Noor Var Veen's Nutrition for a Multi-Day FKT in the Mountains

[French, Nederlands and English below]

Noor Var Veen, our Nutribay ambassador, tells us about her preparation for  the 800 kilometers of the Haute Route des Pyrénées (HRP), his return, his experiences, his nutrition and his changes.

Last month, I embarked on my biggest challenge yet: attempting to complete the 800-kilometer Haute Route des Pyrénées (HRP), across the highest trails from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, with, I hoped, the fastest cumulative time ever achieved. In practical terms, this means being on the road for more than sixteen hours a day for nine to ten days. Improving my nutrition and hydration was an essential prerequisite for achieving this goal. Now that the challenge is over, I want to share the most important lessons I learned during this preparation.

1. Less is not always more

Last winter, I saw a sports doctor for a checkup. He measured my body fat percentage and told me I could lose weight. To emphasize this point, he then enthusiastically placed two two-kilogram dumbbells in my hands. Losing weight during weeks of intensive training has always been difficult for me, which is why his advice prompted me to consult a sports dietitian. But her answer surprised me: given my plans, she saw absolutely no room for maneuver for me. In fact, she advised me to gain a little weight before the start, to build up a reserve.

More and more sports dietitians are convinced that lighter isn't necessarily better, and certainly not for women. With a little more weight, the body can absorb more and better handle high training volumes. This message hit home.

2. Fuel your workout, but for real

So I had to eat more, both during and outside of training. Fueling your workout is a common slogan, but actually doing it is another story. With long workouts and workdays, I regularly forgot to eat enough. I used gels during training, but I never counted a carb.

With the advice of my dietitian, I've significantly increased my daily intake in recent months. My diet now looks like this: a good breakfast, then a hearty snack (which I would have called lunch before), then a hearty lunch, another snack, dinner, and a bowl of cottage cheese with muesli and fruit before bed. At all these meals, I try to prioritize carbohydrates. On hard training days, I aim for 60% of my total energy intake from carbohydrates, although this is quite difficult to achieve.

During workouts lasting more than an hour, I eat something every 20 minutes, or about 80 to 100 grams of carbohydrates per hour. I make little distinction between easy and intense sessions. Even at a low heart rate, the body simply needs fuel.

What does it mean? It's difficult to determine precisely, but one thing is noticeable: my body seems to be handling the high training load this season better. I especially notice a difference in terms of recovery. After intense running days of 50 to 80 kilometers, I often feel surprisingly fit the next day.

3. Test, test, test

My experience with multi-day ultras is still limited. Previously, I participated in ultras lasting a maximum of 2,5 days, but what I'm doing now is of a completely different nature. That's why my physical preparation also included several blocks of long-distance runs over three consecutive days. This immediately gave me the opportunity to test my nutrition program.

One of the biggest challenges is that on these days, you run so long that you skip breakfast, lunch, and dinner. During ultramarathons lasting up to 30 hours, I never really encountered this problem: with sports nutrition like gels, drink mixes, and the occasional supplement, I was fine. But now I notice: I'm hungry. Really hungry. My stomach is crying out for something more substantial. Especially considering I'll probably be consuming around 8 kcal a day.

So for my FKT attempt, I'm opting for a combination of sports nutrition (gels, drinks, gum, and bars) to get enough carbohydrates, supplemented with real food to promote satiety and digestion. Over the past few months, I've tested many sports nutrition products and compiled a list of my favorites (see below). Plus, my best friend, who's also a great cook, is coming along and providing easy-to-digest meals: oatmeal for breakfast (to go), savory snacks like rice bars, a hearty lunch to enjoy, and a double portion for dinner.

4. Give your body a little extra

My final piece of advice: if you demand a lot from your body, you must also give it something. And I'm not necessarily talking about dietary supplements. I take them in consultation with my doctor, but it's very personal and depends on each individual. However, I've discovered two more general things that I'd like to share.

