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Capital City Strider's
Youth Track and Field
Youth Track and Field
| Eating And Competing |
Your diet will affect how fast and how well you progress, and how soon
you reach competitive standard. But once you are ready to compete,
you will have a new concern: your competition diet. Is it important? eat?
How much should you eat? Should you be eating during the event?
And what can you eat between heats or matches? A lot of research has
been done in this area, and it is clear that certain dietary approaches
can enhance competition performance. This page gives guidelines
about eating and competing which will help you to perform at your best
What should you eat in the week before a competition?
During the week before a competition you should fill up your glycogen
stores so that you begin your competition with a full fuel supply. This is
especially important if you are competing in an endurance sport or
competing in a number of heats over a short period. The way to
increase your glycogen stores is to taper training during the final week
before a competition, and to increase carbohydrate intake. Eat plenty of
complex carbohydrate foods, especially those with a low glycaemic
index to help boost your glycogen stores. For the last three to four days
try to eat a small meal or snack every two or three hours. Plan each
meal around high- carbohydrate foods, for example baked potatoes, as
usual. Eat smaller portions of high-protein foods such as meat, fish and
eggs. Keep fat intake to a minimum and eat larger amounts of
carbohydrate-rich foods (i.e. Potatoes, pasta, cereals, etc). During
these last few days you should, ideally, be getting 60 to 70% of your
energy from carbohydrates.
What should you eat before competition?
Hopefully, by the morning of your competition, the previous day's eating
will already have filled your glycogen stores. Your pre-competition meal
should be high in carbohydrate, low in fat, low in protein, low in fibre
(i.e. Not too bulky and filling), enjoyable and familiar. Eat complex
carbohydrates as these release energy slowly. Avoid simple
carbohydrates as these release energy quickly but trigger the release
of insulin which can soon make you feel tired. Suitable types of food
include: breakfast cereals, porridge, bread, rolls, toast, fruit juice, fruit,
rice cakes, plain crackers, boiled rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams,
boiled pasta, dried fruit, oatmeal biscuits, plain wholemeal biscuits,
muffins and carbohydrate drinks.
Must you eat a pre-competition meal?
Many competitors feel nervous on the day of the competition and do
not want to eat. However, it is not a good idea to avoid having a
pre-competition meal. Your liver glycogen stores will be low and could
adversely affect your performance in the last stages if you are
competing in an endurance event (or in one that lasts over 1.5 hours).
The liver can only store enough glycogen to last 12 hours, so if you eat
nothing after the previous day's evening meal your liver glycogen
stores will be considerably depleted. If you really do not feel like eating,
try to have a liquid meal such as a carbohydrate drink, some fruit juice
or commercial sports drink.
Should you eat just before the competition?
Studies have shown that eating a small amount (about 50 gms) of
fast-absorbing carbohydrate just before exercise helps to delay fatigue
and improve endurance. Carbohydrates with a high glycaemic index
are absorbed relatively quickly into the bloodstream and cause a fairly
rapid rise in blood-sugar levels. If you start exercising within about five
minutes, an increase in insulin will be prevented and your blood-sugar
levels will remain slightly raised for longer. Some people are more
sensitive to blood-sugar fluctuations than others, so you may find that
this last-minute snack does not suit you at all.
Should you eat or drink during a competition?
If you are competing for more than an hour, you may find that taking
extra carbohydrate during the event helps to delay fatigue and maintain
exercise intensity, particularly during the later stages. If you take small
amounts of carbohydrate at regular intervals during the competition,
blood- sugar levels will be boosted and glycogen stores will not be
depleted so rapidly. If you are competing in a tournament or match
which involves intermittent, high- and low-intensity activity, and which
lasts for over an hour, try to have some form of carbohydrate during the
breaks.
Make sure you are well hydrated before the competition having your
last drink about 15 to 20 minutes before the start. Drink at regular
intervals (150 to 300ml), ideally every 15 minutes or whenever you
have a break during competition. Do not wait until you feel thirsty, you
will already be dehydrated. Water is fine or you may prefer to use a
commercial carbohydrate drink (Sports Drinks) as this will also refuel
your glycogen stores.
What should you eat after competition?
Following training & competition an athlete's glycogen stores are
depleted. In order to replenish them the athlete needs to consider the
speed at which carbohydrate is converted into blood glucose and
transported to the muscles. The rapid replenishment of glycogen stores
is important for the track athlete who has a number of races in a
meeting. The rise in blood glucose levels is indicated by a foods
Glycaemic Index (GI) and the faster and higher the blood glucose rises
the higher the GI.
Studies have shown that consuming high GI carbohydrates,
approximately 2g/kg of body weight, and 40g of protein within 2 hours
after exercise speeds up the replenishment of glycogen stores and
therefore speeds up recovery time. It appears that the muscles are
more receptive to and retaining carbohydrate during the two hours after
exercise.
you reach competitive standard. But once you are ready to compete,
you will have a new concern: your competition diet. Is it important? eat?
