INTRODUCTION:

This year marks the third time TTT CrossFit will host its in-house competition event, the Ergathlon. We’re excited to have the entire organization involved, including TTT Affiliate and TTT Compete.

WHAT IS THE ERGATHLON?

Teams of 3:

5,000m Ski

10,000m C2 Bike

5,000m Row

Although this is an event of a longer duration, it is important to note that you each are doing about one-third of the work individually. As a result, this means it is a power endurance event. You are probably going to be working anywhere in the two-minute or less range and then one of your teammates will take over. This is not to be confused with continuously working for ~fifty to seventy minutes straight through. This also means that you would be able to fuel during this competition to help you optimize your performance.

FUELING FOR ENDURANCE COMPETITIONS

The art of fueling for endurance competitions is a science. There are multiple different ways to do it but there are commonalities among a lot of the strategies. We’ve put together a 3-Step approach to experiment with before game day for this event specifically but could be used for any endurance-based competition.

1. Identifying the practicality – You would be surprised how hard it can be to figure out not only what you are going to consume during your event but how you are going to do it. You may run into barriers like limited accessibility or struggle with how you will be able to keep your food or beverages close to you while competing. Luckily for this competition, all the machines are stationary so keeping your fueling nearby should not be an issue. If it is, you will want to establish a solution before your start time.
2. Trial and error – This one could not be stressed enough. You will want to practice whatever you decide to use on game day BEFORE game day comes. You can use it in practice situations or regular training days. We typically recommend practicing gameday fueling in situations that simulate similar feelings to competition days,, so that you can make sure everything digests smoothly regardless if nerves or anxious feelings are present. If you are not able to practice anything new before “go time”, we recommend NOT trying anything new on game day. Be mindful to use fuel that your stomach tolerates well, avoiding anything that may cause GI distress or discomfort.
3. Training the gut – We know this guide is for this one-time event a year, but it is worth mentioning that if you want to continue practicing and getting good and consuming calories while exercising or your sport demands it, you will have to train your gut over time, multiple times, to be able to handle the fuel it requires to do well at some endurance events. It’s common for marathon or ultra-marathon runners to “DNF” their first couple of races due to gut issues. They could have done everything “right”, but it came down to the simple fact it was their first time pushing their gut to those new limits. If you find yourself needing to stop for any reason, don’t let that discourage you from your next race, every obstacle is part of the journey and will make you better on the other side of your adversity.

HYDRATION 

Although we do build some hype about how cool carbohydrates are in this guide, we do not want you to forget about how important hydration is. It is important to remember that water is more of an essential nutrient than carbohydrates, even though they both have a place and role in fueling athletes. The American Council on Exercise says that mild dehydration can reduce athletic performance by up to 20%. If you’ve been competing for any amount of time you know how impactful a 1% difference is on gameday, let alone 20%, of something that is considered to be within your control.

SYMPTOMS OF DEHYDRATION

• Feeling tired, thirsty, dizzying, and/or light-headed 
• Dry mouth, lips, and eyes
• Dark yell and/or strong-smelling urine

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS

Bodyweight divided by 2 = Minimum number of ounces per day

+12oz water for every 8oz cup of coffee, juice, or tea

+15oz water for every 1hr of exercises

WHY DOES HYDRATION MATTER FOR ATHLETES

The USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) states that “research has shown that losing as little as two percent of total body weight can negatively affect athletic performance.” Getting better at a sport, like CrossFit, is going to require a lot of discipline. Developing and creating healthy hydration habits is one great way to take care of one of the major things that you can control in the process.

Although most of us need to focus on just getting more water, that may not be enough based on your training. We also need to take into account adding in electrolytes to replenish all of those fluids lost through exercise. 

To give an example, CrossFit Games athlete Travis Mayer consumes on average about five single servings of an electrolyte supplement per day. Some other factors that matter for this athlete include the temperature where he trains, his body composition, his training intensity and frequency, his medical history, and what he’s tried in the past to determine what amount is appropriate for him.