First: Protein during the race. One of the biggest challenges during long days in the mountains is preserving your quads, which will be put to the test during long descents. Some experts recommend taking protein during ultras to limit muscle breakdown. During the UTMB last year, I tested recovery shakes certified as "safe for exercise" at relay points. My stomach tolerated it well, and it seemed to make a huge difference: I preserved my quads and was able to run the final descents better than the year before. So, during the FKT, I take recovery shakes (with whey and carbohydrates) midday, or even every time I see my team.

Second: Morello cherry juice. One of my best discoveries for recovery is drinking morello cherry juice immediately after training. Research shows that morello cherries have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It's also used by cyclists in the Tour de France, which is what convinced me to try it. It's hard to say if it's really thanks to the morello cherry juice, but I feel like it significantly boosts my recovery. Plus, it tastes fresh and pleasant. I use 40D Sports Nutrition's 6 ml concentrated shots, diluted with 250 ml of water.

My favorite sports nutrition for multi-day ultra-competitions:

1. Precision Fuel & Hydration Gel PF 90 : Actually, three servings of PF 30 gel in a single resealable pouch. Neutral, not too sweet, and easy to measure. One pouch contains 90 grams of carbohydrates.

2. Ta Energy BIO energy bars : Admittedly, I don't like chewing bars while running. Many are too dry or taste downright bad. But after a few hours, you can't get away with gels alone. After many tries, here's my favorite: the Organic Apricot & Cashew Energy Bar from Ta Energy. Sour, juicy, small, not too sweet. The other flavors are also good, but this one stands out.

3. Santa Madre Jelly Bars : Actually, they're just candy, but with 37g of carbohydrates in a glucose-fructose ratio of 1:0,5. All flavors are delicious, especially the cola (caffeine-free) variety. Another not-too-sweet candy: PF&H PF 30 Chew Mint-Lemon.

4. GU Energy Caramel Macchiato : A good gel to combat "taste fatigue" (a concept well known to ultra-runners). I find it has a good coffee flavor and I appreciate its firm texture (to be taken with water) and its caffeine content. Small and light, it is always easy to carry.

5. Baouw Natural Gels Speaking of taste, these 30g gels are truly delicious. Made with natural ingredients (60% fruit, agave syrup, extra virgin olive oil), they're probably healthier than most other gels. My favorites: Apricot-Thyme, Red Berries-Hibiscus, and Peach-Matcha. They're very practical and easy to open and close.

 

Voeding voor een meerdaagse FKT in de Bergen

This week we have a long way to go all the way: the 800 kilometer long Haute Route des Pyrénées (HRP) will take you over, over the course of the Atlantic Ocean in the Middellandse Zee, but, in the end, you will have to do so. In practice this means that you don't have to worry about it if you're on the other side of the road. The fact that my hydration was essential was essential for you to be healthy. Nu de bred voorbij est, wil ik de belangrijkste lessen die ik tijdens deze voorbereiding heb geleerd, met jullie delen.

1. Less is not always more

Afgelopen winter bezocht ik een sportarts voor een check-up. Hij nam mijn vetpercentage op en vertelde dat ik best wat gewicht kon verliezen. Now that I can't wait for you, I'll get excited about twee halters with twee kilos in hand. Please note that your training session is your most recent training session, so your advice was given to you when you contact us and you are a sports enthusiast. Now you can see me: put my plans in front of you so you don't have to worry about them. Sterker nog: ze raadde me aan om in de aanloop naar de start juist een beetje aan te komen, om een ​​buffertje op te bouwen.

Steeds meer sportdiëtisten zijn ervan overtuigd dat lichter niet per se beter est, en zeker niet voor vrouwen. Met iets meer gewicht kan je lichaam meer hebben en beter omgaan met grote trainingsvolumes. Die boodschap sloeg aan.

2. Fuel your training, always

I know most of the times, but you can train them a lot. Fuel your training is een veelgehoorde kreet, maar het ook echt doen is iets anders. Met combinations of long-term training and werkdagen vergat ik regelmatig voldoende eten. Tijdens trainingen gebruikte ik wel gels, maar ik had nog nooit een koolhydraat geteld.

