How 6d Sports Nutrition supports the team at the UAE Tour

How 6d Sports Nutrition supports the team at the UAE Tour

It’s well known how important nutrition is to modern athletes, that’s why AG Insurance – Soudal has 6d as its official nutrition partner, which supplies the team with gels, energy bars, hydration products, recovery drinks and supplements, keeping the riders fueled and healthy throughout the year.

One of the many races where their presence makes the difference is the UAE Tour, the third stop on the World Tour calendar, which is taking place this week and is known for its high temperatures and challenging condition.

Because we wanted to know more about it, we discussed with team nutritionist Zoë Overzee about how important the 6d products are while competing in the Middle East and how they make life easier for our riders.

“In the UAE, the weather can be very warm, exceeding 30 degrees Celsius on a daily basis, so we need to think more about the hydration requirements. It’s paramount for the riders to hydrate properly, and for that we rely on the 6d Sports Drink, which is part of our protocol for this kind of weather. The riders like it because the taste isn’t that sweet and it has less carbs per unit while coming with a good amount of sodium and electrolytes, which is important when you sweat more. Usually, the riders choose to have two bottles of the 6d Sports Drink per hour, so that they increase their fluid intake.

Even though the energy requirements remain moderate, as the terrain is mostly flat in the UAE, it is still important to stay both hydrated and get the right amount of carbs to fuel the effort properly. During such a race, we advise the riders to stick to the most easy-digestible products. In the UAE, the body is busy cooling down, which means digestion can be impaired, so for that reason they will mostly stick to the Ultra gels/chews, Sports gels/chews, Sports Drinks and water. Depending on their personal goals and roles during the race, and the circumstances of the race, they will prioritise Ultra products to increase the hourly carbohydrate intake.

We make sure to advise the riders about hydration around the races, meaning before and after, as additional hydration is important on top of the normal fluid intake because of the likely higher fluid loss through sweating. This is individually determined based on testing and the race conditions.

Another important 6d product is the Sports Ice gel, a freezable gel that we use quite a lot in warmer conditions for internal cooling. Of course, the riders have ice vests and fans, but for internal cooling, the Sports Ice gels are an excellent option in the hours leading up to the race to make sure their core temperature is low at the start of the stage. Depending on the practicalities, they sometimes use them during the race so that they continue their internal cooling, or even post-race as part of their recovery, as it also gives them the carbs they need to recover.”