Meals for Training
You are the ultimate judge of what food is best for your child. These are just suggestions.
WATER is their best friend. Your student/athlete should be drinking water or low acidic fruit juices consistently throughout the day. The coaches usually have extra water available but everyone should bring their own. We recommend they have at least two small bottles - one for practice and another to sip from throughout the day.
The kids are not supposed to have sports drinks anywhere near the track or artificial turf. It can stain those surfaces. Plain water is best.
Each athlete is different; some runners can eat foods that others couldn’t image eating. I’ve known runners who could eat fairly large meals up to an hour before exercising. Use discretion and find a routine that works for an athletes’ individual preference.
Many athletes discover an intolerance for certain foods prior to workouts. A couple of the foods that a runner is most likely to struggle with are dairy products and acidic fruit juices if ingested too soon before training or competition.
Breakfast is typically the first opportunity to provide any of the nutrients that the runner may need or crave. It is strongly advised that the athlete in training eat a substantial, nutritious breakfast, especially on those days where the lunch needs to be light. Since breakfast is served about nine hours prior to the workout, it’s not as important that the runner avoid specific foods. Unfortunately, this doesn’t apply on race day.
We know mornings are crazy hectic. Consider toaster waffles and/or peanut butter/Nutella on wheat toast with juice. It is better than the kids starting their day on an empty stomach.
Nutrition - it would be great if the kids could bring a granola bar or peanut butter sandwich to munch on during this short 15 minute break.
Lunch should be light and eaten early enough in the day to allow items to be partially digested. Attempt to eat foods made up primarily of carbohydrates (pastas, sandwiches, rice). Some meats are more difficult to digest than others. Avoid dairy products. Red meats are the most difficult to digest; therefore the athlete should avoid large portions of beef or other red meats. If meat is to be consumed at lunch, fowl is preferred. Moderate portions of chicken or turkey can be digested easier than heavier meats and are less likely to cause distress. Avoid spicy dishes and vegetables (onions, peppers, radishes, etc).
Some workouts are also more intense than others and the athlete needs to keep this in mind while selecting his or her lunch fare. On those days where we run interval workouts, the athlete will want to be extra careful not to eat too much and should avoid those meals that are known not to sit well, i.e., most of the food from Taco Bell.
However, athletes who eat a light, early lunch may find themselves getting a little hungry in the early afternoon. A light snack an hour or so before practice shouldn’t interfere with their ability to perform, assuming that the snack consist of appropriate foods. Crackers make a perfect pre-workout snack. Avoid proteins, spicy foods and foods with high sugar content as you approach the workout.
Post Workout - it helps if the runners can have a small snack within 30 minutes of the end of their daily training. It helps to replenish all the nutrients used up during the practice. Oddly enough, low-fat chocolate milk has just the right combination of protein and carbohydrates to fill these needs. Consider serving a small glass with a sandwich or crackers.
Dinner should be a complete meal addressing all of the runners’ nutritional requirements. Since proteins are often avoided in the hours leading up to a workout, dinner time is the perfect time to address this need.
Meals Leading Up to Competition
Preparation for competition is very much like preparing for a workout, just slightly exaggerated. Preparation for a race will begin at least 24 hours ahead of the event. In preparing the pre-race dinner, it’s not so much what you eat, as it is what you shouldn’t eat. When preparing for competition the runner should begin limiting the amount of protein consumed during the day prior the race. A smaller amount of protein assures that the digestive tract will be relatively empty at the time of competition. In lieu of meats, gear meals towards potatoes, pastas, breads and vegetables.
In the 1970s marathoners began a ritual called “carbohydrate loading”. This is a process where, in the days proceeding a race, the runner gorges on pastas, breads and other carbohydrates in an effort to load the body with carbohydrates and saturate the bloodstream with glycogen. Carbohydrate loading has since become an important preparatory routine for marathoners and ultra marathoners. The technique has additionally been adopted by middle and long distance runners, even though athletes running distances shorter than 10 miles are unlikely to benefit from carbohydrate loading. What these runners do benefit from is that fact that they’ve consumed meals that are low in protein. Given this scenario, the blood stream will be loaded with glycogen and an empty digestive tract will limit the likelihood that he or she will suffer from gastrointestinal problems.
Other (day before) dinner foods that runners find to be beneficial include; salads, mild vegetables and fruits (with low acidity).
In preparing the pre-race breakfast, again try to avoid serving large amounts of proteins. But don’t go overboard; stay practical. For instance, a slice or two of bacon or SPAM is not likely to cause any problems. However, carbohydrates are preferred. Lean towards serving toast with peanut butter or Nutella, cereals, pancakes, waffles, etc. Avoid large consumption of milk or highly acidic juices. Drinks like water, tea, grape juice or sports drinks are safer.
