Race week diets

What should I eat? What should I avoid? And why?

Many athletes are still of the understanding that the classic "steak" is the best pre-competition meal. This was linked to an early idea that muscle actually consumes and fuels itself during activity, and by having a protein intake, this would redress the balance. Although steak may be quite satisfying to the athlete, the exercise benefits gained are largely dismissed. Research has shown that such a meal that is relatively low in carbohydrate and quite high in fat may actually be detrimental to performance. Steak takes several hours to break down and this requires blood. However, during exercise, blood is needed for the working muscles. Therefore, blood is taken away from the stomach and sent to the working muscles. It is this that can cause athlete problems. Lastly, protein as an energy source is negligible, and concurrently also causes dehydration as water is needed to clear the resulting bi-products in the urinary process.

Planning your diet for the days leading up to an event is a crucial part of your preparation. Just like fuelling a car before a long drive, the athlete must ensure maximum muscle and liver glycogen stores. This will result from a high carbohydrate dietary intake in these preceding days. What to eat and when to eat can be determined by studying the glycemic index of food. This relates to how quickly or slowly carbohydrates can be digested and absorbed and then stored as muscle and liver glycogen. Several examples are listed below:-

High Glycemic (simple carbohydrates)
Cornflakes, raisins, bananas, white rice, bagel, white bread, maple syrup, potatoes, honey.

Moderate Glycemic
Whole grain bread, spaghetti (pasta) corn, oatmeal, orange, grapes.

Low Glycemic (complex carbohydrates)
Lentils, yoghurt, peanuts, peas, beans, apple, peach, pear, figs, plum, milk, milk products.

Pre-Competition Meals
Produce which rate high on the index break down quickly. This however, could cause potential physiological reactions prior to a race, which could actually result in an impeded performance. Simple carbohydrates cause a rapid rise in blood sugar. In-turn this can trigger an excessive insulin release to counteract the imbalance. High insulin levels can result in a relative hypoglycaemia (a low blood glucose level) and perhaps early depletion of carbohydrate reserves. In such a physiological state, performance will be impaired. Whilst on this matter, when studying distance runner's before a race, it is quite alarming to see so many athletes drinking large quantities of glucose rich fluid right up to the race itself. It would be an interesting study to test these athletes at the time to see how many were in-fact in a hypoglycaemic state.

The preferred pre-competition meal is now proposed as food low on the glycemic index. These complex carbohydrates take longer to break down and therefore are more slowly absorbed into the blood. This would prevent the insulin surge and provide a steady supply of glucose for energy during competition. Research with trained cyclists performing high-intensity aerobic exercise supports this approach. A pre-competition low-glycemic meal of lentils extended endurance significantly in comparison to an equivalent carbohydrate content high-glycemic meal of potatoes.

Preceding Days
A large Carbohydrate intake in general will ensure that muscle and liver glycogen levels are stocked to a premium. Here, unlike prior to competition, the glycemic index would not be so crucial; although, low to medium index foods is advised. Importantly, studies have shown that liver glycogen stores are rapidly depleted when a person is deprived carbohydrate for 24 hours. Taking into account that liver glycogen stores can be decreased by up to half after only 1 hour of exercise (depending upon the intensity), it is therefore paramount that athletes ensure carbohydrate intake in their final days of preparation.