Athletes are always looking for ways to get an edge on the competition. Whether it's putting in a few extra miles on the weekend, doing an extra set in the weight room or getting a few extra hours of sleep at night, athletes will go to great lengths to shave a few seconds off of their performance.
One area that is often overlooked is nutrition. With fast-food restaurants around every corner and greasy food served in the school cafeteria, it's easy to see why so many of us have a hard time eating a balanced diet. However, a proper diet really can give you an edge, especially the days leading up to a big race.
Eating a balanced diet doesn't mean that you have to worry about everything that you put into your body. But being aware of what you're putting in your body is the key. Just like your warm up before your race, you want to have a pre-race diet routine that works for you. Since we are all different, it's a good idea to experiment with foods during your training. If a certain food doesn't agree with you--and you will know it--then avoid it at all costs before your race. In other words, the night before the race is not the night to try the new Cajun restaurant that just opened in town.
Foods like pasta or even grilled chicken are often popular choices amongst runners, but you certainly don't need to limit yourself to those standard favorites. Stay away from heavy, cream-laden foods the night and day of your race, but feel free to eat a variety of foods the days leading up to your event. Do not overeat and try your best to include foods from a variety of food groups.
You've probably heard of carbo-loading, and you're probably curious about the fuel storing and energy promoting effects of foods such as pasta, rice and potatoes. But unless you will be racing at a high intensity for 90 minutes or more, you really do not need to carbo-load. In fact, you may want to avoid loading up your belly with too many high-carb foods. Instead, concentrate on eating right and eating light.
Does that mean that you should start the Atkins Diet? Probably not the best idea. The Atkins diet has received plenty of attention in the media lately. Restaurants and grocery stores are jumping on the bandwagon, by offering more and more low-carb options. But if you are an athlete, you might want to question this latest diet craze.
Especially when you consider that much of the weight lost on these diets is a direct result of fewer total calories, and the water loss that occurs with muscle glycogen depletion.
If you are an athlete, you may realize that glycogen depletion is one of the reasons athletes' "bonk" or "hit the wall" in endurance competition. Glycogen is the stored energy in muscle, and it helps muscles retain water. This combination is critical for high intensity athletic performance. Depleting these energy stores is hardly something that will improve athletic performance.
While endurance athletes are easy to convince of the need for a high carbohydrate, low fat diet, strength athletes tend to believe that they require more protein. This is rarely the case. According to sports nutritionists strength athletes require high carbohydrate and adequate glycogen stored in the muscle. They point out that all high intensity; powerful muscle contractions are fueled with carbohydrate. Adequate dietary carbohydrate must be consumed on a daily basis to restore glycogen levels, which means that eating a good diet all the time is your best bet.
Research shows that high protein/high fat diets can hurt performance, while an inadequate amount of carbohydrate, like that suggested in the Atkins Diet, can result in the following:
- Reduced muscle glycogen stores in the muscle and liver
- Decreased endurance
- Decreased maximal effort
- Decreased serum glucose levels
- Increased risk of hypoglycemia
One of the biggest concerns that track athletes and their coaches have is eating on the day of the competition. Track meets can be all day affairs and eating or drinking too much before a race can be disastrous. Here are few suggestions that will help you during those last few hours before you toe the line.
3 to 4 hours before competition:
- fresh fruit, fruit and vegetable juices and sports drinks
- breads; bagels; baked potatoes; cereal with lowfat milk; lowfat yogurt; sandwiches with a small amount of peanut butter, lean meat, or lowfat cheese
2 to 3 hours before competition :
- fresh fruit, fruit and vegetable juices
- breads; bagels; English muffins with limited amounts of butter, margarine, or cream cheese; or lowfat yogurt
1 hour or less before competition:
- Fruit or a energy bar would be about as far as you should go
- Slow down on the fluids during the last twenty minutes before your race.
Athletes are always looking for ways to get an edge on the competition. Whether it's putting in a few extra miles on the weekend, doing an extra set in the weight room or getting a few extra hours of sleep at night, athletes will go to great lengths to shave a few seconds off of their performance.
One area that is often overlooked is nutrition. With fast-food restaurants around every corner and greasy food served in the school cafeteria, it's easy to see why so many of us have a hard time eating a balanced diet. However, a proper diet really can give you an edge, especially the days leading up to a big race.
Eating a balanced diet doesn't mean that you have to worry about everything that you put into your body. But being aware of what you're putting in your body is the key. Just like your warm up before your race, you want to have a pre-race diet routine that works for you. Since we are all different, it's a good idea to experiment with foods during your training. If a certain food doesn't agree with you--and you will know it--then avoid it at all costs before your race. In other words, the night before the race is not the night to try the new Cajun restaurant that just opened in town.