Noor Var Veen’s nutrition for a multi-day mountain FKT

[French, Nederlands and English below]

Noor Var Veen, our Nutribay ambassador, tells us about her preparation for the 800 kilometers of the Haute Route des Pyrénées (HRP), her return, her experiences, her nutrition, and her changes.

Last month, I embarked on my biggest challenge yet: attempting to cover the 800 kilometers of the Haute Route des Pyrénées (HRP), along the highest trails from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, hopefully achieving the fastest cumulative time ever recorded. In practical terms, this means being on the trail for more than sixteen hours a day for nine to ten days. Improving my nutrition and hydration was an essential prerequisite for achieving this goal. Now that the challenge is over, I want to share the most important lessons I learned from this preparation.

1. Less Is Not Always More

Last winter, I saw a sports physician for a health check. He measured my body fat percentage and told me that I could lose weight. To emphasize the point, he then enthusiastically placed two two-kilogram dumbbells in my hands. Losing weight during intensive training weeks has always been difficult for me, which is why his advice prompted me to consult a sports dietitian. But her response surprised me: given my plans, she saw absolutely no room for me to lose weight. In fact, she advised me to gain a little weight beforehand, so I could build up a reserve.

More and more sports dietitians are convinced that lighter is not necessarily better, and certainly not for women. With a little more weight, the body can withstand more and handle high training volumes better. This message hit home.

2. Fuel Your Training—for Real

So I had to eat more, both during and outside training. Fueling your training is a common slogan, but actually doing it is another story. With long training sessions and workdays, I regularly forgot to eat enough. I used gels during training, but I had never counted a single carbohydrate.

With the advice of my dietitian, I have considerably increased my daily intake over the past few months. My diet now looks like this: a good breakfast, then a substantial snack (which I would previously have called lunch), followed by a substantial lunch, another snack, dinner, and a bowl of quark with muesli and fruit before going to bed. In all these meals, I try to prioritize carbohydrates. On intensive training days, I aim for carbohydrates to make up 60% of my total energy intake, although that is quite difficult to achieve.

During training sessions lasting more than an hour, I eat something every 20 minutes, which works out to around 80 to 100 grams of carbohydrates per hour. I make little distinction between easy and intensive sessions. Even at a low heart rate, the body simply needs fuel.

What does it do? It’s difficult to determine precisely, but one thing is noticeable: my body seems to be handling this season’s high training load better. I notice the biggest difference in terms of recovery. After intense days of running 50 to 80 kilometers, I often feel surprisingly fit the next day.

3. Test, test, test

My experience with multi-day ultras is still limited. Previously, I took part in ultras lasting no more than 2.5 days, but what I’m about to do is an entirely different proposition. That’s why my physical preparation also included several blocks of long-distance running for three days in a row. This immediately gave me the opportunity to test my nutrition plan.

One of the biggest challenges is that on those days, we run for so long that we skip breakfast, lunch, and dinner. During ultramarathons lasting up to 30 hours, I never really encountered this problem: with sports nutrition such as gels, drink mixes, and an occasional supplement, I managed just fine. But now I’m noticing: I’m hungry. Really hungry. My stomach is demanding something more substantial. Especially when you know that I’ll probably consume around 8,000 kcal per day.

For my FKT attempt, I’m therefore opting for a combination of sports nutrition (gels, drinks, gummies, and bars) to get enough carbohydrates, supplemented with real food to promote satiety and digestion. Over the past few months, I’ve tested many sports nutrition products and compiled a list of my favorites (see below). In addition, my best friend, who is also an excellent cook, is accompanying me and preparing easy-to-digest meals: oatmeal for breakfast (to take with me), savory snacks such as rice bars, a hearty lunch to enjoy, and a double portion for dinner.

4. Give your body a little extra

My final piece of advice: if you demand a lot from your body, you also need to give it something in return. And I’m not necessarily talking about dietary supplements. I take them in consultation with my doctor, but it’s very personal and depends on the individual. However, I’ve discovered two more general things that I’d like to share.

