RACE NUTRITION GUIDE WITH STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO FUEL YOUR RACE
How much time and effort have you invested into getting ready for the race? Getting in workouts in the early mornings and late at night. Being the person who orders water instead of a cocktail and skips dessert. You recognize yourself: you are a sportsperson.
And now, on race day morning, you stare into the refrigerator. You're giddy with excitement and nerves. You can't make a decision, therefore you wonder what the best racing nutrition is before your upcoming race.
This racing nutrition plan will help you perform at your best in your upcoming competition.
3-WEEKS PRIOR TO YOUR EVENT, PREPARE YOUR RACE NUTRITION
Getting your race nutrition to pat requires gut training and establishing a habit. On race day, having a nutrition schedule means there will be nothing unusual to use vital energy.
Learn how world class athletes fuel their bodies.
GUT TRAINING FOR OPTIMUM RACE PERFORMANCE
Know what you'll eat, when you'll eat it, how often you'll eat it, and how much you'll eat during the race.
Most runners can handle 30 grams of carbohydrates per hour. The majority of riders can handle 40 grams per hour. But did you know that boosting your carbohydrate intake can help you perform better in races? [1] Cyclists, for example, can train their gut to absorb 100 grams of carbs each hour. Because of sloshing in the stomach, runners are limited in their carbohydrate intake, but elite runners can consume up to 60 grams each hour.
HOW TO GET YOUR GUT IN SHAPE
Choose a few critical workouts from your training schedule and put your race nutrition plan to the test. As nearly as possible, recreate the race circumstances. Consider the time of day, the temperature, the elevation, the humidity, the terrain, and so on.
Begin with 30 grams of carbohydrates every hour and watch how your stomach reacts. Make a note of the results of the workout. If it went well, increase the next test by 10g more of carbs. Carry on like this until you've discovered the maximum amount of carbs you can consume while still performing at your best.
Good to know:
Use the product you intend to use during your event in training. There will be no new goods on race day!
3-4 HOURS PRIOR TO START, RACE NUTRITION
When you first wake up, drink roughly 500ml of water to begin the rehydration process. After your second urination, use a urine color chart to determine how much more water you need to drink. Throughout the day, you want your pee to be slightly yellow-tinted. Be aware that certain foods and vitamins can change the color of your urine.
Don't over-hydrate yourself by drinking too much liquid. Urine that appears to be as transparent as water indicates that you are dehydrated.
Pro tip:
Why should you pamper your body on race day? Every day, practice good nutrition and hydration!
You will need to pee a lot in the days leading up to the event. This is related to enough hydration as well as racing nerves! If finding a bathroom is proving difficult, keep this in mind (example: crowded bathrooms at the event start).
It's time to eat something now that you're feeling nice and hydrated. A number of things will influence what and how much you eat:
Individual requirements
The length and duration of the race
Intensity of the race
Good to know:
The less you need to eat and the further you want to finish eating, the shorter and more intense the race is. The more you need to eat and the closer you are to the start, the longer and less intense the race is.
The final pre-race meal's purpose is to replenish your glycogen stores. By the time race day approaches, your glycogen levels should be full. Cutting calories (especially carbs) in the weeks leading up to your event is a bad idea.
For several common events, below are some customary pre-race meals. Aim to finish your final pre-race meal three hours before to the start of the event. If you have a sensitive stomach, aim for four hours (especially runners).
RUNNING EVENTS:
- 5k – 10k: a light meal Toast, oats, and an egg or another protein source, such as yogurt. The race will be difficult to begin with and even more difficult to finish. You want to arrive at the starting line hydrated and hungry in an hour.
- Half-marathon: same as 5k-10k, except you want to be hungry when you get to the starting line. You also don't want to be overstuffed. One meal concept is to just spread nut butter on the previously described toast.
- Marathon: Eat a low-fiber, carb-heavy breakfast with more than 100 grams of carbohydrates. This is something you should have tried a few weeks before the race. Prepare your breakfast the night before if your race starts early so you don't have to think about it on race day. Pre-race meals can include bagels with nut butter, cereal with non-dairy milk, a 2-egg omelet, and rice-based cuisine.
- Eat a lot if you're running an ultramarathon. Drink a lot of water. It turns becomes a game of seeing how much you can eat without unsettling your stomach. Experiment to see what works best for you. Then be prepared to cope with stomach upset nonetheless, because it will almost certainly occur at some point.
