Race Day Nutrition Done Right
Nov 18, 2022
Marzia Bell from Life + Performance Nutrition is back in the second article in our nutrition series with some tips on how to fuel your body for maximum performance on race day.
Race day is here, you've got your favourite kit picked out and the bike is prepped and ready to go. What about food? Surely, as long as you’ve got something in your belly, it doesn’t really matter, right?
We spend thousands of dollars on bikes, bike components, bike gear, coaching, and travel expenses to race, yet we often overlook a key factor that can make or break race day…our fuel.
You wouldn’t leave fuelling to chance if you were racing a car or motorbike, why do so on a bike?
Fuelling right from the night before a race can mean the difference between feeling on top of the world with energy to spare, or feeling sluggish and hitting that hunger flat before the end of the race, or even spending the race on the toilet. That’s right, eat the wrong thing and you could be racing to the nearest dunny!
Now that I have your attention, let me walk you through some race-day prep tips:
The Night Before the Race:
Rule number 1. Choose a dinner you know you tolerate well. The last thing you want is to go for something fancy or different only to spend the night on the toilet.
Avoid curries, deep-fried foods, seafood (unless you are 100% sure it is from a safe source), heavy/creamy dishes, fatty meals, and high-fibre foods like big salads and whole grains.
Enjoy dinner at least 2 hours prior to going to bed to allow for digestion so it doesn't mess with your sleep. Chew well and eat slowly.
Choose a dinner based on the following guidelines:
1/3-1/2 of the plate made up of carbohydrates according to the intensity and duration of your race.
- XCO, XCM, Enduro: Go for the 1/2 plate
- DH and XCC: 1/3 of the plate is most likely sufficient.
1/4 plate of lean protein like beef, chicken, pork, fish, or tofu.
- Avoid fatty cuts of meat like sausages and lamb as they are harder to digest.
- Windy foods such as legumes can cause bloating and take a long time to digest due to their high fibre content.
1/4 - 1/3 plate cooked vegetables.
- Salads are fantastic for everyday nutrition, but possibly a little too high in fibre and slow to digest for the night before a race
A tomato-based pasta dish with some lean protein like this farfalle (bow ties) with tuna would work well.
Farfalle Pasta With Tuna (see recipe)
The Morning of the Race:
Familiarity is key. You want to choose a breakfast that you know sits well in your gut and is satisfying without being too filling. Make sure you have at least 2 hours between breakfast and your race.
The perfect breakfast can be different for everyone, but here are some ideas:
- Porridge made with milk, banana, and honey
- High protein chocolate and banana overnight oats
- Mango and banana overnight oats
- Peanut butter and banana on toast
- Eggs on toast if you have a strong gut
- Weetbix with milk and berries
- Pancakes with berries or banana and syrup
- Fruit and milk smoothie
- Peanut butter toast and a juice
- Fruit and yoghurt
- Bagel with cream cheese
Porridge made with milk, banana, and honey (see recipe)
Mango and Banana Overnight Oats (see recipe)
Try these if you're short on time or need to eat on the go:
Up & Go with a banana
Muesli bar or Clif bar with a banana
Banana or berry muffin
Juice and muesli bar
Take away breakfast burrito with eggs (no bacon or sausage)
If your race is more than 3 hours after your breakfast, consider a quick snack about 1 hour before. Some simple carbohydrates like a slice of white bread with jam or honey, a banana, a fruit smoothie (no dairy), an oat bar or a light baked good like a lamington finger (or two), fruit bun, ½ fruit muffin.
15 minutes before your race is the time to pop a gel. Try this in training first as different gels can vary in texture, mouth feel and flavour. Find a gel that works for you so you don’t end up using something that goes straight through you on race day.
During the Race:
If your race is under 1 hour and high intensity, you may find it difficult to eat or even drink. Having some sports drink in your bottle will help you take on some nutrients while keeping you hydrated. You could consider a second gel around the ½ hour mark if the course permits it.
If your race is longer than 1 hour but less than 4, it’s recommended to consume approx 30-60g of carbohydrates per hour, typically in the form of gels and sports drinks (consider their combined carbohydrate content).
You could choose actual food options, such as jam sandwich squares, energy balls, energy bars, banana bread, lolly snakes, banana, fruit cake, or a fruit bun if race conditions permit. This is typically more common at endurance events of 6+ hours.
If your race is an Enduro, you most likely have access to food, either in the start/finish area or out on course at a feed station. You should aim for at least 30g of carbohydrate per hour, consisting of easy-to-chew/eat foods like orange wedges, bananas, lamington fingers, banana bread, red frogs, or snakes combined with sports drinks or juice.
DH racers should stick to snacks that are light and easy to digest like muesli bars, bananas, white bread with jam, honey, or peanut butter. Keep the protein-rich snacks for after your race and go easy on the energy drinks so you don't get the jitters.
Marathon length events or longer is where actual food is needed, fuelling for this will require a combination of fats, protein, and carbohydrates. Variety is the key to avoiding flavour fatigue. Think vegemite sandwiches, peanut butter sandwiches, 2-minute noodles as well as bananas, muesli bars, white bread with honey or jam, homemade rice cakes and energy balls.
Post Race Recovery
Finally, the race is done. Time for some real food!
Have a good quality snack soon after crossing the finish line. Something like a chicken, avocado and cheese sandwich on grainy bread, a fruit smoothie made with milk, a muesli bar, or a banana washed down with a cup of milk. If you have run out of food, you can always grab chocolate milk from the petrol station.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Throughout the day and after your race, keep sipping water.
Good job. Now it's time to get some rest and enjoy that post-race feeling!
For more fuelling tips and ideas, follow Life + Performance Nutrition on Instagram @life.and.performance.nutrition
Meet Marzia
Marzia Bell is an Accredited Sports Dietitian and the founder of Life + Performance Nutrition. Marzia is a passionate outdoor sports enthusiast, giving all things trail and mountain a go.
Life + Performance Nutrition helps athletes and weekend legends nationwide perform at their best by fine tuning everyday, training and race day nutrition with personalised strategies that work.
