Hey everybody, This will be the first gust column of many from PPC partner Coach Kelli Jennings of Apex Nutrition LLC. Kelli is also my Sports Nutrition Coach and I can promise you that if you follow through on even half of what Kelli writes for us here at PPC you will feel better, ride and run faster and drop weight. Kelli will be posting here at PPC every other Thursday so stay tuned for more excelent articles from Kelli. With out an further delay here is Kelli’s first article!
Question: What are your carbohydrate recommendations for the night before a big ride or race?
Kelli’s answer:
It‘s important to think about the timeline of digestion in this scenario. It only takes refined carbohydrates ~15-60 minutes to be digested and hit the bloodstream. Then, they‘re stored. If your glycogen stores are not fully replenished, they can be stored there. But, for most athletes who haven‘t just ended a training session, glycogen stores will already be filled to their limit. So, any extra carbs will be stored in the cells as fats – which can be used in long endurance workouts, but do not have any advantage over whole, healthy carbohydrate sources. So, instead of ―quick-energy carbs the night before a race, go for lower-glycemic, whole-food, healthy ones. Their slow digestion and even energy will be more likely to give you usable, efficient fuel the next day.
Many athletes grossly overeat carbohydrates the night before. Sometimes, this is not a problem. Other times, it can leave them feeling “heavy” going into a ride.
I recommend ~30 extra grams of carbs at dinner the night before. Some examples include ½-1 medium baked yam/sweet potato, 2/3 cup cooked wild rice, 1 cup whole grain pasta, 2/3 cup cooked lentils or beans (if you digest them well without a lot of extra gas!), 1 cup whole grain cereal, etc.
I hope this helps and all the best in your next race!
Kelli, RD
Give your body what it needs everyday and during training with the right Foods, Drinks and Supplements. If you would like my help with it, I offer comprehensive plans as Instant Downloads and as Custom Clients starting at just $20. And, as a PPC and FuelRightBlog reader, get a further discount with coupon code: password-frblog username-reader. I’d love to work with you!
Fuel Your Adventure. Nourish Your Body.
Coach Kelli RD