Text and photo: Maxim

Drink before you get thirsty!
When the temperature rises, it is extra important to be careful with what you drink and eat.

- Weather and temperature have an impact on fluid requirements. Being as well hydrated as possible throughout the run is important and will contribute to feeling good and being able to perform at your best. Studies have shown that runners who lose as little as 2% of their body weight through sweat experience a drop in blood volume. This can contribute to muscle cramps, fatigue, and dizziness. Consuming sports drinks will give you fluid, carbohydrates and salts that help you keep your fluid balance and energy up during the race, explains Tonje Dominguez, nutritionist at Orkla Health.

She also points out that there are very large individual differences in how much you sweat and how big a loss you have of minerals per deciliter of sweat.

- The most important thing is that you avoid that "dipping", where you notice that you have drunk too little. Then it's too late. If you drink before you get thirsty, you stay up steadily, but you also must train for this, she says.

Many people will be going out all the way on Saturday - and then it is especially important to get enough drink and nutrition along the way.

The rule to remember: Drink before you get thirsty!

We advise you to consume sports drinks at all stations. Sports drinks contain important salts that maintain the fluid balance in the body so that you can run faster and last longer.

Food and drink the day before the race
The day before the race, it is important to replenish the glycogen stores in the muscles. Focus on consuming food rich in carbohydrates, such as pasta, potatoes, rice, bread etc. And reduce your intake of food rich in fiber and fat. A lot of fiber the day before a big race or ride will be unfavourable, since a lot of the fiber will be with you, in the gut. Also choose food your stomach is already familiar with. It is also important to hydrate well, choose drinks with electrolytes, for example Maxim Total Hydration.

Food and drink in the hours before the start
Breakfast with a lighter bread with jam or syrup, light oatmeal with berries or other good things that are easy to eat, and digest is advisable to eat 2-4 hours before the start. Also focus on drinking well, preferably juice or milk.

An hour before the start, both appetite is often reduced and focus elsewhere than on food intake. Then it might be a good idea to have food that tempts you, with fast carbohydrates, readily available. For example, energy bars, banana or dried fruit.

Maxim Energy bars contain a lot of carbohydrates in a small volume. They are easy to have available in the hour before the start and are easy for the body to digest quickly. If you struggle with appetite before the start, it is also nice to eat something good and simple.

15 minutes before the start, take an energy gel or dried fruit and approx. a glass of water. This is because it takes 15-20 minutes before the carbohydrate you consume is available as energy for the muscle, and you therefore want to start with the best possible starting point.

During the race
About. 20 minutes into the race, it's a good idea to fill up with more carbohydrates from, for example, a gel or sports drink. This is in order not to run out and to keep the energy up throughout the race. Continue to consume carbohydrates every 20 minutes until the race is finished.

MAXIM Gel
Maxim Gel contains simple carbohydrates, such as glucose and fructose, which are the types of sugar that are recommended for all athletes and exercisers to provide the most and fastest possible energy to the muscles. The 2:1 ratio with glucose:fructose gives you the opportunity to consume as much as 90 g of carbohydrates per hour, which gives the muscles the best conditions to perform max. Even if you do not consume as much as 90 g of carbohydrates, both because you are a fast runner who reaches the finish line in under 2 hours and do not have that need, or if you do not have a stomach that is used to consuming sports nutrition during physical activity, this relationship will reduce the risk of stomach problems along the way.

Maxim is now launching a new raspberry flavored gel drink, which contains caffeine. Caffeine reduces the perception of how fast you feel during the ride/race, and increases both performance and performance. This will be very welcome for several towards the end of the race.

Of course, we have lots of Maxim sports drinks with us for Sport1's sales fair, and hope you follow the advice and wish you the best of luck!