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What to Eat on Race Day by RacerX
1. Eating every 2-3 hours will keep your blood sugar within a normal range. Your best performance can only be achieved when you are in this normal range.
2. In short there are 2 things to consider about carbohydrates; complex vs. simple, and whole grain/whole wheat. Pasta and table sugar are both carbs. One is complex (pasta) and one is not (table sugar). Complex carbs will affect blood sugar more slowly and will sustain energy levels longer. Sugars will affect blood sugar more quickly and will not sustain energy levels as long. Because your goal is to maintain your energy levels, you will want to eat complex carbs rather than sugar, especially on race day. Complex carbs are found in foods such as bread, muffins, bagels, etc. Although products made with white flour are complex carbs, it is best to get most of your carbs from whole wheat or whole grain sources.
3. Fat will also help maintain your energy levels at their peak. I normally recommend a low fat diet, but a few days prior to, and during an athletic event it is fine to eat moderately higher fat than normal. If you did happen to run low on carbohydrate stores, your body would prefer burning fat for energy rather than protein to provide the energy you need to finish your race. Cheese, ice cream and fried foods are examples of high fat foods. They should not be the main foods you are eating.
4. Avoiding foods which may have negative effects on your particular body is critical to feeling your best on race day. Milk products, caffeine, sugar and fat are just some of the ingredients that have the potential to cause stomach upset or some other side effect. If there is any chance at all that a food will have unwanted effects on you, don’t take a chance!
5. Timing your food consumption can be a critical factor when you are reaching for peak performance on the track. Consuming a moderate amount of food 30-60 minutes before your moto is best. This meal should mainly consist of carbohydrates but should be mixed with protein as well. Good choices would be; turkey on whole wheat, yogurt and a bagel or english muffin, toast with a boiled or poached egg, peanut butter and fruit spread on whole wheat. A sport drink which is formulated for use prior to working out such as Cytomax's Preformance drink can also be used at this time, especially for those athletes who find it difficult to eat prior to an event.
Glucose, which is obtained from carbs, is the only energy source your brain can use. So, it is very important for you to have carbs available in your body when you head to the line. Without carbs, your mental and physical performance could be impaired.
After you are finished racing you will want to eat or drink for recovery. Although this needs to be done within 2 hours after your racing is finished for the day, it is most effective if completed within 15 minutes after your last moto. This meal or drink should contain both simple carbs (sugars) and some protein as well. Good choices would include yogurt and fruit, milk, red meat or chicken and baked potato. A sport drink formulated for recovery like Cytomax's Recovery drink is also a good choice.
6. It is always important to stay hydrated prior to, during, and after race day
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What to Drink by RacerX
Water is always a great choice of course, unless you don't drink enough because you are bored with the taste. There is really no need for a sport drink unless you are engaging in activities lasting more than 50 minutes or very intense activities. However, one of the good things about sport drinks is that they contain sodium, which encourages the athlete/rider to consume larger amounts. Because sport drinks have more flavor than pure water the athlete may drink more as well. This is important so that the rider maintains hydration levels, especially on hot days. A product like Cytomax, which is used by many of the top pros for re-hydrating, contains 50 calories, 55 mg of sodium, 13 grams of Carbohydrates, only 3 grams of sugar and is fat free. When choosing a sport drink you should look for a drink which is 5-9% carbohydrate. Anything above 9% slows digestion, promotes cramping, nausea, and diarrhea. Anything below 5% won't get enough fuel to your muscles. To calculate the percentage of carbohydrate in a drink, divide the grams of carbohydrate per serving by the milliliters (8 ounces = 236 milliliters) of drink per serving and then multiply by 100. (For example: 13g/236 mL * 100 = 5.5). Your digestive system will most likely tolerate a mixture of sugars better than a single sugar in a drink. Look for a mix of sugars such as sucrose, fructose and glucose. Juices are fine choices too but you should try to eat a little something along with the juice if you are drinking it before your moto. Drinking the juice alone could possibly cause blood sugar levels to spike and then “crash”, which could lead to a lack of energy during your moto. After you are finished racing for the day it is fine to drink it alone. When buying juice look for the labels which say “100% juice”. Other products can have very high sugar levels and are not desirable for athletes and racers.
What About Soda?
Sodas have about 12-15% carbohydrate by weight, much more than the 5-9% I recommend. Consuming a drink with too much carbohydrate will slow water absorption. This will lead to a "sloshing" feeling in your stomach and possibly nausea.
Does Caffeine Help?
Caffeine is one of the few supplements that have really been proven to have some merit regarding enhancing performance. It has been shown to boost athletic performance in the short term, but again, you never know when the effects are going to wear off. If this happens in the middle of your moto, you are not going to like the result. Also, if you are getting your caffeine from coffee, it can cause stomach upset, which you don't want to deal with while racing either.
Race Day Hydration
Although hydration status needs to be maintained on a daily basis, there are guidelines which should be followed on race day as well. I recommend drinking ½ your bodyweight in ounces of water on a daily basis (for example: 180 lbs = 11.25 cups or 3/4 of a gallon). In the 2-3 hours prior to your race you should be consuming 17-20 ounces (2-2.5 cups), and in the 10-20 minutes prior, another 7-10 ounces (about a cup). I also recommend drinking small amounts every 10-20 minutes during exercise. Obviously this isn't possible while racing, so just continue to drink between practices and motos. Water is a great choice here, but if the flavor of a sport drink keeps the liquid flowing, then find a brand that agrees with your stomach and start hydrating.
At the end of the day it is important to re-hydrate. Many companies like Cytomax offer recovery drinks as well which are good to consume after a race or workout. These drinks provide a blend of nutrients needed for recovery (48% Fat, 21% Carbohydrate, 31% Protein), and minimize blood sugar spikes. Sport drinks and water are fine choices too, but avoid caffeinated beverages and alcohol while re-hydrating. To assure proper re-hydration, the athlete should weigh his/herself and then consume 2 cups per pound of bodyweight lost. For events lasting longer than one day it is especially important to use a sport drink or a recovery drink after you are finished racing for the day. This will assure adequate re-hydration before you compete the additional days. Your recovery drink should be consumed within 30 minutes after you race or workout. Milk is another good choice after you are finished with your motos. The protein and carbs serve as great recovery nutrients. Skim milk is recommended as it has all the nutrients of whole milk with none of the fat.
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