Food

Today, many sportsmen seek dietician’s advice to improve their performance. here are some tips on how to feed while training and during the race.

First of all, one must keep in mind that food is all important. Food brings calories (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids) and vitamins; a balanced diet is essential to keep fit and healthy. Training, the race itself, and recovery after it are the three periods one has to take into account when planning one’s diet. Training is the time to stock up reserves. During the race, it is essential to control the energy burnt out. Recovery time is when one builds back the spent reserves. Each of these three stages requires a different diet. Remember that when you lose 2% of your body weight in water (sweat, urine..) during the race, you lose 20% of your muscular strength. Dehydration leads to accrued tiredness with serious risks of muscular injuries. The longer the race, the more important a proper diet is needed.

Basic tips :

• Drink plenty before, during, and after the race.
• Sugar is not always the best type of nutriment to take during a race.
• Do not have a rich meal near the race and , worse, during the race!
• To fight off the acidity resulting from the loss of water, drink bicarbonate water, milk or vegetable soup.

During the training period and the week before the race :

• Breakfast: milk, bread, butter, jam or honey, eggs or ham, fruit or fruit juice;
• Lunch: fresh salad, meat or poultry or fish, pasta or rice or bread, butter, yogurt or cottage cheese, piece of fruit.
• Snack: bread, cheese, fruit.
• Diner : soup or fresh salad, poultry or fish or eggs or ham, green vegetable, pasta or rice or bread, butter, cottage cheese or sweetened yogurt, fruit.
• Always drink plenty
• Avoid taking stimulants the evening before the race.

During the race :

• If you take a proper meal : fresh salad, egg, pasta or rice or bread, cheese, fresh or dried fruit.
• Drink every 10 or 20mn and eat energy bars or biscuits every 2 or 3 hours.

No formula 1 driver will fill up his tank with the wrong type of fuel ! The same is true for any sportsman who wants to be at the top of his possibilities on D day !