Pre-Race Nutrition Tips for Competitive Cyclers

Video Transcript

"Okay we are at the race. We are on our bike trainer and getting warmed up. The first thing I want to talk about is your nutrition during the race, prior to the race and later we will talk about after the race. Now you've already had a good breakfast a couple of hours ago. At least 2 or 3, it has given your body time to digest and you are on the bike trainer and warming up and the one thing you really want to do is make sure you're drinking. Now I myself have always used Accelerate. It's the only sports drink with the 4 to 1 carbs ratio and the protein helps your body to assimilate the carbs which is very important. There are other sports drinks on the market that you can look into and see what suits you best. This is my favorite. I will typically drink half of a bottle before a race. Just make sure that once I am warming up on this trainer, I am going to start sweating. I want to keep hydrated. I cannot stress that enough. You have to get used to your own body. You might need more than me, you might need a little less. Some people experience stomachaches if they drink too much but you definitely want to have some fluids going into you while you are warming up. The only other thing you can do shortly before your race, if it is a short race, you can take what's is called the sports gel, it's an accelerated gel or half hour before your race, a sports bar or banana, fig newtons; something to keep some energy in there. I personally prefer the gels but everybody's body is different and I think that it is important for you to find what works. But the key is watch your nutrition. If you have a longer race, you are going to need more calories and you'll need to eat during the race and we will talk about that later. But prior to the race, make sure you get your fluids in. If you need to half-hour before, have a gel or a bar. "