In about 7 weeks, this year's edition of the world's toughest MTB stage race, the Titan Desert, gets under way. In this first post, I want to offer some advice to help you approach it in the best possible condition, focusing on recovery and several supplements that may optimize performance for the event.
In a second post, I will discuss the day-to-day demands of the competition, specifically the energy and hydration strategies required during the stages of this demanding race.
The first piece of advice is familiar: take the greatest possible care with your diet. The second is to train, train and train, because a race comprising 6 stages and more than 600 km cannot be completed without preparation, however determined we may be. As a third recommendation, I want to discuss several products that may help optimize your preparation and improve your performance during the stages.
Recovery:
- 3:1 PRO Recovery: Because this is a stage race, post-stage recovery is extremely important. Catering does not always provide the best recovery foods, so a well-formulated, high-quality recovery drink can help start energy and muscle recovery by providing the fluids, minerals, protein and carbohydrates needed immediately after each stage.
- Creatine Monohydrate: what if we add creatine to our recovery shake? This can further optimize energy recovery. Scientific evidence shows that adding 3 to 5 g of creatine monohydrate to a recovery drink improves glycogen resynthesis—replenishing our energy stores—and can therefore accelerate energy recovery.
I recommend this strategy both during pre-race training, especially on the hardest days, and during the race itself.
Performance improvement:
Improving race performance is important to all of us, particularly in an event like this. Several supplements have scientific evidence supporting this goal. The leading options are:
- Beta-Alanine Slow Absorption: this is one of the most effective ergogenic aids. Together with histidine, this non-essential amino acid forms carnosine, a substance naturally present in muscle that helps buffer the acidity associated with lactate production during exercise and fatigue. Research shows that taking 3 to 6 g of beta-alanine for at least 3 – 4 weeks, ideally 6 to 8, before a competition or series of competitions improves performance. There are still enough weeks before the Titan Desert to complete an effective beta-alanine loading phase.
- HMB 3800 (Beta-Hydroxy Beta-Methylbutyrate): HMB is a metabolite of leucine, the most important branched-chain amino acid or BCAA. It has shown ergogenic effects on training adaptation, recovery and muscle catabolism. Its effects are greatest from the 6th week of use. The recommended intake is around 3 g per day, although it can be adjusted for body weight to 38 mg/kg of body weight per day.
Some of you may be wondering whether all these products are compatible and can be taken together. The answer is yes. Their mechanisms of action differ even where their benefits overlap, and scientific evidence indicates that they may work synergistically and enhance one another's effects. If you have never tried them, consider doing so: these are what I like to call the fantastic 4 of sports supplementation.
Article written by Pablo Felipe Martín, Crown Sport Nutrition technical adviser and sports-nutrition specialist
