food before run?

B

bobwesthead

0
newbee!

I have entered a 10k run, and lets just say im not a runner! lol

It starts at 11am, just wondering what i should eat and at what time for optimum energy levels for this run etc?

should i take any of these energy gels, drinks etc?
 
is this run coming up soon? You shouldn't take/eat anything you haven't experimented with beforehand.
 
Have some pasta the night before the race. Then, have a light breakfast that includes more carbs. I'd say a banana (pefect because of the slow energy release) and a half of a bagel would be good. Try to eat those around 9am or so. You should be good.

And like skibikeswin said, don't experiment with anything. I'd stay away from engergy drinks and gels too. Your hearts going to be pumping hard enough- no need for the extra stress.
 
muggs said:
Have some pasta the night before the race. Then, have a light breakfast that includes more carbs. I'd say a banana (pefect because of the slow energy release) and a half of a bagel would be good. Try to eat those around 9am or so. You should be good.

And like skibikeswin said, don't experiment with anything. I'd stay away from engergy drinks and gels too. Your hearts going to be pumping hard enough- no need for the extra stress.
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Bananas are not complex carbs, don't know where you learned that they are slow released.
 
bobwesthead said:
newbee!

I have entered a 10k run, and lets just say im not a runner! lol

It starts at 11am, just wondering what i should eat and at what time for optimum energy levels for this run etc?

should i take any of these energy gels, drinks etc?
Click to expand...

I'm not a runner either, but have some 10k runs under my belt. So, for what it's worth......

Breakfast on race day, I usually have a meal high on carbs, moderate on protein and lower in fat. Something like whole grain / fiber cereal or oatmeal with skim milk, bran bread, juice, an apple, and / or some yogurt. Having a good well balanced breakfast simply ensures your blood sugar doesn’t drop ( or spike ) too much. If you skip breakfast, you’ll be going into the race on low blood sugar and you’re going to probably feel tired sooner than you should in the run.

So, if it is a morning start of 11:00 a.m. you’d want to be finishing a good breakfast about 8:00 a.m. or so IMO – the reason is because you want to give your breakfast ( if it is a larger one ) adequate time to digest before the race. Running while having to digest food at the same time is not fun.:)

About an hour before the race I usually have nothing but water - but that's just me. And, I avoid Gatorade or any pop or candy bars or anything else for a “sugar fix “ before a run. These are easily digestible but they may cause an ' eventual ' drop in your blood sugar as you run …which will may make you feel more tired, light-headed and just a feeling of “worn out “ ( fatigue ) than you should ........ ( That's just based on my experience from my days of playing / coaching hockey ) However, I have seen some articles that claim that a very light snack an hour before you will still be OK - particularly if ( as has already been mentioned ) it is a food your stomach is familiar with.

So long as you allow time to build up your glycogen stores 7-10 days before the race by having lots of carbs, you should be O.K. and have no need for energy gels, drinks during the race ...just take advantage of the water offered along the route and you should bed fine.

Also, if you can swing it, make sure you can squeeze in a proper warm-up - not always easy to do - as close to the start of the race as possible.
 
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Phate89 said:
Bananas are not complex carbs, don't know where you learned that they are slow released.
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Not sure where the poster made specific reference to ' complex ', but I think the rate of ' release ' depends in large part on how ripe the banana is.

Moderately ripe bananas have a moderate GI score, whereas under ripe bananas would likely have a low GI score.
 
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As the others mentioned, eating 2 hours beforehand is preferable to me. Contrary to others, I like a cup of coffee beforehand, but that's just me.

As for the bananas, while I wouldn't necessarily eat them for the carbs, the potassium in bananas will help stave off cramps especially for an inexperienced runner.
 
Hopefully someone else can comment on this---isn't honey supposed to be a good thing to work into a pre-event meal?
 
Wrangells right - Bananas are simple carbs which are generally low gi therefore slow release, depending on ripeness.

Subdude - I think that logic is derived from the fact that fructose only raises glucoce levels minimially hence lower insulin - which is what you dont want prior to an event. However i wouldnt really follow this but rather fuel up on plenty of carbs before the event, even a couple days before it. And during the race consume fast releasing carbs, insulin isnt a problem during exercise because insulin is inhibited, the glucose can enter cells for mechnical energy passively.

So basically this last paragraph answers the original question.
 
subdude said:
Hopefully someone else can comment on this---isn't honey supposed to be a good thing to work into a pre-event meal?
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Well, honey is simply another source of carbs.

So, if you included ' some ' honey as part of a well balanced breakfast on race day, it'd be fine IMO.
 
matt182 said:
And during the race consume fast releasing carbs, insulin isnt a problem during exercise because insulin is inhibited, the glucose can enter cells for mechnical energy passively.
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In other words, your muscles get the glucose directly from the blood before your insulin gets a chance to process it into glycogen?
 
subdude said:
In other words, your muscles get the glucose directly from the blood before your insulin gets a chance to process it into glycogen?
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I realize everyone is different, but at least based on myself and my buddies who have run 10k's, if you're in half ways decent shape you should be able to easily finish a 10k within 60 minutes - especially if you're in your early 30's as you are.:)

For that reason, given it's only 60 minutes or less, none of us have ever ' felt ' we had to re-fuel with things like " energy gels, drinks " during the actual race itself.
 
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Phate89 said:
Bananas are not complex carbs, don't know where you learned that they are slow released.
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They're loaded with both sugars and starches, so you get a mix of fast and slow energy from them. Plus, you get the potassium benefit as was mentioned. Great to eat before any form of endurance event. They're also very light on my stomach, so I prefer them to say, oatmeal which isn't IMO.

I get the need to get technical, but this site takes it to the extreme.

I go by the K.I.S.S. mantra. With proper rest and carb loading the night before (maybe even two nights before if you're running a marathon) your muscles will have plenty of glycogen stores. If you add some more, light carbs the morning of the race, and eat them early enough that they digest and allow you time to go to the bathroom- you're good.
 
No not really, its more like insulin isnt secreted. The glucose doesnt need it because it can freely move into cells without it. And it wouldnt be stored as glycogen, it would be used for energy.

No ones suggesting you cant finish a 10km race wrangell without having some extra energy. Depending on yoru diet beforehand and your intensity, that extra energy can prove to be beneficial.
 
Sacriligious my friends.

Bananas are simple carbs.

QA: Which famous bodybuilder would eat nothing but a banana as PWO

Answer: The Oak, Arnie, the man.

Oh and I think milk was in there somewhere too.
 
matt182 said:
No not really, its more like insulin isnt secreted. The glucose doesnt need it because it can freely move into cells without it. And it wouldnt be stored as glycogen, it would be used for energy.

No ones suggesting you cant finish a 10km race wrangell without having some extra energy. Depending on yoru diet beforehand and your intensity, that extra energy can prove to be beneficial.
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I never suggested having some energy intake during a 10k race is necessarily a bad idea...simply that it may not be needed. I didn't want the OP to think he ' needed ' to fuel during a race. Most people I know who do 10ks in fact - don't. My buddies who do triathlons however, do.

For example, I've been doing rather robust 1 hour training runs ( about same time it takes to do a 10k ) on the treadmill for years without ever fueling during the run itself.
 
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