If the athlete is competing in a morning event, strive to serve breakfast at least 2 hours prior to the start of the competition and don’t over eat.
Some people have gained the false impression that if the stomach is empty, then the athlete doesn’t have fuels to aid in competition. This is absolutely false. The fuels used in today’s competition were consumed yesterday.
The pre-race lunch should be light and consist of foods that are easily digested and unlikely to cause gastro-intestinal problems. Avoid steaks and other meats, beans, onions, peppers, curry and vegetables that could cause heartburn. Seek out potatoes, breads and pastas. Also avoid milk and acidic juices (like orange and grapefruit). Tea, some juices and sports drinks are preferred.
As competition nears, some athletes feel uncomfortable with an empty stomach. A pre-race snack is not necessary and does little to benefit the athlete, other than making them feel less hungry. But if the athlete feels a pre-race snack is needed, stick to breads, a granola bar, or crackers. These digest easily and are less likely to cause problems.
Be careful to limit consumption of sugar over final two hours prior to the start of the race.
Summary
Timing is everything. Essential for the distance runner is the need to feel comfortable while competing or training. In order to be comfortable, the runner needs to have a reasonably empty stomach. Therefore, work hard to time meals to meet the needs of the athlete, but optimize performance by minimizing what’s in the stomach at the time of a workout and/or meet.
The distance runner has special needs. Distance running takes high energy. Fuels are derived primarily from consumption of carbohydrates. However if carbohydrates are unavailable the body resorts first to burning fats and then to protein.
Distance training also breaks down and re-builds muscle tissue. Protein is essential in this process. Also essential are fluids, vitamins and minerals. Therefore a distance runner needs to consume enough of the right foods to assure that all of these needs are address.
A balanced diet that provides all of the nutritional elements required by the distance runner is paramount. Avoid carbonated beverages and foods high in processed sugars and sweeteners.
A quick shout out for a pasta product called Barilla Plus. It is a bit more expensive but features more protein that typical whole wheat pasta. This protein comes from things like lentils, chickpeas, and flaxseed. Check it out to see if it could work for your child!
Consider giving your child a multi-vitamin as a supplement to help cover their nutritional needs. You might also think about a product like the Emergen-C powder packets. Both of our sons used them during their years of track and cross-country as a relatively inexpensive dietary supplement. It was especially handy for early morning competitions. They just poured it in water and drank it with breakfast.
Please let us know if you have any questions.
You are the ultimate judge of what food is best for your child. These are just suggestions.
WATER is their best friend. Your student/athlete should be drinking water or low acidic fruit juices consistently throughout the day. The coaches usually have extra water available but everyone should bring their own. We recommend they have at least two small bottles - one for practice and another to sip from throughout the day.
The kids are not supposed to have sports drinks anywhere near the track or artificial turf. It can stain those surfaces. Plain water is best.
Each athlete is different; some runners can eat foods that others couldn’t image eating. I’ve known runners who could eat fairly large meals up to an hour before exercising. Use discretion and find a routine that works for an athletes’ individual preference.
Many athletes discover an intolerance for certain foods prior to workouts. A couple of the foods that a runner is most likely to struggle with are dairy products and acidic fruit juices if ingested too soon before training or competition.
Breakfast is typically the first opportunity to provide any of the nutrients that the runner may need or crave. It is strongly advised that the athlete in training eat a substantial, nutritious breakfast, especially on those days where the lunch needs to be light. Since breakfast is served about nine hours prior to the workout, it’s not as important that the runner avoid specific foods. Unfortunately, this doesn’t apply on race day.
We know mornings are crazy hectic. Consider toaster waffles and/or peanut butter/Nutella on wheat toast with juice. It is better than the kids starting their day on an empty stomach.
Nutrition - it would be great if the kids could bring a granola bar or peanut butter sandwich to munch on during this short 15 minute break.
Lunch should be light and eaten early enough in the day to allow items to be partially digested. Attempt to eat foods made up primarily of carbohydrates (pastas, sandwiches, rice). Some meats are more difficult to digest than others. Avoid dairy products. Red meats are the most difficult to digest; therefore the athlete should avoid large portions of beef or other red meats. If meat is to be consumed at lunch, fowl is preferred. Moderate portions of chicken or turkey can be digested easier than heavier meats and are less likely to cause distress. Avoid spicy dishes and vegetables (onions, peppers, radishes, etc).
Some workouts are also more intense than others and the athlete needs to keep this in mind while selecting his or her lunch fare. On those days where we run interval workouts, the athlete will want to be extra careful not to eat too much and should avoid those meals that are known not to sit well, i.e., most of the food from Taco Bell.
