The habit of fueling to perform
To run your best through training and all the way to race day, it’s important to fuel your body for the demands you are placing on it. Implementing these habits in the months leading up to your race, will have you fueled and feeling your best!
Pre-Workout
Make an attempt to eat something small and easy to digest an hour before every run. This requires some experimenting and you may even need to make it 2 hours prior if you have a sensitive stomach. Practicing this before every run helps you learn what works. A banana with peanut butter is a quick and easy to digest snack that provides simple carbohydrates, fiber, healthy fat, protein and even natural electrolytes from the potassium in the banana and sodium in the (salted) peanut butter.
During your Workout
For runs or workouts longer than 45 minutes, and especially for workouts at a higher intensity, fueling with a fast source of carbohydrates is important to keep you moving at that higher intensity and keep your “fuel tank” topped off to help with recovery. If you are running or exercising at a lesser intensity, the body will utilize fat for energy and fast-acting carbohydrate supplementation is not necessary.
Once glycogen stores within the muscles and liver are used up, the body will experience what is commonly called “hitting the wall” or “bonking”. Hitting the wall not only wrecks your workout or race, it requires more recovery time.
There are many options on the market for easy to digest carbohydrates; drinks, gels, chews, bars and even homemade options. The important thing is finding one that works with your stomach. Some products have caffeine, which if you can tolerate it, has been shown to boost alertness and increase performance when taken before or during exercise.
Some of my favorite options for fast fueling during a workout are Spring Energy (Hill Aid is my favorite for long runs), UCAN proprietary SuperStarch provides very even and long-lasting energy, and Maurten uses a patent-pending hydrogel technology that allows maximal absorption and minimal impact on your digestive system.
Post-Workout
After intense exercise, the body sets off a metabolic cascade that primes itself for replenishing those glycogen stores. Consuming a healthy, carbohydrate rich snack with fluids within 30 minutes is recommended for replenishing your depleted muscles. It is important to focus on eating whole foods, proteins and healthy fats all the time, but especially during rigorous training.
If it’s difficult to get food in shortly after a workout, try a smoothie or shake (Ka’chava is my favorite).
Race Week
During race week, it’s common practice for some to eat clean, eliminate alcohol and/or caffeine. Do what works for you. Drastic changes in diet can leave you feeling sluggish and worse, create GI issues. Race week is not the time to change anything. If you plan to experiment with eliminating certain foods from your diet, practice throughout your training and be mindful of how your body responds. The goal is to show up to your event happy, healthy and ready to rock it!
