Ep 24 Nutrition Q&A with Evan Lynch, and how to set your heart rate zones with René Borg
· Trail Running Ireland Podcast
With summer racing in sight, sports nutritionist Evan Lynch answers listener questions on everything from fuelling long runs to the post-race beer. First, René Borg explains how to test and set up your own heart rate and pace zones instead of relying on generic formulas.
René says formulas based on max heart rate are built on averages and rarely fit the individual. He uses four simple field tests: a 10-second all-out sprint for top speed, a six-minute time trial for the pace at VO2 max, a 30-minute all-out run for lactate threshold, and a nose-breathing test to find the aerobic threshold. The aerobic threshold marks the top of zone 2, zone 1 sits about 10% below it, the 30-minute heart rate is the top of zone 3, and the six-minute effort the top of zone 4. Gaps between the numbers show where a runner is weak, and retesting a few times a year stops any of them sliding.
Evan explains that body weight alone is a poor guide to whether you are eating enough. Better signs are waking up hungry, craving junk food, sleeping badly and struggling with your usual sessions. For sleep, he suggests cutting caffeine five or six hours before bed and eating a carbohydrate-rich meal a few hours before. On long runs, most people need around 60 grams of carbohydrate an hour, and the brand of sports drink matters less than the glucose-to-fructose mix. Ultra runners should vary textures and add protein or amino acids on very long efforts.