5 Tips to Fuel for a Stronger Race
Whether you’re training for a bike race, a 5K, a marathon, or a Tough Mudder or Spartan Race, what, when, and how much you eat is vital for sports performance.
Here are 5 nutrition tips you can use to ensure a stronger race.
Eat Before You Exercise. Try to eat at least 1-2 hours beforehand, and choose foods that you know you can digest well. It's important to engage in a trial run with your nutrition before race day, so you know how your system will react on the day of. Enjoy carbohydrates with protein and fat; for example, sprouted whole wheat toast with peanut butter and banana slices.
Eat during exercise if it exceeds 60-90 minutes. If your race is long and intense, and/or if the weather is hot, bring sports gels or GUs to consume during the race. Figuring out when to eat them awkwardly during a race isn’t easy, but it can make the difference between you hitting a wall or finishing strong. Your body only holds onto a certain amount of glycogen (energy for your muscles), so when you run out of glycogen, you run out of energy. Replace your glycogen stores with carbohydrates and replace electrolytes lost from sweat from sports products, such as Gatorade and GUs. Whole foods like bananas aren’t as quickly absorbed as sports products. I recommend trying coconut water sports drinks for their morefor their more natural sugar content and additional potassium.
Hydrate with water. Proper hydration should start weeks before the race, so drink water throughout the day everyday. Try to make water your beverage of choice most of the time. Drink water before, during, and after your exercise, even if you are not thirsty. If you are not hydrated with water, food and sports products won't be absorbed efficiently and can cause digestive issues. How do you know if you are properly hydrated? Check the color of your urine. Pale yellow is ideal. Try weighing yourself before and after you exercise. For every pound lost, drink 16oz of water.
Recovery nutrition is just as important as fueling before exercise. Don’t forget to hydrate and eat after exercise, and especially after a big race. We are often so happy to finish that we forget to replenish our bodies. This will avoid injury, extreme soreness, headache, and dehydration. Refuel your body with fruit, whole grains, milk, yogurt, cereal, and beans. It is also important to replace electrolytes, so look for whole foods with salt, potassium, and calcium; you may need a sports product after a big race. Then, enjoy a complete meal with carbs, protein, and fat within an hour, and then every few hours after exercise.
Eat less processed food and more healthy clean food. This tip applies to people who are not exercising too, but it's extra important for active people. Your body needs nutrients to function at its best, so if you are eating low-nutrient foods, you won’t perform well. This doesn’t only pertain to race day or race week. Before you start carbo loading or buying sports products, you need to have your base diet clean and healthy. Enjoy a consistent healthy diet made up of a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, dairy, nuts, seeds, healthy fats, and lean meats. Cleaning up your diet can make a huge difference in your sports performance.