Monique,
During a stage race I feel like I have my pre-race and race and post race nutrition worked out and feel happy with that part of my fueling, but could you give me some advice on what to eat during the day after my race so that I'm at my best the next day? I would think that I would need to take carbs in and protein but have in the past eaten too much, which would slow my recovery, especially eating too much before bed. Any advice on this topic would be great.
Thanks,
Larry

Hi Larry,
That is great that you are paying such close attention to your pre-race and post-race nutrition strategies when you have several days or a long weekend of racing on the calendar. During several days of consecutive races or a stage race, it is essential that you replenish for the next day’s race. During each race, despite attempts to fuel during the race, you likely will finish that day’s event with some degree of muscle glycogen depletion, electrolyte depletion, and dehydration. As you are aware, your successive days of racing are likely to benefits from proper refueling, rehydrating, and replenishing between events.

Your goal is to consume enough carbohydrate to replenish muscle glycogen stores, consume adequate protein for muscle repair, and add just enough fat for flavor and to round out your energy requirements. Some of the nutritional challenges of stage racing include:

● Having the proper foods available for recovery after racing.
● Timing your nutrition intake for optimal recovery and tolerance.
● Consuming the proper amounts of nutrients.
● Proper meal preparation or smart ordering out at restaurants.

Continue to finish each race with your optimal recovery nutrition mix. Aim for at least one half to three-fourths a gram of carbohydrate per pound of body weight and 15 to 25 g of protein to the recovery mix if possible. While you don’t have the advantages of your own personal soigneur (or perhaps you have arranged for assistance), plan ahead to have the needed nutritional supplements/or foods available. Some choices could include:

Your favorite carbohydrate-protein recovery drink providing the recommended nutrient amounts. For example, if you weight 165 lb. your recovery drink should provide about 90 g of carbohydrate and 15 g protein. You can supplement the carbohydrate in the drink with an energy bar as needed. Many of these products contain sodium which helps with the replenishment process.

A recovery drink mix is convenient if made ahead and kept cool. You can also purchase products that are premixed, and that travel well and stay fresh.

Real food also works, so don’t hesitate to pack non-perishables and purchase other foods near the race location for your recovery nutrition.
● Energy bars, dried fruit
● Peanut butter and jam sandwich and juice
● Carbohydrate gel and banana
● Bagel covered with Jam

While recovery nutrition is essential, what is actually does is jump start the recovery process at an accelerated rate. Initially there is a “rapid phase” of muscle glycogen resynthesis that last 30 to 60 minutes and occurs when your muscle glycogen levels are low, such as after a hard race. All the guidelines to consume adequate carbohydrate within this 60 minute period allow you to take advantage of this accelerated rate of glycogen resynthesis.

Obviously, if you are moderately to severely depleted after a race, you cannot fully replenish muscle glycogen stores in this one hour. Muscle glycogen is then resynthesized at a slower rate for several hours after racing. Practically speaking you are really continuing the glycogen replenishment process until your pre-stage meal the next day. So making sure that you consume adequate amounts is essential. Because of time constraints, and hunger, it can be tempting to consume a large amount of food at both dinner and right before bedtime. Of course you want to wake up the next day of a stage race with a placid stomach and an appropriate level of hunger for your pre-race meal.

For recovery from stage to stage, your carbohydrate requirements can range from 4 to 4.5 g of carbohydrate per pound of body weight. For a 165 lb. cyclist this would range from 650 to 750 g of carbohydrate- a daunting amount actually. Do your best, and realize that you likely will suffer from glycogen depletion over several days time during a stage race, you want to . You can also focus on your fueling during a stage to maintain blood glucose levels and provide fuel for your muscles when glycogen levels run low.

So let’s break it down for a 165 lb. cyclist, with a focus on carbohydrate. Meeting your protein and fat requirements is not difficult. Your recovery nutrition plan for the next day requires, 660 g carbohydrate, 135 g protein, and 70 g fat for 3,800 calories.

Recovery Nutrition
● Within 30 minutes of completing the stage.
● 90 g of carbohydrate, 10-15 g of protein.
● 12 ounces of a recovery drink, and one small energy bar.

Within 2-3 hours after a stage
● 140 g carbohydrate, 40 g protein
● Turkey sandwich (4 ounces protein, 2 slices bread) with 1 cup pretzels, and an 8 ounce serving of juice, 8 ounces of yogurt, 1 medium banana

Dinner: within 6 hours of stage
● 175 g carbohydrate, 60 g protein
● Rice (3 cups cooked), steamed vegetable, 6 ounces lean protein, 2 slices of bread, 8 ounces of sorbet or frozen yogurt, 1 cup of berries

Of course you want to hydrate, and it can be useful to consume fluids that provide some carbohydrate calories as well. If it has been a hot day and you are a visible salty sweater, have some other salty items like the pretzels listed above, or even salt your food lightly.

If dinner is late and you don’t think you would tolerate an evening snack, finish with a dinner filled with carbohydrate. Other concentrated sources of carbohydrate are pasta and potatoes. But make sure that you consume a good pre-race meal. This meal can top off muscle glycogen stores and also refill liver glycogen stores, which help to maintain blood glucose levels early in the race. You can also keep fueling leading up to the start, but do so carefully and know what your tolerances are- so practice in training.

Breakfast/pre-race meal (3 hours before start)
● 180 g carbohydrate, 25 g protein
● Oatmeal, cooked, 1.5 cups
● Soy milk, 12 ounces
● Toast, 2 slices
● Jam, 2 tbsp.
● Berries, 1 cup
● Juice, 8 ounces

Eating for a stage race can be challenging as this meal plan demonstrates. Do your best, and stick with easily digested foods. If you have to rely on restaurant eating, check into restaurants ahead of time and plan out some menu ideas. Ideally, you can bring some food items and have those available for recovery snacks until you sit down for dinner.

Pre-race
● 30 g carbohydrate
● 1 gel packet or 1 energy bar

Time this snack carefully and hydrate in the hours leading to the race, without over hydrating. Of course, having the proper fueling and hydration plan for the stage is also essential.

Have a great race!
Monique