Firstly: protein during the race. One of the biggest challenges during long days in the mountains is preserving your quadriceps, which will be put under strain during long descents. Some experts recommend taking protein during ultras to limit muscle breakdown. At last year's UTMB, I tested recovery shakes certified as “safe for sport” at the aid stations. My stomach tolerated them well, and it seemed to make a huge difference: I preserved my quadriceps and was able to run the final descents better than the previous year. So during the FKT, I take recovery shakes (with whey and carbohydrates) in the middle of the day, or even whenever I see my team.

Secondly: tart cherry juice. One of my best recovery discoveries has been drinking tart cherry juice immediately after training. Research shows that tart cherries have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. They are also used by Tour de France cyclists, which convinced me to try them. It's difficult to say whether it is really thanks to the tart cherry juice, but I feel that it significantly boosts my recovery. In addition, its flavor is fresh and pleasant. I use 40 ml concentrated shots from 6D Sports Nutrition, diluted with 250 ml of water.

My favorite sports nutrition for multi-day ultra-races:

1. Precision Fuel & Hydration PF 90 Gel: Essentially, three servings of PF 30 gel in a single resealable sachet. Neutral-tasting, not too sweet, and easy to dose. One sachet contains 90 grams of carbohydrates.

2. Ta Energy Organic Energy Bars: Admittedly, I don't like chewing bars while running. Many are too dry or taste downright bad. But after a few hours, you can no longer get by on gels alone. After many trials, here's my favorite: Ta Energy's Organic Apricot & Cashew Energy Bar. Tart, juicy, small, and not too sweet. The other flavors are also good, but this one stands out.

3. Santa Madre Jelly Bars: In fact, they are just candy, but with 37 g of carbohydrates in a 1:0.5 glucose-to-fructose ratio. All the flavors are tasty, especially the cola version (caffeine-free). Another not-too-sweet candy is the PF&H PF 30 Chew mint-lemon.

4. GU Energy Caramel Macchiato : A good gel for combating “flavour fatigue” (a concept well known among ultra-runners). I find that it has a good coffee flavour, and I appreciate its firm texture (so take it with water) and its caffeine content. Small and light, it is therefore always easy to carry.

5. Baouw Natural Gels : Speaking of flavour, these 30 g gels are truly delicious. Made from natural ingredients (60% fruit, agave syrup, extra virgin olive oil), they are probably healthier than most other gels. My favourites: Apricot-Thyme, Red Berry-Hibiscus and Peach-Matcha. Very practical, they are easy to open and close.

 

Nutrition for a multi-day FKT in the mountains

Last week, I took on my biggest challenge yet: attempting to complete the 800-kilometre Haute Route des Pyrénées (HRP), along the highest trails from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean, hopefully setting the fastest cumulative time ever. In practice, this means being on the move for more than sixteen hours a day for nine to ten days. Improving my nutrition and hydration was essential to achieving this goal. Now that the race is over, I want to share with you the most important lessons I learned during this preparation.

1. Less isn't always more

Last winter, I visited a sports doctor for a check-up. He measured my body-fat percentage and told me that I could afford to lose some weight. To drive the point home, he then enthusiastically placed two two-kilogram dumbbells in my hands. Losing weight during heavy training weeks has always been difficult for me, so his advice prompted me to contact a sports dietitian. But her response surprised me: with my plans in mind, she saw absolutely no room for me to lose weight. In fact, she advised me to gain a little weight in the lead-up to the start, to build up a buffer.

More and more sports dietitians are convinced that lighter isn't necessarily better, especially for women. With a little more weight, your body can handle more and cope better with high training volumes. That message resonated.

