What To Eat Before Running
A question that comes up often is what to eat before running a race. It’s important to eat the right foods at the correct time before you run. Most races are in the morning so you need to make sure you get the right nutrients in your body. After sleeping for eight hours your glycogen stores and blood sugar levels are low. If you go into a race without eating properly, your performance will be hampered. So, on the day of the race you need to top off the glycogen stores and bring your sugar levels up.
I normally eat about three hours before a race. This gives the body plenty of time to digest the food and to bring up those levels of glycogen and sugar. You want to choose slow-release foods that contain carbohydrates and a little bit of protein. Such as toast, cereal with low-fat milk, and fruit. Eat enough to take that hunger edge away, and don’t overdue it. Make sure you take in 300 to 500 calories for your prerace meal. If your body can’t handle solid foods try a sport drink or sports meal replacement meal. Stick with foods that you’re familiar with and never experiment with new foods the day of the race. Once you find what works best for you stick with it. Remember that you prepared for weeks for a race why not go the extra mile and eat right. To learn more you can go to diet and nutrition for runners.
If you have any questions or topics you would like for me to talk about Email them or go to my forum and I will address them personally. Until next time, have a Great Run. Sign up for my newsletter for more tips.
Thanks,
John
TheRunnersGuide
