Nutrition is perhaps the most overlooked aspect when it comes to performance.  Everyone knows that it is important to eat properly while training and to pay attention to what you consume the week before a race, but fewer people know the positive, and negative, impacts that proper pre-race nutrition can have on race day.

With September 25^th fast approaching it is time to give some serious consideration to developing a nutrition plan.  Ideally the plan you use the days before and, more importantly, the day of the race, is something that you have practiced while training to make sure that your body responds properly and can tolerate the products you use.  If you have not been paying much attention to your diet, the key thing to remember is not to use anything on race day that you have not tried before.  It is also important to understand that one nutrition plan will not work for every triathlete.  What follows below are some general guidelines that you can use to develop a plan for you, but for a more specific plan you should consult a Registered Dietitian who can tailor a plan for you.

Pre-Race Nutrition

The week before the race you should be tapering.  This means that you do not need to consume as many calories as in weeks past because you have a dramatically reduced energy expenditure.  During your taper week, focus on decreasing protein and fat intake.  This will allow you to consume adequate amounts of carbohydrate (“carbohydrate loading”), which in turn will maximize muscle glycogen stores and help prolong the amount of time you can race before your muscles fatigue.

Starting four to seven days before the race, consume approximately 3 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight each day.  One to three days before the race increase this to 4-5 grams of carbohydrate per pound.  For those of you who have never paid strict attention to your diet before a race, you will be surprised at how difficult it can be to consume this amount of carbohydrates.

Do not be surprised if you gain weight during the carb-loading phase.  For every gram of glycogen you store your body is going to store extra water.  This extra fluid is important as it will aid in delaying dehydration during the race.  However, the weight gain will not be as dramatic as might be expected since you are reducing the amount of fat and protein you are eating.

Hydration is also key leading up to race day.  Sports drinks can be used as they not only help with hydration, but they also provide carbohydrates and sodium.  Be careful not to over-hydrate though, as you do not want to deplete your electrolytes.   A good way to ensure you are not under or over-hydrating is to monitor your urine color.  It should be the color of straw.

Most people typically associate pasta with carb-loading, but there are other good alternatives.  These include oatmeal, potatoes, rice, and breads.  Juices, cereals, bananas, pretzels, and energy bars are all also high in carbohydrates.

Carbohydrate content varies dramatically from food to food so be sure to read food labels.  Each of the following servings have approximately 15 grams of carbohydrate:  1 slice bread, 1 mini pita, 1 small dinner roll, ¼ bagel, 1 small pancake, ½ cup cooked oatmeal, 1/3 cup cooked rice, 1/3 cup cooked pasta, 3 cups popcorn, ½ cup apple or orange juice, ½ cup yogurt with fruit, and approximately 8 ounces of sports drink.

As you get close to the day of the race focus on easily digestible, low-fiber foods such as white rice, bread, and pasta to avoid gastrointestinal upset.  Foods to limit include beans, seeds, nuts, raw fruits and veggies, whole grain breads and whole grain pastas.

Race Day

Three to four hours before the start of the race you need to consume 1-2 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight.  If you have followed a carb-loading program this will top off your glycogen stores.  Again, make sure to consume foods that are low in fiber.

To meet your fluid needs drink 17 to 20 ounces of a sports drink two hours before race time.  (Fluid intake requirements before a race are almost universal and are not based on weight.) Ten to twenty minutes before the start drink an additional 7-10 ounces of sports drink.  Again, continue to monitor your urine color as an indicator of your hydration status.

Some individuals will eat a bagel or other solid food an hour or so before the start of the swim.  While solid food consumed within an hour of the start time will ultimately provide calories to the body at some point in time during the race, the consumption of solid food this close to the start time will also increase blood flow to the gut and away from your muscles.  Therefore, it is better to ensure topping off your glycogen stores three to four hours before the start and using supplements such as gels which are easier to digest within the hour before the start of your race.

