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Click to view madcracker's profile Rookie 6 posts since
Jul 9, 2007

Jun 5, 2006 8:13 AM

pre-race diet

I'm new to the sprint tri. circuit and my question is in regards to nutrition the day before a race. I've been a short distance runner for most of my life and a long distance swimmer for several years but the triathlon, especially the bike, is very new to me.

What type of meals do experienced triathletes eat the day before and morning of a race? Right now I'm using MetRx and have been for years. I find it to be a very good supplement for me with some fruit added to it 60-90 min. prior to a hard workout. I'm mainly concerned about my evening meal the night before. Any advise is appreciated by this rookie.
Click to view shornke's profile Pro 138 posts since
Jul 9, 2007
1. Jun 5, 2006 8:39 AM in response to: madcracker
Re: pre-race diet
IMHO most athletes eat way too much the night before the race. I would recommend a regular serving of pasta (for the carbs) and some meat, preferably chicken for protein.

Keep your supplement, if that works for you.

During the bike part I have a Powergel (the new ones!) every 20 minutes; for me that works great.

Good luck and LIVE[b]STRONG[/b]

Stefan
Click to view triruth's profile Pro 174 posts since
Jul 9, 2007
2. Jun 16, 2006 11:42 PM in response to: madcracker
Re: pre-race diet
Yes, most sprint athletes eat way too much. I eat primarily carbs the day before, but not more than usual. The morning of a sprint race I like to have a yogurt/fruit smoothie sweetened with honey 1.5-2 hours before the race, and I'll have some sport drink before I start my warm-up. I like to make sport drink from frozen berries, and honey, though any sweetener will do.
Click to view SpeedGirl's profile Rookie 2 posts since
Nov 9, 2007
3. Aug 6, 2008 12:40 PM in response to: madcracker
Re: pre-race diet
This answer may sound quite specific, but I have experimented with a few things that didn't work for me. The night before the race, I try to have a normal sized meal, (no spicy, greasy, or high-fiber foods). The morning of the race, I have two lightly salted scrambled eggs. Typically it works out that I eat 2 hours before the race start. Although eggs seem heavy compared to a bagel or toast, I found it works because the eggs (protein) help avoid that hungry or empty feeling that I got when I had a toast or bagel breakfast, and I don't feel weighed down. If I have a bagel after I arrive at the race site, it seemed that I didn't get adequate time to digest the food. I may also have a gel 15-30 minutes before the race. This is enough to get me through a 2-3 hour race and I don't feel hungry or nauseated. For longer races I typically consume gels or some other nutrition during the race.