Optimal nutrition choices for pre-event hydration -
To further decrease the risk of hyponatremia, maintain or increase your salt intake leading up to races in which you'll be continuously moving for 3 hours at moderate to high intensity or longer.
An adequate intake of sodium is particularly important if you'll be competing in hot and humid conditions and when the weather will be warmer than what you normally train in. Add table salt to foods or eat your favorite salty foods, like soup, tomato juice, canned vegetables, canned chili, salted pretzels, and pickles.
Female endurance athletes, back-of-the-packers a slower pace often means more opportunities to drink and thus overhydrate , undertrained athletes sweat losses of sodium are greater , athletes troubled with cramping, and those not acclimated to the heat need to be particularly mindful of getting adequate sodium.
If you've had problems with hyponatremia or dealing with the heat in the past or have a health problem such as high blood pressure, speak with your physician before taking salt or electrolyte tablets in the days leading up to or during a long-distance event or race.
If your competition involves travel and meals eaten away from home, be sure to take with you any special or favorite food items that you simply can't do without. Make smart food choices a priority on travel days because all-day travel and poor nutrition is a double whammy for even a highly trained athlete.
Prepare by bringing foods that travel well and by stocking up on energy bars and powdered meal-replacement products.
Consider using a high-carbohydrate beverage or meal-replacement product to supplement your carbohydrate needs if time-zone changes or your travel schedule will interfere with your regular eating habits.
As much as you can control it, don't try new foods or change your eating habits in the week leading up to a long-distance event or race. Now is the time to review your nutrition game plan for the day of the race. Early in the week, make sure that you have enough of all nutrition essentials that you plan to consume during the event or race, such as sports drinks, energy gels and bars, and, if appropriate, foods and electrolyte salt tablets that have previously passed the test in training.
Double-check that any equipment that you plan to use, such as hip packs or bum bags, bladder hydration systems, and gel flasks, is in good working order. Gather and prepare your sports foods and equipment as well as a recovery drink or bar and food for afterward no later than the night before.
If feasible, fill drink bottles or another hydration system the night before so that you can just grab them in the morning and so that during warm weather you can freeze bottles beforehand. When it comes to eating the night before a long-distance race, rest assured that no magical or preferred prerace dinner exists.
The only rule is to stick with familiar foods that you enjoy. This is not the time to be adventurous because you want to avoid making late-night trips to the bathroom. Although you most likely know to feature carbohydrate-rich foods like pasta, rice, and potatoes, keep in mind that endurance athletes have competed successfully after eating all kinds of foods, including pizza, steak, and Mexican food!
For carbohydrate-rich meal ideas, see chapter 4. Stuffing yourself with carbohydrate isn't necessary at this time. In other words, don't feel obligated to get your money's worth at the traditional prerace pasta feed. Serious competitors, in fact, may do well to avoid eating in public places with crowds.
Don't be afraid to include reasonable-sized portions of meat or other protein-rich foods as well as some fat at this meal. These foods have staying power and can help you sleep through the night.
Most athletes do fine having a glass of wine or a beer if it's part of their regular routine. Eat at a reasonable time for you, consume appropriate-sized portions, and know that eating again before bedtime for example, a carbohydrate-rich snack such as milk and cereal or an energy bar is more productive than stuffing yourself now.
Some athletes become consumed with having the perfect prerace meal or eating exactly the same thing each time. Keep your stress level in check by becoming comfortable with eating a variety of foods at prerace meals, especially if you travel to races; otherwise, you waste precious mental energy that compromises your performance.
The goal is to be open-minded and flexible, which translates into being able to eat as many different foods as possible. If you firmly believe that certain foods will enhance your performance, by all means, eat them!
Finally, remind yourself that your success the next day hinges on numerous factors, and that this last supper is only one of them.
Focus your mental energy on how you plan to fuel yourself during the event or race. What you do or don't do the next day, when you're on the move for several hours, has a much greater effect on your stamina, your morale, and ultimately the outcome, than worrying about eating the perfect meal the night before.
