Posted: February 6, 2006

Nutrition: Fluid and Fuel Before the Long Event

From Endurance Sports Nutrition by Suzanne Girard Eberle

After months of deliberation, you finally registered for that killer century ride or mountain run or you’re ready to tackle your first triathlon. The check’s in the mail. Now what? Better start eating smart. Here’s a prerace nutritional countdown that will get you to the starting line a step ahead of the competition. Weeks in Advance

The best way to prepare for a long race is to do some backward planning. You can’t get the job done by stuffing in some pasta the night before or waiting until during the race to experiment with a new food or sports drink. Make the most of your training diet and your training sessions. Just as you experiment with and develop new mental and motor skills in training, you need to experiment with sports foods, including sports drinks, bars, and gels, to establish the types and amounts that you will tolerate in competition or under stressful conditions. Do you really want to lug a fanny pack full of your favorite sports bars only to find that they’re hard as rocks and inedible because of the cold or that after being on the road for three hours you can no longer tolerate your favorite candy?

Check out what you can before you arrive at the starting line or head out for your long-anticipated adventure. Talk to other participants and read race applications closely. Look to see what will be provided at aid stations and what you will be expected or allowed to provide for yourself. Adventure races, for example, provide no outside assistance, whereas standard road-running races and cycling events supply fluids and foods along the way. If you don’t currently use the sports drink that will be provided by organizers, get used to it by trying it in training. Familiarize yourself with various options for toting fluid and food, such as bladder systems and fanny packs. Rehearse drinking out of a bottle or grabbing cups and swallowing liquid on the move without choking. Test in training what you plan to do during the race.

Travel, particularly to another time zone or country, can interfere with your preparations and routines. Plan ahead by gathering information on restaurants, food stores, and other resources near your lodging and by talking to athletes and coaches who have previously been to the area. If you’re traveling into the backcountry, be sure your water filtration device is in working order or have a supply of iodine and neutralizing tablets on hand. Scan outdoor and adventure travel magazines and cookbooks or visit your favorite camping store to research the latest options for lightweight, portable meals.

In some cases, you may find it advantageous to gain a few pounds of padding before you participate in an endurance activity. An extended stay at high altitude or a prolonged backcountry trekking or skiing trip can lead to extensive weight loss when you burn extreme amounts of calories with limited or inadequate options for proper refueling. An experienced mountaineering friend often reminisces about eating a stick of butter every couple of days during his final preparations for expeditions to Everest and other Himalayan adventures.

To put on weight before you depart, you need to increase the amount of calories you consume or reduce the amount you burn through physical activity. If you desire to gain lean weight (muscle mass), you will need to increase your calorie intake and engage in a strength-training or weight-training program.

Otherwise, most people can expect to gain a few pounds by eating larger portions of foods they currently consume, adding more snacks or mini-meals throughout the day and before bed-time, and supplementing with high-calorie foods such as commercial or homemade liquid meals or shakes. Tapering your training will also help you create and store excess calories.

One Week to Go

The goal the week before the event is to load your muscles with the glycogen you’ll need for the activity. The greater your preexercise muscle glycogen stores, the greater your potential to perform well during endurance events lasting longer than 90 to 120 minutes. Traditionally, endurance athletes prepared for long races by doing a long, hard effort seven days before their event. The rationale behind this exhaustive exercise was to reduce muscle glycogen stores because endurance training itself provides the primary stimulus for the resynthesis and storage of glycogen. After following a high-protein, high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet for the next few days (the depletion phase), you then fed your hungry muscles a high-carbohydrate diet for the three days before the race (loading phase). Although this approach worked well for some athletes, others didn’t like feeling poorly so close to their race (during the low-carbohydrate depletion phase) or the stiffness and muscular discomfort associated with superpacked glycogen stores.

You can still maximize your muscle glycogen stores by following a modified carbohydrate-loading regimen. Skip the last strenuous exercise bout (unless it’s part of your typical training program) and depletion phase. With a week to go, gradually taper your training while eating your normal diet. For the last few days of the week, further reduce your training, perhaps even resting completely for one to three days, while consuming a high-carbohydrate diet of up to five grams per pound of body weight. If you don’t reduce your training, you run the risk of simply using for exercise fuel the dietary carbohydrate you hope to stockpile for the long event. This approach will help superload your muscles with glycogen and it can increase endurance by about 20 percent. If your competitive season involves several races longer than 90 to 120 minutes and you cannot reduce your training each time for the full week, try to back off at least three days before and eat more carbs than usual. It takes about three days of eating a high-carbohydrate diet to achieve maximum glycogen stores.