However, athletes who eat a light, early lunch may find themselves getting a little hungry in the early afternoon. A light snack an hour or so before practice shouldn’t interfere with their ability to perform, assuming that the snack consist of appropriate foods. Crackers make a perfect pre-workout snack. Avoid proteins, spicy foods and foods with high sugar content as you approach the workout.
Post Workout - it helps if the runners can have a small snack within 30 minutes of the end of their daily training. It helps to replenish all the nutrients used up during the practice. Oddly enough, low-fat chocolate milk has just the right combination of protein and carbohydrates to fill these needs. Consider serving a small glass with a sandwich or crackers.
Dinner should be a complete meal addressing all of the runners’ nutritional requirements. Since proteins are often avoided in the hours leading up to a workout, dinner time is the perfect time to address this need.
Meals Leading Up to Competition
Preparation for competition is very much like preparing for a workout, just slightly exaggerated. Preparation for a race will begin at least 24 hours ahead of the event. In preparing the pre-race dinner, it’s not so much what you eat, as it is what you shouldn’t eat. When preparing for competition the runner should begin limiting the amount of protein consumed during the day prior the race. A smaller amount of protein assures that the digestive tract will be relatively empty at the time of competition. In lieu of meats, gear meals towards potatoes, pastas, breads and vegetables.
In the 1970s marathoners began a ritual called “carbohydrate loading”. This is a process where, in the days proceeding a race, the runner gorges on pastas, breads and other carbohydrates in an effort to load the body with carbohydrates and saturate the bloodstream with glycogen. Carbohydrate loading has since become an important preparatory routine for marathoners and ultra marathoners. The technique has additionally been adopted by middle and long distance runners, even though athletes running distances shorter than 10 miles are unlikely to benefit from carbohydrate loading. What these runners do benefit from is that fact that they’ve consumed meals that are low in protein. Given this scenario, the blood stream will be loaded with glycogen and an empty digestive tract will limit the likelihood that he or she will suffer from gastrointestinal problems.
Other (day before) dinner foods that runners find to be beneficial include; salads, mild vegetables and fruits (with low acidity).
In preparing the pre-race breakfast, again try to avoid serving large amounts of proteins. But don’t go overboard; stay practical. For instance, a slice or two of bacon or SPAM is not likely to cause any problems. However, carbohydrates are preferred. Lean towards serving toast with peanut butter or Nutella, cereals, pancakes, waffles, etc. Avoid large consumption of milk or highly acidic juices. Drinks like water, tea, grape juice or sports drinks are safer.
If the athlete is competing in a morning event, strive to serve breakfast at least 2 hours prior to the start of the competition and don’t over eat.
Some people have gained the false impression that if the stomach is empty, then the athlete doesn’t have fuels to aid in competition. This is absolutely false. The fuels used in today’s competition were consumed yesterday.
The pre-race lunch should be light and consist of foods that are easily digested and unlikely to cause gastro-intestinal problems. Avoid steaks and other meats, beans, onions, peppers, curry and vegetables that could cause heartburn. Seek out potatoes, breads and pastas. Also avoid milk and acidic juices (like orange and grapefruit). Tea, some juices and sports drinks are preferred.
As competition nears, some athletes feel uncomfortable with an empty stomach. A pre-race snack is not necessary and does little to benefit the athlete, other than making them feel less hungry. But if the athlete feels a pre-race snack is needed, stick to breads, a granola bar, or crackers. These digest easily and are less likely to cause problems.
Be careful to limit consumption of sugar over final two hours prior to the start of the race.
Summary
Timing is everything. Essential for the distance runner is the need to feel comfortable while competing or training. In order to be comfortable, the runner needs to have a reasonably empty stomach. Therefore, work hard to time meals to meet the needs of the athlete, but optimize performance by minimizing what’s in the stomach at the time of a workout and/or meet.
The distance runner has special needs. Distance running takes high energy. Fuels are derived primarily from consumption of carbohydrates. However if carbohydrates are unavailable the body resorts first to burning fats and then to protein.
Distance training also breaks down and re-builds muscle tissue. Protein is essential in this process. Also essential are fluids, vitamins and minerals. Therefore a distance runner needs to consume enough of the right foods to assure that all of these needs are address.
A balanced diet that provides all of the nutritional elements required by the distance runner is paramount. Avoid carbonated beverages and foods high in processed sugars and sweeteners.
A quick shout out for a pasta product called Barilla Plus. It is a bit more expensive but features more protein that typical whole wheat pasta. This protein comes from things like lentils, chickpeas, and flaxseed. Check it out to see if it could work for your child!
Consider giving your child a multi-vitamin as a supplement to help cover their nutritional needs. You might also think about a product like the Emergen-C powder packets. Both of our sons used them during their years of track and cross-country as a relatively inexpensive dietary supplement. It was especially handy for early morning competitions. They just poured it in water and drank it with breakfast.
Please let us know if you have any questions.