The bike portion is a great time to take in calories and fluid.  Most find it easier to drink while on the bike than during the run, so you should focus on hydrating during this time.  The key is to try to keep pace with your sweat loss rate and replace the fluids you are losing.  Sweat rates are highly individual and depend on various factors such as fitness level, exercise intensity, heat, and humidity.  They can range from 16-48 ounces per hour, and sometimes even higher.  So plan accordingly.

Hydrating with a sports drink is advisable because it will not only provide calories and electrolytes but will also replace the sodium that is lost in sweat.  It is important to note that sodium and electrolyte losses are highly individual.  So people who sweat a lot need to pay closer attention to their consumption of sodium and electrolytes, and may want to use a salt packet to supplement the sports drink they are using.  (The nutritional contents of popular sports drinks are below.)

During the run continue to drink at the aid stations, as you still need additional fluid, carbohydrates, and electrolytes.  The easiest way to drink on the run is to pinch the top of the cup to form a spout and then try and get as much fluid into your mouth as possible.  Even if you are consuming gels during the race, make sure to take them with water but to still consume a sports drink as many gels do not contain adequate electrolytes.  In order to optimize hydration, drink approximately 7 to 10 ounces of sports drink every fifteen to twenty minutes.  You should also consume 120 to 400 calories per hour to provide adequate energy.  These calories can come from gels and/or sports drinks.

Post Race Nutrition

What you eat after the race is just as important as what you eat before and during.  Ideally, for every pound of weight that you lose during the race you should drink 20-24 ounces of sports drink.  Since you are unlikely to bring a scale with you to the race, plan to drink at least 20-24 ounces immediately after you finish and continue drinking throughout the day.  You also need to consume .5 grams of carbohydrates per pound.  On top of this everyone should consume 10-15 grams of protein within the first 30 minutes after finishing.  A great way to ensure that you get the proper nutrition immediately after the race is to have your spouse, child, friend or mother-in-law have a recovery shake waiting for you at the finish line.  (See below for my favorite recipe.)

Every two hours after your race you should eat approximately .5 grams of carbohydrate per pound to replenish your energy stores.   Protein consumption is not as important within the hours after the race as you should have already consumed your 10 -15 grams within 30 minutes, so focus on replacing your glycogen stores.  (As a Registered Dietician, I do not recommend consuming beer shortly after the race, but in case you are wondering, yes, beer contains carbohydrates.)

Paying attention to your pre- and post race nutritional needs will help you maximize your performance and recovery.

Happy Racing!!!

This article was written by Heather Baden, MS, RD, CDN

Heather is a Registered Dietitian and a New York Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist in private practice in Rye, New York.  She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Vermont in Dietetics and Nutrition Education.  She completed her Dietetic Internship at Georgia State University and completed a sports nutrition emphasis at the Homer Rice Center for Sports Performance at Georgia Tech.  She also has a Masters Degree in Human Nutrition from the University of New Haven.  Her expertise includes: Sports Nutrition, Food Allergies, Celiac Disease, Gastrointestinal Nutrition, Weight Management, and more.  In her free time she enjoys training for triathlons, reading, and cooking with her family.

HB Nutrition, P.C.
Heather Baden, MS, RD, CDN
81 Overlook Place
Rye, NY 10580
Phone: 914-481-6138
E-mail: heather@hbnutrition.com
Web: www.hbnutrition.com

Totals for a 160-pound athlete (add in small portions of protein and fat):

Recovery Shake
8 ounces milk of choice (cows, soy, rice, hemp, almond, etc)
2 scoops Hammer Recoverite (or other preferred recovery drink powder)
½ banana
1 tsp fish oil (anti-inflammatory)
¼ cup plain yogurt
½ cup frozen berries

Mix ingredients in blender.  Frozen berries are great to add thickness- if making more than 2 hours before consuming keep some berries solid as they will keep your shake cold longer.