Are you training for IMTX? This is the first on a series of articles discussing how to prepare your body for the race. 

There are several aspects to training for a race of this distance besides the physical training required to power yourself through out the day. To truly race to your body’s potential you need to look at all details of the race that may affect your outcome. One of these aspects is your body’s ability to utilize sodium. If you are an endurance athlete you probably know or at least have heard about the importance of electrolytes.  Simply put electrolytes are minerals that are dissolved in your body’s water and are present in every cell. 

Importance of Electrolytes

Every function of the human body is reliant on electrical impulses. These impulses are responsible for all muscular contractions ranging from your eyelids to your heart.  Water is an excellent conductor of electricity which is why we function best when we are well hydrated. Electrolytes, especially sodium molecules are attracted to water molecules. Remember this, where sodium goes, water will follow. 

When you sweat you lose sodium. To maintain homeostasis the cells will release sodium to balance out the fluid present on each side of the cell wall. Continued loss will eventually cause dehydration on cellular level. Tracking sweat rate and replacing sodium lost in sweat will prevent you from becoming dehydrated and prevent a loss of muscular function. Consciously thinking about sodium loss on top of focusing on your race is difficult. But there is an easier way....

Planning is in the details

Condition you body to more efficiently utilize sodium when you do need it!

This conditioning starts weeks or months in advance. Just like many other facets of the body, if you change an aspect of how your body functions, the body will adapt to maintain homeostasis, thus becoming more efficient at using the sodium it has. Once you start implementing a sodium loading phase the body will start to store more water in preparation for your IMTX race. Anything your body does not use will be discarded as waste. Think of this as acclimating your body to use sodium in a more efficient manner just as you would acclimate your body to the heat or any other condition of a race. One way I like to do this is with my Infinit nutrition and with salt tablets in my Fuelbelt pill holder. 

Implementing the plan:

After a few weeks of sodium depletion you should slowly start adding salt back into your diet. This should not be hard to do since the typical american diet is loaded with salt. 

The week of the race: 

Once you arrive in the Woodlands I suggest sipping on water and electrolyte drinks. One sodium tablet the day before the race. 

The morning of the race:

IMTX is known for being an uncomfortably hot swim. I like to mix a special drink I call my Secret Drink. It is a half dose of Infinit or whatever drink you use mixed with 1-2 teaspoons of baking soda. This is my electrolyte load for the day. I mix that into a water bottle and sip until the start of the race. I will also have one bottle of this in transition. 

When you exit the swim you will undoubtedly be dehydrated unless you drank a lot of the lake water, which I highly recommend against. I will down half of this bottle before I get on to the bike and then pour the rest in my aerodrink. 

On the bike

While on the bike I am getting approximately 1000 mg of sodium in per hour. This comes out to drinking one bottle of Infinit per hour and taking in 1 salt tablet with water every 30 minutes. This works for me, is a very good reference, and will work for most people. I recommend knowing your own sweat rate and testing this in training. 

Check back for part two of this series on how to race your best at IMTX.

Note: Always consult your physician prior to changing or adding sodium to your training if you have a history of high blood pressure or any other medical conditions that could be exacerbated by intaking extra sodium.