{"id":585,"date":"2023-07-25T08:26:39","date_gmt":"2023-07-25T08:26:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/?p=585"},"modified":"2023-08-31T15:27:40","modified_gmt":"2023-08-31T15:27:40","slug":"ultimate-guide-to-nutrition-on-race-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/ultimate-guide-to-nutrition-on-race-week\/","title":{"rendered":"Ultimate Guide to Nutrition On Race Week"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full has-custom-border\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"918\" height=\"274\" src=\"https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-586\" style=\"border-style:none;border-width:0px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image.png 918w, https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-300x90.png 300w, https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-768x229.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 918px) 100vw, 918px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60);padding-bottom:0\">After months of training, I usually feel like I could undo all that good work by eating the wrong thing, at the wrong time, leading to mid-race digestive issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After&nbsp;<em>trying and failing<\/em>&nbsp;lots of methods, I\u2019ve realised getting race week nutrition right isn\u2019t that complicated. In fact, overcomplicating it is what made things worse for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At its core, you want to keep things as similar to your training as possible because all a race should be is an effortless performance of your training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are the core principles I now swear by when it comes to race week nutrition:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Nothing new on race week<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Focus on carbs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hydration is key<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Plan it all out<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Take it for a test drive<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-1 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">Nothing new on race week<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The term \u2018nothing new on race day\u2019 is well banded round the running community and rightly so. Having a big bowl of pasta before your race when you\u2019ve been religiously having toast before all your training sessions is going to be a shock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our bodies like routine and often don\u2019t respond well when you throw it off \u2013 e.g., grogginess when you wake up super early to get to the airport dad hours early. The same goes for race week prep.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The more predictable you can make your meal choice and timings on race week, the more your body will give back to you in performance on race day.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Focus on carbs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">While I am keen to emphasise that you should keep race week nutrition as similar to your training weeks, there is only one thing I would encourage you to change \u2013 carbs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/PXL_20230430_203115516.MOTION-01.COVER_Original-edited.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1107\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:480px;height:640px\" width=\"480\" height=\"640\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50)\">Why carb load<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Studies have found that&nbsp;<strong>carb loading in the run up to a race improves performance by 2-3%<\/strong>&nbsp;in events longer than 90 mins, compared to those who did not carb load.<a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/193A0355-8FE8-4CBC-8AA7-07B0BD03D20F#_ftn1\"><sup>[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Carbohydrates are our bodies\u2019 primary currency of fuel \u2013 fact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The only issue is that our muscles and liver can only store so much of the energy from carbs (as glycogen). And if those stores are not fully filled before a race longer than 90 mins, you\u2019ll feel an almighty wall of fatigue hit you late on in a race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">To delay this wall of fatigue, we can fuel during the race but most importantly, is to fill up these glycogen stores prior to the race through carb loading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-2 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Garlic-Bread-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1108\" style=\"width:350px;height:467px\" width=\"350\" height=\"467\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who should carb load?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If you\u2019re running for 90 mins or longer (half marathon and beyond).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"padding-bottom:0\">Studies found that carb loading has little to no benefit on races shorter than 90 mins \u2013 so maybe don\u2019t add garlic bread to every single meal if you\u2019re running a 5K (soz).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0\">When to carb load?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There is no real consensus on when is optimal to start carb loading. If you\u2019re able to string together&nbsp;<em>2-3 days of elevated carb intake<\/em>, you\u2019ll be able to reap the benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I recommend finishing carb loading (and eating your last big meal) at lunchtime the day before race day. This is to make sure that everything is processed and digested before your race so that you don\u2019t experience any discomfort (or vomit!).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">How many more carbs should I consume?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ok, the bit you\u2019ve been waiting for \u2013 here\u2019s how many more carbs you should eat!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Research suggests you should up your carb intake to 5-12g of carbs per kg of bodyweight per day.<a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/E3D36566-552F-4AA4-A65F-50B509EC3C2C#_ftn1\">[2]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, for someone who weighs 70kg, you would consume 350-840g of carbs per day on your carb load. Yes, it\u2019s a big range but where you fall in it depends on daily intake of carbs, weekly mileage, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A good way of applying it is using a strategy from the bodybuilding world \u2013 simply double your carbs. In practical terms, that could literally be applied in a few ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Extra carbs on your plate<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Extra smaller carby meals (toast, oats, fruit, etc.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Count the calories (<em>only if you already count calories<\/em>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The only caveat I will put on the carb loading (soz for putting a downer on the best bit) is to try not to load up on the carbs that ride along with fats such as: chips, crisps, cookies, pizza (pizza without loads of cheese is fine), ice cream. Fats and protein should be making up a smaller proportion of your diet as we increase carbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hydration is key (water &amp; electrolytes)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We all know that staying hydrated is key to help our bodies simply err function. Even more so for runners when we lose loads of fluids through sweat, leading to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A reduction in performance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fatigue<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Muscle cramps<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dizziness<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In race week, it\u2019s important to just maintain your hydration levels \u2013 I say maintain because overhydrating dilutes our natural fluid balance with electrolytes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I could give you the guidelines of how many litres of fluid per day you should consume but the test I swear by is just making sure your pee is consistently a pale straw colour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Consistently replenishing electrolytes is also crucial because they help regulate fluid balance in your body, maintain nerve and muscle function, and control blood pressure. You can probably get them (sodium, potassium and magnesium) in foods, but I like to take an electrolyte drink each day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"padding-top:0;padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60)\">I currently take an <a href=\"https:\/\/awesomesupplements.co.uk\/?ref=vczthsc0\">Awesome Supplements<\/a> mix daily. It&#8217;s does the job nicely, the dose is informed by research and tastes ermmm awesome haha. (p.s. the watermelon flavour is a properly decent cocktail mixer \ud83e\udd2b)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(p.p.s. you can also sneak 10% off using my code <strong>POWELL10<\/strong> \ud83e\udd2f)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"904\" height=\"468\" src=\"https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-587\" srcset=\"https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image.jpeg 904w, https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-300x155.