Eating & Drinking On Cross-Country Race Day.

The pre-race meal is a matter of considerable concern for cross-country coaches and runners, especially on away races and meets. Though none of the specific plans are etched in stone, several guidelines are essential.

How much and when?

What you eat and drink before a race can do more harm than good unless you make sure that all the food and drink consumed is completely digested.

The proper formula to follow is to eat one gram of food for every kilogram of body weight, every hour before the race. For example:

2g/kg of bodyweight two hours before race

1g/kg of bodyweight one hour before race

3g/kg of bodyweight three hours before race

Note: Don't eat anything in the hour before the race.

Since some athletes will respond poorly to anything eaten before the race, the next rule of thumb is: Whenever an athlete intends to try eating something before an event, you should have him first try it before a hard workout to see how he responds to it.

Race day is no time to experiment! If eating makes an athlete nervous or ill, he/she should obviously avoid doing it on race day.

As far as fluids are concerned, adequate hydration before a race is important. Two cups of fluid should be taken three hours before the event and an additional two cups an hour before the race.

What should he eaten?

Carbohydrates should make up most of the food intake before the race. Since protein and fats take much longer to digest, they should be avoided. Carbos can be digested quickly and will provide the extra glycogen necessary for energy.

Fruit-juice drinks can be taken in combination for hydration and CHO calorie needs. Fat-free crackers, bananas, and oranges also represent good food choices. If the event is being held in the afternoon, bagels or other kinds of bread can be added to the menu a couple of hours before the event.

The athletes would do well to stay away from high-sugar foods as well as foods very high in the glycemic index. It's wise to avoid excess high blood sugar and foods high in fiber prior to racing.

Even though foods low in the glycemic index may help produce a more gradual rise in blood glucose, they tend to have too much (difficult to digest) fiber for pre-event consumption.

Sample food listing

* One-two hours before a race: fruit juice, half banana, water.

* Two-three hours before race: fruit or vegetable juice, fresh fruit, bread or bagel with jam, English muffins with jam.

* Three or more hours before race: juices, fresh fruit, bread or bagel, pasta with tomato sauce, low-fat yogurt, cereal.

During the race:

* Since most high school and college races take 30 minutes or less to complete, it's not really necessary to consume anything during the race. The proper pre-race meal will provide the amount of energy needed for the race.

* Eating becomes necessary only when the race lasts more than an hour. Coaches should never risk doing more harm than good with their food suggestions.

After the race:

* The sooner you have the athletes take in carbs after the race, the better their recovery (glycogen resynthesis) for the next workout or race.

* Athletes should consume 100g of carbohydrates immediately after the event (within one hour) and then another 100g of carbs two hours later (perhaps at a team meal in a restaurant).

* It's also a good idea to have the athlete consume fruit juices or high-carb sports drinks immediately after the race. That way he will be rehydrating and consuming carbs at the same time.

* Two cups of fluid should be taken for every pound of bodyweight lost in water.

References

* Sucher DeMarco: Pie-Exercise Carbohydrate Meals: Application of the Glycemic Index, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 1999

* Collier Burke: Muscle Glycogen Storage After Prolonged Exercise: Effect of Glycogen Index of Carbohydrate Feedings, Journal of Applied Physiology, 1993

* Averbuch Lebow: Complete Book of Running and Fitness, 1999

* Coyle Horowitz: Metabolic Responses to Pre-Exercise Meals Containing Various Carbohydrates and Fats, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1993

* Steen Berning: Nutrition for Sport and Exercise, 1998