Met begeleiding van mijn diëtist heb ik de afgelopen maanden mijn dagelijkse inname flink verhoogd. Mijn voedingspatroon ziet er nu ongeveer zo uit: een goed ontbijt, daarna een stevige snack (die ik vroeger als lunch zou bestempeld hebben), vervolgens een grote lunch, nog een snack, avondeten, en voor het slapengaan een kom kwark met muesli en fruit. Then you will be able to probe it and then focus it on the koolhydrate. Op zware trainingsdagen streef ik naar 60% koolhydraten van mijn total energie-inname, al est dat best lastig haalbaar.

Tijdens trainingen van langer dan een uur eet ik elke 20 minutes iets, zo'n 80 tot 100 gram koolhydraten per uur. This means that it is wet and rusty during intensive sessions. Ook op lage hartslag heeft je lichaam gewoon brandstof nodig.

Where is he open? Moeilijk precies aan te wijzen, maar één ding valt op: mijn lichaam lijkt veel beter om te gaan met de hoge trainingsbelasting van dit seizoen. Please note that this item is written in verse. It's about 50 to 80 kilometers long and it's a good fit.

3. Test, test, test

Mijn ervaring met meerdaagse ultrainspanningen est nog beperkt. Ik liep ultraraces van maximaal 2,5 dag, maar wat ik nu ga doen est van een heel etere order. The best way to do this is to take a long time to do it and to put it in place. Dat gaf me meteen de kans om mijn voedingsplan te testen.

When the grots are served it is dat je op zulke dagen zo lang aan het lopen bent dat je eigenlijk het bijt, lunch én avondeten overslaat. In ultraruns tot 30 uur vond ik dat nooit echt een problem: met sportvoeding zoals gels, drink mixes en af ​​en toe iets extra's redde ik het prima. Maar nu merk ik: ik krijg gewoon honger. Echte honger. Mijn maagt verlangt naar iets substantiëlers. Zeker als je dedenkt dat ik waarschijnlijk zo'n 8000 kcal per dag zal bruiken.

You can also use FKT-boosting products in combination with sports ingredients (gels, drinks, chews and refills) with some koolhydrates and krijgen, which can also be added to the mixture. De afgelopen maanden heb ik flink getest met sportvoeding en een favoriteetenlijst samengesteld (zie onderaan). So it's a good idea to eat some of the best things you can do, and you'll have to eat some vegetables: overnight oats are on the go (on-the-go), you'll have some delicious snacks, and you'll have lunch or even you'll have some lunch, and you'll have a double portie. avondeten.

4. Geef je lichaam een ​​beetje extra

The next thing you know: although I really know what I'm talking about, I'm sure it's still there. In addition, there are no supplements. Die neem ik in overleg met mijn arts wel, maar dat est heel persoonlijk en affhankelijk van het individu. Wel heb ik twee meer algemene dingen ontdekt die ik graag deel.

Ten first: eiwitten during het lopen. A big problem with the shoulder strap is the heel of the quadriceps, which is when the strap is affected. Sommige expert adviseren om tijdens ultra's eiwit in te nemen, om spierafbraak you beperken. Tijdens UTMB vorig jar experimenteerde ik met 'safe for sport'-certified recovery shakes op crewpunten. Mijn maag kon het goed aan, en het leek een enorm verschil te maken: ik hield mijn quads beter heel en kon de laatste afdalingen beter lopen dan het jaar ervoor. Tijdens de FKT neem ik daarom recovery shakes (met whey en koolhydraten) halverwege de dag de zelfs elke keer dat ik mijn crew zie.

Ten tweede: zure kersensap (tart cherry juice in het Engels). Een van mijn beste ontdekkingen voor herstel est het drinksen van kersensap direct na de training. Uit research Please note that there are some antioxidative agents that are recommended to be used. Het wordt ook gebruikt door renners in de Tour de France, en dat gaf voor mij de doorslag om het eens te proberen. Of this door, the car handler is lastig te zeggen, but you can do it right now. recovery a huge boost. En het smaakt ook nog eens best fris en lekker. Ik gebruik de gebruik de 40ml-shots van 6D Sports Nutrition, aangelend mit 250ml water.

