Eating and drinking tips – sprint and standard event

• Posted onjofrancis
• in Nutrition, Website Articles
• onApril 25, 2017
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Okay, so you have signed up for an event and are about to start training.  Do you have to change your diet? For most the answer will be no – a good healthy and varied diet will do the job just great.  If you are not sure see our 7 top tips below:

1. Carbohydrates will keep you going and help you get stronger so make carbs like potatoes, pasta and rice a key part of your diet
2. No need to over do it! Yes you need energy to train but you probably don’t need the extra biscuits just “because you have been to the gym”
3. Eat a wide variety of foods and don’t forget your 5 portions of fruit and veg a day
4. Include two portions of fish a week – salmon and mackerel are great as they contain Omega 3!
5. Some fat is good but switch to unsaturated fats where possible
6. Avoid processed foods where you can – if you have to read the label don’t buy it
7. You don’t have to avoid your favourite tipple but as with most things, moderation is the order of the day

Make breakfast the most important meal of the day

It is really important that you start your event topped up with energy.  Have your normal breakfast a couple of hours before the start time – don’t try anything new now!  If you are used to counting calories then 200-400 calories will give you a good start.

Little and often

Your body has enough energy stored in it to keep you going for around 90 mins of activity like running or cycling or kayaking.  If you think that your challenge will take longer than this then have some snacks available to graze on through your event.

Super snacks

Good snacks for during the day could be:

• a banana
• slice of malt loaf
• large handful of dried apricots
• large handful of raisins
• cereal bar

Depending on how hard you are pushing yourself you may need a snack like this every 30-45 mins.

Keep sipping

Start your event well hydrated and then drink little and often (whenever you are thirsty) through the day.  A sports drink is a good idea as it will also contain carbohydrates for energy!

At the end of the day

You want to be back at your desk feeling great the next day – right?  Eating well after your event will help you to recover quickly no matter how hard you have worked.

A glass of milk as soon as possible after your event will help with muscle recovery and rehydration.  Then within a few hours have a small meal that includes carbohydrate and protein such as a baked potato and cheese, or a chicken sandwich.

It is all well and good knowing what and how much to eat when you are training but sometimes putting it into practice around the working day is a challenge.  Here are some great ideas to help you keep energised and ready to go.

The early birds

If you go out for a run or go to the gym before work should you eat before you go?  Yes if possible!

• A couple of slices of toast and honey or cereal with fresh fruit is great if you have time (at least 45 mins) to digest it
• If you roll out of bed and out of the door then make a fruit and yoghurt smoothie the night before and have it ready in the fridge for the morning

You should also have a recovery snack after your session to keep you energised through the morning at your desk.

Top tip:  A glass of milk is the perfect rehydration and recovery meal – and skimmed milk is just as good as full fat.

The lunchtimers

The lunch time crowd should have a light (100-400 calories) snack 1-2 hours before their lunchtime run or walk or gym session.

Try these snacks:

•  cereal bar
• slice of toast with fruit
• large handful of dried fruit
• instant porridge made with skimmed milk

And after your session you need fluid and food to recover and fuel your brain for that afternoon meeting.  A packed lunch can tick all the boxes.

Top tip:  Get used to cooking more than needed the night before and using the leftovers as your packed lunch – no extra preparation or thought required!

The evening crowd

The evening crowd need to make sure that after a long day in the office they are not too hungry or exhausted to get their trainers on.  And on the flip side when they get home they may be so hungry that they overeat and go to bed on a full stomach.  Here are some good ideas for the evening exercisers:

• always eat breakfast so that you start your day fully fuelled
• make your lunch is your largest meal of the day (but not so big that you fall asleep at your desk!)
• eat a mid afternoon snack around 1-2 hours before your session
• drink plenty of water to remain hydrated through the day

Top tip:  Whatever time of day you train, planning ahead will ensure that you can eat healthily.  Plan your evening meals in advance and have all the ingredients ready to go as soon as you walk through the door after your evening training session.

 Why it is important to stay hydrated during training:

•  In general the human body requires 2-3 litres of fluid per day
• Our body temperature is regulated through our fluid intake
• When training you experience increased fluid loss through sweating
• The more you sweat the more you will need to drink to replace lost fluid

Calculating your fluid intake requirements

A good rule of thumb is that for exercise lasting over an hour an average athlete should drink 150 ml-250 ml every 15 mins

If you want to be more precise:

• weigh yourself before and after an hour of normal training
• 1 kg lost in body weight represents 1000ml lost in sweat
• This is the amount you will need to replace

And of course – drink when you are thirsty

The basics of hydration for optimum training

•  Always start a training session well hydrated by drinking 400 – 600 ml of water or sports drink over the 2 hours before the session.
• Drinking small amounts frequently during your training session to keep hydrated without making causing discomfort in your stomach
• Always drink when you are thirsty.
• After exercise you need to replace the water and salts lost through sweat.

What to drink while training

For a training session at a low to moderate intensity less than one hour water is fine.

Training for longer than an hour or at higher intensities you should include some carbohydrate together with your fluid intake, there are 2 options:

• Isotonic sports drinks, which
  • are a similar concentration to blood and quickly absorbed
  • contain sodium which stimulates sugar and water absorption and replaces sodium lost through sweating
• Hypertonic drinks, which
  • contain greater than 8 mg carbohydrate per 100 ml
  • are less quickly absorbed than isotonic drinks
  • are useful when energy requirements are high and sweat rates are lower as they usually do not contain salt

After exercise you need to replace fluid and salt.  Use a sports drink that contains salt, or drink water if you have access to solid foods containing salt.

•  Focus on energy from carbohydrates
• For training sessions of 1-2 hours per day consume 5-7g carbohydrate per kilogram of your body weight
• Use the table below as a guide

The table below demonstrates how the average athlete training 1-2 hours per day could ensure they intake all the necessary carbs to fuel their training.  Remember this is carbs only – you need to fill out the rest of your menu to achieve a balanced diet.

• During a session of less than 90 mins you will not usually need to eat anything.
• Longer more intense training sessions can be fuelled with:
  • cereal bars
  • small snacks
  • drinks
• For moderate training work to the principle of 60g of carbs per hour.
• You should have your first refuel after 90 minutes and then top up each 30 mins to 1 hour for the remainder of your session (30g per half hour / 60g per hour)
• Practice makes perfect. Experiment with what works best for you.