How much should you eat? Should you be eating during the event?
And what can you eat between heats or matches? A lot of research has
been done in this area, and it is clear that certain dietary approaches
can enhance competition performance. This page gives guidelines
about eating and competing which will help you to perform at your best
What should you eat in the week before a competition?
During the week before a competition you should fill up your glycogen
stores so that you begin your competition with a full fuel supply. This is
especially important if you are competing in an endurance sport or
competing in a number of heats over a short period. The way to
increase your glycogen stores is to taper training during the final week
before a competition, and to increase carbohydrate intake. Eat plenty of
complex carbohydrate foods, especially those with a low glycaemic
index to help boost your glycogen stores. For the last three to four days
try to eat a small meal or snack every two or three hours. Plan each
meal around high- carbohydrate foods, for example baked potatoes, as
usual. Eat smaller portions of high-protein foods such as meat, fish and
eggs. Keep fat intake to a minimum and eat larger amounts of
carbohydrate-rich foods (i.e. Potatoes, pasta, cereals, etc). During
these last few days you should, ideally, be getting 60 to 70% of your
energy from carbohydrates.
What should you eat before competition?
Hopefully, by the morning of your competition, the previous day's eating
will already have filled your glycogen stores. Your pre-competition meal
should be high in carbohydrate, low in fat, low in protein, low in fibre
(i.e. Not too bulky and filling), enjoyable and familiar. Eat complex
carbohydrates as these release energy slowly. Avoid simple
carbohydrates as these release energy quickly but trigger the release
of insulin which can soon make you feel tired. Suitable types of food
include: breakfast cereals, porridge, bread, rolls, toast, fruit juice, fruit,
rice cakes, plain crackers, boiled rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams,
boiled pasta, dried fruit, oatmeal biscuits, plain wholemeal biscuits,
muffins and carbohydrate drinks.
Must you eat a pre-competition meal?
Many competitors feel nervous on the day of the competition and do
not want to eat. However, it is not a good idea to avoid having a
pre-competition meal. Your liver glycogen stores will be low and could
adversely affect your performance in the last stages if you are
competing in an endurance event (or in one that lasts over 1.5 hours).
The liver can only store enough glycogen to last 12 hours, so if you eat
nothing after the previous day's evening meal your liver glycogen
stores will be considerably depleted. If you really do not feel like eating,
try to have a liquid meal such as a carbohydrate drink, some fruit juice
or commercial sports drink.
Should you eat just before the competition?
Studies have shown that eating a small amount (about 50 gms) of
fast-absorbing carbohydrate just before exercise helps to delay fatigue
and improve endurance. Carbohydrates with a high glycaemic index
are absorbed relatively quickly into the bloodstream and cause a fairly
rapid rise in blood-sugar levels. If you start exercising within about five
minutes, an increase in insulin will be prevented and your blood-sugar
levels will remain slightly raised for longer. Some people are more
sensitive to blood-sugar fluctuations than others, so you may find that
this last-minute snack does not suit you at all.
Should you eat or drink during a competition?
If you are competing for more than an hour, you may find that taking
extra carbohydrate during the event helps to delay fatigue and maintain
exercise intensity, particularly during the later stages. If you take small
amounts of carbohydrate at regular intervals during the competition,
blood- sugar levels will be boosted and glycogen stores will not be
depleted so rapidly. If you are competing in a tournament or match
which involves intermittent, high- and low-intensity activity, and which
lasts for over an hour, try to have some form of carbohydrate during the
breaks.
Make sure you are well hydrated before the competition having your
last drink about 15 to 20 minutes before the start. Drink at regular
intervals (150 to 300ml), ideally every 15 minutes or whenever you
have a break during competition. Do not wait until you feel thirsty, you
will already be dehydrated. Water is fine or you may prefer to use a
commercial carbohydrate drink (Sports Drinks) as this will also refuel
your glycogen stores.
What should you eat after competition?
Following training & competition an athlete's glycogen stores are
depleted. In order to replenish them the athlete needs to consider the
speed at which carbohydrate is converted into blood glucose and
transported to the muscles. The rapid replenishment of glycogen stores
is important for the track athlete who has a number of races in a
meeting. The rise in blood glucose levels is indicated by a foods
Glycaemic Index (GI) and the faster and higher the blood glucose rises
the higher the GI.
Studies have shown that consuming high GI carbohydrates,
approximately 2g/kg of body weight, and 40g of protein within 2 hours
after exercise speeds up the replenishment of glycogen stores and
therefore speeds up recovery time. It appears that the muscles are
more receptive to and retaining carbohydrate during the two hours after
exercise.
