Top Tips for Race Week Nutrition

Up until your taper week it has been all about the running, but now you need to turn your attention to tapering for the big day. You've already done all the hard work in training, so now it's time to reduce your mileage and maximize your freshness to ensure you're in top shape for the big day.
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​In comes race week nutrition! Coupled with reducing your workload as you taper towards the big day, making some tweaks to how you fuel will help you get the most from the race day.

If this is your first big race, you're probably nervous about the things you should or shouldn't be eating in the days leading up to it. It's important to say that there is no one-size-fits-all in terms of nutrition; the process will be different for everyone, so please make sure you listen to your body and assess how you actually feel. Even if you're a veteran runner, it's always good to read up on the basics of nutrition and sports performance, which is why we wanted to share with you our top tips for race week nutrition.

So, this is where the famous ‘carb-loading’ comes into play. There are lots of myths around carb-loading, but we really don’t need to overcomplicate things.

During the week of your race, it's important to eat well and reduce your mileage to allow your muscles to reload glycogen stores (energy). Along with your taper, an increase in the proportion of carbohydrates in your diet will help your muscles to do this before race day.

Rather than trying to consume all these carbs during your three big meals, which might leave you feeling lethargic, it's best to spread them more evenly across the the day. When carb-loading, the best thing to do is to focus on increasing the proportion of carbs in each meal.

Here are some examples of high-carbohydrate foods:

However, it's also important not to forget about the other food groups - especially protein. This is really important for supporting your taper period and ensuring your muscles are fully recovered before race day!

Alongside thinking about how to fuel optimally and manage your running workload through a taper, you want to think about all other areas of our recovery. So, make sure to sleep well, do plenty of mobility work and hydrate well. It all adds up!

You want to start thinking a bit more about your nutrition three days before race day. At this point, it's worth starting to favour simpler carbohydrates instead of those higher in fibre, such as high volumes of vegetables, whole grains, and cereals.

I think everyone training for a marathon will understand the impact this could have on your bowels, so try to limit fibre a little to prevent this situation on race day!

You’ve just spent the last few days loading up your glycogen stores, so it's only logical to do a final top-up on race day. Try to back off the fats and protein (< 15g) in favour of simple carbohydrates, aiming for 1 - 4g/kg depending on what you've done previously in training. Remember, nothing new on race day!

Ideally, you want to try to eat breakfast 3-4 hours before you cross that start line to allow for optimal digestion and storage. To put it crudely, this will also allow yourself enough time for the bowels to start moving and hopefully visit the toilet before the start. We know it's a bit of a trade-off between extra sleep and a pre-race meal, so make sure you experiment in training to see what works best for you. Don't change things up significantly on the big day!

We would also encourage you to consume an extra snack about 30-40 minutes before you start, such as a banana or an energy gel, but then stick to your own fuelling and hydration strategies.

During your taper, it is important to ensure that you are keeping your body sufficiently hydrated to carry out its daily functions and support your immune system. So don't wait until you're thirsty before you drink water - try to sip continuously throughout the day!

As race day approaches, you should begin to think about electrolytes, too. If you usually don't consume much salt, adding a pinch to your meals or sipping on an electrolyte drink can help to balance your sodium levels - especially if you’re a heavy sweater. Potassium is another key electrolyte, so it's worth including some potassium-rich foods throughout your training.

Foods rich in potassium include:

Finally, try to avoid alcohol and excessive caffeine intake. Although coffee can be beneficial before your race, drinking too much can cause a diuretic effect and compromise your hydration.

Race week nutrition is crucial, and it’s easy to make small mistakes that can have a big impact on your race performance. Here are some of the most common mistakes you should avoid:

Carb-loading is important, but it doesn’t mean stuffing yourself at every meal. Eating too much can leave you feeling heavy and sluggish, so just focus on increasing the proportion of carbs in each meal - even if that means a little less fat and protein.

High-fiber foods like vegetables and whole grains are great for everyday nutrition, but these take longer to digest and may cause issues during a race.

Try to start reducing your fiber intake a few days before the race to avoid any unwanted pit stops during your run!

Race week is not the time to experiment with new foods or supplements. These can often cause unwanted side-effects, so stick to what you know works for you.

It’s easy to overlook hydration, especially if you’re focused on carb-loading. Drink regularly throughout the day, and remember to balance your water intake with electrolytes to prevent dehydration or bloating.

With reduced training, it might be tempting to cut back on calories, but now is not the time; your body still needs fuel for recovery and race day. Ensure you’re eating regular, balanced meals to keep your energy levels up and glycogen stores full.

For context, our Head Coach Ben's pre-race meal is always Weetabix Chocolate Mini’s with milk and a coffee a few hours before. Then he’ll typically have an energy bar and caffeinated drink shortly before setting off.

It's important to mention that your body stores around 3g of water for every gram of glycogen, so during this period, you might find you have 'gained' a little weight. If that's the case, congratulations! You have successfully carb-loaded and are ready for race day - glycogen is your rocket fuel.

You have worked so hard throughout your training and it's finally time for the victory lap. Good luck and enjoy yourself!
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To get more tips on your training and nutrition and build your very own personalized training plan for a new PB, download Runna. Your first week is on us!