Mijn favorete sportvoeding voor meerdaagse ultra-ondernemingen

1. Precision Fuel & Hydration PF 90 Gel: Eigenlijk drie ports PF 30-gel in één hersluitbare packaging. Neutral, I don't know what to do, but I don't have to dose it. It contains 90 grams of koolhydrate. 

2. Your Energy BIO Energy Bars: Toegegeven: ik hou er niet van om repente te kauwen tijdens het lopen. You can see the droog of smaken ronduit slecht. Maar na een paar uur red je het niet meer op alleen gels. We have already tested it and said it was my favorite: Apricot & Cashew BIO Energy Bar from Ta Energy. Zuur, sappig, klein, niet te zoet. From then on, it's a good idea to do so. 

3. Santa Madre Jelly Bars This means that it contains 37g of koolhydrate in 1:0,5 glucose-fructose ratio. Alle smaken zijn lekker, vooral de colavariant (container caffeine). And yet it doesn't matter what it is: PF&H PF 30 Chew in mint & lemon. 

4. GU Energy Caramel Macchiato: There is a lot of gel in my skin that causes 'flavor fatigue' (and it also happens to ultra-worn people). Ik vind dat deze een goede koffieachtige smaak heeft en hou van de stevige structure (dus wel met water innemen) en het feit dat er wat caffeïne en zit. Small and light, due to the fact that they are there, they are still there.

5. Baouw Natural Gels: Over smaak gesproken: deze 30g-gels smaken echt goed. The natural ingredients (60% fruit, agave syrup, extra virgin olive oil), are also used in natural and gelled ingredients. Favorites: Abrikoos–Tijm, Rode Vruchten–Hibiscus en Perzik–Matcha. Heel handig dat je ze makkelijk kunnten en weer sluiten.

 

[English version]

Nutrition preparation for a multi-day mountain FKT  

Last month, I embarked on my biggest challenge yet: attempting to complete the 800-kilometer Haute Route des Pyrénées (HRP), crossing the highest trails from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, with, I hoped, the fastest cumulative time ever achieved. In practical terms, this means being on the road for more than sixteen hours a day for nine to ten days. Improving my nutrition and hydration was an essential prerequisite for achieving this goal. Now that the race is over, I want to share the most important lessons I learned during this preparation.

1. Less is not more

This winter, a sports physician I visited for a check-up measured my body fat percentage and told me I could lose some weight. He then enthusiastically handed me a pair of two-kilo dumbbells to really make me feel what a difference that could make. Weight loss during big training blocks has always been tricky for me, so his advice prompted me to reach out to a dietitian. But my nutritionist's answer was clear and surprising: I shouldn't lose any weight. In fact, she advised me to consider gaining some weight in the months leading up to the start, to build a little buffer. At the elite level, many nutritionists are now convinced that lighter is not better — especially for women. Carrying a bit more weight makes the body more resilient and better able to handle high training volumes.

2. So really (!) fuel your training

So I had to increase my calorie intake — both during and outside of training. Fuel your training is a phrase we hear all the time, but actually living by it is something else entirely. Between long training hours and work, I often just forgot to eat enough. While I had been relatively consistent with using gels during training, I had never counted a carb in my life. With the guidance of my nutritionist, I managed to increase my daily intake significantly over the past months.

Outside of training, I now start the day with a proper breakfast, followed by a solid snack (which I would previously have called lunch), then a big lunch, another snack, dinner, and a bowl of quark with some granola and fruit before bed. Within these meals, I focus much more on carbohydrates. On hard training days, I aim for 60% of my total energy intake to come from carbs — although reaching that number isn't always easy.

During training, I fuel every 20 minutes for any session longer than an hour, aiming for around 80–100 grams of carbs per hour. On my dietitian's advice, I don't distinguish much between easy and hard runs here. Even at a low heart rate, your body still needs fuel.

It's hard to isolate the effects of these changes in my daily calorie and carb intake, but one thing stands out: my body seems to be coping really well with the higher training volume this season. I've especially noticed it in my recovery. After long training days — running distances of 50 to 80 kilometers — I often feel surprisingly fresh the next day.

