WHAT SHOULD WE EAT BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER A RACE?

This September 25th Bogotá will be one of the most important athletic events for women in Colombia, La Cabrera DE la Muter. We are five days away from living this great experience and if you participate in this event, we advise you to follow these recommendations of what you should eat before, during and after the race.

Feeding a runner is just as important to per-competition training, so making a good feed plan is necessary to ensure the good performance of the competitor. When structuring your diet, you must consider what you are going to eat and how you are going to distribute the different groups of nutrients at each meal, this will help you avoid fatigue during the race and recover faster after it.

Read also:  How to run a race in any comfort

What to eat during training?

During the training period the diet should include a good amount of carbohydrates that can be obtained from bread, legumes, pasta, rice, cereals, dads, fruits, vegetables, corn, quinoa, and rye.

Fats and proteins should also be part of our diet, but in smaller portions. The fats that are recommended to consume are known as "unsaturated", so it is necessary to consume fish, flax seeds, hemp, nuts, sesame and nuts, this because of its high content of Omega 3 and 6, which help the proper Performance of the athlete during the test.

Proteins can be obtained from foods of animal origin, such as red meat, eggs, chicken and pork, or legumes, cereals, tofu and the seaman. Remember that proteins have a heavier digestion, so it is only recommended to consume them during training, but not a day before the test.

What foods should I consume before the race?

It is essential to keep in mind that what you eat before the race you must do it with three hours before, so your body will be able to do a correct digestion so that the levels of glucose in the blood and glycogen are what the body requests during competition.

If the race is in the morning: Breakfast should include foods that have cereals such as wheat and oats, nuts, cheese, ham, natural fruit juices and yogurt.

If the race is in the afternoon: The food should include the same foods as at breakfast, only you should add a good portion of pasta or rice and some salad.

It is important to keep in mind what type of carbohydrates we consume before attending the race. There are two types, high hypoglycemic index (or easily absorbed) such as jams, honey, bread, sugar and fruit, and low hypoglycemic index (or slow absorption) such as cereals, pulses and red fruits. This in order not to generate any rise or fall of glucose levels that compensated our body at the time of the race. If you suffer from hypoglycemia or hypoglycemia it is recommended that you level this type of food.

What should I bring to eat during the race?

Carbohydrates will always be present throughout our competitive diet, but during the race, we must consume those that are easily absorbed, in this case as we need to carry light foods and do not occupy much space in our tuna or kangaroo, we advise you to lean for Moisturizing drinks, fruits (bananas and orange), gels and bars or cereal cookies.

In order for hydration to be adequate, it is advisable to drink half a liter of the drink every half hour. Cereal bars or biscuits, fruit and digestible gels, it is advisable to consume them every 30 to 60 minutes, in order to acquire the energy that we are losing during the tour and thus to perform well during the competition.

Should I eat after the competition?

Of course. During the first few minutes after the race the body absorbs nutrients faster, so it is important to eat to recover from physical activity. It is recommended to consume foods that contribute to our body 0.35gr of carbohydrates per kilo of weight, 1.5gr of protein per kilo of weight, sugary drinks, fruit, cookies and sweets.

After it has been several hours to have competed, it is necessary to eat the same way as when we are training, only we can add a small dessert to congratulate us.

So if you're ready to race this Sunday, be sure to follow these recommendations so your performance is right.