EVENTS RELATED TO CYCLING:
- Time trials, criteriums, track races, and Zwift races (for example): a very light, low-fiber meal. Concentrate on staying hydrated. Reduce your protein intake and focus on low-fiber carbohydrate sources.
- 200g of carbs or as much as you can stomach for 2-5 hour events (example: road races, gran fondos, gravel grinders). Add some protein to the mix, such as yogurt or two eggs.
- Events lasting more than five hours (for example, centuries, double centuries, gravel grinders, Ironman, and so on): Eat a lot of food. Unless you're a serious competitor who plans to ride at threshold intensity for the majority of the race, eat a large, well-balanced meal. Because you'll most likely burn up your pre-race nourishment two hours into the race, nutrition will be more important throughout the race.
1 HOUR PRIOR TO THE START OF THE RACE, RACE NUTRITION
You might still be hungry after your large pre-race lunch. Eat something with a medium glycemic index, such as a banana. This is simply to replenish your glycogen storage. Continue to drink water.
30–45 MINUTES PRIOR TO START, RACE NUTRITION
Begin by getting yourself warmed up. During the lower-intensity parts of your warm-up, sip water.
Take a gel or consume a sports drink after a couple of accelerations.
15 MINUTES PRIOR TO BEGINNING
Make your way to the restroom. Don't eat or drink anything. It's merely anxiousness if your mouth feels dry. You're hydrated and ready to take on the world. Concentrate on resting your thoughts and mentally preparing yourself for the upcoming endeavor.
Breathing exercises and meditation are recommended.
To conclude, consider the following pre-race nutrition strategy:
| Time to event start | What to eat and drink |
| Upon waking | ~500ml of water |
| 3-4 hours to start | Toast and granola. Fruit juice. Sip water. |
| 1 hour to start | Banana. Sip water. |
| 30 minutes to start | Drink mix with high-GI carbs AFTER several accelerations during warm-up |
WHICH FOODS SHOULD YOU EAT DURING YOUR RACE?
It's just as essential what you eat as it is when you eat during your race. It's a good idea to prepare extra energy intake to power your activity run if you're going to be out for more than an hour. However, keep in mind that you should have practiced this during your training. This will take some time for your tummy to adjust to. Sports drinks and tiny snacks with a high carbohydrate content are the ideal choices:
Isotonic beverages
Banana
Gels for sports
Candy that is gummy (1-2:1 mix glucose to fructose)
Depending on your event, aim to consume 30-80g of carbs every hour you race. Every hour, consume 500ml of water or a drink mix. Make sure you've done some practice with this during training. Only take in as much as you've already dealt with.
Stay hydrated by drinking a few sips of water or water mixed with a nutrition mix every 15 to 20 minutes. Isotonic drinks are appropriate since they compensate for both a lack of liquids and an electrolyte deficiency. Make sure you know when the water stations on your race route will appear. Bring your own hydration backpack or belt if you require more hydration than what is provided (but be sure to have trained wearing it as well).
Understand the route and whether or not it is possible or required to stop for fuel. Choose sections of the course where your body will be working less. When you're not working as hard, your body processes nutrition more efficiently. It is not a good idea to consume nutrients during difficult race situations.
Knowing the course might also help you prepare for the difficult situations. Fuel 15-30 minutes before important race parts or moments, for example. Hills or, if you're truly competitive, spots where competitors would attack, could be crucial times on the route. If your mood begins to deteriorate, eat and drink something!
You may also utilize the course to alert you when it's time to eat. Divide the race into smaller, more manageable halves. Look forward to taking a drink at the conclusion of a difficult part, for example. It may be sufficient to get you through a challenging situation.
Important:
During your race, take note of the emphasis on "unhealthy" meals like gels, sports drinks, and even candy. Only eat this cuisine if you're racing or doing a lot of training. The rest of the time, focus on consuming genuine food.
NUTRITION AFTER THE RACE
Take a recovery drink with 25g of protein and 40g+ carbs if you need to focus on post-race nutrition to recover quickly. Drink it within an hour of finishing your race. When you're ready, eat a regular dinner. Continue to drink water.
Don't overeat if your race was under an hour and not extremely intense. Only enough to keep the effort going.
Get even more running nutrition guidance!