Sports Nutrition for Races

Sports nutrition for races includes more than what you eat on race day-it’s a full plan covering the weeks and even months before your event. It is the careful planning of food and drink to help your body work its best, whether you’re running a short race or an ultra-marathon. You need to put the right kind and amount of fuel in your body to start well, keep going, and finish strong. If you don’t have a good nutrition plan, you might get tired too soon, run out of energy, or deal with stomach problems. This guide covers the details you need to know to improve how you train, race, and recover.

What is sports nutrition for races?

Sports nutrition for races means using a special diet that meets an athlete’s needs before, during, and after a race. It goes further than general healthy eating, focusing on when and what kinds of nutrients to eat. The goal is to keep your energy up, reduce tiredness, stop muscle damage, and help your body recover. This plan recognizes that the body’s needs change during competition, so eating the right foods at the right times is important.

The focus is not just eating calories, but choosing the right calories when you need them most. Carbohydrates give quick and lasting energy, while protein helps repair muscles. Hydration is just as important because even a small amount of dehydration can hurt your performance. Rayven Nairn, a dietitian at Johns Hopkins University, notes that while nutrition always matters, it becomes extremely important when getting ready for a big event. What you eat and drink before and during a race can make or break your performance.

How does nutrition impact race performance?

Your nutrition affects how well you race because it gives your body the energy it needs to keep going and to recover. Athletes use up energy much faster than people who aren’t competing. If you burn more calories than you eat, it can cause energy shortages called REDs, leading to poor performance and health problems like tiredness and a greater chance of stress fractures.

Good nutrition also supports recovery. Hard exercise causes small tears in muscles. Protein helps those muscles rebuild and become stronger. Drinks help keep you hydrated and control your body temperature-especially important for people who sweat a lot or wear heavy gear during their race. So, a good nutrition plan helps you avoid running out of energy, but also supports all the body’s processes for the best possible performance.

What are the goals of sports nutrition during a race?

• Keep energy levels up
• Avoid dehydration and keep electrolytes balanced
• Avoid stomach problems
• Delay tiredness

Your body uses up its main fuel, called glycogen, quickly during a race. Eating carbohydrates as you go is important, especially in long races, to stop from running out. Staying hydrated and keeping electrolytes steady is just as important, so you don’t get muscle cramps or get dizzy. Foods should be easy to digest so you don’t get stomach troubles while racing. If you eat and drink well, you’ll have steady fuel and can focus on doing your best.

Key nutrients for race performance

To do your best in a race, you need to know which nutrients matter most and how they help. Each major nutrient plays a special role in getting you ready and helping you recover.

Carbohydrates: Why are they key for racing?

• The main and fastest energy source for your muscles
• Stored as glycogen in muscles and the liver

Your body can carry enough glycogen for about two hours of exercise. If you don’t have enough, you’ll suddenly lose energy or “hit the wall.” For races longer than 90 minutes, you need to keep eating carbs during the event-this is why gels and sports drinks are common. Simple, low-fiber carbs are better right around and during race day to avoid upset stomach. Carb-loading before long races helps fill your glycogen stores.

Protein: Important for muscle recovery and performance

• Repairs muscle damage
• Helps muscles rebuild after exercise

While carbs are the main fuel, protein fixes the muscles after hard training or competition. Most of the time, you don’t use protein for energy during a race, but having enough helps you recover faster. After the race, eating protein with carbs helps muscles heal and get ready for more training.

Fats: Long-lasting energy for endurance

• Gives more than twice the calories per gram compared to carbs or protein
• Used for energy in longer, lower-intensity efforts

Your body turns to fat for energy once carbs run low in long races. But fat digests slowly, so avoid eating a lot of fat just before or during the race. Eating healthy fats during training helps your body use fat for energy better.

Vitamins and minerals: Avoiding shortages

• Support metabolism, energy production, muscle function, and bone health
• Prevent tiredness, poor performance, and even illness

Vitamins like B help your body make energy, and minerals like iron help carry oxygen to muscles. A diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein provides most needs. Deficiencies can lead to problems like low energy and higher risk of getting hurt or sick.

Electrolytes: Preventing cramps and dehydration

• Include sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium
• Lost in sweat, especially in hot conditions

Electrolytes keep your muscles and nerves working properly. During exercise, you lose these minerals by sweating, so it’s important to replace them using sports drinks, salt tablets, or even salty snacks.

Water: How much do you need before and during a race?

Come to the race hydrated. Drink enough leading up to the race so your urine is a light color. During the race, drinking too little or too much (especially water without electrolytes) both can cause problems.

Caffeine: Can it help race performance?

Caffeine can help you feel less tired and push harder. Many gels and chews include caffeine. Most people benefit from 100-300 mg before a race. Still, caffeine doesn’t help everyone, and it can cause problems like a racing heart or anxiety, so practice your caffeine use during training. If you normally drink caffeine, cutting it out for a week or so before a race may make it more effective, but be careful of withdrawal headaches.

What to eat or avoid before and during a race

Best foods for steady energy and easy digestion

• Days before: Whole-grain breads, pasta, rice, potatoes, oatmeal (complex carbs)
• Pre-race and during: Bananas, pretzels, white rice, plain bagels, applesauce (simple carbs, low fiber)
• Race snacks: Easy-to-digest bars, sport beans, or the foods you’ve practiced with.

