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Home > Training Tips > Nutrition Tips > Race Day Nutrition |
| Race Day Nutrition |
By Bob Seebohar, MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS
Race
day nutrition is highly individualized and often times the general rule
of thumb is, “If it tastes OK in training, chances are it won’t work in
a race. If it tastes great in training, it might work in a race.”
Because racing situations greatly magnify and change the taste of all
food and drink, it is important to remember that the best source of
calories and fluid for a race comes from those that you can get down
and keep down. Most of the time, fluids or gels are usually a better
choice than solid foods.
Depending
on the length of your race and the environmental conditions, you may or
may not need as much fuel. Water can be used in race situations of 60
minutes or less (as long as you fueled up prior to the race) while
sports drinks or easy-to-digest foods, liquids or gels should be used
thereafter. Carbohydrates, fluid and sodium are the most important
nutrients during competition and should be an integral part of your
race nutrition plan.
Race Morning
I
know it’s tough to try to choke down something on race morning but you
need to get some carbohydrate in your body because you are coming off
of an overnight fast and internal glycogen stores are used as you
sleep. Eat 2-4 grams of carbohydrate (8-16 calories) per kilogram of
body weight 2-4 hours before the start of the race and drink about 20
ounces of sports drink during this time also. Sip on around 10 ounces
of a sports drink 10-20 minutes prior to the start.
During the Race
Since
athletes absorb different amounts of calories per hour, it is important
to experiment with quantity during training. In general, for shorter
races, consume 30-60 grams of carbohydrate (120-240 calories) per hour.
For longer races (more than 8 hours), you may be able to experiment
with up to 90 grams (360 calories) per hour.
Because
fluid empties from the stomach very differently from athlete to
athlete, experiment with fluid quantities during training also. In
general, drink 1-2 bottles of fluid per hour (including carbohydrate
and sodium) and divide this into about 3-8 big sips/gulps every 15-20
minutes.
After the Race
The
key nutrition components to consume within 30-60 minutes (the sooner
the better actually) after a race are fluid, carbohydrate, protein and
sodium. Check the labels on your favorite products and food to meet the
following criteria.
Fill
up your fluid and carbohydrate “tanks” post-race by drinking about one
bottle of sports drink for every pound of body weight that you lose and
eat about 50-100 grams (200-400 calories) of carbohydrate. This can
come in the form of liquid, solid or gel, whichever you prefer.
For
protein, it is good to eat 10-20 grams of essential amino acids (40-80
calories) to help speed recovery along with at least 500-700 milligrams
of sodium. Try to keep the fat intake very low if consumed at all in
this window directly after a race.
After
this initial post-race feeding, you can sit back and enjoy without
worry that your recovery process will be enhanced. Reward yourself with
a mixed meal made up of carbohydrate, protein and fat about 2 hours
after you finish and keep drinking those fluids for the next few hours
to re-hydrate your body.
Remember,
a well-planned nutrition program may mean the difference of setting a
new PR, a win, finishing, or simply feeling good at the finish. Don’t
overlook your nutrition training for your race. Plan ahead and try it
in your training under race simulation conditions first.
Brought to you by fuel4mance.com.
Bob
Seebohar, MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS is a Board Certified Specialist in Sports
Dietetics, USA Triathlon Level III Elite Coach and the owner of
Fuel4mance (www.fuel4mance.com). Contact him at coachbob@fuel4mance.com.
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