There is no such thing as the perfect pre-race meal for every cyclist. The amount you should eat depends on the time you have before the race, and your macronutrient mix depends on the race itself. The shorter the race, the more speed is a factor, which means the anaerobic system comes out to play. This means you should replace some of your pre-race carbs with extra protein. If you're doing a distance race, on the other hand, you'll need to replace some pre-race protein with extra carbs. Pre-race nutrition is personal in a way, and you must tailor the accepted rules to suit your own situation.
Timing
While pre-race nutrition is important, eating too much too close to the event can weigh you down and lead to stomach upset because the food won't have time to leave your stomach before the exertion begins. If you have three or four hours before you have to be at the starting line, eat a regular meal, but make it about a third smaller than your regular meal size. If you only have an hour or two, stick with a small snack. If you have less than an hour, drink a small amount of a nutritious beverage like a light protein shake, hope it digests in time, and wake up earlier next time.
Macronutrients
Whatever the size of the meal, the macronutrient balance must be right to sustain you throughout the race. It should be low in fat, because fat takes longer to digest and can cause other foods to spend a longer time in the stomach. A moderate amount of protein will help fortify your muscles against the oncoming attack, but too much can stick around too long, so don't go for the Porterhouse steak. Carbohydrates are your big concern because they provide the bulk of your energy during the race, so eat plenty of them, although there is debate about what kind of carbs are best.
Glycemic Index Theory
Some athletes swear by a low-glycemic-index meal before a race, thinking that because the food causes a more sedate blood sugar reaction, they are more likely to pull energy from that food throughout the race instead of having their blood sugar spike at the beginning and plummet toward the middle. This practice was confirmed by a 2010 study in the "Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport," which found that participants who ate a low-GI meal performed better on a 40 km time trial than participants who ate a high-GI meal. Dr. Dick Rafoth of Cycling Performance Tips says that the results of experiments like the "JSMS" study have not been reproduced in controlled studies and are unreliable. As long as you consume enough carbs before the race and continue to drink carbs during the race, the glycemic index doesn't matter as long as you are comfortable with the food, according to Rafoth.
Foods to Avoid
The No. 1 rule of pre-race nutrition is to never try something new on race day. Whatever you choose for your meal, it should be something you have eaten pre-ride before and had no unfavorable reaction. No matter how safe a food seems, you never know how you'll react under stress. Avoid high-fiber carbs, because they can cause cramping when you're hunched over your handlebars, and stay away from caffeine, a diuretic. Some athletes swear by a pre-race energy drink, but any boost you get from the caffeine and sugar will be more than mitigated by the fluid loss caused by the diuretic during the race.
References
- Cycling Performance Tips: Glycemic Index
- "VeloNews"; VeloNews Training Center: Cycling Nutrition for Everyday and Before an Event; Neal Henderson; Sept. 13, 2010
- "Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport"; Effect of the Glycaemic Index of a Pre-Exercise Meal on Metabolism and Cycling Time Trial Performance; Moore, L.J., et al.; Feb. 20, 2009
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