Nutrition Bites - Eat Pasta, run fasta?

Eat pasta, run fasta?

Actually, yes!

You know the feeling of cruising along, mile after mile...until your just can't anymore. You've hit the wall. One reason for this is that your energy stores are low and your body now has to convert fat and protein to fuel (which takes more energy, oxygen and time), forcing you to slow down.

Did you know that you can prevent/delay fatigue by eating during the race (which we talked about 2 weeks ago) and by carbohydrate loading? Carbohydrate loading allows you maximize the amount of energy as glycogen (stored carbohydrate) in your liver and muscles, so that your muscles have steady supply of energy through your race. The good news is, you can store quite a bit. Here's a few pointers on how to fill up those stores:

1. Start increasing intake 48-72 hours in advance...having heaping plates of pasta the night before isn't enough time to fill up your glycogen stores (and will likely leave you feeling groggy and uncomfortable).

2. Aim to have a few servings of carbohydrates at each meal and snack you eat.

3. Stick to low volume for more gastric comfort. Adding honey and raisins to oatmeal instead of doubling your oatmeal serving will be much more forgiving.