, fatigue, vomiting, weakness, sleepiness, and in rare severe cases, even death. During the race, either consume a straight or diluted electrolyte drink, or alternate between water and an electrolyte drink.

Longer races require additional nutritional considerations. Your body stores approximately 2000 calories in the form of glycogen.  Putting the rough estimate of the caloric expenditure of race walking at 100 calories per mile, after about twenty miles, you deplete your glycogen supply.  Known as “hitting the wall,” once reached, it is very difficult to continue racing.   If you do continue, your pace slows as you burn fat instead of glycogen.  Fat is less accessible and a slower fuel for your starving muscles.

The solution is to replace the glycogen with a readily usable form of carbohydrates. You already add some carbohydrates to your system in the form of your electrolyte drink.  Two other forms are energy bars or gel shots.  Pick your energy bar carefully.  When racing, you want a bar high in carbohydrates and low in fat and protein. A gel shot is a form of simple carbohydrates that usually tastes like icing. Absorbed very quickly by the body, gel shots are best used late in a race for a final surge of added energy.

Be aware that many products contain caffeine. Aside from adding to the risk of dehydration, caffeine is a USATF-controlled substance. You are limited to 12 micrograms per milliliter of urine. While it takes about eight cups of coffee over several hours to reach that amount, combine a few pre-race cups of coffee with other products and you may be over the legal limit. Always monitor how much caffeine you take in.

Properly selected, energy bars provide a good source of energy during a race.  However, because they take a while to chew and digest, they are best used earlier in the race so you get time to digest and utilize their energy.

While racing, opening energy bar or gel shot wrappings is difficult. Make sure you pre-open your carbo-source to save time and frustration.