2. Fuel your training, but really

So I had to start eating more, both during training and outside of it. Fuel your training “Fuel your training” is a commonly heard phrase, but actually doing it is another matter. With a combination of long training sessions and workdays, I regularly forgot to eat enough. I did use gels during training, but I had never counted a single carbohydrate.

With guidance from my dietitian, I’ve significantly increased my daily intake over the past few months. My eating pattern now looks roughly like this: a good breakfast, followed by a substantial snack (which I would previously have called lunch), then a large lunch, another snack, dinner, and before bed, a bowl of quark with muesli and fruit. Across all these meals, I try to focus more on carbohydrates. On demanding training days, I aim for carbohydrates to make up 60% of my total energy intake, although that’s quite difficult to achieve.

During training sessions lasting longer than an hour, I eat something every 20 minutes—around 80 to 100 grams of carbohydrates per hour. I make little distinction between easy and intense sessions. Even at a low heart rate, your body still needs fuel.

What does it achieve? It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly, but one thing stands out: my body seems to cope much better with this season’s heavy training load. I notice the difference especially in my recovery. After hard days of running 50 to 80 kilometers, I often feel surprisingly fit the next day.

3. Test, test, test

My experience with multiday ultra-endurance efforts is still limited. I’ve run ultraraces lasting up to 2.5 days, but what I’m about to do is on an entirely different scale. That’s why my physical preparation also included several blocks in which I ran long distances for three days in a row. This immediately gave me the opportunity to test my nutrition plan.

One of the biggest challenges is that on days like these, you’re running for so long that you essentially skip breakfast, lunch, and dinner. During ultraruns of up to 30 hours, I never really found that to be a problem: with sports nutrition such as gels, drink mixes, and the occasional extra snack, I managed just fine. But now I’ve noticed that I simply get hungry. Really hungry. My stomach craves something more substantial. Especially when you consider that I’ll probably burn around 8,000 kcal a day.

For my FKT attempt, I’m therefore opting for a combination of sports nutrition (gels, drinks, chews, and bars) to get enough carbohydrates, supplemented with real food to support satiety and digestion. Over the past few months, I’ve tested sports nutrition extensively and put together a list of my favorites (see below). My best friend is also coming along—and, as it happens, she’s an excellent cook—so she’ll prepare easily digestible meals: overnight oats for breakfast (to eat on the go), savory snacks such as rice bars, a proper lunch to sit down and eat, and a double portion of dinner.

4. Give your body a little extra

My latest insight: when you demand a lot from your body, you also need to give something back. And by that I don’t necessarily mean supplements. I do take those in consultation with my doctor, but that is very personal and depends on the individual. However, I have discovered two more general things that I would like to share.

First: protein during running. One of the biggest problems during long mountain days is keeping your quadriceps intact, as they get wrecked on the long descents. Some experts recommend consuming protein during ultras to to limit muscle breakdown. During last year’s UTMB, I experimented with ‘safe for ‘sport’-certified recovery shakes at crew points. My stomach handled them well, and they seemed to make a huge difference: I kept my quads in better shape and was able to run the final descents better than the year before. During the FKT, I therefore take recovery shakes (with whey and carbohydrates) halfway through the day or even every time I see my crew.

Second: tart cherry juice. One of my best discoveries for recovery is drinking cherry juice immediately after training. Research research it turns out that tart cherry has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. It is also used by riders in the Tour de France, and that was what finally convinced me to try it. Whether it really comes from the cherry juice is difficult to say, but to me it feels like it gives my recovery a huge boost. And it also tastes quite fresh and delicious. I use the concentrated 40ml shots from 6D Sports Nutrition, diluted with 250ml of water.

My favorite sports nutrition for multi-day ultra endeavors

1. Precision Fuel & Hydration PF 90 GelBasically three portions of PF 30 gel in one resealable package. Neutral, not-too-sweet flavor, and it’s convenient that you can control the dosage. One sachet contains 90 grams of carbohydrates. 