Continue to drink plenty of familiar, well-tolerated fluids, but don't overdo it by drinking bottle after bottle of plain water or other sodium-free beverages.
Plan to eat a carbohydrate-rich breakfast a few hours before the start of your endeavor or race, especially for a late-morning or midday start. Although you may be able to skip breakfast and do well in shorter-range events and races, the odds aren't in your favor as you move up in distance.
If you don't eat breakfast, how many waking hours, as well as total hours, will have passed since you last ate? What will happen if the start is delayed? Eating breakfast helps settle your stomach and ward off hunger pangs as you wait for the race to begin.
Many athletes find that they feel satisfied longer by eating earlier and including higher-fat foods like peanut butter or cheese. More important, eating breakfast refills your liver glycogen stores which can be almost gone by morning , which are critical for maintaining a stable blood sugar level during prolonged exercise.
These carbohydrate reserves help to power hardworking muscles and fuel your brain so that you can make wise decisions while on the move. If you're simply too nervous to eat on race morning, drink your breakfast in the form of a breakfast shake or meal-replacement product. As a last resort, eat a substantial late-night snack before going to bed.
No concrete recommendations exist; however, most people do well by consuming. Keep in mind that liquid foods clear the stomach faster than solid foods do. If coffee or tea is part of your usual preexercise routine, go with it. Most athletes do best sticking with what they know and ideally have confirmed by experimenting before long training efforts.
If in doubt, leave it out. Jonathan Valdez, RDN, CDCES, CPT is a New York City-based telehealth registered dietitian nutritionist and nutrition communications expert. How you nourish and hydrate your body on the days leading up to a race or a long run affect how comfortable you are during and after the run.
But they also help determine whether you achieve your peak running performance. It's common for runners to focus on what not to eat or drink, avoiding foods or beverages that are known to cause cramping or gastrointestinal issues during a run.
It is equally important to know what to eat fuel your body and support peak performance and overall health. The foods you eat all contain macro- and micronutrients that play different roles in the way energy is delivered to your body and how your long runs are fueled.
For healthy long-distance runners, goal macronutrient targets also known as "macros" will differ depending on your training schedule. The primary source of energy for runners comes from carbohydrates, which include both simple sugars and complex carbohydrates.
Our bodies burn energy supplied by carbohydrates more efficiently compared to energy from proteins or fats, according to studies conducted on energy metabolism.
Good food sources of carbohydrates include:. Choosing less processed carbohydrates that are made from whole grains will provide you with more fiber, which can help you stay sated. But don't add a lot of fiber to your diet all at once, as this may cause uncomfortable symptoms.
Protein provides the body with energy and works to repair tissue damaged during exercise. Long distance runners and marathoners should aim to consume 1. Look for protein sources that are minimally processed and low in fat.
Good sources include:. Dietary fats regulate hormones and assist in blood clotting while helping the body absorb certain vitamins and move them through the blood. Fats also work to reduce inflammation in the body, which is necessary for long-distance runners to help alleviate muscle soreness and boost the immune system.
Since each gram of fat contains 9 calories as compared to 4 calories per gram obtained from carbs or protein , a high-fat diet can easily lead to weight gain. Limit your intake of saturated fats while increasing your intake of omega-3 fatty acids. Although vitamins and minerals don't provide the body with energy, long-distance runners should take extra care to include foods high in micronutrients in their diet to combat the free radicals produced in the body after exercising.
Free radicals can be damaging to cells, and vitamins C , E , and A can neutralize them. Important minerals that runners should take extra care to include in their diets include calcium, iron, and sodium. For runs longer than 90 minutes, you should plan to replace some of the electrolytes you lose by drinking a sports drink or taking in salt during the run.
Even mild dehydration can make you feel fatigued and impair your physical performance. Immediately after training, check your hydration levels by doing a urine test. If your urine is light yellow like lemonade, you're well-hydrated. If it's a dark yellow color, you're dehydrated and should keep drinking more water.
If you find yourself feeling thirsty or you are dehydrated, plain water is a great choice. The amount of fluid you need to drink before, during, and after a run depends on how long you will be running and your sweat rate.
