{"id":91821,"date":"2023-07-31T10:46:35","date_gmt":"2023-07-31T08:46:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/42krunning.com\/what-to-eat-before-a-race\/"},"modified":"2023-07-31T10:46:35","modified_gmt":"2023-07-31T08:46:35","slug":"what-to-eat-before-a-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/42krunning.com\/en\/what-to-eat-before-a-race\/","title":{"rendered":"What to eat before a race"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the questions I\u2019ve been asked many times by friends who run is what <\/strong>to eat before a race <\/strong>or what to eat the day before a race<\/strong>. In this article, I\u2019m going to share a series of nutrition recommendations<\/strong> for before taking on a running race. <\/p>\n

What to drink and eat before a race?<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s very important to eat the right foods<\/strong> in the hours leading up to a race to achieve optimal performance<\/strong> and avoid possible discomfort<\/strong> that could stop you from racing at your best.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth noting that the sports season has several phases (rest, preparation, competition and post-competition), so your diet won\u2019t be the same at different times of the season.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also important, when talking about what to eat before a race, to distinguish between the needs of highly trained people (regular or elite athletes) and those who run for fun or leisure (recreational runners), since the energy pathways used during physical activity won\u2019t be the same. Obviously, any elite athlete knows what to eat before a race, but among recreational runners it\u2019s common to find a lot of uncertainty. <\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
The nutritional needs of an elite runner like Javi Guerra have nothing to do with those of a recreational runner.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While a highly trained runner relies on the oxidation of intramuscular fatty acids and depends much less on muscle glycogen (glucose stores), a less trained athlete uses a greater amount of carbohydrates (glucose) and a lower proportion of fatty acids. This means lower performance for the less trained athlete, because glycogen is very limited, while fatty acids can be used for a much longer time. <\/p>\n

Nutrition recommendations for taking on a race<\/h2>\n

But what, when, and how should we eat before a race? Let\u2019s look at what, when, and how to eat and drink before taking on a demanding physical effort. <\/p>\n

What to eat about 3 hours before physical activity<\/h3>\n

What should you eat before the race? Three hours before the event, you should have a meal rich in carbohydrate-rich foods<\/strong> (since low glucose is directly linked to fatigue and reduced performance) and, to a lesser extent, foods with protein, fibre and fat. <\/p>\n

If the race is in the morning, my breakfast suggestions would be:<\/p>\n