Cross Country Nutrition

Answers to questions you might have about fueling for the season

Nutrition is one of the most modifiable and controllable factors in athletic success, but too often it 's also the most ignored. Paying special attention to good sports nutrition, especially starting at a young age, may be the key to reaching new heights. The following are some of the questions that I've been asked, and have asked myself, through my years of training.

1) WHAT SHOULD I EAT BEFORE I RACE?

This depends first on when you eat the meal.

Let's start with the night before a morning race. It's best to have a dinner that's high in carbohydrates and moderate in fat and protein. Choose  carbohydrates such as whole-wheat pasta, brown or wild rice, lentils and beans, and whole fruits and vegetables. Go easy on foods that are oily, greasy, or very high in fiber. Also take it easy on protein, as it digests slowly. If you eat an earlier dinner and know that you'll have a tough time eating in the morning, have a small bedtime snack that has twice as much carbohydrate as protein, such as a bowl of cereal with milk. It's not necessary to overload on carbohydrates the night before, and the marathoner's practice of carbo-loading is overkill for most athletes, especially high school athletes running a 5K or shorter.

If you have at least three to four hours before your morning race, you can have a relatively large meal of up to 700-800 calories, with a minimum of 400-500 calories. Similar to the previous night's dinner, make it high in carbohydrate, moderate in protein, low in fat. Good examples of race-morning breakfasts are:

1 cup of cereal with milk or yogurt, 1 slice of toast, and 1 piece of fruit

1 medium bagel with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and 1 to 2 cups of a sports drink

2 pieces of toast or bread, 1 ounce of lean meat of cheese, and 1 piece of fruit

These are just a few of many possible combinations. Any foods that you like and are comfortable with will work fine as long as they fall within the above guidelines.

If you only have one or two hours to eat before the competition stick with foods that digest quickly and easily, and limit the snack to 300-400 calories at the most, with a minimum of 150-250 calories. Good choices would be a granola bar or sports bar, 1-2 cups of dry cereal, a handful of trail mix and/or dried fruit, or an ounce or two of whole-grain crackers with a little peanut butter. If you're too nervous to eat solid food, nibble on snacks that are tolerable, and try drinking 2-3 cups of a full-calorie (non-diet) sports drink.

For afternoon meets, the above guidelines are appropriate, but there are additional challenges to keep in mind. The major challenge is finding appropriate foods among the many high-fat, high-sugar options that are prominent in school cafeterias. On race days, the best option is to pack your lunch with familiar foods that follow the guidelines for pre-workout meals. Good choices include a sandwich with lean meat, a small plate of pasta with sauce, even a granola bar with a bottle of sports drink. If it's longer than three hours, be sure to have a pre-race snack planned out that you can have one to two hours before.

Regardless of when your race is, eat foods that are familiar and avoid foods that are spicy, greasy, or especially high in fiber. Never experiment with new foods or food replacements (energy gels, sports bars, etc.) on race day. 

2) HOW MUCH DO I NEED TO DRINK?

This varies greatly depending on your size, sweat rate, climate, and a host of other factors. The general recommendation is to drink plenty throughout the day so that you're never thirsty. Thirst is the first sign of dehydration. You'll probably be drinking at least 2-3 liters of water per day. Leading up to races you should drink four to eight extra glasses of water the day before, another two to three glasses at least two hours before, and one or two glasses 10-15 minutes before competition. 

The majority of your fluid intake should be plain water; sports drinks can provide extra calories and electrolytes, but sodas and other soft drinks should be limited as much as possible. You'll know you're drinking enough when your urine is clear, you're using the bathroom frequently, and you're not feeling thirsty. Adequate hydration should be practiced all day, every day. Don't try to fit it all in the hour before you race, as water overload is a very real and dangerous condition.

3) WHAT SHOULD I EAT AFTER I RACE?

Post-race or post-exercise nutrition is just as important as pre-competition nutrition. Although the tendency is to celebrate and pig-out, it's important to fill up on something other than just junk food. Sports nutrition should always be a matter of what-I-should-eat versus what-I-can-eat. Eat post-exercise meals as soon as possible, preferably in the first 20-30 minutes, to refuel the body as quickly as possible. Our bodies are most receptive to replenishing our glycogen stores and repairing our muscles during the immediate time period post-exercise. In addition to replacing the fluids and electrolytes lost through sweat, focus on consuming foods high in carbohydrate and moderate in protein. Chocolate milk is a great example of a recovery food.