La Trans Aq'

Self Sufficiency

Self Sufficiency
Doctor Cerium's approach to dietary needs during the Trans Aq'

Self Sufficiency

Dietary Self sufficiency

Clauses 13 and 23b of the rules have been updated

Many of you have asked us questions about dietary self sufficiency…..

So here are a few guidelines !

Weight :

Your objective is to carry a bag as light as possible without starving to death !

Less than 3kg for “grub” is practically a magic act.

Calories :

The mandatory 2000 kcals per day is very little.

Some of you will need more.

You must be practically a maniac if you want to carry an ultra-light bag containing only the lowest authorised limits

State of Mind

It’s better to carry calories than wrappings.

A classical beginners error is to carry 500g or 1kg of wrappings. Leave your tins at home ; The same applies if you choose pre- prepared (dried) food stuffs, throw away the wrappings (at the start of the race), and use light plastic bags instead (freezer bags for example).

Balancing

Of course in order to keep your form during the 6 days you must think about balancing your diet.

You’ll find numerous press articles concerning this subject.

Nevertheless let’s state the Russian Derksen who won the Marathon des Sables 4 times and who ate practically nothing but peanuts….

Nutritionists advise generally a daily intake of 60% sugars 30% fats and 10% protein.

Small Budgets

There’s no point in buying expensive dried foodstuffs.

Go to your favourite supermarket and you’ll find practically everything at discount prices…

Myself, I don’t eat dried meats for economical and weight-carrying reasons and because I don’t want meals with sauces. Instead I take a dose of ACM 20 bought at the chemists. This is concentrated protein ; one bag covers daily requirements. For 13g, wrapping included, you avoid the weight of 2 chicken drumsticks !

A Typical Day

This is what I usually eat during this type of race :

Breakfast 35g cornflakes (frosties) with powdered milk.
A honey wafer biscuit Bjorg (141 kcals for 32g !).
Whilst waiting for the start I drink 1 litre of a “Carbolode/water” mix (powdered slow-burning sugars)
No tea or coffee, I’m too lazy to boil water – but of course you may.

During the stage No bars (sticky mouth), I prefer energy gels such as Squeezy by Leppin

Lunch I eat practically nothing because at the end of a stage my stomach plays up. I drink a recuperation preparation (Sportenin Boiron for example) and eat 35g of cashew nuts, wholemeal cereal biscuits or even better dates.

Dinner A feast : another 35g of cashew nuts, then ready-made concentrated soup (a double dose), and then I cook myself some rice, pasta or semolina, 70 to 100g. If I’ve been good than I treat myself to another honey wafer biscuit. And that’s it ! 2000 kcals per day and 2900g wrappings included.

Vitamins and Minerals

You can’t keep and carry fresh fruit for 6 days. To avoid deficiencies 3 to 5 Isoxan tablets (bought at the chemists). These are dosed according to heat and other factors.

Cooking

No need for a spirit stove (too heavy) ; a 70g aluminium dish, 3 stones for the fireplace, concentrated alcohol pastels, a lighter – and that’s it !

Of course the above are just some general guidelines. Adapt this advice to your own tastes, the pleasure aspect is extremely important for morale…

Doctor Cerium's approach to dietary needs during the Trans Aq'

First of all a little theory:

· 1g of sugar = 4 kcals

· 1g of protein = 4 kcals

· 1g of fat = 9 kcals

So at first view if you put 2 litres of oil in your camelback with a potato to give it a chippy taste you'll have enough calories for the week... Isn't that just great?!

Well, nearly... a few subtleties are to be taken into consideration, otherwise I'm going to get a telling off!

Sugars give the energy that is used by the muscles, by using what is stocked in the muscles, the liver and the blood.

Proteins are what make muscles, the Lego that is used to build the body. They must be rapidly replaced after a race to rebuild the muscle.

Fats protect organs against shocks and cold, they transport insoluble vitamins, they make membranes for certain hormones, they supply essential fatty acids and are also an energy reserve, practically inexhaustible but not efficient pour rapid use.

It's useful, important even, to start recovery and energy recharging at the latest one hour after the end of the stage to have maximum benefit.

The easiest and most practical method is the famous recovery drink.

It must contain at least 1/3^rd protein for muscle rebuild, and 2/3^rd sugar (carbohydrates) for the energy and a little fat for everything to work correctly.

To top it all the sugar will provoke insulin, which is a natural anabolic hormone that helps with protein absorption and so to rebuilding muscle.

I use Powerbar recovery or the chocolate flavoured Sportvital Quadra Pro with powdered milk, of course, to make it a little more tasty.

And this as soon as you arrive, easy to prepare and take even if you're not really hungry after your efforts. This drink can also be used as a quick breakfast.

I don't really know the Isoxan products, but it would seem to be just vitamins and minerals, I think it's a more useful product to use during your preparation if you don't follow a well-balanced diet. For a week's racing you'll not really have a deficiency unless you arrive with one that you've had for years...

After this I've all my time to prepare my afternoon snack, flavoured mashed potatoes (pot-snacks) a few cashew nuts for a cocktail, tomato soup, small milky coffee with a few butter biscuits or waffles...

For the evening meal, chinese noodles of various tastes and strange names (kimchi, shin ramyun, chapagetti, lajiao ramen) but it's usually all Korean. And a Valerian-based tablet an hour before bedtime to get a good night's sleep. In go the earplugs, don't put them in upside-down...!

My menu

Morning: 70 g muesli with 26 g powdered full-cream milk and 10 g of wheatgerm, water for mixing. This gives 106 g for 495 kcals. Wheatgerm I take by habit and for the high quality protein it brings, the rest brings vitamins and good quality fats.

During the stage: 1 to 4, 41 g gels depending on the distance and 2 to 4, 35 g doses of an isotonic drink depending on the number of aid stations (one bottle at the start line then one at each aid station). Equally a little neutral maltodextrin goes into the start line water bottle.

In total I had 2 445 kcals/day; 1 765 g for 6 862 kcals at the first start line, 1 165 g for 4 511 kcals in my drop bag for the second part of the race, so a ratio of 387 kcals/100 g.

A more efficient system does exist though; 2 litres of oil in the camelback and hup! 18 000 kcals in one go, that's performance!!!

And not forgetting the 956 g for 2 912 kcals in my drop bag for eating on the beach at Cap Ferret.

For solids during the race, I prefer to avoid foods that I won't be able to digest before the finish line, but it can be psychologically good to nibble a few cashew nuts or something.

You can find, these days the equivalent of gels in the form of jelly bars, a solution giving you something to chew and at the same time bringing usable energy (ride shots from Powerbar or others).

Bon appétit

http://www.kikourou.net/recits/recit-9474-la_trans_aq-2009-par-cerium.html

Pierre-André Maillard*