During a run, runners should drink 4 to 6 ounces of fluid every 20 minutes. For runners who run faster than 8-minute miles, 6 to 8 ounces of water every 20 minutes is recommended. During long runs of 90 minutes or more, drink 5 to 10 ounces of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes.
There are a number of sports gels, chews, and protein bars marketed to runners that claim to provide the fuel you need to power through long runs.
Although some provide a good source of quick and convenient energy for long runs, there is no strong evidence to prove that supplements improve health or athletic performance. However, during long-distance runs your stored glycogen levels will get depleted. Your body will need some quick burning fuel to get you through to the finish line.
Many marathon and half-marathon runners run with packaged supplements such as gels, chews, and bars stuffed into their running belts. After about 60 minutes of running, you need to replenish lost calories with simple sugars.
In addition to quick-burning sugars, these products may contain caffeine, vitamins, antioxidants, and electrolytes. A good energy gel should contain two different forms of carbohydrates such as glucose and fructose for quicker absorption and also offer some sodium to replenish your electrolytes.
Some energy gels will also provide caffeine to help push you through remaining miles. If you are worried about gastrointestinal issues, you may want to alternate between caffeinated and non-caffeinated gels throughout your run.
Most energy chews or blocks resemble candy in some way as they are often chewy, sweet, and fruit-flavored. You will find many vitamins, antioxidants, and amino acids packed into a small fruit chew to help your body rebuild muscle tissue while giving you quick energy.
Chews come in both caffeinated and non-caffeinated versions. There are many different types of bars out in the market. Protein bars will help to deliver protein to your muscles with upwards of 20 grams of protein per bar.
An energy bar will have a higher carbohydrate content than a protein bar. A good energy bar will provide a good ratio of carbs to protein aim for a or ratio. Recovery bars are designed to contain carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, and antioxidants to help your body recover from a long run and stave off muscle cramps.
Aside from the types of foods you eat, it is also very important to know that nutrient timing can play a role in optimizing your running performance. Since our carb stores are limited and carbohydrates are the primary fuel burned during physical activity, ideally, you want to eat foods that are rich in carbs and moderate to low in protein and fat in the weeks before an event.
Many runners prefer to increase their daily carb intake in the days before an event, which is known as carb-loading. When carb-loading, your total calorie intake should stay roughly the same.
This means you will need to slowly increase the percentage of carbs in your diet, maintain the same percentage of proteins, and very slightly lower your percentage of fats.
Be cautious and remember that carb-loading doesn't mean stuffing yourself full of pasta the night before a race. Focus on carb-loading with the inclusion of the following foods:. For breakfast before your long run or race, focus on getting mostly carbs and some protein.
Pick foods that are easily digestible. Some examples of good pre-long run fuel include:. Consuming a high-carb snack or energy gel around 15 minutes prior to the start of your race will act as a fast-acting source of energy during the beginning stretch.
When you begin the run, you shouldn't be starving, but you also shouldn't feel heavy and stuffed. You don't want to eat a meal immediately before running because it could lead to cramping or annoying side stitches.
An energy gel or chew can give you a boost to keep you from running on an empty stomach , which can cause you to run out of energy and leave you feeling fatigued. During a race, take in enough carbs and fluids to fuel your run, but don't overdo it.
Filling up or drinking too much can lead to stomach upset and impair your performance. You shouldn't deviate from the eating patterns you followed during training.
Some runners even opt for high-sugar snacks like gummy bears or other small candies. But you're not limited to processed products. Some mid-run whole food choices include:. The goal is to opt for foods that have carbs with a high glycemic index but are small and light to carry. You will also want to maintain hydration levels by drinking 5 to 10 ounces of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes during your long run.
What you choose to eat after a run depends on your personal training goals, but after a long run or race, your aim should be to replace lost fluids and restore glycogen levels. Immediately following a long training run or race, eat a to calorie snack to aid recovery and allow you to start stocking up on stored carbohydrate for the next run.
Good choices include:. Within two hours after a race or long run, aim to eat foods high in carbohydrates and protein.
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