Paddle Board Nutrition: Eat, Drink, and Paddle Your Best

12–3 hours pre-paddle (main meal):

• Base = carbs (rice, pasta, oats, potatoes, quinoa) + lean protein + easy veg/fruit + 500–700 ml fluids.

• Keep fat and fiber moderate (you want energy, not gut drama).

60–15 minutes pre-paddle (top-up):

• Small 25–40 g carb snack + 300–500 ml fluids.

• Examples: banana + honey, small granola bar, two rice cakes with jam, sports drink.

During (if on the water ≥75–90 minutes):

• Carbs: 20–40 g/hour for steady paddles; up to 60 g/hour for hard/heat.

• Fluids: 400–800 ml/hour (sip every 10–15 min).

• Sodium: 300–600 mg/hour in heat or heavy sweaters (via sports drink, tabs, or chews).

Within 45 minutes after:

• Protein: 20–35 g.

• Carbs: 1–1.2 g/kg (especially after long or hard days).

• Fluids: 1–1.5× the weight you lost (if you track body mass). Add electrolytes if you’re salty-sweat prone.

• 2–3 hrs out (moderate session): Overnight oats + berries + Greek yogurt; or rice + eggs + avocado + fruit.

• 3–4 hrs out (long/hard): Turkey & rice bowl + cooked veg + olive oil; or quinoa + chickpeas + roasted sweet potato.

• 15–45 min top-up: Banana + small bar; applesauce pouch + pretzels; rice cake + jam; small sports drink.

• Carb chews/gels (practice with water).

• Dried fruit (mango, dates) + salted nuts in small bags.

• Fig bars, light granola bars, mini rice cakes, pretzels.

• Electrolyte drink in a soft flask; hydration pack for hot/windy days.

• Start hydrated: Pale-straw urine, not clear (over-dilution can drop sodium).

• Bring more than you think: Heat, wind, and chop raise sweat rate.

• If you routinely finish with a salt crust on your hat/shirt, you’re a heavy sodium sweater—aim toward the upper sodium range and include salty snacks.

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• Heat: Higher fluids/sodium, more frequent sips, lighter flavors to avoid taste fatigue. Freeze one bottle ¾ full so it melts cold.

• Cold: You still dehydrate (dry air + layers). Warm tea + honey or lightly flavored drink improves intake.

• Wind/chop: Smaller, more frequent sips and bites; choose one-hand snacks.

• Carb-load (light): Increase carb portions 24–36 hrs pre-race while keeping fiber moderate.

• Breakfast (2–3 hrs): 80–120 g carbs + 20–30 g protein (e.g., oatmeal + banana + yogurt).

• Caffeine (optional): 1–3 mg/kg 45–60 min pre-start (trial in training first).

• On course: 40–60 g carbs/hour via gels/chews/drink; sodium 300–600 mg/hour depending on heat.

• Post: Protein 25–35 g + high-GI carbs; then a balanced meal 1–2 hrs later.

• Daily target (active paddlers): 1.4–1.8 g/kg/day (higher end in heavy blocks).

• Spread across 3–4 feedings (20–35 g per).

• Sources: eggs, dairy/Greek yogurt, lean meats/fish, tofu/tempeh, beans + grains, protein smoothies.

• Rainbow plants: berries, citrus, leafy greens, peppers, tomatoes.

• Healthy fats: olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado, fatty fish.

• Spices: ginger, turmeric + black pepper.

• Gut ease: if you’re sensitive, choose low-fiber options pre-paddle; test lactose if dairy bothers you.

• Vegan: tofu scramble + rice; lentil pasta + red sauce; smoothie (soy milk + banana + oats + PB + spinach).

• Gluten-free: rice bowls, potatoes, GF oats, corn tortillas with eggs/beans, GF fig bars.

• Pack vegan chews/gels and GF pretzels for mid-paddle carbs.

• Creatine monohydrate (3–5 g/day): Helps repeated sprints/strength; hydrate well.

• Beta-alanine (daily loading): Can aid high-intensity repeat efforts; may cause harmless tingles.

• Electrolyte mixes: Convenient sodium/potassium/magnesium delivery.

• Beetroot (nitrate): May modestly support endurance; test in training.

• Skip unproven “fat burners” and mega-antioxidants around training (they can blunt adaptation).

1. Pick two pre-paddle meals and two top-ups you tolerate well—rotate them.

2. Weigh before/after a long paddle once to estimate your fluid gap.

3. During sessions >90 minutes, carry carbs + electrolytes and set a 10–15-minute sip timer.

4. Log what you ate/drank and how you felt. Tweak one variable at a time.

5. In heat or race blocks, test higher carbs and higher sodium—in training first.

Eat simple, eat on time, and carry what you’ll actually consume on the water. Most paddlers under-fuel and under-hydrate; fixing those two habits unlocks steadier speed, better balance late in the session, and faster recovery tomorrow. Build a small, repeatable routine and keep notes—your best plan is the one you’ll follow.