Nutrition Tips for Race Day

Eating a balanced, nutritious diet every day will be more beneficial than a pre-race meal. Making proper, wise food choices leading up to your competition should be given considerable thought. The pre-race meal cannot compensate for a poor training diet. By making food choices from the food pyramid you will be able to make healthy, wise and balanced selections that will benefit your racing.

But, let’s get back to tips for race day.

First of all, don’t try anything new. Experiment during training as to what foods work best for you. Race day is not the day to try a new meal, a new bar or eat what your friends eat. It’s about you on race day.

The day before your race make sure to eat normal, well- balanced meals. In addition, drink plenty of liquids.

The night before (or 12 hours before your race) don’t overeat. Stick with light, digestible foods like small sandwiches, energy bars, bread, portions of pasta, veggies, proteins, etc. – all of which you should have experimented with during training. Keep on drinking as well.

4 hours or less before a race a small to medium sized light meal is good. Recent research has shown that consuming a snack that is 80% carbohydrate and 20% protein helps deliver energy to the muscle during exercise and restocks the energy stores afterwards.

• Race-proven Examples
• Energy Bars
• Fruits: Bananas, oranges, melons, watermelons, grapes, pineapple, dried fruits, raisins.
• Potatoes: Baked, boiled, mashed,
• Bread and Bagels
• Sandwiches, Burritos and Roll-ups: Peanut butter and jelly, bananas and fruit jam, fruit jams, turkey, ham, cheese, egg.
• Pancakes
• Pasta, Noodles and Rice: Plain and in soups.
• Pretzels, Chips, and Crackers
• Cookies and Pop-Tarts: Fig Newtons, Vanilla Wafers, Graham crackers.
• Cereals and Granola

www.fleetfeetmarlton.com

Comments

• 
  

• Tip of the Month

  January 2012

  Smart Starbucks and Steakhouse Choices

  Starbucks Choices
  • Peppermint Choc Mocha- 520cals, 20g fat
  • Pumpkin Frappuccino- 420cals, 13g fat
  • Flavored Latte- 360clas, 16g fat
  • Latte- 220cals, 15g fat
  • Coffee w/cream and sugar 180 calories
  • Cappuccino- 120cals, 4g fat
  • Coffee w/sugar 90 calories
  • Coffee w/cream 90 calories
  • Coffee w/whole milk 60 calories
  • Coffee w/skim milk 30-50 calories

  Order a coffee with cream and sugar every work day?  Add 900 calories per week to your diet.  That is over 13 pounds in one year.

  Enjoy a cappuccino every day instead, and you save 300 calories per week, and cut 4 pounds per year from the above diet.

  Go to coffee with skim milk and Splenda?  Now you are only adding 250 calories per week, and under 4 pounds per year in coffee weight.

  Enjoy a flavored frappucino or latte once per week?  That could add up to 26,000 calories, and another 7.5 pounds per year.

  Just your coffee could account for 20 pounds of caloric intake annually!

  Steakhouse Choices
  • Caesars Salad- 800cals
  • Chopped Salad, 320cals
  • Spinach Salad, 170cals click here for more »

  click here to read past tips

• Recipe of the Month

  January 2012

  Drink alcohol a little more wisely!

  Drink Choices
  • Eggnog, 350cals
  • White Russian, 260cals
  • Riesling, 160-200cals
  • Shot of liquor, 70-125cals
  • Tonic or Soda, 100cals
  • Winter Beer, 150-200cals
  • Beer, 150cals
  • Bloody Mary, 130cals
  • Wine, 120cals
  • Light Beer, 55-85cals
  • Champagne, 85cals
  Enjoy a small glass of eggnog and two gin and tonics, and you have drank 750 worthless calories.
  Or, start with some champagne, and enjoy two glasses of wine and you only have drank 330 calories, less than half of your first choices.