Many athletes I meet hesitate to cut back their training or eat more carbohydrate-rich foods because they fear gaining weight or feeling heavy the week before a competitive event. You need to realize that gaining weight means you’re carbohydrate-loading properly. Every gram of glycogen is stored with almost three grams of water, which can result in a gain of up to five pounds. Remind yourself of the benefits of carbohydrate-loading. You’ll arrive at the starting line well fueled and the extra fluid will help delay dehydration during the event. The stiffness and heavy legs you may feel with glycogen loading will dissipate as you exercise. If this is worrisome to you, try resting two days before the event (rather than the day before) and exercise lightly the day before.

You don’t need to sit around and eat bonbons for three days either. Use your common sense. Decrease your calorie intake slightly as you taper your training. What needs to increase, however, is the proportion of calories from carbohydrates. Although bonbons and other chocolate-covered treats provide carbohydrates in the form of sugar, they also contain a lot of fat and little else in the way of good nutrition. You don’t have to stop eating these familiar foods but save the extra helpings of high-fat candies, cookies, muffins, pastries, doughnuts, chips, and ice cream for after your event or race.

For example, if you typically consume 3,000 calories a day, with 60 percent of your calories coming from carbohydrate, you eat about 450 grams of carbohydrates a day. For example, 60 x 3,000 calories = 1,800 carbohydrate calories. 1,800 carbohydrate calories/4 calories per gram = 450 grams of carbohydrate. To boost your carbohydrate intake to 70 percent of your total calories, you would need to eat about 525 grams of carbohydrates per day. Concentrate on consuming ample servings of complex carbohydrates. Starchy foods, such as bread, cereal, rice, pasta, beans, potatoes, and fruit provide the most carbohydrates (15 grams) per serving. Servings add up quickly at one slice of bread or a small tortilla, half a bagel or bun, three-quarters cup of ready-to-eat cereal, a half cup of cooked cereal or pasta, a third cup of cooked beans or rice, one small potato, or one-half cup of corn, peas, or winter squash. A serving of fruit includes a half cup of canned or chopped raw fruit, one cup of berries or melon, a quarter cup of dried fruit, three-quarters of a cup of fruit juice, or one medium-size piece of fruit. Milk and yogurt weigh in next at 12 grams of carbohydrate per cup, with vegetables providing five grams per serving (one cup of raw vegetables, including leafy greens, or a half cup of cooked vegetables, or three-quarters of a cup of tomato or vegetable juice).

Be certain to load up on carbohydrates, not fat (see table 3.3, High-Carbohydrate, Low-Fat Meals). For instance, opt for low-fat frozen yogurt over premium high-fat ice cream, pasta with marinara sauce rather than Alfredo sauce, and thick-crust pizza topped with vegetables instead of meat. If you’re having trouble consuming enough carbohydrates from food, supplement your diet with liquid carbohydrates, such as fruit juices, high-carbohydrate energy drinks, or a liquid food supplement.

Check the nutrition facts label of your favorite snack foods, too. As a general rule, snacks that supply at least four grams of carbohydrates for every gram of fat can be considered low-fat, high-carbohydrate foods. A chocolate-covered doughnut, for example, doesn’t fill the bill. It supplies only 21 grams of carbohydrate (40 percent carbohydrate) for 13 grams of fat (59 percent fat). A cup of instant pudding made with low-fat milk is a better choice: 56 grams of carbohydrate (75 percent carbohydrate) and five grams of fat (15 percent fat).

Carbo loading will not help you run faster, but it can help you maintain your pace longer before tiring. If your race or event will last less than 90 continuous minutes, a 10K road race or one leg of a relay race for example, you won’t gain any advantage from carbohydrate loading. Eating normally, along with a substantial prerace meal, will ensure that you have enough glycogen on board to complete short-duration events and races.

