On of the most common questions I get asked about nutrition is “what should I eat on race day for my breakfast?!” Unfortunately it’s often a question posed too late in the game, when really, the basics should be dialled in and sorted – never do anything new on race day that you haven’t done in training!! So, in order to fulfil that prophecy, let’s see if we can start practicing now so breakfast for race day is NAILED.
Breakfast Basics
The right breakfast on race day provides the necessary carbohydrates, proteins, and fluids to maintain blood glucose levels, maximize energy stores, and hydrate the body. It’s not just about eating what’s beneficial but also about avoiding gastrointestinal discomfort during the race.
Aim to eat your breakfast about 2-3 hours before the race. This timing helps ensure that food is digested and beginning to be metabolised, so that’s the first step to making sure your tank is full and you’re at lower risk of GI distress – a most unwelcome condition come race day, when you’re likely to have a slightly more “sensitive” gut with the “fight or flight” vibes flowing through you anyway…
What to Eat
- Carbohydrates: Focus on simple and complex carbohydrates for quick and sustained energy. Examples include oatmeal, bananas, or a slice of whole-grain bread with honey. But observe what works for you. Personally, I can’t function on any fibre or fat on the morning of my race and prefer the UPF alternatives of white sliced bread, marmite or jam as well as carbohydrate drinks.
- Proteins: If you can, include a moderate amount of protein to help with muscle function. Greek yogurt or a small portion of eggs can work well.
- Liquids: Hydrate well, but not excessively. Water or an electrolyte drink is suitable to maintain hydration without causing bloating. You can really start to hone your hydration strategy through something like sweat testing with precision hydration.
You will need to experiment – and probably get it wrong! – to work out exactly what works for you, but most people will need to avoid higher fat or fibre foods as these are the most likely to cause you gut issues when you’re racing.
Practical Tips
- Practice Your Breakfast: Don’t try anything new on race day!! Your nutrition, just like your fitness and your race specific skills, NEEDS TO BE TRAINED. Practice your breakfast strategy during training sessions to see how your body reacts – also note this on race specific efforts – if you’re endurance, try your breakfast out for longer efforts. If you’re doing a shorter distance event, do the same. Your needs will be different and what you can “get away with” is going to be a wider level of tolerance in a shorter even compared to a longer one.
- Mind the Portion Size: Eating too much can cause as much discomfort as eating too little. Find a balance that fills you without weighing you down. Again, practice makes perfect so make use of that reflective part of your training or food diary to keep tabs on what “the right amount” looks like. You need to find a balance between feeling energised and having adequate fuel, but not feeling so full you need a nap and a tummy rub!!
- Consider Your Nervous System: Nerves can really get the better of a lot of us when it comes to eating on race day – me included. One of the best things you can try is liquid calories like smoothies, or really easy digest foods like Readybrek or white bread toast. Again, this is DEFINITELY not something you want to be doing for the first time on race day if you have a nervous tum! Even though you won’t have the same nerves going on, rehearse options that you think might appeal to you when you do have race day collywobbles, on a normal training day. That way, if you’re struggling to find something you can get down, you at least don’t have to worry if the fructose in a smoothie is going to lead to an explosive chamois event…
- Be Mindful of Caffeine: Caffeine is a brilliant legal stimulant physically and cognitively. BUT. Make sure you know how this works for you and how you respond to it BEFORE necking a triple shot americano on race day…again, as someone who struggles with nerves, a sensitive gut AND caffeine sensitivity, trust me when I say the aftermath won’t be pretty if you get this wrong…
So many people get race day wrong, simply because they leave it too late to consider what works for them both in terms of fuelling, nerves and gut response. I get so many messages a few days out from a race from people asking me what they should eat on race day and the answer is always “whatever you have in training at this point!”. People don’t like the answer but the worst thing you can do is suddenly try and do the right thing and get it really wrong. So rehearse. Try new things. Make a note of things that are working and things that aren’t.
And if you want some really honed help on getting this right, you know where to find me...