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-768x398.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 904px) 100vw, 904px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">Plan it all out<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Planning your race week (and race day) meals in advance gives you a real advantage and sets you up for success. Yes, it helps take away some decision fatigue and buys you back time you can spend with your feet up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But more importantly, it sets the intention that you really care about the race, so you need to be fuelling with quality foods, in big quantity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(From a personal point, it also stops me from caving and buying a maccy\u2019s!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Plan it all out the weekend before, sort your shop out and prep as much as you can the weekend before. Here\u2019s an example of what I would typically plan:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Day<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Breakfast<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Lunch<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Dinner<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Mon<\/strong><\/td><td>Bagel, PB, protein<\/td><td>Paella<\/td><td>Spaghetti Meatballs<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Tue<\/strong><\/td><td>Oats, protein<\/td><td>Paella<\/td><td>Sweet &amp; Sour Pork<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Wed<\/strong><\/td><td>Bagel, PB, protein<\/td><td>Paella<\/td><td>Spaghetti Meatballs<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Thu<\/strong><\/td><td>Oats, protein<\/td><td>Paella<\/td><td>Sweet &amp; Sour Pork<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Fri<\/strong><\/td><td>Bagel, PB, protein<\/td><td>Rice, Chicken, Veg<\/td><td>Spaghetti Meatballs<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Sat<\/strong><\/td><td>Oats, protein<\/td><td>Rice, Chicken, Veg<\/td><td>Sweet &amp; Sour Pork<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>RACE<\/strong><\/td><td>Bagel, PB<\/td><td>&nbsp;beer<\/td><td>&nbsp;beer<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As you can see, it really doesn\u2019t need to be complex, measured to the gram and to the minute. If you plan the big stuff ahead of time, the smaller things can take care of themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Take it for a test drive<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Before coming into your race week, make sure you test drive your strategies for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Pre-run foods that sit well with you<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How many hours you take on food before the race<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What gels sit well with you and how often you need to take them in race<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How often you take on water (including where water stations are)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Coming back to \u2018don\u2019t try anything new on race week\u2019, your training weeks are the opportunities for you to test stuff out, fail easy and find what works best for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In terms of race day nutrition, it\u2019s finding the foods that sit well with you when you\u2019re running at a&nbsp;<em>high effort, for a prolonged amount of time<\/em>. As I said, it\u2019s better to find out that maybe your body doesn\u2019t operate so well on a bagel and Nutella during training than on race day (personal example: Edinburgh Half Marathon 2022\u2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, there will be some pre-run meals that objectively won\u2019t sit well under intensity, such as 2 large Double Quarter Pounder meals with milkshakes. But the key thing here is that everyone has different preferences and rituals you just need to play around with and find out what works best \u2013 no judgement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">The bottom line is that the&nbsp;<em>body likes predictability<\/em>. The more you can make your body think that race day is just another training run with these rituals, the more likely it will pay you back with a flawless performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-3 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Race Day Pointers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The big day has arrived\u2026 Race Day is about an effortless performance of everything you\u2019ve trained for, it shouldn\u2019t be anything new to your body. Here is a checklist to consider with fuelling, everything here must be practised before race week!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Before<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Light, carby breakfast that you\u2019ve already tested out (bagel, peanut butter + honey for me) 2-4 hours before<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Some caffeine with breakfast to help get things moving down there\u2026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>During<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Some water with breakfast and very slowly sipping until 30 mins out<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A gel every 30-45 mins if your race is over 90 mins<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Top up with water, in-line with your strategy and weather conditions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>After<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A beer, you earned it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/2C750893-A4E4-4953-9BFA-6E7689871F8E-768x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1117\" srcset=\"https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/2C750893-A4E4-4953-9BFA-6E7689871F8E-768x1024.png 768w, https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/2C750893-A4E4-4953-9BFA-6E7689871F8E-225x300.png 225w, https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/2C750893-A4E4-4953-9BFA-6E7689871F8E.png 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">TL; DR<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>On race week\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Avoid \u2018new foods\u2019 on race week<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Focus on carbohydrate intake<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Carb load if your race is over 90 mins<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stay hydrated, maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Plan ahead and test drive<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/193A0355-8FE8-4CBC-8AA7-07B0BD03D20F#_ftnref1\"><sup>[1]<\/sup><\/a>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1080\/02640414.2011.610348\">S92<\/a>&nbsp;Despite the review being published in 1997, the results are still valid and hold.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/9291549\/\">https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/9291549\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/E3D36566-552F-4AA4-A65F-50B509EC3C2C#_ftnref1\">[2]<\/a>&nbsp;Coyle, E.F., Jeukendrup, A.E., Oseto, M.C., Hodgkinson, B. J., &amp; Zderic, T. W. (2001). Low-fat diet alters intramuscular substrates and reduces lipolysis and fat oxidation during exercise. American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism, 280, E391\u2013E398.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Running a 5K, 10K or half marathon this week? Here is what and when to eat and drink to PB your race!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1246,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[17,15,14],"class_list":["post-585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nutrition","tag-10k-nutrition","tag-marathon-nutrition","tag-nutrition-for-runners"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/585"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=585"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/585\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1139,"href":"https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/585\/revisions\/1139"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1246"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=585"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=585"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/completeathlete.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=585"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}