You should ideally take in carbohydrates 60-90 minutes before exercise. This can be a bit of a balancing act between making sure you have enough energy to complete the event and making sure you don’t eat too much or worse still - the wrong types of food. So what are the wrong kinds of foods to eat before exercise? If you eat foods that are high in fat or protein or foods with a lot of fibre in them a few hours before exercise then you are more likely to cramp up and to get a ‘stitch’ (which is an acute pain in the stomach. ) If you eat a huge meal before exercise you are likely to feel sleepy, sluggish and bloated so keep so keep it small, primarily carbs.
I like fruit before exercise. Image above is what I'd normally juice (Carrots, apple and celery) and then I blend that with a banana on race day. After a race I sometimes eat the same smoothie but I'd also add an avocado for healthy fat and protein.
Fruit has plenty of carbs, is high in fluid content (to promote hydration) and fruit is easy for the body to assimilate. I don’t like using sugary drinks or pouches of sugar gels during exercise. Sugar shocks the body and then there is a low after the initial ‘sugar rush’. Fruit gives you fast burning carbohydrates: apples, bananas (even though they contain fibre), I often mix these fruits together in a smoothie on the morning of an event or a big training session (juiced hard green apples which have a low G.I. rating, juiced celery blended with a banana and/or avocado to thicken it up). My body is used to this so I’m okay with it however if you are used to corn flakes every morning before your training runs then don’t do anything new on race day. Stick with what works for you in training and never try anything new on race day (See entire blog on this.) If you are making a change in your routine for example taking a banana instead of a bowl of cereal then introduce it slowly. Perhaps start with half a bowl of cereal and half a banana to allow your body a chance to adapt to the change.
As I mentioned in anothermini-marathon blog you should drink plenty of water before during and after every exercise session. The longer your training session the more likely you will be to need more carbohydrates during it. If you are doing a very long exercise event or training session then you may also want to get some salts in as you’ll lose plenty through perspiration. This probably isn’t necessary for a 10k run for most but if you sweat a lot then it might be worth considering.
After exercise it is ideal to give the body some protein and to replace carbohydrates in immediately. Fruit again is ideal straight after exercise. Fruit is also very high in water content so it naturally supplies the body with water as well as carbohydrates. Carbs immediately after exercise allow the body to recover quickly and start to restore itself. If you exercise and forget to nourish the body afterwards then your body knows it is running on empty and can go into shock to protect itself as it will feel like it is ‘starving’. Protein is also necessary straight after exercise to repair muscle damage. Protein is vital because the muscle fibres take a hammering during a run and need protein to repair themselves.
Enjoy the event, let me know how you get on and if you have any more tips please send them on so I can re-post them!
Michael T. Rossney
The Energy Coach Consultancy & Training
Email: michael@theenergycoach.ie
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