Racing Fuel

[Nick]

Racing Fuel
10 surefire ways to fuel your racing
        by: Liz Applegate Ph.D.


For once you've done your homework. You've trained intensely, slaved on your start, your turns and your kick, and sharpened your mental focus. You're almost ready to race. In order to make the grade, however, you must do one more thing-fill your body with the fuel it needs to run fast. You must feed your face the right way.

Why? Because what and when you eat the week of a big meet can determine whether you'll blast a PR or bomb with a DNF. The following 10 steps will tell you exactly how to set the stage for the former. Think of them as Cliff's Notes for maximum performance-and the one piece of homework you can't afford to blow off.  


Loaf
This means two things: One, eat lots of carbohydrates such as bread and pasta. And two, get plenty of rest. Begin to do both five to seven days before your big meet.

Your body converts the carbohydrates you eat during the day into glycogen, which it uses to power your muscles for maximum performance. So if you eat lots of carbohydrates such as bread, cereal, pretzels and fruit before a big meet, your body will have more energy to use as you race. The problem is, your body uses glycogen during your training workouts, too. So you must eat more than 450 grams of carbohydrates each day to keep your body's glycogen stores full.

How much is 450 grams? About 10 to 12 servings of breads, cereals and other grain products. Munch on cereal for breakfast, bagels or pretzels during the day, and pasta or a baked potato for dinner. And wash it all down with fruit juice or high-carbohydrate drinks such as GatorLode or Exceed High Carbohydrate Source, each of which supplies about 50 grams of carbohydrate per cup.

The second part of the equation is rest. Believe it or not, loafing around also helps build glycogen stores. Tapering isn't very hard on your muscles, so they don't use as much glycogen as they do in regular training. In fact, they actually end up storing more. Talk with your coach about devising the very best taper for you.  


Slurp H20
Start soaking up water or sports drinks five to seven days before your big meet to replenish the water your body has lost through sweat during training. Take a bike bottle to school, and sip from it often. Stuff one in your gym bag or your locker as a reminder. And check the color of your urine when you go to the bathroom to make sure that you're drinking enough. Clear or pale yellow urine indicates that you're well hydrated; dark urine means you may be dehydrated.  


Buzz Off
Avoid caffeinated beverages such as soda, coffee and tea the day before and the day of competition. Because caffeine increases urine production, more water is lost from your body when you drink it, and this predisposes you to dehydration. Your blood thickens, so your heart must work harder to pump it to your muscles. And as a result, your performance drops.

It's true that many scientific studies have shown that drinking caffeine before exercise can improve endurance, but it can't make you run faster. You would need to drink several cans of soda about an hour before running for the caffeine to have any effect. And even then, it won't work unless your event lasts longer than an hour.


Be Picky

Avoid unusual, spicy or gas-forming foods the day before competition; they may leave you feeling queasy on race day. And stay away from high-fat foods such as deli meats, ice cream and pepperoni pizza; they take a long time to digest.
[br?Instead, stick with high-carbohydrate foods such as fruit, bread, bagels, pretzels, pasta and low-fat muffins and crackers, and eat them frequently during the day. But don't pig out. Since you'll be doing a light workout-if any-the day before the race, your body won't need many calories, and you'll end up feeling sluggish on race day if you overeat.  


Sup Superbly
Eat right the night before competition. Keep your dinner simple and easy to digest (high in carbohydrates and low in fat) and stay away from high-fiber foods to avoid the Port-o-Potties on race day. Following is a power-packed dinner guaranteed to top off your glycogen stores for maximum racing performance:

1 large baked potato topped with 1/3 cup low-fat grated cheese
2 large squares of corn bread topped with 3 tablespoons of fruit spread
1 large glass of skim or 1 percent milk
1/2 cups frozen yogurt topped with fruit  


Eat Early
Get a jump start on race day with a well-planned precompetition meal. Your body will have depleted some of its glycogen stores during the night. So eating a high-carbohydrate breakfast will top off your tanks and fend off the hunger pangs that are bound to hit later in the day.

Two to 3 hours before your first event, munch on 1 1/2 cups of cereal and a slice of toast topped with fruit spread. And quench your thirst with a cup of fruit juice. Avoid fat and protein at all costs (they would remain in your intestines during the race and could make you nauseous).

If you can't bring yourself to eat solid food a few hours before competition, try quaffing a high-carbohydrate drink or a supplement beverage such as GatorPro or Exceed Nutritional Supplement. Your body will process these products quickly, leaving you feeling light and ready to go.  


Munch Midday
Many track meets don't get under way until the afternoon, and if you don't stay fueled, your body won't be ready for action. Eat fruit, pretzels and a sports bar for lunch. If you'd rather have a sandwich, make sure the filling is low in fat and contains only a modest amount of protein. A turkey sandwich without mayo, for instance, is a good choice.  


Stay Hydrated
During the course of a daylong track meet, you can easily become dehydrated. Headaches, fatigue and light-headedness are sure signs. So bring along a water bottle, and drink frequently during the day-while you're stretching, changing your shoes or cheering on your teammates. Stash a sports drink or two in your bag as well if you've tried drinking it in training. These beverages replenish lost fluids and provide the carbohydrate boost your body may need during long hours of competition.  


Stay Charged
Long hours without food will put a drain on your mental and physical performance. So plan on eating at least 200 calories in between events or about every 2 hours. Pack your gym bag with sports bars (200 to 300 calories each), sports drinks (50 to 70 calories per cup), bananas (100 calories each) and raisins (about 150 calories a handful) to eat during the meet. These snacks are mostly carbohydrate, which will power your running; fat-laden foods, such as candy bars, will slow you down.  


Follow Through
After a grueling meet, your body must be refueled so that it can recover quickly. Replenish your spent glycogen stores by eating a high-carbohydrate snack such as a banana or bagel within an hour after you finish competing. And stave off dehydration by draining your water bottle on the trip home. Drink beyond your feeling of thirst, and your chances for a great practice the next day-and a successful meet a week later-will be better than ever.