To help you determine what hydration supplement brands to consider, The HealthBeat has put together a “Best & Worst” list of electrolyte supplements.

HOW TO CRUSH HYDRATION DAILY:

• Do the thing you NEED to do, before the thing you WANT to do – Consume ~12-15oz of water first thing upon awakening. Yes, this means BEFORE you drink your wonderful delicious cup of coffee. Furthermore, the BEST place to put electrolytes is in that first glass of water to start the day and hydrate after a full night’s worth of sleep

• Prioritize hydrating around your training – Put ~12-15oz of water PRE and POST your workouts. This is an easy way to prevent dehydration from training and “sneak” more water in

• Out of sight, out of mind – Before you leave the house or leave the office, put your water bottle somewhere you can see it upon returning so you can drink from that FIRST, then go about your day

• Switch it up – Venture out and try other seltzer waters, alternative sodas, and flavored waters to help you get your total consumption to its required levels

• Set yourself up for success – Keep your water bottle nearby at home, at the office, and in your car. If you don’t have it with you, it’s going to be hard to stay on track with hitting your daily minimum.

• Treat yourself – To a new water bottle. Keeping track of ounces throughout the day can be tedious. Find a good water bottle you like and enjoy, figure out how many water bottles you need to consume to hit your daily water target, and count water bottles consumed versus ounces throughout the day. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF CARBOHYDRATES

When completing the Ergathon, it will be important for you to be able to manage all the things your body is feeling while you work through this longer-duration workout. Luckily with this event being more sprint-endurance, you will be able to have time to take in some calories during your performance, specifically your rest times while your teammates are going. This is where carbohydrates would come in handy!

DRY MOUTH & CARBOHYDRATES

One of the most physical symptoms experienced in endurance events is “dry mouth”. Although it is not harmful, it can be annoying yet avoidable.

Dry mouth from training can come from:

• Dehydration
• Increased breathing frequency
• Cold air and environment 
• Increased need for carb intake

Carbohydrate digestion starts in the mouth with the enzyme salivary amylase which is found in saliva. Carbohydrates also happen to be the main fuel source for intense exercise. When you feel a “dry mouth” coming on during intense training or competition, your salivary amylase is seeking carbs to fuel the hard work your body is doing.

There are two main ways to negate dry mouth. One way is to be properly hydrated by making sure you have enough water going into this event,  while you are competing, and after you are done. Be sure to add electrolytes when appropriate. The other way is to add in ~10-20g of easy sugars before, during, and after to stimulate your saliva production.

Although dry mouth will not hinder your performance, the secondary effects of prioritizing hydration and carbohydrate intake will help you perform even better anyway.

SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATE SOURCES FOR COMPETITIONS

Here is our list of the five easiest carb snacks to have to help fuel you for your CrossFit workouts

*When we say “easy” in this context we mean easy to digest, easy to carry/store, and easy to consume

1. Applesauce Pouches

Although you’ve probably bought these time and time again for your kids, they come in super handy for adult CrossFitters too! The convenience of these pouches is unmatched by most other intra-workout snack options. You can squeeze one in (pun intended!) between rest intervals, going from strength work to a met-con, or on your way out the door.

2. Sports Drinks

As a liquid option, sports drinks can be very easy for people to sneak in during and around their training because the liquid absorbs faster than whole foods and will digest more easily than solids. Remember to sip – not chug! Garage Gym Reviews published a guide rating nine different carb powder supplements for athletes. Read it here.

3. Fruit Snacks

Another great kid-friendly snack option here. Can you start to notice a pattern? They come in easy-to-carry and store packs and are a great form of easily digestible carbohydrates. Most people enjoy the sweet taste and how the consistency can tend to melt in your mouth. Plus the packets are pocket-sized and easily transported.