If you will be on the move or engaged in low- to moderate-intensity endurance exercise for several hours, your fat stores can provide the majority of the energy you need to perform, but only if you have enough carbohydrates on board to oxidize the fat. “Fat loading” with a week to go will not enable you to burn more fat, instead of glycogen, during endurance activities. Eating too much fat (over 30 percent of your total calories) makes it even more difficult to load up on the carbohydrates you definitely need. Aerobic training, of course, teaches your body to prefer fat and spare your limited glycogen reserves, but you can’t influence that factor with only a week to go.

Be alert to situations or factors that can put you at additional risk for dehydration the week leading into your long event or race. Running a low-grade fever, being nauseous and vomiting, menstruating, and having a sunburn can promote fluid loss. Other situations that increase your risk for dehydration include traveling by airplane, acclimating to altitude, and working out in hot and humid weather, especially if that isn’t your normal training environment. Carry bottled water or a personal water bottle with you throughout the day to remind yourself to drink.

Keep an eye out for the early warning signs of dehydration: flushed skin, heat intolerance, light-headedness, loss of appetite, fatigue, and small amounts of dark yellow urine. Don’t wait until you feel thirsty to tend to your fluid needs. Drink caffeine-free, nonalcoholic beverages before you head out to train (one to two cups of fluid 15 to 30 minutes beforehand), during exercise (aim for four to eight ounces every 15 to 20 minutes), and afterward (at least two cups for every pound of body weight lost during exercise). You should be able to urinate before and after exercise, and your urine should run clear if you’re well hydrated. Drinks containing alcohol or caffeine promote the loss of body fluids, worsening dehydration and fatigue. Alcohol negatively affects how the liver metabolizes carbohydrates, as well.

Remember to consider how travel will affect your diet plan. Most airlines can accommodate special requests if you notify them at least 48 hours in advance (even better, reserve a special meal when you make your airline reservation). Make your visits to airport concession stands worthwhile by choosing healthy low-fat, high-carbohydrate snacks such as frozen yogurt, unbuttered popcorn, bean burritos, baked potatoes, soft pretzels, bagels, fruit juices, milk and smoothies, and fresh or dried fruit. Another smart move is to pack your own supply of nonperishable foods. Depending on the destination and length of your trip, include such items as cold cereals, instant oatmeal, instant breakfast powders, low-fat cookies and crackers, pretzels, dried fruit, prepackaged puddings, granola, breakfast and energy bars, canned fruit or fruit juices, instant soups, a peanut butter and jelly (or honey) sandwich, bottled water, and sports drink powders, including high-carbohydrate and meal-replacement options. If you need it to perform well, bring it with you.

International travel, in particular, can cause unwanted problems. Don’t test your immune system once you arrive by experimenting with local “bugs.” Drink only bottled water (even for brushing teeth), avoid swallowing shower or pool water, turn down ice cubes made from the local water supply when ordering beverages, and stick to familiar foods if possible. Your best bets are foods that have been well cooked, fruits that can be peeled (bananas, grapefruit, oranges, kiwi, and mangoes), and prepackaged ready-to-eat items. Avoid salads and other uncooked foods that kitchen staff workers handle directly and abstain from milk and milk products if pasteurization and refrigeration practices are questionable.

Day Before the Event

The main goal when it comes to eating the day before your endurance race or adventure centers on topping off your glycogen reserves and avoiding any last-minute pitfalls. This is not the time to be adventuresome. Trying new foods the day before an important race or event can be a risky venture. Jen, an avid runner I met while receiving physical therapy, learned this lesson the hard way. After diligently training for months for the Boston Marathon, including experimenting for the first time with using a sports drink, Jen was on pace to set a new PR when I left her office a few days before the marathon. When I paid her a visit the following week, I was shocked to hear that she didn’t finish the race. Her enthusiastic friends and husband had taken her to a new ethnic restaurant the night before, and she awoke with stomach pains and diarrhea. She started the race but ended up dropping out at the eight-mile mark.

Be sure to stick with familiar foods and eat them in normal-size amounts. Graze or eat frequently throughout the day, so you don’t feel as if you have to stuff yourself at the evening meal. Your last meal should be high in carbohydrates and contain modest amounts of fat and protein. A pasta dinner is a proverbial favorite, but it’s not a magical meal. Choose foods you feel comfortable with or that you believe enhance your performance. I routinely eat pizza before my races, dating back to my first year in college when my coach, Jack Bacheler, the ninth-place finisher in the 1972 Olympic Marathon, recommended it. Other elite athletes dine on baked potatoes, or fish or poultry with vegetables and rice. Choose what works best for you. You have enough on your mind at this point, so your last meal shouldn’t be something that causes added anxiety.

