You’ve been training every morning, and race day is finally here! You may feel a few nerves in your tummy depending on how long the race will be, but more than that, you really should put some food in your stomach.
Running tends to burn a lot of energy, meaning it’s a good idea to stock up beforehand. It typically takes around 75 minutes for the body to use up its glycogen stores, but that can happen even faster based on how much intensity you use.
The best thing to put into your system before starting your race is carbohydrates that digest quickly. This allows your body metabolize them into energy much quicker than it would complex carbs.
Some examples include toast, white rice, and potatoes, but another that you may not have thought of is Pop-Tarts.
The sweet snack contains almost 34 grams of carbohydrates and very little fiber, meaning it should give you a quick boost of energy.
If Pop-Tarts aren’t your thing, at least follow the basic principle. Foods which might normally be thought of as the opposite of a healthy diet actually have merit when it comes to pre-running snacks. Cereal with a high sugar content, waffles, Graham Crackers, and gummy worms are all ideal to help you reach the finish line.
