Topping Off the Tank For a Better Workout: Endurance Athletes
As a fellow adventure enthusiast and competitive cyclist pre-workout meals are a constant discussion. Endurance athletes are very special people, we like to hurt and think about food while doing it. It seems that every athlete has the own regiment, but everything is geared toward the ultimate goal, ENERGY. It’s simple, you have to have gas in the car to drive and the more gas you have the further you can go.
That being said here are some guidelines to help fellow endurance athletes make better pre-workout meals choices. Keep in mind that the meal should be 1-4 hours before the workout.
Before a workout an athletes meal should consist of fluids and about 70%-80% carbohydrates with the remainder of the diet split between fat and protein. Splitting the remaining 20% equally between protein, fat, is a great place to start. The relationship between glycogen depletion (stored glucose) and time to exhaustion is the strongest in endurance athletes training at 65% to 85% of VO2max. The greater the glycogen content the greater the time to exhaustion. Therefor, assuming that the athletes diet is adequate, this pre-workout meals serves to keep the glycogen stores topped off and provide adequate carbohydrates, which, in conjunction with fat stores are the main fuel source for most athletes.
One to 4 hours before a workout the athlete should consume 1-4 grams of carb per kg body weight (kg = pounds/2.2). If you are eating one hour before a workout eat one gram of carb/kg. If you are eating 2 hours before a workout eat 2 grams of carb/kg. The same patter follows for when you are eating 3 and 4 hours before a workout. This does not mean that a loaf of bread or an entire box of Pop Tarts is OK, see the table below for more accurate ranges.
Daily protein needs are not as important to consider in pre-event meal. A meal of 10%-15% protein at this time is acceptable. For reference, a piece of meet the size of a pingpong ball will have about 6 grams of protein, one cup fat free skim milk provides about 8 grams protein. Consider lean options like chicken and pork to keep fat intake low. See the table below for protein ranges.
Fat should be included, but intake should be low to moderate, again about 10%-15%. Food options should include low fat meals. A high fat meal at this time will slow digestion and could negatively impact performance. See the table below for fat ranges.
As a general rule, drink enough fluids so that urine is clear to hay colored. About 2 hours before the workout consume 16 oz water. It is recommended to drink 8-16 oz sports drink 15 minutes before the event. However, these guidelines are only guidelines. Fluids are very individualized and require trial and error.
The table below displays the ranges for grams of carb, protein, and fat to be included in a pre-event meal for track at different weights. It is important to know that the ranges are designed to accommodate for the amount of time before the event and to a lesser extent the duration and intensity of the event. Remember that the pre-event meal takes place 1-4 hours before the event. For example, if an athletes has two hours until a workout they should consume somewhere in the middle of the ranges. As an athlete you will have to experiment and see what works best for you. If you feel like it is too much food for you then move lower in the ranges. These guidelines are meant to be shaped for your own individual use. Monitor things like perceived energy level before and during an event, weight gain or loss, how well meals sit with you, and satiety level.
Now, while it is difficult sometimes to picture meals as grams of carb, protein, and fat, here are two simple examples to exemplify the ranges using a 150 pound athlete.
Option #1: 1 hour before a workout:
1.5 cups cooked plain, rolled instant oats with 1 tbsp grape jelly (not sugar free), one medium banana, and one cup skim milk. This meal provides almost 500 calories, 95 grams of carb, 18 grams of fat, and 6 grams of protein. If if is too much fiber for you try a cold cereal with less fiber.
Option #2: Same athletes: 2-3 hours before a workout:
Ham sandwich (2 oz ham and two slices bread of your choice), with spinach and mustard, a medium banana, 2 oz pretzels, and 1 cup orange juice. This meal provides 780 calories, 150 grams carb, 27 grams protein, and 13 grams fat.