Other tips to keep in mind the day before the event:

• Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day (expect to urinate frequently).
• Avoid beans, broccoli, cabbage, radishes, and other gas-causing foods if you suffer from bowel problems.
• Avoid high-fiber foods such as raw fruits and vegetables with thick skins, bran cereals, nuts, and seeds.
• Avoid sugar substitutes like sorbitol and mannitol (in gums, candies, and other foods) which may cause diarrhea.
• Limit alcohol or avoid it altogether.
• Set out, prepare, and pack everything you need. Don’t wait until the morning of the race!
• Eat or drink a bedtime snack to squeeze in a few more calories and help you sleep better.

Morning of the Event

You don’t want to be stuck in the bathroom when the gun goes off or hold back the group because you’re running on empty after only the first hour. The most important step you can take is to eat a light to moderate prerace meal. If you’ve satisfied your carbohydrate and fluids needs throughout the week, you should be well hydrated and your muscle glycogen stores should be at their peak. Your liver glycogen stores, however, may be substantially depleted, especially if you were tossing and turning all night. Liver glycogen is converted back to glucose to maintain normal blood sugar (the fuel used by the brain) and provide fuel for exercising muscles, especially during prolonged endurance exercise. In other words, eating a meal before you compete helps you make wise decisions while you’re on the move, like staying on course or remembering to change shoes between events.

Eating a single carbohydrate-rich meal can quickly restore your liver glycogen reserves to normal. Your job will be to find a happy medium in terms of the foods and the amounts you can tolerate: you don’t want to suffer from stomach problems or diarrhea, nor do you want to arrive at the starting line feeling hungry and light-headed. Choose familiar foods that you enjoy. I’ll never forget my first international race, an all-women’s 10K road race that took place in the United States. The Russian women downed a full breakfast of eggs, toast, and bacon, and they didn’t seem to suffer one bit during the race. Obviously, they knew what they were doing. Plenty of opportunities exist for practicing what to eat before an endurance endeavor or race. They’re called training days.

Plan to eat one to four hours before start time (you can always go back to bed after you eat), and aim for 50 grams of carbohydrate for each hour before the start. For example, down 150 grams of carbohydrate three hours prior to the race by eating a large bagel (50-60 grams) with jam (13 grams per tablespoon), eight ounces of fruit yogurt (34 grams) and sixteen ounces of fruit juice (50-60 grams). Some athletes feel satisfied for longer if their pre-race meal also contains higher-fat foods, such as peanut butter or cheese. Eat early enough, especially if you’ll be exercising or competing intensely, since these meals take more time to empty the stomach. If you eat within an hour of exercising, make it a carbohydrate-rich snack (50 grams of carbohydrate), such as an energy bar (30-45 grams) or instant oatmeal (12 grams) with a medium banana (27 grams) and eight ounces of low-fat milk (12 grams). Be sure to drink ample fluids with your meal. If it’s caffeinated, drink an equal amount of a noncaffeinated beverage. Aim for at least two cups of fluid two hours before exercise and another cup as close to the time of the race as practical.

If your stomach is tied in knots on race morning, or you have an ultra-sensitive stomach and simply cannot eat before prolonged exercise, make an effort to eat extra food the day before, including a substantial bedtime snack. Liquid meals, such as breakfast shakes, high-carbohydrate sports drinks, or meal-replacement beverages (for example, Ensure or Boost) empty from the stomach faster than solid foods and leave less residue which may cause discomfort during exercise. Liquid meals are usually well tolerated up to one to two hours before exercise and are handy if you are in transit or have an early start time.

If you shy away from eating before races because you seem sensitive to swings in blood sugar, try experimenting with a prerace meal based on low-glycemic, carbohydrate-rich foods, such as milk, flavored yogurt, whole-wheat bread, bran cereal, pasta, baked beans, apples, and oranges. High-glycemic, carbohydrate-rich foods eaten before exercise, such as honey, white bread, corn flakes, and sports drinks, may cause undesirable reactions in sensitive individuals. Refer back to tables 3.1 and 3.2.

© 2006 Human Kinetics, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Posted with Permission

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