2. Ta Energy BIO Energy BarsAdmittedly, I don’t like chewing bars while running. Many are too dry or taste downright bad. But after a few hours, you can’t get by on gels alone. After trying many, this is my favorite: the Apricot & Cashew BIO Energy Bar from Ta Energy. Tart, juicy, small, not too sweet. The other flavors are also fine, but this one stands out. 

3. Santa Madre Jelly Bars Basically just candy, but with 37g of carbohydrates in a 1:0.5 glucose-fructose ratio. All the flavors are delicious, especially the cola variant (without caffeine). Another nice candy that isn’t too sweet is the PF&H PF 30 Chew in mint & lemon. 

4. GU Energy Caramel MacchiatoA good gel in my fight against ‘flavour fatigue’ (a well-known term among ultrarunners). I think this one has a good coffee-like flavor and I love the firm texture (so take it with water) and the fact that it contains some caffeine. Small and light, so it’s always easy to tuck away somewhere.

5. Baouw Natural GelsSpeaking of flavor: these 30 g gels taste really good. Made from natural ingredients (60% fruit, agave syrup, extra-virgin olive oil), and probably healthier than most other gels too. Favorites: Apricot–Thyme, Red Fruit–Hibiscus, and Peach–Matcha. It’s very convenient that they’re easy to open and reseal.

 

[English version]

Nutrition preparation for a multi-day mountain FKT  

Last month, I embarked on my biggest challenge yet: attempting to complete the 800-kilometer Haute Route des Pyrénées (HRP), crossing the highest trails from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, with, I hoped, the fastest cumulative time ever achieved. In practical terms, this means being on the road for more than sixteen hours a day for nine to ten days. Improving my nutrition and hydration was an essential prerequisite for achieving this goal. Now that the race is over, I want to share the most important lessons I learned during this preparation.

1. Less is not more

This winter, a sports physician I visited for a check-up measured my body fat percentage and told me I could lose some weight. He then enthusiastically handed me a pair of two-kilo dumbbells to really make me feel what a difference that could make. Weight loss during big training blocks has always been tricky for me, so his advice prompted me to reach out to a dietitian. But my nutritionist’s answer was clear and surprising: I shouldn’t lose any weight. In fact, she advised me to consider gaining some weight in the months leading up to the start, to build a little buffer. At the elite level, many nutritionists are now convinced that lighter is not better — especially for women. Carrying a bit more weight makes the body more resilient and better able to handle high training volumes.

2. So really (!) fuel your training

So I had to increase my calorie intake — both during and outside of training. Fuel your training is a phrase we hear all the time, but actually living by it is something else entirely. Between long training hours and work, I often just forgot to eat enough. While I had been relatively consistent with using gels during training, I had never counted a carb in my life. With the guidance of my nutritionist, I managed to increase my daily intake significantly over the past months.

Outside of training, I now start the day with a proper breakfast, followed by a solid snack (which I would previously have called lunch), then a big lunch, another snack, dinner, and a bowl of quark with some granola and fruit before bed. Within these meals, I focus much more on carbohydrates. On hard training days, I aim for 60% of my total energy intake to come from carbs — although reaching that number isn’t always easy.

During training, I fuel every 20 minutes for any session longer than an hour, aiming for around 80–100 grams of carbs per hour. On my dietitian’s advice, I don’t distinguish much between easy and hard runs here. Even at a low heart rate, your body still needs fuel.

It’s hard to isolate the effects of these changes in my daily calorie and carb intake, but one thing stands out: my body seems to be coping really well with the higher training volume this season. I’ve especially noticed it in my recovery. After long training days — running distances of 50 to 80 kilometers — I often feel surprisingly fresh the next day.

3. Testing, testing, testing

My experience with multi-day endurance efforts is still limited. I’ve done ultra races up to two and a half days, but nothing like what I’m planning now. So my physical preparation included several specific training blocks with back-to-back long runs over three days — but also gave me the chance to experiment with my nutrition.

