What Do Elite Runner’s Eat Before A Race? (Part 2)
[Article by Tait Hearps of Sweat Elite]
Continued from Part 1 – What Do Elite Runner’s Eat Before A Race
Here are a few examples of what athletes have said they have the night before a race.
Mo Farah: Pasta, steamed vegetables, grilled chicken. “I realise it doesn’t sound too exciting, but for someone doing my pursuit it was absolutely the right thing to eat. It’s an exciting life I lead!”
Desriee Linden: “A plate of plain white rice. It’s simple, but white rice is the easiest thing for me to digest, and it’s a great carb source, so it has become a staple.”
Meb Keflezighi: “Spaghetti with red sauce, meatballs, and parmesan.”
Kara Goucher: “I either get pasta with red meat sauce or rice, veggies and chicken or fish. I just like to cap off my carbohydrate stores and get a little protein. I never want to eat anything ‘risky.’ I just eat something simple that I have had many times before that I know my stomach can handle.”
Sara Hall: “I typically eat many small meals throughout the day, so my dinner isn’t a massive portion. I like to have about six ounces of lean protein like chicken (as long as I know it’s safe, otherwise I will just have a scoop of Muscle Milk) and a cup of rice or pasta with some olive oil and parmesan cheese (just a little as I limit dairy the day before). I don’t eat vegetables because I don’t want to have a lot of fiber in my gut both for weight and for risk of needing to go to the bathroom or stomach upset. Before bed I’ll have half a bagel with some almond butter and honey on it.”
And on race day? Again, a source of sustained release low-GI carbohydrates is important. Studies have shown a positive correlation between marathon times and grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body mass consumed on race day. Pre-race food is key to give that final glycogen top-up and also provide the satiety needed for motivation and concentration during the race.
It is advised to eat with enough time to digest the food before the race. Again, carbohydrates are the easiest fuel source to digest and should be the focus, but a small amount of protein and fat is good for satiety – think bread with some nut butter or a bowl of oatmeal with banana. Make sure to limit fibre to avoid bloating. Here it is even more crucial to stick to tried and true meals, everyone is different, and you must make sure that whatever you’re eating doesn’t cause an adverse reaction once you start opening up your stride. The portaloo is the last place you want to be during or just prior to the race.
Getting enough food in is crucial, but also involves dancing on a knife edge – too much and you could be weighed down and feeling ill. Research suggests that 1.5-1.8 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight is optimal for aerobic performance. For a 150-pound runner that amounts to 225-270 grams, which is around 1,000 calories. This might sound like a lot to consume before a hard effort – the key is to get it in early. Three to four hours before the race is ideal according to the American College of Sports Medicine, allowing enough time to digest, leaving you hopefully with an empty stomach and replete glycogen stores. Make sure to stay hydrated as well.
It is crucial to remember that everyone has different tolerance for fluids and different foods. Be sure to consume something similar to what you plan to consume on race day prior to some of your longer, harder workouts in the lead-up in order to habituate to running post-meal. The more you can stock up on glycogen before the race, the longer you will be able to stave off the hypoglycaemic ‘bonk’ – the wall so many runners talk about. Topping up with 25-30 grams of carbohydrate around an hour prior to the gun can also be beneficial, with a banana or a gel being perfect for this.
So, what are the pros doing? Interestingly they generally seem to consume a lot less than research suggests is optimal.
Eliud Kipchoge: Normally Eliud sticks to a few pieces of bread and some sugary, milky tea. “It’s breakfast for Africans. We only have tea and bread. That’s enough.”
Mo Farah: Cereal and coffee
If you’ve already established your pre-race ritual and it has been working well, don’t feel obliged to change it too much. But we recommend experimenting with different foods prior to long training runs and finding what works best for you. There are myriad recommendations and theories as to what is ideal but for something that is so poorly generalisable individual experimentation and being in tune with your body is the best way forward. Happy racing!
