Windsurfing works your whole body: legs, core, back, arms and grip, for as long as the wind holds. A good day can mean hours on the water with nowhere to stop and eat. Wind and spray keep you feeling cool, so it is easy to miss how much you are sweating in the sun. A simple plan for fuel and fluids keeps your arms and your focus going into the last runs of the day.
Match your fuel to your time on the water
- Under 90 minutes: water plus Endurolytes is usually enough. Sip HEED if you are working hard or it is very hot.
- 90 minutes to 3 hours: HEED as your main drink, with a Hammer Gel every 45 minutes. About 120 to 180 calories per hour.
- More than 3 hours or a full day on the beach: make Perpetuem or Perpetuem Solids your main fuel, with Hammer Gel as a top-up.
How to Carry Your Fuel
- On the water: a small hydration pack or a bottle in a vest pocket with HEED, and a Hammer Flask with up to 5 servings of Hammer Gel.
- On the beach: plan short breaks every hour or so. Keep your Endurolytes, extra gel, powder and water in a cooler bag in the shade.
- Mixed drinks: mix Perpetuem fresh on the beach instead of leaving mixed bottles out in the sun.
Key Hammer Nutrition Fuels for Windsurfers
HEED
A sports drink with complex carbohydrates and a full range of electrolytes, without refined sugar or citric acid.
General Application: Mix 1 to 1.5 scoops in 12 to 20 oz (355 to 591 ml) of water. Sip steadily throughout the session.
Hammer Gel
Quick, easy energy from complex carbohydrates, with no simple sugars.
General Application: 1 serving 10 minutes before you head out and every 45 minutes on the water, with water or HEED.
Endurolytes / Endurolytes Extreme
Electrolytes in capsule form, taken on top of your fuel. Under strong sun, Endurolytes Extreme is the better choice.
General Application: 1 Endurolytes capsule for every 60 lb (27 kg) of body weight 15 to 20 minutes before you head out and every hour after that. With Endurolytes Extreme, take 1 to 2 capsules in the same way. Take them on your beach breaks if you cannot on the water.
Perpetuem / Perpetuem Solids
Steady fuel for long days, with carbohydrates, protein and fat. Perpetuem Solids are the same fuel in chewable form, easy to keep in a pocket.
General Application: 1 to 2 scoops of Perpetuem per hour, or take Perpetuem Solids on your beach breaks. Count the calories from all your fuels so you do not take too much.
Hammer Bar®
A real-food option for a longer break on the beach.
General Application: Part of a bar on a longer beach break, at least 30 minutes before you head out again.
Recoverite / Vegan Recoverite
Carbohydrates and protein to start your recovery when you come off the water.
General Application: Mix 2 scoops in 8 to 16 oz (236 to 473 ml) of water and drink it within 30 minutes of your last session. Hammer Bar® is a convenient whole food recovery option when Recoverite isn’t available, or can be eaten alongside your recovery drink when you need additional food. Follow with a proper balanced meal.
Race Day
- 3 hours before the first start: finish your last meal. After that, water and HEED only.
- 15 to 20 minutes before: your first dose of Endurolytes.
- 10 minutes before: 1 serving of Hammer Gel.
- Between races: sip HEED, take Endurolytes every hour, and a Hammer Gel before each start once you have been out for an hour or more.
- After the last race: Recoverite within 30 minutes, then a proper meal.
Hammer Nutrition High Performance Tips
- Drink before you feel thirsty. Wind and water hide how much you sweat. Aim for 18 to 25 oz (530 to 740 ml) per hour, and up to 28 oz (830 ml) per hour in the heat.
- Fuel on the lean side. Take the least you need to keep your energy steady. If it is not quite enough, add a little more. Count the calories from all your fuels together, HEED and Hammer Gel included, and keep to about 120 to 180 per hour.
- Practice your plan. Try your fuel and your way of carrying it on a normal session before a race or a long trip.
- Skip the junk. Soft drinks and sugary snacks on the beach give you a quick high and then a drop, usually right when the wind picks up.
- Refill the tank. Recoverite after a big day helps you get back on the water the next day.
The above recommendations are provided for information purposes only and are not intended to provide specific dietary or medical advice.
