Pre-Race Nutrition for Endurance Events

If you're preparing for an endurance competition, it's recommended to maximize your glycogen stores, a process commonly known as carb loading. This is especially important for events lasting more than 1.5 to 2 hours. The concept of carb loading is simple: increase carbohydrate intake in the two days leading up to the event, particularly the day before, to ensure your glycogen reserves are fully stocked.

Why Use Carb Loading?

During an intense endurance event, your body primarily uses carbohydrates as its main energy source. These carbohydrates are stored in the body as glycogen, found in both the liver and muscles.

During prolonged exercise, your body relies on these glycogen stores for energy. However, glycogen reserves are limited and can be depleted quickly, leading to fatigue. This is why proper nutrition before an endurance event is essential.

Which Foods to Choose (or Avoid)?

For optimal carb loading, focus on high-carbohydrate foods, such as:
✔️ Rice
✔️ Pasta
✔️ Potatoes
✔️ Bread

The day before the competition, avoid foods that are harder to digest, including:
❌ High-fiber foods
❌ Fatty foods

The Day Before the Competition

The day before your race, your priorities should be:

• Avoiding unnecessary fatigue
• Eating properly
• Staying well-hydrated

Whether you're traveling to the competition site or relaxing at home, keep snacks within reach to maintain energy levels.

1st Recommendation: Bring a Krono Bar energy bar. It's a healthy snack packed with natural carbohydrate sources, which are quickly metabolized into glucose for energy.

2nd Recommendation: Drink a sports drink with carbohydrates and electrolytes, such as Krono Lytes sports mix. This is a great way to stay hydrated while also replenishing glycogen stores for effective carb loading.

Pre-Race Dinner

Most athletes have their go-to pre-race meal. Popular choices include:
🍝 Pasta with tomato sauce
🍚 Rice with a protein source and some grilled vegetables

Key takeaway:

• Prioritize carbohydrates
• Limit fatty and high-fiber foods to avoid digestive discomfort

Additionally, eat early enough to allow proper digestion before race day.

Race Day Nutrition

Breakfast Before the Race

On race morning, eat a good breakfast 3 to 4 hours before the start.

This meal should be:
✔️ Rich in carbohydrates
✔️ Include some protein
✔️ Low in fat

Example pre-race breakfast:
🥣 Oatmeal with a banana, maple syrup, and a little almond butter

⚠️ Important: Never try anything new on race day. Your pre-race breakfast should be the same as what you eat before long training sessions.

Pre-Race Snacks

There may be several hours between breakfast and the race start. Be sure to bring:
✅ An energy bar
✅ Energy gels
✅ A sports drink with electrolytes

First Time Trying Carb Loading?

If you've never used carb loading before, don't try it for the first time just before a competition. Instead, test it before a long training session to see how your body reacts and make any necessary adjustments.

A Winning Nutrition Strategy

Carb loading is a key nutritional strategy for endurance athletes. By maximizing glycogen stores before your race, you can boost performance and extend endurance.

At Krono Nutrition, we care about your health and performance. We know that endurance athletes require high amounts of carbohydrates and proteins, which is why our natural, high-quality products are designed to fuel your energy and support recovery.