3. Testing, testing, testing

My experience with multi-day endurance efforts is still limited. I've done ultra races up to two and a half days, but nothing like what I'm planning now. So my physical preparation included several specific training blocks with back-to-back long runs over three days — but also gave me the chance to experiment with my nutrition.

One of the main challenges is that I'll be running for so long each day that I effectively skip breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In ultra races of up to 30 hours, I've never found that to be a problem. Sports nutrition — gels, drink mixes, chews — was always enough, with the occasional extra bite of something solid. But on these training days, I've noticed I get really hungry. My stomach craves something substantial. On top of that, I expect to burn around 8,000 kcal per day.

My fueling plan for the FKT attempt is therefore built around a combination of sports-specific fuel (gels, drinks, chews, and bars) to ensure a steady supply of carbohydrates, plus real food for satiety and digestion. Over the past months I've tested many products and refined my list of favorites (see below). On top of that, I'm bringing my best friend — who happens to be a great cook — to prepare easily digestible meals: overnight oats for breakfast (which I'll eat on the go), savory snacks like rice bars, a proper sit-down lunch, and a double-portion dinner.

4. Give the body a little extra

My final takeaway: when you ask a lot from your body, you have to give it a little extra. And I'm not talking about supplements here. Although I do take some (in consultation with my doctor), I believe every athlete's needs are individual, so I won't share general supplement advice here. Instead, here are two things that have helped me a lot, and might help others too.

First: protein during ultra efforts. One of the biggest challenges in long mountain runs is preserving your quadriceps. Several experts suggest that taking protein during races can help limit muscle breakdown. Last year at UTMB, I tried taking safe for sport-certified recovery shakes at crew-accessible aid stations. My stomach handled them well, and they seemed to make a huge difference. I noticed much less muscle damage, and I was able to run the final descents far better than the year before. During the FKT, I plan to take a recovery shake with whey protein and carbohydrates mid-run, or even, if needed, every time I see my crew.

Second: tart cherry juice. One of my best discoveries for recovery has been drinking concentrated sour cherry juice immediately after training. Research shows that tart cherry has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Pro cyclists in the Tour de France use it to recover from long, hard days — which was motivation enough for me to try it. While it's hard to isolate the exact effect, I feel it significantly boosts my recovery. Surprisingly, I actually like the taste — it's fresh and easy to drink. I use the 40ml concentrated pouches from 6D Sports Nutrition, diluted in 250ml of water.

My tested favorite sports fuel for multi-day ultra events:

1. Precision Fuel & Hydration PF 90 Gel: Basically three servings of the PF 30 gel in one resealable pouch. I like the neutral, not-too-sweet taste, and the fact that I can sip or squeeze out bigger portions depending on what I feel like. One pouch contains 90 grams of carbs.

2. Your Energy BIO energy bars: I'll be honest: I'm usually not a fan of chewing energy bars while running. Most are way too dry or just taste awful. But after a few hours, gels alone don't cut it anymore. I've searched far and wide and finally found a bar I actually like: the Apricot & Cashew BIO Energy Bar from Ta Energy. It's slightly sour, chewy, moist, small in size — and not overly sweet. The other flavors are great too, but this one's my favorite.

3. Santa Madre Jelly Bars: Basically candy, but with 37g of carbs in a 1:0.5 glucose-to-fructose ratio. I love them in every flavor, especially the cola version (no caffeine). Another great 'candy chew', which is way less sweet, is the Precision Fuel & Hydration PF 30 Chew in mint & lemon flavor. 

4. Gu Energy Caramel Macchiato: In my constant battle against fatigue flavor, this is a really good one I love the coffee-like taste, its thick texture (you'll want to drink water with it), and the caffeine kick. It's also small and light — easy to carry on every run.

5. Baouw Natural Gels: Speaking of flavor: these 30g carb gels are really good. Made from all-natural ingredients (60% fruit, agave syrup, and extra virgin olive oil), they taste better and are probably healthier than most gels. My favorites are Apricot–Thyme, Red Fruit–Hibiscus, and Peach–Matcha. They're also easy to open and reseal.