We get a lot of questions about how to mix Endurance Fuel and Rebuild! The good news is it’s much more simple than you probably think…
Endurance Fuel: How to Mix for During Exercise
Endurance Fuel contains all of the calories, carbohydrates and electrolytes you need to replace what your body sweats out during exercise. It truly is “All you need, all day. Really.”
For the best results, we recommend consuming 200 calories of Endurance Fuel (2 scoops or 1 stick pack) per hour of exercise mixed with 24 oz (about 700 mL) of water. For example, if you anticipate your activity will take 4 hours, you would want to consume 800 calories (8 scoops or 4 stick packs) mixed with 96 oz of water over the course of your exercise.
Start sipping about 30 minutes into your workout for exercise over an hour long. If your workout is under an hour, you should be fine with just water!
Limited Carrying Capacity? Make a Concentrate!
For longer distances, when carrying capacity is limited, we recommend creating an Endurance Fuel concentrate. You will want to consume the same amount of calories per hour of exercise, but you can adjust the amount of water based on your carrying capacity.
If you anticipate your activity will take 4 hours, you would still want to consume 800 calories (8 scoops or 4 stick packs). Mix the powder and water (however much your vessel will hold) in a measuring cup for easier dissolving and then pour into your handheld flask, water bottle or hydration pack. You can add marks to your vessel so you know how much to consume per hour.
Sip the endurance fuel concentrate throughout your exercise and be sure to drink additional water to keep the ratio of water to fuel consistent.
Rebuild: How to Mix for After Exercise
Rebuild is the perfect post-exercise recovery nutrition. It’s healthy, tastes great and has proven results. We recommend drinking within the 30-60 minute golden hour after exercise to take advantage of your body’s ability to replenish glycogen stores most efficiently during this time period.
Mix one packet of Tailwind Rebuild with 16oz (about 500 mL) of water and consume within the first 30 minutes after exercise. For longer or more intense workouts, follow with a second serving of Rebuild in the next 30 minutes.
Nothing repairs your muscles more efficiently, restores your energy faster or makes you feel better sooner!
Listen to Your Body
Everyone’s bodies are different, so listen to yours and don’t be afraid to adjust your Endurance Fuel and Rebuild consumption to fit your needs.
If you’re feeling hungry with low energy during exercise, that’s a sign you need to increase your calories. If you’re hungry, but your energy levels feel good, you might just need to nibble on something.
We recommend practicing your fueling and recovery strategies in conjunction with training sessions to make sure your strategy is dialed in before race day.
Still Have Questions?
We’re always here to help, so shoot us an email at supportcrew@tailwindnutrition.com if you have questions and, as always, consult your physician for medical advice.
Hopefully our mixing recommendations will help you develop a strategy that works for you. Happy fueling and recovering!
Those basic directions and simlle tips are helpful. Very clear. Thanks…
I’m generally towards the back of the pack of weekend warriors in the events which i’ve done and have typically struggled to get my fueling and hydration right. Last weekend i did the Tarawera Ultra, with a time of 19 hours for 102km. I had used tailwind a bit before this but not on anything as long and i really didn’t believe the “really” part of the brands jingo. So, I started with my go-to’s: one square meals, almonds and dates with peanut butter, (I can hear you say yuck!) accompanied with tailwind. Ate reasonably well until about 50km but then my stomach wouldn’t take in the solid food, so i switched to just the Tailwind. What a revelation! Kept an easy pace for the second 50 and at the end felt like i should have entered the 100 miler – Almost!
So, in essence, I’m nooo athlete but i’m athletic enough to go and do some of these events. Fueling has been a big problem for me but now it feels like i’ve got something in my pack which can beat that. Thank you Tailwind.
Thank you so much for the report Ken! We’re stoked we could keep you fueled! Congratulations on the race, and it sounds like your an athlete to us 😉
I used tailwind only on a half marathon last weekend. It was my first time using it in a shorter race (I carried my soft flask and didn’t use the aid stations). I ate a banana/ small amount of oatmeal before the race. I did not feel like my energy dropped any time, and this was my first race in over a year. I love this stuff!
Thank you for sharing Caroline! We are so glad to hear that!
I’m a big fan of Tailwind but am absolutely lousy at maths and getting the mix right is a huge challenge for me. I can do 200 calories/2 heaped scoops (according to your pictures)/1 stick pack per hour. And I can do 20-24 ozs water and even convert that to 700mL water. BUT, my softflasks and my hydration vests are all sized at 17 ozs /500mL. What fraction of a scoop, or stick pack, should I use in a 17oz/500mL soft flask? And, how do I measure out fractions of a stickpak in the field? And what do I do with the remaining bit? (That – and the sharp corners and heavy weight foil of the stick packs are my major peeve.) Since I think most runners use the same (500 mL) size flasks, do you have advice or guidance? Or better still – how about scoops and stick packs sized for 500 mL maths challenged individuals like me? Thanks for listening.
Hi John, first thing to remember is that 2-3 scoops per 20-24 oz is a starting point. We have many athletes, such as Maggie Guterl, who just use one stick pack (or 2 scoops) per 500 ml flask. That falls easily within the starting point we suggest. If you find that one stick pack is slightly stronger than you want your Tailwind in that size flask, we would recommend switching to bulks bags and using our scoop system. Then you can play around with one and half scoops per flask! From there, you can pre-portion your preferred serving in zip lock bags.