This is not the typical topic for my blog articles. Typically I write about a specific exercise or condition, but as I continue to get more into running I’ve found that WHAT and HOW MUCH I should eat and drink for my prerace breakfast is important.
Like more runners before a longer run or race I spend most of my calories eating good carbohydrate laiden foods. But one will be better spent eating foods that help restock liver glycogen, which was depleted the prior night. Jackie Berning, Ph.D., R.D., a sports nutrition and metabolism professor at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, states that “liver glycogen keeps your blood-sugar level steady during exercise.”
Your morning meal provides fuel for your brain, helping to sustain motivation and concentration during longer runs. But the questions still lies in what should you eat before the longer runs? The best prerace food according of Penny Wilson, Ph.D., a Houston-based dietitian who works with endurance athletes, states that a prerace breakfast consists mainly of carbohydrates, since they are digested the fastest.
Well I am sure that there was no surprise there. But some foods that you should avoid are fat and fiber. Fiber takes the longest to digest. Small amounts of protein is also necessary to curve hunger. Mrs. Wilson recommends foods such as, “a bagel with peanut butter, oatmeal with milk and dried fruit, or yogurt and toast.” Additional options include a banana and high carb. energy bar, waffle with syrup and strawberries, or vene a bowl of rice.
Research shows that consuming 1.5 to 1.8 grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight as the ideal for improving performance. That means for a 150-pound runner will need 225-270 grams of carbohydrate (about 1,000 calories). Now this may sound like just as much effort as running itself.
Inorder to accomplish, the key is to get an early meal, three to four hours prerace exactly; according to the American College of Sports Medicine. The timeframe gives one enough time to digest so your stomach will fairly empty allowing your muscles and liver to be completely fueled.