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Blog

Top Tips for Carb Loading and a Settled Stomach on Race Day

- By Alister Gardner, 5-6 min read Your training is done and now it is time to prepare for the big day. Here are our top tips to help you get to the start line properly fuelled and your tummy feeling settled. Top up the carbs Carb loading (also known as glycogen loading) is just like topping up the gas in your car ready for a long drive, it is the process of topping-up glycogen reserves in your body which will be used to power your muscles for the greater pasrt of your race. If done properly, as much as 2000 calories of energy can be stored as glycogen in your muscles, liver and blood. Previously, people would go through 3 phases of carb-loading in the week leading up to the marathon: 1st phase, day T-7 to T-5: depletion of muscle glycogen 2nd phase, T-4 to T-2: increased carbohydrate intake and hydration 3rd phase, T-2 to T-0: maintain glycogen levels and ensure digestive comfort Simpler, 2 phase approach Nowadays, people tend to skip the first phase. The problem was that by drastically cutting carbohydrates for 2-3 days people would find themselves becoming irritable, tired and unfocused while the body tried to adjust to a lack of energy from carbohydrates. The depletion phase seemed to provide a slightly higher glycogen reserve by race day compared to not doing it, however the benefit was marginal and did not outweigh the negatives. So folks now tend to skip straight to phase 2: From 4 to 2 days before the race, we want carbohydrates to make up 60-70% of our diet. Meals rich in pasta, potatoes and rice for example, are a great way to get those extra carbs in. Extra-large portions are not necessary as they can cause digestive system trouble. But an extra slice of bread or spoonful or pasta can be welcome and easily included without much digestive disruption. Reduce the risk of stomach issues on race day! During the last 2 days before the race, we want to focus on reducing the risk of digestive issues the morning of the race (especially during the race!). To think about this only on the morning of the race is too late! We want to maintain the high carbohydrate intake but not overfeed. Too much food is hard work for the digestive system. Light foods with low fibre are best (for example, plain pasta with a light sauce the night before and oatmeal for breakfast). Watch out for these foods Certain foods can be irritants to some people’s digestive systems. If you have stomach issues (especially when you run) it would be worth avoiding or at least minimising the following for the next 2 days: Peppers, onions, cabbage, tomatoes with their skin, cucumbers, salsify (a root vegetable), whole grain cereals. Fruits and vegetables with thick skins and seeds, as well as unripened fruit and veg. Milk products, greasy cooked foods and spicy foods Alcohol, too much sugar and caffeine. Too many raw veggies Remember these foods are best avoided only for these 2 days. Fruit and veg are an important part of our diet! Stay hydrated We want to be sure to stay hydrated too. Aim to add an extra glass of water with your lunch and dinner, or keep a bottle with you during the day and takes sips regularly. But avoid highly concentrated, sweet drinks. Again, the night before the race, don’t over eat or drink. It may effect digestion in the night and you don’t want to carry all a large excess with you during the race the next day. Hopefully, with these tips in mind, the only place you will be dashing to is the finish line And most important of all - Have fun out there! Learn how to race smarter and how fuelling really works for you Our product recommendation for hydration? Check out XACT ELECTROLYTES sport hydration tabs If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to our Newsletter Alister is an elite runner and has a diploma in sport nutrition. He is co-owner at Course et Cie, an independent run store in Granby, Québec as well as co-owner of XACT nutrition. You can follow and connect with Alister on Instagram and Facebook