4. Graham Crackers

These can be a great snack on your way to and from the gym due to their convenience, plus bland-colored carbohydrates typically indicate that they are low in fiber, which is exactly what we want to have around training. As mentioned above, we want to keep fat and fiber as far away from it as we can to avoid GI distress. 

5. Fruit

We saved the best for last: clementines, grapes, and bananas are probably the easiest to “sneak” in for convenience and won’t make you feel full, but we love all types of fruit for some quick energy.

HEAT MANAGEMENT

Luckily we are doing this event in September this year, but temperature may be something you need to be mindful of. Your location and the time of year will play a role in how the temperature affects your performance on game day. Especially for the total duration of this workout, you are more likely going to feel hotter than you do in other, shorter workouts.

WHY WE OVERHEAT DURING EXERCISE

When we exercise, our bodies overheat because muscle contractions generate heat as a byproduct of energy usage, and when this heat production exceeds the body’s ability to dissipate it through sweating and blood flow, our core temperature rises, causing us to feel overheated; this is especially pronounced in hot or humid environments where sweat evaporates less efficiently, hindering cooling down.

HOW TO MANAGE HOT CLIMATES WHILE COMPETING

Hydration	PRE – ~16-20oz INTRA – ~8oz every ~10-20mins POST – ~16-20oz
Nutrition	The heat can cause appetite suppression so consuming liquid and soft nutrition during these times can be extremely helpful.
Cooling Strategies	Pre-Cooling – You can use cooling vests, cold plunges, or ice packs before your attempt to help manage overheating from the beginning. During your attempt – Freeze wet towels in a cooler and keep them close by your station to have access to them throughout and place them on the back of your neck and head. You can also use cold cans to hold on to or roll on your forearms to help keep your internal temperature down. Post-Attempt – Consider a cold plunge, cool shower, or cooling vest to help get your heart rate down, return your body to its homeostasis, and start promoting recovery immediately after you’ve concluded your attempt.

MANAGING THE NERVES & ANXIETY OF COMPETING

COMMON SYMPTOMS EXPERIENCED 

Many physical symptoms can arise due to the nervous and anxious feelings of competing. Below are the most common GI distress symptoms experienced among endurance athletes. 

• Nausea
• Upset stomach
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Bloating
• Stomach-cramping
• Light-headedness
• Dizziness

STRESS MANAGEMENT TOOLS

It is worth noting that nervous and anxious feelings on game day can often have physical symptoms of being excited. So regardless if the feelings being experienced are because of “good” or “bad” reasons, it is encouraged to try to keep a “level-headed” approach when heading into this event. Relax, have fun, but take it seriously. It’s a cool hard thing you GET to do! Below are some of the stress management tools we recommend implementing that are extremely feasible and proven by our clients to help reduce overwhelming or unwanted feelings before competitive events:

1. Guided meditation – You can do this through apps such as HeadSpace or Calm. There are even free videos available on YouTube.
2. Mantras – Establishing one thought or saying to lean on during the more challenging times of the workouts can be comforting. Find one that means something to you.
3. Journaling – You can do this through an app or pen and paper. It doesn’t need to be time-consuming, but it should challenge your thoughts and help you with self-discovery.
4. Walk-Throughs – Something as easy as doing a shorter version of the workout, practicing the strategy with your teammates, and establishing transition rotations can take some feelings of the “unknown” away, especially for those who have never done this event before.
5. Warm-ups to help ground you – A great example of this is a 10-minute warm-up on the Echo bike with nasal breathing only. During this 10 minutes you do something like count your breaths (inhale = 1, exhale = 1 for 10 reps 2-3 sets and inhale + exhale = 1 for 10 reps x 2-3 sets). This is a great way to help focus your mind on something, take your thoughts away from the negative thoughts trying to creep in, and get you warmed up all at the same time.

