What should I eat the night before a Spartan or DEKA?

A familiar, carbohydrate-rich dinner such as pasta, rice or potatoes, with no experiments and nothing heavy. On race morning, have the same breakfast you test on your long training sessions, a few hours before your wave or heat.

How is the supplementation personalised?

You fill in a short questionnaire covering your age, weight, caffeine tolerance, rest and goal. From your answers we prepare a pre-race, race and recovery pack designed for your format, and it is delivered to your hotel room ready to use on race day.

Are the health questions a diagnosis?

No. The health questions in the questionnaire are only used to personalise your supplementation and are not a medical diagnosis. They simply help us decide what goes into your pack so it suits your format, your caffeine tolerance and your goal.

What if I have allergies or intolerances?

[Confirm how they are entered in the questionnaire and which alternatives exist.]

Does it work for a DEKA as well as a Spartan?

Yes. The plan adapts to your format: in a DEKA MILE or a Spartan Sprint you need little or nothing during the race, while a Super, a Beast or a long DEKA FIT calls for gels and electrolytes to hold your pace to the end.

Protein, energy gels and sports supplements for race day on a table

Service guide

Spartan and DEKA race nutrition: what to eat before, during and after

Eat a familiar, carbohydrate-rich dinner the night before, your usual breakfast on race morning and nothing new on the day. What you eat in the 24 hours before decides how you finish; here is what works, and we leave your pack ready in your room.

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Nutrition in 30 seconds

The night before: A familiar, carbohydrate-rich dinner
Breakfast: Your usual one, a few hours before your wave
During: Gels and electrolytes over the long distances
After: Protein and carbohydrates to recover
The golden rule: Nothing new on race day

What to eat before a Spartan or DEKA

Dinner the night before is for refuelling: a plate of carbohydrates you know well (pasta, rice, potatoes), with no experiments and nothing heavy. Breakfast on race day, a few hours before your wave, should be the same one you try out on your long training sessions.

What to eat during the race: it depends on the distance

In a Sprint or a DEKA MILE you do not need to eat anything during the race. In a Super, a Beast or a long DEKA FIT, a gel or some food and electrolytes at the aid stations help you hold your pace to the end.

Whatever you take during the race, try it first in training: your stomach needs training too.

What to eat after the race to recover

Once you cross the finish line, a protein shake or a meal with protein and carbohydrates helps you recover. If you are doing the Trifecta or racing on Saturday and Sunday, what you eat on Saturday afternoon is your preparation for Sunday.

Why you should try nothing new on race day

The most common mistake is trying something for the first time: a gel someone handed you at the expo, a different hotel breakfast, a new energy drink. That is why we prepare your pack in advance, so you can try it and arrive with everything familiar.

What the nutrition plan includes

Before: pre-workout
To arrive alert at the start. [Confirm product.]
During: gels and electrolytes
Fast carbohydrates and electrolytes for the long distances.
During: bars
Something solid for the aid stations of a Beast or an Ultra.
After: protein
To recover at the finish and between the Trifecta races.

Races with a nutrition plan

Available at all our Spartan and DEKA races. [Confirm partner: Ad-Hoc Nutrition.]

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Race nutrition FAQ

What should I eat the night before a Spartan or DEKA?
A familiar, carbohydrate-rich dinner such as pasta, rice or potatoes, with no experiments and nothing heavy. On race morning, have the same breakfast you test on your long training sessions, a few hours before your wave or heat.
How is the supplementation personalised?
You fill in a short questionnaire covering your age, weight, caffeine tolerance, rest and goal. From your answers we prepare a pre-race, race and recovery pack designed for your format, and it is delivered to your hotel room ready to use on race day.
Are the health questions a diagnosis?
No. The health questions in the questionnaire are only used to personalise your supplementation and are not a medical diagnosis. They simply help us decide what goes into your pack so it suits your format, your caffeine tolerance and your goal.
What if I have allergies or intolerances?
[Confirm how they are entered in the questionnaire and which alternatives exist.]
Does it work for a DEKA as well as a Spartan?
Yes. The plan adapts to your format: in a DEKA MILE or a Spartan Sprint you need little or nothing during the race, while a Super, a Beast or a long DEKA FIT calls for gels and electrolytes to hold your pace to the end.

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Arrive with your nutrition sorted

Choose your race and add the nutrition plan to your pack.