Eating Right Before Race Day: Dos and Don'ts

Preparing for a race involves more than just training. Proper nutrition leading up to race day is crucial for optimal performance.

We’re going to discuss the dos and don'ts of eating right before race day to help you fuel your body effectively for your best performance, while avoiding unwanted digestive issues and energy crashes.

It is important that you understand your body’s individual nutritional needs. These will be based on factors such as metabolism, food intolerance, and dietary preference (e.g. if you follow a plant-based diet).

You should do plenty of experimentation with your pre-race meals during training to help identify what works best for you. It’s best not to leave anything up to chance on race day.

Do

Carb Loading:

Carb loading is a popular method used by athletes to try and maximise glycogen stores before a big race by increasing the amount of carbs you eat in the day/days leading up to the event.

It’s important to understand carb loading before trying it out for yourself. Many people make the mistake of increasing the overall volume of food they are eating whilst carb loading. What you should really aim to do is increase the percentage of carbs but keep the overall volume the same.

Carb rich foods include pasta, rice, bread, fruit and starchy vegetables like potatoes.

Balanced Meals:

Everybody should eat a balanced diet, athletes included. Eating well balanced meals containing carbs, protein and unsaturated fats helps to sustain energy levels and support muscle repair, two things crucial for athletes during training.

Balanced meal ideas:

- Grilled chicken & avocado salad sandwich on wholegrain bread

- Salmon, rice & steamed vegetables

- Chickpea curry & whole grain rice

Hydration:

Think of hydration in the same way as carb loading. If you maintain optimum hydration in the days leading up to your event you will be better equipped to prevent dehydration during the event.

Drink water regularly and consume electrolyte replacements to replenish minerals such as sodium lost through sweat during training.

Timing:

On the day of your event, the timing of your final pre-race meal is very important. To allow proper digestion and avoid discomfort during the race you will want to eat around 2-3 hours before you head to the start line.

If eating a large meal, then you may want to increase this to 3-4 hours, with a small snack 30 minutes to an hour prior to the start as a final energy top up.

Don’t

Experimenting with New Foods:

The time for experimenting is during training and by the time it comes to race day you should have your nutrition fine-tuned. Trying new foods on the day could have unpredictable consequences.

It is best to stick to what you know on the day. This applies to real food and sports nutrition products like energy drinks and gels.

Overeating:

Portion control is a valuable tool to learn. Overeating can cause you to feel sluggish and bloated, less than ideal during a big race.

Eating until you feel satisfied rather than stuffed is the best way to prevent discomfort from overeating.

Relying Solely on Energy Drinks or Gels:

While we’re obviously huge advocates for the use of sports nutrition products like energy gels and drinks at XMiles, we also understand the importance of real food.

Skipping meals and relying on energy and protein drinks does not constitute proper nutrition, especially during an intense training period. Not eating proper well-balanced meals will put you at greater risk of injury and is likely to hinder your performance.

Take a look at What’s the deal with real food? for more info on how the world of sports nutrition is increasingly shifting towards real food-based options. 

Takeaway:

Proper nutrition leading up to race day is essential for optimal performance. By following these dos and don'ts, you can fuel your body effectively, avoid digestive issues, and set yourself up for success on race day.

Remember to always listen to your body, experiment during training, and find the approach that works best for you. Good luck!