Supplements commonly used in races

• Sports drinks (carbohydrates and electrolytes)
• Energy gels and chews (carbs, sometimes caffeine/electrolytes)
• Electrolyte tablets/capsules
• Recovery drinks (carbohydrates + protein after the race)

Always test these during training before using them in a race.

Foods to avoid before and during a race

• High-fat foods (nuts, fried foods, fatty meat)
• High-fiber foods (beans, berries, broccoli)
• Dairy if you are sensitive to lactose
• Too much caffeine if you aren’t used to it

These foods can cause stomach problems or make you feel too full to eat enough carbs. Stick to foods your body handles well.

Timing your nutrition for races

When you eat is just as important as what you eat. The plan starts weeks out and goes right up to the race finish.

Weeks before the race: Start your nutrition plans

• Eat balanced meals: ~60% carbs, 20% protein, 20% fat
• Use training to practice what and when you’ll eat for races
• Try different foods and supplements during long training sessions

24-48 hours before: Carb loading and hydration

• Increase carbs to 10-12 grams per kilogram body weight per day for long races
• Lower fat and protein a bit
• Drink enough fluids to keep urine light yellow
• Pick familiar, low-fiber carbs like pasta, rice, bananas
• Eat your biggest meal earlier in the day before the race, not at night

Race morning: Pre-race meals and snacks

• Eat a carb-rich meal 3-4 hours before the race (oatmeal, bagel, fruit, or turkey sandwich)
• If you can’t eat a big meal, try a smoothie or small snack close to start time
• Closer to the event, focus on small, easy-to-digest carbs and drinking water
• Adjust timing if you have a weigh-in; in that case, eat closer to race and stick to simple carbs and fluids

During the race: Fuel up regularly

• For events over 60-90 minutes, have a carb/electrolyte drink or sports gels/chews every 30-60 minutes
• Try to get 30-60 grams of carbs per hour, up to 90 grams for very long races if tolerated
• Drink water or electrolyte drinks as needed to match your sweat rate

Making your nutrition plan fit your race and sport

Your nutrition should change depending on the weather, how long the race is, and what sport you’re doing.

Hot or humid weather: More fluids and electrolytes

• You sweat more, losing both water and minerals
• Drink more often and replace electrolytes (use drinks/tablets/salt if needed)
• Consider weighing yourself before and after training to check fluid loss

Short vs. long races: What changes?

• Short races (under 90 minutes): Just start well-fed and hydrated; you usually don’t need more fuel during the race.
• Long races (over 90 minutes): Plan to eat carbs and drink fluids regularly while racing to avoid running out of energy.

Notes for running, cycling, triathlon, and more

• Running: Use easy-to-carry food like gels or chews. Stomach problems are more common, so test foods in training.
• Cycling: You can bring more food and drink (bars, sandwiches, bigger bottles), since it’s easier to carry on a bike.
• Triathlon: Need to use foods and drinks that work in all sections (swim, bike, run), and that don’t bother your stomach.

Practice with the foods and drinks you’ll use, and learn the course and aid station locations if you can.

How to test and customize your sports nutrition plan

Why you should practice your race nutrition

• Training your stomach is just as important as training your legs
• Use your planned foods and drinks during practice sessions
• Learn what works and what causes problems before race day

Common mistakes and ways to avoid them

• Trying new foods/supplements on race day-stick to what you’ve tested
• Overloading on carbs or fiber right before a race-choose low-fiber options
• Not eating or drinking enough during the race-keep a schedule
• Drinking too much plain water-add electrolytes, especially in heat
• Skipping recovery food-have carbs and protein soon after finishing

How to adjust your plan from training feedback

• Track what you eat and how you feel after workouts
• Change foods or amounts if you get cramps, feel bloated, or lack energy
• If something works, write it down to repeat before your race
• Check your body weight before and after training to figure out sweat loss and adjust fluid needs

What to eat and drink for post-race recovery

Recovery starts right after you cross the finish line. A combination of carbs and protein helps refill energy stores and rebuild muscles. Fluids and electrolytes also help you replace what you lost in sweat.

• Carbohydrates: Rebuild glycogen (try a banana, sports drink, or a granola bar)
• Protein: Repair muscles (turkey sandwich, chocolate milk, or a protein shake)
• Fluids/electrolytes: Rehydrate (sports drink is a good option)

Eat and drink as soon as possible-ideally within 30-60 minutes. Aim for 3-4 times more carbs than protein in your snack. Keep hydrating in the hours after you finish.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need special fueling for every workout?

No, short and light workouts (under 60 minutes) don’t need extra fuel. For longer or tougher sessions, use your race day foods to help your stomach adjust and to practice your plan.

What are signs of dehydration or poor nutrition in a race?

• Dry mouth
• Dark urine
• Dizziness or headache
• Muscle cramps
• Sudden tiredness or energy drop (bonking/hitting the wall)
• Nausea or stomach problems

If any of these happen, adjust your intake right away-drink, eat simple carbs, and avoid foods that bother you.

Can nutrition help prevent injuries?

Yes. Getting enough calories, especially carbs, helps you avoid energy shortfalls that lead to tiredness and stress injuries. Protein helps muscles and tissues repair. Vitamins and minerals (like calcium and vitamin D) support bone and immune health. Staying hydrated also keeps joints flexible and your body working well.