Sports
Behind the Nutrition and Logistics of La Misión Brasil
Dr. Ana Claudia Pelissari and Dan Holz detail the complex ULTRANUT operation across mountain ultramarathon aid stations.
Planning nutrition for a mountain ultramarathon goes far beyond choosing fruits and energy gels. Specialists from UFV reveal the sanitary, logistical, and scientific challenges behind the aid stations of La Misión Brasil.
Feeding hundreds of athletes who spend dozens of hours running across technical ridges and trails demands invisible engineering. In the world of trail running and mountain ultramarathons, nutritional support is not just about handing out fruit and electrolyte drinks: it requires strict sanitary safety, logistics in hard-to-reach locations, temperature control, and applied science. This behind-the-scenes effort is led by Dr. Ana Claudia Pelissari Kravchychyn and nutritionist and master's candidate Dan Holz de Arruda, both from the Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), at La Misión Brasil through the ULTRANUT extension project.
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Mountain-Top Management and Sanitary Control
The ULTRANUT operation brings Nutrition undergraduate and graduate students to manage the daily routines of aid and control stations (PCAs) as well as the event staff's catering. Their work begins with hygienic and sanitary compliance: proper attire with hairnets and gloves, no jewelry, strict traffic control in prep kitchens, and eliminating risky habits, such as sharing makeshift cups or athletes plunging muddy hands directly into food containers.
To guarantee microbiological safety over events exceeding 30 hours, the team implements protocols standard to hospital units and professional kitchens. This includes systematically retaining duplicate food samples (stored hot-food samples kept for laboratory analysis should any athlete report illness) and continuously monitoring meal temperatures with culinary thermometers.
Heavy Logistics and Altitude-Adapted Menus
Designing the menu for a race like La Misión requires aligning exercise physiology with the demands of each trail segment. The menu is finalized months in advance—typically in November for a race held in August—giving coaches and athletes full predictability to structure their training and fueling strategies.
Logistics vary according to the weather and altitude of each aid station. At critical checkpoints such as Toca do Lobo, the team uses military-grade insulated hot boxes to transport up to 100 liters of hot broth prepared at the base town, ensuring it arrives above 70 °C (158 °F) to warm 110 km competitors. In addition, food choices accommodate universal dietary restrictions: 100% gluten-free pasta and side garnishes like bacon served separately to accommodate vegan and vegetarian runners. Citrus fruits, such as oranges, are placed at strategic checkpoints to fight palate fatigue and nausea caused by consuming too many sweets.
The Performance Triad and Most Common Mistakes
According to the specialists, nutritional success in ultra-endurance races relies on an uncompromising triad: hydration, electrolyte replenishment (particularly sodium), and adequate carbohydrate intake. The most common mistake observed on the trail remains a lack of prior testing: athletes who decide to consume unfamiliar foods or energy products directly at an aid station exponentially increase the risk of severe gastrointestinal distress.
Another critical issue involves poor food choices stemming from misinformation, such as consuming indigestible parts of watermelon rind or neglecting fluid intake until reaching severe dehydration. The fundamental recommendation is to stick to the practiced race plan, know your individual gastric tolerance, and rely on real food—such as local cheeses, fruit paste bars, and savory broths—to balance the palate and protect the digestive tract.
From Lab to Trail: The Science Behind LAPSE
Alongside the ULTRANUT extension project, the Laboratory of Studies in Psychobiology and Exercise (LAPSE-UFV) turns the mountain into an open-air laboratory. Researchers collect detailed dietary recalls and analyze markers of intestinal permeability, inflammation, and cellular damage in both amateur and elite athletes.
Preliminary findings indicate that although scientific literature demonstrates clear benefits from combined glucose-fructose ratios and high hourly carbohydrate intakes, most mountain runners still possess low formal nutritional knowledge and minimal professional guidance. The project aims to bridge the gap between science and everyday athletes, providing practical tools so every runner can achieve true self-reliance and safety out on the trails.
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