Dave Scott’s Top 5 Race Day Nutritional Tips
Back in the 1980s when I was racing Ironman every year, I would consume 20 figs during the bike segment alone. Of course at the time we thought our nutritional practices were revolutionary, but 20 years ago fueling before and during competition was not a highly refined science, merely a necessity for survival.
Perhaps not surprisingly, indigestion and other forms of stomach distress were common by-products of our nutritional practices. Over the last two decades, however, fueling up for top race-day performance has evolved far beyond doughnuts and figs.
Indeed, survival eating has been replaced by the functional consumption of carbohydrate/protein fluid-replacement drinks, electrolyte-loaded gels and super-pills filled with extra vitamins and minerals. The downside, however, can be trying to unravel the practical consumption of all these food options.
Managing and optimizing your nutritional intake prior to competition can set the stage for a strong performance. But equally important to race-day success is your intake of fluids and solids during the event. Body size, length of the race, pacing and environmental conditions are all contributing factors that help determine an athlete’s total calorie requirements and his or her selection of fuels.
Below are five key markers that can help you develop an effective nutritional plan for your next race. Experiment in training by combining the below tips with what has worked well for you in the past. Remember, however, sound nutrition doesn’t make you go faster; it simply allows the body to maintain the highest output for the longest period of time.
1. Boost Your Intake
Slightly increase your protein (PRO) and carbohydrate (CHO) intake two days prior to the event. When your body is preparing for the stresses of the race, which places an increased emotional, psychological and physical demand on your body, PRO and CHO need to be topped off to stem muscle breakdown and the depletion of muscle and liver glycogen.
The RDI for protein consumption is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight; however, endurance athletes need between 1.4 and 1.8 grams/kg of body weight. To determine your required daily intake:
- Divide your body weight in pounds by 2.2, which will give you your weigh in kilograms.
- Multiply your weight in kilograms by 1.4 to 1.6 for a 45- to 70-kilogram athlete, or by 1.6 to 1.8 for a 71-kilogram-plus athlete.
- Example for a 70-kilogram athlete: 70kg x 1.5 = 105 grams of protein required per day.
Your total required protein intake (105 grams in our example) should be evenly consumed throughout the day. In our above example, our 70-kilogram athlete would consume 25 percent of the 105-gram RDI at each meal, for a total of about 26 grams of protein per meal.
The remaining 25 percent could be split into two, 13-gram snacks, one mid-morning and the other mid-afternoon. Note, however, that it’s not advisable to consume an amount of protein that exceeds your calculated RDI, since dehydration is a frequent symptom of protein overconsumption.
Carbohydrate stores also need to be fully stocked in order to top off muscle and liver glycogen and help pack the cells with fluid.
- If you’re between 45 to 70 kilos, take in five to six grams of CHO per kilogram.
- If you weigh 71 kilos or more, take in six to seven grams of CHO per kilo.
- Example using our 70-kilogram athlete: 70kg x 5 = 350 grams of CHO per day.
There are approximately four calories per gram of CHO, so 4 x 350 = 1,400 calories provided by CHO consumption. Again, spread out the calories between meals and/or after your training sessions.
2. Watch the Electrolytes
Don’t increase your consumption of electrolytes before competition unless you are a heavy sweater and you have pre-determined your sodium intake. Consuming extra electrolytes in the form of supplements and/or a fluid-replacement drink can overload your system. The need for additional electrolytes is determined by workload plus water loss; however, the majority of athletes don’t need an excessive amount of electrolytes before competition.
That said, if you are a profuse sweater (your shirt and shorts are always saturated post-exercise), you may need to take in extra sodium 24 hours before the race start. Increasing sodium chloride consumption by 800 to 2,000 milligrams during your pre-race dinner is the recommended dosage. For those of you that need additional sodium, try soup, which typically is high in sodium but low in calories and fat.
Remember, however, that your increased dietary sodium requirements should be established by trial and error during training days that closely replicate race-day conditions.
3. Easy on the Water
Don’t over-hydrate with water before an event. We’re not camels. Humans can’t store an infinite amount of fluid nor is it advantageous to try and stock up on water. Excessive fluid intake, primarily water, can begin to dilute the cellular sodium levels, leading to hyponatremia. If you’re urinating every three to four hours over the final two days, this is generally a solid indication of adequate hydration.
Before the race, take in six to 17 ounces of fluid-replacement drink within 10 minutes of competition. This fluid will be used during the event, and the extra sodium and sugar will be absorbed, assuming your race breakfast was consumed two to 2.5 hours prior to this drink. If you’ve never done this, start with six to eight ounces. Hotter conditions and larger athletes typically demand more fluids than do cooler conditions and lighter athletes.
4. Don’t Overeat Early On
Once you’re out of the swim, don’t overeat or drink for the first 30 minutes on the bike. Science says that during the race you only need to replace about 25 to 35 percent of the calories you burn. Experience says that the calories burned on the swim don’t need quick replacement.
So at the beginning of the bike, simply wet your mouth with fluid during the first 20 minutes, then take a small sip (around two ounces) of water or fluid-replacement drink 20 to 30 minutes into the bike. Continue sipping two to four ounces at a time between 30 to 40 minutes, then drink at 12- to 15-minute intervals to finish out the hour, taking between four and 10 ounces every 12 to 15 minutes. The total fluids consumed during the first hour of the bike should range from eight to 24 ounces.
In extremely hot conditions, this number should be higher by 15 percent. Think of your nutritional plan really starting at 40 minutes into the bike. In the above scenario, you may have taken in only 15 to 20 percent of your total calories burned. For each successive hour, this percentage should climb to 25 to 35 percent.
Over the final 10 kilometers on the bike, increase your fluid intake. Once you’re off the bike, there’ll be an immediate increase in your sweat rate since you no longer benefit from the cooling effect of the wind. Prepare for this by ingesting an additional four to eight ounces of fluid-replacement as you near T2.
5. Combine CHO and PRO
Consider ingesting a carbohydrate/protein fluid-replacement drink during your race. Numerous studies have confirmed the synergistic insulin response from a combined CHO/PRO drink. During longer competitions muscle catabolism and glycogen conservation has also been enhanced by a mixed CHO/PRO drink.
The nutritional choices available today are a vast improvement over those offered just a decade ago. Reduce the guesswork and remove a potential source of stress by formulating a race-day nutritional plan by combining what has worked well for you in training with the above guidelines.
Recalling my fig days, I thought figs would be my secret weapon. They’re loaded with carbohydrates, contain lots of water and are high in magnesium, but in reality they are a race-day disaster. Figs have fiber—lots of it, and in a long race fiber is not your friend.
Source: Dave Scott Triathlete magazine
