Realistic pre-race nutrition advice

If it works for you then I don't think it's bad.  My last long run race I had a Starbucks doubleshot, two poptarts and a gel.  Worked great for me, but for others that could be trouble.

If that is what you normally eat before a long run then you should be fine BUT if it's not, your sugar levels will spike and then crash requiring more sugar etc which could lead to some unhappy results let alone stomach on the run. I am with you though I detest getting up early to eat before a race.

I do.

How hard are you planning to race (% of your threshold pace) and how long you expect to be out there? That will influence what and when you should eat.

by fueling so close to the race your main goal should be to top off your liver glycogen but you won't have much time to do so as you need to make sure your body absorbs whatever you feed it. Within 1 hr to your event probably easy to digest carbs will be best to consume, something like sports drinks and/or gels. It won't be optimal but it will be better than nothing.

The harder you'll race (i.e. 90-95% of your threshold pace) the more important is to focus on proper fueling by topping off your muscle and liver glycogen specially 2-3 hrs before the event because you'll be deeping into your glycogen sources at a greater degree which in avg a trained athlete will last around 60-90 min racing near threshold. Subtrate utilization  is more a function of exertion intensity, fitness level, personal physiology, duration of session, daily diet, immediate diet pre-exercise, temperature, etc. hence if you don't focus on fueling properly your performance might be affected. OTOH if you are not planning to go as hard (i.e. 60-70% of threshold pace) then you migth be able to get away with a less optimal pre-race fueling as your body won't rely as much on glycogen for fuel.

In terms of what to eat so close to the race:

2-3hr before event it is best to consume low GI (glycemic) foods
1-2hrs before event it is best to consume foods low to mid GI
1 hr before event preferable liquid CHO (sports drinks/gels) so it is easily absorb by your body. Minimize high GI foods*

*For some people it is recommend to avoid very high glycemic foods 30 min before event as it my cause hypoglycemic effects.

5:30 for a 6:15 start?  I would be scared to death to do that.  When don't have time to digest food before a run, I drink Ensure.  

Read an interesting article yesterday.  It suggested that simple sugars before a race is not bad.  The increased adrenalin produced because of the race excitement keep blood sugar from spiking.  I don't remember where I found the article.     

Jorge gave a good answer, but I will ask you this:

What are you eating before you long runs now?  You've got a couple of months before the marathon, so what do you eat before your 20 milers?

That should be what you eat before the race. 

Other than an IM or HIM, I don't eat anything before a race except two Gu ROctanes (one at 45 minutes before the race, one at 15 minutes before).

If you feel you need to eat, then plan accordingly.  But be forewarned that while many people do not have any issues eating in that 3 hour window, it HAS been shown to slow people down from their peak performances in where the blood flow is concentrated (stomach instead of muscles) and many people have GI issues eating too close.

Ditto.

First of all to those dedicated souls that are up at 4 o'clock in the morning, I really am impressed.  But at this point I think my performance is probably better served by trying to get a good night sleep.

My knowledge of physiology is severely lacking.  But, I'll do some more reading based on Jorge's post and take it to heart.  Thanks for the info!

As for my training long runs, they bear little resemblance to race day.  I do my training runs in the afternoon, so a meal 3 hours ahead happens anyway.  And the level of effort is substantially different, so it would be hard to  tell what difference, if any, the sugar would make  on race day.  

Overall, it seems like the 39g of sugar (a coke) isn't a big deal either way, especially since it's never caused any real problems in the past. I might just try skipping it for my next race and see if it makes a difference either way.

And better yet, if I happen to be up at 4am, tossing and turning with pre-race jitters, I'll make sure to have a solid snack.

Oh.. and to RichMan, that's the advantage of a race in Vegas.  I can literally get out of bed, walk out of my hotel, and be on the start line.

Thanks for the advice everyone.

I do Pop Tarts and Diet Pepsi around 3 hrs before a race of any distance, then sip a second DP up to a half hr before.  Just Gatorade and gels during, for any distance. (I don't do IM, only up to, and HIM's) Have never had GI issues in 12 hrs of racing, probably due to the fact that my stomach can tolerate anything. I can eat a big meal and go out and run. So, realistically, I train on empty/full/sloshy etc stomach, and can race that way too.

THAT said...as I knock on wood, I hope I don't blow up on the 17th for my marathon. If I do, I will see you in Vegas Mrcurtain!! We can share some caffiene and sugar!!

organic poptarts!! so good! :D I have 1 before short workouts ( under 90 minutes), will have 2 tomorrow actually before my "race". Lovely.

Sleep the night before a race is good, but its especially important to get to bed early and sleep as much as possible on the second-to-last night.  Don't sweat it if you don't get a great night's sleep the night before. 

And to your original question.  Yes - I wake up just to eat for any race that will last 1:15 or more.  Basically, any race except a sprint tri or a 5K to 10k road race.

The main reason to eat a breakfast 2-3 hours in advance is to restock the liver glycogen stores that have gone down over night (I think someone mentioned this already).  Your body needs this and you risk losing speed otherwise.

I agree that getting a good night rest the second night before is more important then the night before.

Everyone has to figure out works best for them in regards to pre-race nutrition. Since I am an old guy (62) I need to getup early to take care of business anyway so I have found that whole wheat toast with natural peanut butter along with a glass of OJ works well for me about 3 hours before race start If I am traveling I have a clif bar instead with the water. Just because I am up that early doesn't mean I stay up. If the logistics allow I go back to bed and get a little more rest before heading to the starting line. I usually have Gel and some water about 15 minutes for the start. This has worked well for me for everything from sprints to HIM. Also practice it for long training rides on the weekend.

I think another key is eating a well balanced meal the night before with normal portions.


Edited by browncd 2009-10-10 10:04 AM