One of the main challenges is that I’ll be running for so long each day that I effectively skip breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In ultra races of up to 30 hours, I’ve never found that to be a problem. Sports nutrition — gels, drink mixes, chews — was always enough, with the occasional extra bite of something solid. But on these training days, I’ve noticed I get really hungry. My stomach craves something substantial. On top of that, I expect to burn around 8,000 kcal per day.

My fueling plan for the FKT attempt is therefore built around a combination of sports-specific fuel (gels, drinks, chews, and bars) to ensure a steady supply of carbohydrates, plus real food for satiety and digestion. Over the past months I’ve tested many products and refined my list of favorites (see below). On top of that, I’m bringing my best friend — who happens to be a great cook — to prepare easily digestible meals: overnight oats for breakfast (which I’ll eat on the go), savory snacks like rice bars, a proper sit-down lunch, and a double-portion dinner.

4. Give the body a little extra

My final takeaway: when you ask a lot from your body, you have to give it a little extra. And I’m not talking about supplements here. Although I do take some (in consultation with my doctor), I believe every athlete’s needs are individual, so I won’t share general supplement advice here. Instead, here are two things that have helped me a lot, and might help others too.

First: protein during ultra efforts. One of the biggest challenges in long mountain runs is preserving your quadriceps. Several experts suggest that taking protein during races can help limit muscle breakdown. Last year at UTMB, I tried taking safe for sport-certified recovery shakes at crew-accessible aid stations. My stomach handled them well, and they seemed to make a huge difference. I noticed much less muscle damage, and I was able to run the final descents far better than the year before. During the FKT, I plan to take a recovery shake with whey protein and carbohydrates mid-run, or even, if needed, every time I see my crew.

Second: tart cherry juice. One of my best discoveries for recovery has been drinking concentrated sour cherry juice immediately after training. Research shows that tart cherry has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Pro cyclists in the Tour de France use it to recover from long, hard days — which was motivation enough for me to try it. While it's hard to isolate the exact effect, I feel it significantly boosts my recovery. Surprisingly, I actually like the taste — it’s fresh and easy to drink. I use the 40ml concentrated pouches from 6D Sports Nutrition, diluted in 250ml of water.

My tested favorite sports fuel for multi-day ultra events:

1. Precision Fuel & Hydration PF 90 Gel: Basically three servings of the PF 30 gel in one resealable pouch. I like the neutral, not-too-sweet taste, and the fact that I can sip or squeeze out bigger portions depending on what I feel like. One pouch contains 90 grams of carbs.

2. Ta Energy BIO energy bars: I’ll be honest: I’m usually not a fan of chewing energy bars while running. Most are way too dry or just taste awful. But after a few hours, gels alone don’t cut it anymore. I’ve searched far and wide and finally found a bar I actually like: the Apricot & Cashew BIO Energy Bar from Ta Energy. It’s slightly sour, chewy, moist, small in size — and not overly sweet. The other flavors are great too, but this one’s my favorite.

3. Santa Madre Jelly Bars: Basically candy, but with 37g of carbs in a 1:0.5 glucose-to-fructose ratio. I love them in every flavor, especially the cola version (no caffeine). Another great ‘candy chew’, which is way less sweet, is the Precision Fuel & Hydration PF 30 Chew in mint & lemon flavour. 

4. Gu Energy Caramel Macchiato: In my constant battle against flavour fatigue, this is a really good one I love the coffee-like taste, its thick texture (you’ll want to drink water with it), and the caffeine kick. It’s also small and light — easy to carry on every run.

5. Baouw Natural Gels: Speaking of flavor: these 30g carb gels are really good. Made from all-natural ingredients (60% fruit, agave syrup, and extra virgin olive oil), they taste better and are probably healthier than most gels. My favorites are Apricot–Thyme, Red Fruit–Hibiscus, and Peach–Matcha. They’re also easy to open and reseal.