by Alister Gardner on Jul 07 2019

Blog

Full and Half marathon training guide

By Alister Gardner - 5-7 min read 1-3 days before the race: Carb loading time! It is time to build up your glycogen reserves and give your body a rest. Meals should be mostly carbs, like pasta, rice and potatoes, with a variety of veggies, fruits and a little protein to make sur you’re in the best of shape come race day. Brown bread, pasta and rice have lots of extra nutrients compared to white. Aim to stay hydrated but don’t overdo it –add a glass or 2 of water or electrolyte mix to your regular daily routine. If you are serious about your race then NO alcohol. Plus, get a couple of good night’s rest and do some light stretching. Pre-race dinner: Stick with the carb plan! This is the energy source endurance athletes need to perform their best. Often you are away from home so pasta is an easy option to find in restaurants or prepare beforehand. Go easy on the fats, proteins and fibre (yep, white pasta is ok on this occasion if too much fibre doesn’t agree with you). Don’t stress about a poor night’s sleep, you already had two good night’s rest beforehand, right? ☺. Again, NO alcohol. Breakfast: Carbs continued! Don’t over indulge, you’ll be carrying what you eat. Foods like bagels and porridge provide sustenance and bananas are easy to digest. If you drink coffee then go ahead and have your morning cuppa. Caffeine has some great benefits to stimulate the body. Keep it simple and aim to have eaten at least 2 hrs prior to the race to be sure your stomach has settled and the food digested. Pre-race: If it has been over 3 hrs hours since breakfast then you may want a quick snack around 30 minutes before the race to bump up your blood sugar level at the start line. A XACT ENERGY fruit bar is are perfect mobile snacks to keep your energy reserves up and can be eaten easily between check-in and the start line. During the race: Marathon and half marathon Aim to take an energy gel or chew like XACT ENERGY fruit bar every 30-45 minutes from the start of the race. The number of gels you eat depends on how long it will take you to run your race and how hard you push. The harder you push, the more energy you burn and so should take a bar more frequently. This could be between 6-8 chews or gels for a marathon runner depending on your time. Example: 30 mins before race XACT ENERGY blackcurrant with electrolytes +/- caffeine 45 mins XACT ENERGY 1 hr 30 mins XACT ENERGY blackcurrant (added electrolytes with or without caffeine) 2 hrs XACT ENERGY 2 hrs 30 mins XACT ENERGY blackcurrant (added electrolytes with or without caffeine) 3 hrs XACT ENERGY 3 hrs 30 mins XACT ENERGY blackcurrant (added electrolytes with or without caffeine) 4 hrs XACT ENERGY 4 hrs 30 mins XACT ENERGY blackcurrant (added electrolytes with or without caffeine) Pro tips: Sweating is the main cause of electrolyte loss. The more hot and humid it is, the more you should aim to replace lost electrolytes. Your sports drinks and gels are the best source! Help your bars and gels go down with a mouth full of water if you can. You should be aiming for 500-1000ml / hr of fluid intake. This can vary with temperature and sweat rate. Mix up your energy chews. Have fun and take a variety of flavours to keep your taste buds on their toes (XACT ENERGY comes in 6 flavours: strawberry, apricot, orange, maple, blackcurrant and e-beet (extra electrolytes in an apple and beet juice bar). Caffeine is great for stimulating your central nervous system and reducing perceived effort. XACT ENERGY Blackcurrant has 50 mg and will pick you up as you start to feel worn down. Scoffing a whole gel or energy bar in one go while on the run can sometimes be tough on the stomach, taking two or three small bites of a XACT ENERGY fruit bar will do the same job and be easier for your system to manage. After: Congratulations on finishing your race!! It’s time to reward your body so plan to eat a small snack within 30 minutes of finishing to get your energy back and start recovery. Aim for a mix of both carbs and protein. The XACT PROTEIN wafer (official marathon race recovery bar at the finish line) will have you covered. Before you head to the beer tent, try to drink 500-1000ml fluid to help rehydrate. Once you have something to eat and drink, now you’re ready for that celebratory beer! Alister is sport nutrition specialist and an elite runner specialising in long distance trail running, as well as a co-owner of XACT.

by Alister Gardner on Jan 24 2023

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XACT x Ciele - Technical Running Hat

XACT x Ciele - Technical Running Hat

XACT Electrolytes Tabs - NEW

XACT Electrolytes Tabs - NEW

XACT Immediate Recovery (box of 12)

XACT Immediate Recovery (box of 12)

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XACT Endurance Bars

XACT Energy Chews (Minis)

XACT Energy Chews (Minis)

XACT Energy Fruit Gels (Box of 24)

XACT Energy Fruit Gels (Box of 24)

XACT Energy Fruit Gel Bulk

XACT Energy Fruit Gel Bulk

XACT Signature Headband & Neckwarmer

XACT Signature Headband & Neckwarmer

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XACT x Robin des Bas - Socks

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XACT Soft Flask

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XACT Sports Water Bottle

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XACT Signature Race Tee

XACT x Foehn Cortes Polartec® Delta™ T-Shirt - Unisex

XACT x Foehn Cortes Polartec® Delta™ T-Shirt - Unisex