Nutrition with Rupert Bonington

This episode is dedicated to Fueling and Nutrition, and you can watch it here. We had a lovely chat with Rupert Bonington from Mountain Fuel, the first company to exclusively specialise in the formulation and development of nutritionally balanced supplements targeted at individuals involved in extreme & endurance sports.

Long Run Fuel Bundles 

Sometimes it can be hard to know how much and when to eat on a long run or race. We end up carrying too much, or not having enough and flagging. Mountain Fuel is a complete sports nutrition system and these bundles help with knowing what to eat and when.

We have also provided lots of flavour combinations so you can pick and choose exactly what you enjoy 😋 Subscribe to get a regular delivery so you never run out and also get 15% off!

 See Long Run Fuel Bundles

“Whether you’re vegan, whether you’re on a low-fat, high-carb diet – you have to find the products that work for you. If you’re doing an ultra, you have to think carefully about what you’re going to have at the aid station. A lot of people carry too much food,” Rupert mentioned. You need to be in touch with the organiser and find out what they normally provide or even get in touch with people on Facebook groups to find more information.

The key principle is quite simple, especially when it comes to ultras: eat little and often and try to opt for things that are easy on the stomach but can release decent amounts of energy – like rice balls and salted boiled potatoes. “Create something that binds itself together so that when you get it out, it doesn’t crumble,” Rupert added.

You are looking at something like 30-60 grams of carbs per hour. Energy drinks typically have around 40g of carbs and often include your electrolytes and minerals as well. Rupert also recommends having a recovery fuel midway through a long-distance ultra.

How do you motivate yourself to eat when you’re not hungry?

Rupert recommends starting as early as 15 minutes in, even if you’re only sipping and nibbling. “People kind of think that they’ve got an hour and a half worth of energy in their systems – which is true. But if you wait till then, your glycogen levels have already depleted, and you’ve sucked the life out of your muscles. If you’re doing a big, long ultra, the better you replenish your muscles, the less stressed they become, and this means you’re less likely to cramp up and have issues.”

Jonathan Albon, who is a world champion, sets the alarm on his watch to remind himself to eat or drink something every 20 minutes. If you don’t naturally do it, Rupert recommends Jonathan’s method.

What would be the ideal meal the night before the race?

“I would avoid processed foods, meaty meals, and generally things that are hard for your body to break down. For example, if you eat a massive steak the night before the race, your body will be trying to break it down for around six hours, and it’s not going to help you sleep very well.”

When it comes to short runs (around one hour, one hour, and a half) in the morning, you can skip “breakfast” – especially if you are trying to lose weight. It’s important to keep in mind that running on an empty stomach is quite challenging and is not recommended in general.