It takes many things coming together well in order to ‘run faster’ and I’m adamant that building a stronger, healthier body is the first step to doing so. However, for those who are healthy, well-trained and looking for that cutting edge, there are a few key ergogenic aids (in this case, nutritional strategies known to enhance athletic performance) that will …
What to Eat on Race Morning
It’s race morning. What should you eat? Oatmeal? Toast? Bagel? Banana? Eggs and bacon? Nothing? A 2014 review of pre-exercise nutrition studies conducted over that past 50 years concluded that eating carb-rich foods prior to endurance exercise appears to enhance performance (more so than protein-rich or fat-rich foods). Eating a high carbohydrate meal in the hours before your race maximizes glycogen stores, both …
Carb-Load Correctly in 3 Easy Steps
If you are participating in an endurance event lasting longer than 90 minutes you stand to benefit from carb-loading and thereby increase your performance by 2-3%¹. The longer the event you’re signed up for, the more important it becomes to ensure your glycogen stores are full (and therefore you are fully carb-loaded). If you’re getting ready to run a half marathon (depending …
Fat-Loading for Race Performance (part 1)
I’ve put off writing about fat-loading for some time now because each time I’ve gone to blog on it, the topic felt too large. Instead of continuing to sidestep it, I’ve decided to write about it in 3 parts: first, why you’d want to fat-load; second, the science behind fat-loading; and finally, how to fat-load. I first learned of “fat-loading” …
Preparing to Race: The Importance of Carb-Loading
Today I began a 3-day carb-loading protocol (also known as carbo loading, or more formally as CHO-loading). I’m doing this because carb-loading has been shown to enhance endurance and the performance of prolonged exercise events (Clinical Sports Nutrition, L. Burke, 2010). And I’m attempting to do it with 100% accuracy because supposedly many runners don’t get it right. Keep in mind that carb-loading is considered …
How to Fuel Your Big Race (Carb-Loading 101)
One of the most common questions I get is how to eat before a big race. Specifically, should I be ‘carb-loading’ the week before a race (and what does that really even mean)? What to eat the night before? The morning of? Does that mean I can eat more cookies? More oat bars?!! Carb-loading is essentially the practice of eating enough …