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.
