Tough Mudder is back in Ireland this 11 and 12 July with all new obstacles set to thrill all those heading to Loughcrew Adventure Centre for the gruelling event.
If you’re not familiar with Tough Mudder, it’s a team-oriented 10-12 mile obstacle course designed to test physical strength and mental grit. And with stages including Everest, Arctic Enema and Electroshock Therapy, skipping out on training isn’t an option.
This week we caught up with Tough Mudder Fitness Expert, Pat Divilly, to get his top tips for re-fuelling while training for the event. Here’s what he said:
“People tend to overcomplicate nutrition. My philosophy is relatively simple: just eat real food. Focus on real foods from nature and not on manmade foods.
Everyone breaks down food differently, dependent on their body shape and their activity levels, but as a base line each meal you consumer should contain:
• a protein source at least the size and depth of your palm
• a source of healthy fats 2-3 tablespoons
• a large servings of vegetables to fill the rest of your plate
Healthy proteins that are prefect when training include fish and other seafood, eggs, and meats. Healthy fats will include nuts, oils, seeds, avocados and nut butters.
Vegetables can be anything. If fat loss is the goal I’d always lean toward green cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, watercress, spinach and kale.
The question most people will have then is ‘where are the carbs?’. The above baseline should be the starting point for most people along with a minimum of 2-3 litres of water.
Then, dependent on lean body mass and activity levels we’ll add in some carbs from sweet potato, brown or basmati rice, fruits, gluten free porridge and starchy vegetables.
The leaner you are and/or more active you are the more carbs your body will need to function at its best. If you have weight to lose I’d limit your intake of carbs to just a post workout serving the size and depth of your palm. As you lean out you could add a serving the size of your palm to two of your main meals along with your proteins, fats and vegetables.
What to eat pre-workout?
There are no set rules when it comes to what you should be eating pre-workout. You can’t fool nature and your body will know what it wants and needs.
If you read in a book that you should eat an hour before training and it leaves you feeling sluggish, it’s not the right option for you.
You’ll have to play around to see what works best, but as a rule of thumb for someone who is training 3-4 times a week and close to their ideal bodyweight, the following would be good pre-training options:
• A banana 30-45 minutes before training for a quick boost of energy and fast acting sugars.
• A small bowel of gluten free porridge 45-60 minutes before training if training early in the morning. You can add a scoop of protein powder and some blueberries.
• A fruit smoothie with a scoop of protein powder, some frozen spinach, almond milk, frozen berries and small banana 30-45 minutes before training.
Again, play around with different timings and options to see which leaves you feeling best. You are looking to get a carb source before your workout to help fuel your intensity.
What to eat post-workout?
Post workout foods will vary for most people but as a general rule of thumb you should be looking to get a serving of carbohydrate and protein within 30 minutes of the session to aid in recovery.
Protein shakes are popular as they are an easy way of getting a fast serving of protein (which helps repair and rebuild your muscles after a tough session). Whey protein powder is popular, but vegan alternatives are available to anyone intolerant to whey.
A serving of fruit can be added to this protein shake.
What to do in the lead up to Tough Mudder?
Don’t overcomplicate or overthink your nutritional changes in the lead up to an actual event. In terms of distance the Tough Mudder event is similar to a half marathon.
Increasing carbohydrate intake to 2-3 servings per day (again roughly the size and depth of your palm) in the 3-4 days leading up to the event will give you more than enough fuel to complete the course comfortably.
Sweet potatoes, fruits, rice and gluten free porridge are great carbohydrate sources.
The general rule of thumb in the days leading up to the event would be not to introduce any supplements or foods you aren’t used to eating. You want to avoid having any chance of having a bad reaction and not feeling your best for the big day.
To get involved in Tough Mudder head on over to https://toughmudder.com/events/2015-dublin. Good luck!
