NUTS Karhunkierros energy planning

Energy supply plan for NUTS Karhunkierros 55 km

In endurance running – and especially on technical and long-distance routes like the NUTS Karhunkierros 55 km – energy intake plays a crucial role. The longer the race, the more important it is how well you manage to replenish your body's carbohydrate stores during the run.

I have put together a concrete energy plan for three different end-of-life goals:
✔️ 6 hours (fast pace)
✔️ 8 hours (moderate pace)
✔️ 10 hours (calm progress)

Each plan targets 90 grams of carbohydrates per hour , which is the optimal amount according to many studies and experienced trail ultrarunners. The plans are based on practical products, such as Tailwind Endurance Fuel sports drink and NOSHT's speed candy , which provide easy-to-dos and stomach-friendly energy throughout the race. NOTE! 90g/h is quite a lot, especially without training digestion and it may be that your own maximum is less. So test the gram amounts during long training, e.g. starting with 2 scoops of Tailwind and half a pack of Jolloksi per hour.

Each speed has its own table, which specifies:

• duration of maintenance intervals
• carbohydrate requirement (g)
• estimated amount of fluid
• how much Tailwind and NOSHT are needed to meet the recommendation

💡 Remember to test your energy strategy well in advance of the race during long training sessions. Everything related to energy intake – products, timing and amounts – is partly individual. What works for one person may not work for another. During training sessions, you can test how your body and stomach react to different amounts and combinations. The most important thing is to find the maximum amount of carbohydrates that you can comfortably consume. It is easier to have too little energy than too much. It is worth starting training with at least 60g (a couple of servings of Tailwind and one Jollosball) per hour and increasing the amount a little in each training session until you find the maximum that sinks in nicely. The table describes what would be a kind of ideal according to several sources. And quite a maximum for even harder ultra times.

💧 The amount of fluid is an estimate , and it is worth adjusting it to your own needs and preferences. Weather conditions, the amount of sweating and your own fluid loss greatly affect how much fluid you need for each section. If the recommendation in the table feels too high or low, feel free to adjust the amount per/h – but still try to maintain a steady hydration throughout the performance. And keep the same amount of energy mixed into the fluid per hour. If the fluid intake increases significantly, you can of course use Tailwind alone as energy. Tailwind is designed to work as the only energy, but it is a matter of taste how strong the mixture is. For myself, 0.5l and two scoops/single dose of Tailwind is good.

🎒 It's better to have a little too much than too little. There can always be surprises in a race: the route is harder than you expected, the temperature surprises you, or your pace slows down in technical terrain. In such cases, extra energy can make the difference between making it to the finish line without a crash. On long distances, you can leave some of your energy in a drop bag or with a guardian , so you don't have to carry everything with you the whole way – the most important thing is to make sure you have enough energy during long maintenance intervals, even if your progress slows down.

📊 The tables provide a good basis for creating an energy plan. You can use them as is or modify them to suit your own needs. The plan will help you stay on track until the end – and maybe even enjoy the trip more.

👇 Below you will find tables for different target times. If you want to ask more questions, I will be happy to answer. I have run Karhunkierros 55 in my first ultra in 8.5 hours and many other 50-100km ultras. Through experience, I started to reject the snacks from the service stations if they are not familiar to me and only used my own familiar snacks (Tailwind and NOSHT). I have not had any stomach problems in the races.

☕ Caffeine

Some Tailwind and NOSHT products contain caffeine. Caffeine is known to improve performance, but it should only be consumed for a maximum of 6 hours in a row. Maybe it's worth saving the caffeine-rich energy for the end of the race! The 55km route is known to have a steep hill at the end. Start consuming enough caffeine before the Konttainen service so you get a boost for the dangers at the end!

Duration: 6 hours at a fast pace!

Segment	Duration (h)	Need (g/day)	Liquid (l)	Energy products
Oulanka → Basecamp (31.8 km)	3	270	1.5	Tailwind 1.5 l (150 g = 6 measures / 3 sachets) + NOSHT Jollos 3 packets (126 g)
Basecamp → Konttainen (17.7 km)	2	180	1	Tailwind 1.0 l (100 g = 4 measures / 2 sachets) + NOSHT Jollos 2 packets (84 g)
Konttainen → Ruka (7.3 km)	1	90	0.5	Tailwind 0.5 l (50 g = 2 measures / 1 sachet) + NOSHT Jollos 1 packet (42 g)

Duration: 8h Moderate pace!

Segment	Duration (h)	Need (g/day)	Liquid (l)	Energy products
Oulanka → Basecamp (31.8 km)	4	360	2	Tailwind 2.0 l (200 g = 8 measures / 4 sachets) + NOSHT Jollos 4 packets (168 g)
Basecamp → Konttainen (17.7 km)	2.5	225	1.5	Tailwind 1.5 l (150 g = 6 measures / 3 sachets) + NOSHT Jollos 2 packets (84 g)
Konttainen → Ruka (7.3 km)	1.5	135	0.75	Tailwind 0.75 l (75 g = 3 measures / 1.5 sachets) + NOSHT Jollos 1.5 packets (63 g)

Duration: 10h Relaxed pace!

Segment	Duration (h)	Need (g/day)	Liquid (l)	Energy products
Oulanka → Basecamp (31.8 km)	5	450	2.5	Tailwind 2.5 l (250 g = 10 measures / 5 sachets) + NOSHT Jollos 5 packets (210 g)
Basecamp → Konttainen (17.7 km)	3	270	1.5	Tailwind 1.5 l (150 g = 6 measures / 3 sachets) + NOSHT Jollos 3 packets (126 g)
Konttainen → Ruka (7.3 km)	2	180	1	Tailwind 1.0 l (100 g = 4 measures / 2 sachets) + NOSHT Jollos 2 packets (84 g)