SUPPLEMENTS TO CONSIDER

Although supplements can appear very fancy and like the “next best thing” that will enhance your fitness, we want to reiterate to you that if you do not have the fundamental basics down consistently: good sleep, good nutrition, good hydration, and good stress management, then supplements should be on the bottom of your priority list. If you have a solid foundation of the basics, some supplements have been proven to help optimize performance.

With the implementation of any new supplement, it is important to NOT try anything new on game day. Anything you wish to implement for this competition should be practiced ahead of time.

ENDURANCE-ENHANCING SUPPLEMENTS

We have three basic supplements that have been shown to improve performance

CREATINE

What is it:

Creatine is a chemical compound that’s naturally found in the body and in red meat and seafood. It’s also produced by the liver, kidneys, and pancreas.

Potential Benefits:

• Muscle Performance: Promotes physical endurance, power output, and increased

work capacity of muscle.

• Lean Body Mass: Enhances strength and promotes lean body mass.

• Cognition: Supports cognitive function and a healthy body composition, especially in the aging population.

• Cellular Energy Production: Helps the cells of the body more efficiently create energy,

thus benefiting exercise capacity.

• Injury Prevention: Promotes a reduction in the frequency of dehydration, muscle

cramps, and injuries to the muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, and nerves.

• Nutritional Support: For individuals who have an increased dietary need, such as athletes, or for those who aren’t consuming enough creatine-containing foods in their normal diet.

Recommendations: 

• 5g/day

Side Effects:

• Weight gain

• May cause GI discomfort

SODIUM BICARBONATE

What is it:

Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), also known as baking soda, reduces acidity in muscles. It also increases the pH gradient between blood and muscle and removes hydrogen ions from the muscle.

Potential Benefits:
Sodium bicarbonate can help improve your ability to work longer by improving muscular endurance and time to exhaustion.

Recommendations:

• The formula to figure out how much is needed for your body:

 0.3g per kg of body mass

*Example 20g for a 150# athlete along with 15-20oz of fluid 60-90 minutes before exercise.

• To reduce GI symptoms = ingest carbohydrate-rich foods with it.

Side Effects:

• Headache.

• May cause GI discomfort.

• Unpleasant taste.

BEET ROOT JUICE

What is it:

Dietary nitrate refers to a form of nitrogen found naturally in certain foods, particularly vegetables like leafy greens and root vegetables such as beets, lettuce, and spinach. Beetroot in particular is used as a supplement because it is a rich source of nitrate.

Potential Benefits:

• Dietary nitrate increases blood nitric oxide concentrations which promotes blood flow to increase oxygen delivery to the muscles.

• Improves muscle power output and reduces muscular fatigue.

• Shown to improve performance in intermittent, high-intensity efforts with short rest periods.

Recommendations:

• Chronic (3-15 days) and acute (before an event) supplementation can increase performance.

• The supplement must contain at least 5-6 mmol of nitrate to be effective.

• Typical dosages are 6-8 mmol or ~ 350-500 mg.

• Consume ~2-3 hrs before exercise. Nitrate levels peak ~2.5 hrs after consumption.

Side Effects:

• May cause GI discomfort. 

• Consumption of beetroot may cause harmless and temporary pink discoloration of urine and stool.

DISCLAIMER

When reading this guide, you recognize that it is your responsibility to work with your healthcare provider before, during, or after seeking fitness and nutrition consultation. Any information provided is not to be followed without prior approval from your doctor. If you choose to use this information without such approval, you agree to accept full responsibility for your decision.

CONCLUSION

“A lot of people’s lifestyles are not lived like athletes, but they’re asking their bodies to do athlete things.” – Max El-Hag

Maybe you’re looking to win the Ergathon this year with your team or this is your first year signing up. Either way, signing up for this event is an athletic demand on your body. You will feel much better and perform more optimally if you set your body up for success and to do well. If you’re signing up for fun, we are so excited to have you join us. Just remember that this is an athletic event and having your body prepared makes for a much safer experience. We wish you the best of luck!