Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 58, May 2014 | Page 28

Nutrition

Your Race
Day Plan
– BY CHRISTINE PETERS,
REGISTERED DIETICIAN

I

f you’re looking to plan your perfect race-day eating
plan, you need to understand that there are four main
stages to your race day nutrition, and you need to focus
on each stage in order to get your race day nutrition
right.

1. BEFORE THE RACE (2-3 HOURS)
If running a morning race, your meal shortly after
waking up will be your last substantial meal before your
race. This is your opportunity to top up the glycogen
stores, which would have been partially depleted from
your overnight fast. After eating, you should allow 1 to 3
hours for digestion before the start gun is fired.
Recommendation:
•
1 to 2g per kilogram of body weight;
•
Low in fat and fibre;
•
High carbs;
•
Moderate protein.

bar or some sports drink. Consuming a carbohydrate drink
may prime the stomach and improve gastric emptying. This
will give you a little push in the beginning stages of your
run.

3. DURING THE RACE
Start eating and drinking early in the run (within 30
to 45 minutes) and consume 30-60g low-fat and fibre
carbohydrate each hour. During ultra-endurance events
lasting more than 2½ to 3hours, you can consume up
to 90g an hour. Remember, your race strategy should be
well rehearsed before the actual race day, so practise it in
training first.
Recommendation:
•
0.7g carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight per
hour OR 30 to 90g of carbohydrate per hour. The
body can oxidise 1g of carb per minute.
•
Start drinking early and continue drinking small
amounts regularly. Combination carbohydrates
increase oxidation (glucose, fructose, sucrose
and maltidextrin are recommended, but not large
amounts of fructose because of gastrointestinal
discomfort).
•
Drink to thirst: Draw on your experience of hydrating
from your training and races, and be aware of
the weather conditions – hot and humid weather
increases sweat-loss, which means you might need
to adjust your drinking patterns, being careful not
to overhydrate. A very basic guideline is to drink
between 500ml and 2 litres per hour. Try ingesting
frequent small amounts of fluid (150-200ml) every
15-20 minutes.

Images: iStock & Stockxchange

What do you eat before a run? When is
the ideal time to drink and eat during
your race? Here’s what you need to
know to fuel a good run as well as your
recovery after you cross the finish line!

Ideal Meal/Snack:
•
Porridge or cereal with low-fat milk or yoghurt, and
white toast with peanut butter or jam.
•
Don’t forget to drink some water, diluted fruit juice,
low-fat milk or your sports drink to top up fluids.
•
If you lack an appetite in the morning, you can
choose 500ml of carbohydrate drink and a sports or
cereal bar.

2. JUST BEFORE THE START

4. AFTER THE RACE

If your nerves allow, you should have another small and
easily digested carbohydrate-based snack in the hour
before you start, so grab a small banana, half a sports

Refuelling assists with recovery and repairing muscle
after exercise, and a good recovery snack or drink should
consist of carbohydrate and protein to replenish muscle
glycogen stores, fluid, energy and electrolytes.

Ideal Meal/Snack:
Every 30-60min, try having 20-25g carbohydrates
depending on size, intensity and duration:
•
½ sports bottle (375ml) of carbohydrate drink (6-8%
carbohydrate solution);
•
1 sports bar/ cereal bar;
•
200ml Coca-Cola;
•
1 energy gel;
•
4-5 jelly babies;
•
1 large banana;
•
4-5 baby potatoes;
•
1 marmite sandwich (2 slices of white crustless
bread);
•
45g dried fruit.

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ISSUE 58 MAY 2014 / www.modernathlete.co.za

Recommendation:
•
0.6-1.5g carb per kilogram of body weight during
the first 30min, then again every 2 hours for 4-6
hours. This is especially important if another bout of
exercise is to be done within the next 24 hours.
•
Adequate fluid, electrolytes, energy and carbs;
•
Small, regular snacks;
•
Compact carb-rich foods;
•
20-25g of high-quality protein.
Ideal Meal/Snack:
•
A sandwich with cold meat, tuna or cheese;
•
Low-fat flavoured milk;
•
Low-fat drinking yoghurt;
•
Fruit smoothie (with low-fat milk or yoghurt as a
base);
•
A handful of lean biltong with an energy bar.