Race fueling for a young teenager???

Not sure how much fuel he'd need during the event itself. That probably depends partly on how long he'd be out there. I personally don't usually take in any nutrition in a sprint, with the possible exception of a few swallows of sports drink on the run if it's offered, but I'm an adult (albeit, at 115 pounds, maybe not that much bigger than your son), and doing the event in about 75 minutes. I think if he's likely to finish close to/over 90 minutes, it would definitely be helpful for him to have something, probably on the bike. Natural stuff such as fruit would be healthier for training, but gels are a lot easier to handle in a race situation,

Not sure what the scientific basis for this is, but I think my energy needs in racing were greater when I was younger. I've been a distance runner since age 10, and ran my first marathon at 14. I recall "bonking" a lot when I was a younger teen in long races, but not since age 18 or so. It's possible the issue was more one of pacing or hydration than nutrition (I know I also struggled much more with running in the heat until my late teens) but wondering if someone who isn't yet physically mature might have greater/different calorie needs than an adult. if in doubt, I'd have your son carry an extra gel for the run. Whatever he does, make sure he tries out his plan at least once prior to the race so he'll know how to eat them "on the run" and know how his body will respond.

Edited by Hot Runner 2014-03-23 9:18 AM

at 13 he should be eating anything and everything, I wouldn't worry too much about in race fuel, maybe some sports drink, not knowing his ability level, I would expect a total time 1:20-1:40. For me being 35 I do notice I need to get a bump around every 45-50 mins in long runs and can do ok with some sport drink (1-2 oz) only in a sprint tri during the bike with a bit of water. Its a tough call on it though, I run with a HRM and GPS watch and will notice my HR climb and my speed dip, and my movements feeling sluggish as I deplete my energy reserve. I am working on a deep ketogenic diet, which should eliminate my need for too much nutrition. For safety concerns I will carry a gel or two on my long run/bike's, just to make it back.