Running is in our blood, but so is glucose and when we don't get enough we crash. So for those who like to go the distance on road and on the trails here are 6 tips to fuelling up before and during a race.
1. If you’re racing longer than 90 minutes, carb-loading applies
If you’re lacing up for a 10K, you can skip this ritual. Or if you’re gifted enough to run a half in say, 80 minutes, you may be able to get away without the load. For the rest of us, tapered training accompanied by three days (one day at the minimum) of gloriously imbibing in wholegrains, bread, bagels, fruit and cereal will do it.
How much is enough? You’re going to need to aim for 4.5 to 5.5 grams of carbohydate per pound, which is likely more than you’re used to and might mean the vast majority of your daily calories in the days before the race are coming from baked goods, pretzels, potatoes and whole grains.
2. Don’t skip breakfast
While you may have found some weight loss success with “training low” (i.e. training on an empty tank and burning off some fat reserves), race day is not a day to train low. The goal on race day is to perform and finish rather than meet weight goals. (I promise you one day of fuelling the run is not going to derail long-term weight loss.)
A pre-race breakfast does many things. It restores muscle glycogen stores after an overnight fast; it tops off those muscle glycogen stores so they’re full at race start; it prevents hunger (which, if it rears its head in the middle of the race, can certainly distract you and impair performance); and it can keep blood glucose levels more stable, providing a mental boost.
What to eat for breakfast? Aim for a light meal you’re familiar with and one that sits well in your system. Most research suggests you should eat 0.5 to 1.8 grams of carbs per pound in the one to four hours before a workout. The longer you have before heading out, the more time you’ll have to digest. Most athletes can handle 0.45 grams per pound of carbs (and a bit of protein) in the hour or so before a race.
3. If you’re going to run a half or full, you need to fuel along the way
Aim to consume some carbs every 15-20 minutes along the course. This will give your system time to absorb the fuel and disperse to working muscles.
Remember to practise fuelling during your training. If you’re trying to determine which brand and flavour of fuel to use, check the race website. It’s well worth your time to do the research; the race is bound to hand out a certain brand of gel. If you can tolerate the brand they are using, you can be confident on race day that you won’t have any GI surprises and you won’t need to pack as much in your fuel belt. If you try out the on-course brand and find it isn’t for you, no problem. Experiment with other brands, flavours and forms during training. Once you find one that works, stick with it and pack it on race day.
4. Don’t wait
If you start to feel good during a race, don’t save your fuel thinking you’ll use it once you start to feel fatigued. By then it may be too late! Instead of letting your glycogen stores get past the point of no return, start fueling early and often. If you take just a bit of fuel at a time, you can meet your goal of 30+ grams of carbs an hour without feeling like you have a gut bomb.
5. Chase those gels or blocks with water
Your system will struggle to absorb the badly needed energy unless you dilute it by grabbing some water along the course. So plan your fuelling strategy (especially with gels) around the aid stations.
6. Drink along the course
Every runner is different in terms of choice, volume and frequency but you simply must take in fluids on longer races otherwise your body will overheat and dehydrate.
To read the full article click here.