Your Guide to Race Day Nutrition

Fuelling for an endurance event begins days before the race. Preparing your body in
advance is just as crucial as fuelling during the event itself. Without proper fuelling, you risk hitting the wall, which can ruin your race day. In this article, we’ll explore how to properly prepare and excel in your race-day nutrition strategy.

Carbohydrate Loading

Many people associate carbohydrate loading with eating large bowls of pasta the day before a race. While that’s one approach, carbohydrate loading involves more than just a pre-race pasta feast. To fuel optimally, the key is consuming the right amount of carbohydrates in the 24-48 hours before your event. The general recommendation is to eat 8-12 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight. This ensures your muscle glycogen stores are fully topped up, helping to delay muscle fatigue and enhance performance on race day.

Carbohydrate Loading Strategy:

To optimise your glycogen stores, focus on carbohydrate-rich meals throughout the day,
with high-carb snacks and liquid carbs as additional boosts.

Carbohydrate Supplements to Consider:

• Energy Bars
• Energy Drinks
  

These products can help top up your carbohydrate stores during the loading phase.

Morning of the Race:

On the day of the race, aim to consume breakfast 1-4 hours before the start. Your meal
should contain 1-4 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight, allowing
enough time for digestion. This ensures that your glycogen stores, which may have been
partially depleted overnight, are fully replenished.

For your pre-race meal, focus on easily digestible, low-fibre, low-fat, and low-protein
foods to minimise the risk of gastrointestinal discomfort during the race. You may also want to incorporate liquid carbohydrates like fruit juice or a carb powder mixed with water.

Examples of Pre-Race Meals:

• Bagels with honey and banana
• Porridge with syrup and fruit
• Toast with jam or peanut butter
  

Pre-Race Snack:

About 30-60 minutes before the race, you may want to consume a small carbohydrate
snack (15-30g) to help maintain blood glucose levels for the start of the race. This can also provide a final energy boost before you begin.

Examples of Pre-Race Snacks:

• Banana
• Energy Gels
• Sports Drinks
• Energy Chews

During the Race:

It’s important to start fuelling before you feel the need. Waiting too long can lead to
glycogen depletion and result in "bonking," where energy crashes and performance suffers.

Carbohydrate Intake During the Event:

• 1-2.5 hours: 30-60 grams of carbs per hour
• Over 2.5 hours: Up to 90 grams of carbs per hour

Consuming carbohydrates in small and frequent amounts, rather than all at once, helps
maintain steady energy levels and supports effective digestion and absorption. Most athletes may find it difficult to take in more than 60g of carbs per hour unless they’ve specifically trained to do so, so it’s best to listen to your body.

Ways to Fuel During the Race:

• Energy Gels: Quick and easy to consume, with varying carb contents.
• Energy Chews: Allow you to control your carb intake in smaller, more manageable
  portions.
  
• Sports Drinks: Provide both hydration and carbohydrates, serving dual purposes.
  
• Energy Bars: A great option for those who prefer solid food, breaking up the
  monotony of sweet products.

By using a combination of these products, you can reach your fuelling needs while
maintaining hydration and energy throughout the race.

Post-Race Recovery:

After finishing the race, recovery should be a top priority. In the first two hours following
exercise, your body is most efficient at replenishing glycogen stores, so it's essential to
consume 1–1.2g of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight within this window. To
further aid recovery, combining carbohydrates with protein is beneficial, as it helps to restore depleted energy stores. Consuming 20–40g of protein post-exercise is key for muscle repair and rebuilding after the stress placed on them during the race. Rehydration is also crucial—aim to drink 1.25–1.5 times the amount of fluid you lost during exercise to ensure proper hydration.

Recovery Supplements:

• Tailwind Recovery Mix
  
• SIS Rego Rapid Recovery
  
• STYRKR BAR+

This strategy for carbohydrate loading and fuelling during the event will help maximise your performance, delay fatigue, and support you in reaching your performance goal for the endurance event.