Marathon, triathlon, bike and other types of races require a significant amount of energy to power your body. In addition to a proper hydration plan, what you eat in the hours before your race provides energy and gets you to the finish line. Because the 72 hours leading up to a race are the most important to your performance, plan your meals carefully.
The Week Before
In the week before your race, your goal should be to increase your carbohydrate intake slightly. Your body can store these extra carbohydrates in your muscles as glycogen. When you are burning through your energy during the race, your muscles can release glycogen for extra energy. Examples of carbohydrate-containing foods to incorporate include pasta, whole grains, fruit juice and sports drinks. Now is not the time to incorporate unfamiliar dishes into your diet, which might upset your stomach. Stick to what you know, and you'll experience better results.
Three Days Before
A solid hydration strategy is vital to your success on race day. If you run out of electrolytes -- the substances that maintain fluid balance in your body -- your muscles will ache, you may feel confused and you may even lose consciousness. Two to three days before the race, start drinking sports drinks that contain electrolytes. These beverages also have carbohydrates, meaning they will help boost energy levels. Avoid certain foods known to take longer to digest. These include peanut butter, fried foods and dairy products.
The Night Before
The night before your race is the time to engage in carbohydrate-loading. While this practice used to mean eating a bowl of spaghetti, your options are more varied than that. Try to eat the meal before 7:30 p.m. to ensure your stomach will not be too full on the day of your race. Examples of carbohydrate-containing meals include capellini or penne pasta with ingredients such as chicken, broccoli, peas and fresh-grated cheese. Instead of a cream sauce, cook with olive oil instead. It's fine to shake a little extra salt onto your pasta dish -- the salt can help to build up electrolytes commonly lost through sweating. Another option the night before is a big salad with lots of crisp vegetables, chicken or lean steak, chickpeas and a vinaigrette dressing.
Your Breakfast
Pre-race breakfasts vary based on your stomach's sensitivity level during extreme physical activity. For example, you may not be able to tolerate eating solid foods before a race. If you don't have a problem with solid foods, try to eat as close to your daily pre-training breakfast as possible. An example is a bagel smeared with peanut butter, eaten with a banana. If you have trouble keeping foods down during a race, try a liquid breakfast instead. Protein shakes or other meal-replacement drinks of 500 to 700 calories can give you the energy you need with less risk of upsetting your stomach.
References
- Medill Reports Chicago; Pre-Race Diet Can Drive Performance; Evan Swan; October 2007
- "Fitness"; Pre-Race Power Meals for Runners; Alyssa Shaffer
- Beginner Triathlete; Pre-Race Nutrition; Mark Allan; September 2004
- HalHigdon.com; The Distance Runner's Diet; Hal Higdon; 2005
- Fit Sugar; You Asked: What Should I Eat Before Running a Marathon?; April 11, 2007
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