Eat to Win!

A Balanced Diet

Most of us know that a balanced diet is a healthy one - and the more variety we eat, the better, really. We also know that we should eat more fruit & veg and less chocolate and chips. One of the easiest ways to ensure this is to follow the "Eating Pyramid".
On the bottom layer are the foods we should eat the most of - carbohydrates - pasta, bread, potatoes, rice and cereals. These are the ones that give us energy, and should be the main part of every meal.
Next come fruit and vegetables - 5 portions a day - not as difficult as it sounds if you drink fruit juice instead of Coke and snack on apples and bananas when you come in from school.
Everyone needs some protein every day for building bone and muscle - meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, milk and cheese. Not too much though, and keep the proportion of saturated fats (in red meat and dairy products) to a minimun.
Finally, cut right down on fats, oils and sugars.

For athletes, though, it's a bit more important.

Training Diet

It's especially important when you are regularly exercising that the foods at the base of the pyramid (carbohydrates) make up 50-60% of you daily diet as those are the foods that you will need to obtain full benefit from your training.

Try to allow at least 2 hours between your last meal and your training session. If possible, have something to eat within 45 minutes of finishing a training session. This should ensure that your muscles are 'restocked' with fuel again in time for your next session.

The week before a race

During this time you should be tapering down your training sessions. At this point it may also be beneficial to increase the amount of 'energy providing foods' (those carbohydrates at the base of the pyramid) in your daily diet. This will ensure your muscles are fully 'topped up" with fuel for the big day! You should aim for these foods to be 60-70% of your daily diet. Take care not to eat a larger total amount of food than usual but alter what you are eating so that you consume more of these 'energy' foods and less of the other food groups.

Race Day

Eat a light breakfast e.g. fruit, cereal and toast at least a couple of hours before you are due to start. If you are likely to be nervous or anxious, it's better to allow more time between breakfast and the start.

It's extremely important to ensure that your body is fully hydrated for the whole of the race. Drink plenty of water with your breakfast and then sip a small quantity of water 1hour - 1/2 hour prior to the race. Junior races aren't very long, but it's still a good habit to look out for drink stations and take the cup of water they're offering, if only so you know how to do it if you really need to one day! Don't worry about spilling it, and throw the cup away as soon as you can - there will be a 'picker-up' to rescue it - this is the one time in your life you're allowed to drop litter! It's also a good idea to sip water during training so you're used to running with fluid in your stomach.

  • Say NO to food during the hour before you race
  • Sorry - SWEETS are definitely OUT during the competition
  • After the race, think CARBOHYDRATE SNACKS. Have a Tracker bar, a small packet of cereal, a sandwich or a banana
  • NEVER go mad with new changes of diet in the run up to a major competition. Introduce changes GRADUALLY
  • If you use a carbohydrate drink like Maxim or High Five, read the diluting instructions carefully. NEVER add more scoops than they say.
  • NEVER try out a new drink or food at a competition

    • If you don't believe me, ask Hatty what happened when she ate fish & chips on the way to a swimming gala ...

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