design-pre-competition-nutrition

Design Pre-Competition Nutrition

Plan the 24-48 hours of nutrition before competition to maximize glycogen availability, prevent GI problems, and optimize mental and physical readiness.

Why This Is Best Practice

Adopted by: AIS (Australian Institute of Sport), USOC, British Athletics nutrition support programs all provide athletes with individualized pre-competition nutrition plans as standard practice. Major endurance events (marathon, Ironman, Tour de France) distribute nutrition guidance to all participants. Elite team sport programs (EPL, NFL) employ sports dietitians to coordinate pre-match nutrition across the entire squad. Impact: Hawley & Burke (1997) showed that carbohydrate loading 24-48 hours before an endurance event lasting >90 minutes improves performance by 2-3% by maximizing muscle glycogen stores. Conversely, high-fat, high-fiber, or high-lactose meals within 3-4 hours of exercise are the primary dietary cause of exercise-induced GI distress, which affects 30-50% of marathon runners (Peters et al., 2001) and severely impairs performance.

Steps

1. Determine the carbohydrate loading strategy

Select the approach based on event duration:

• <45 min events: carbohydrate loading provides no measurable benefit; normal pre-event nutrition sufficient
• 45-90 min events: 1 day of high carbohydrate intake (7-8 g/kg body mass) on the day before
• >90 min events (marathon, triathlon, soccer): 36-48 hour carbohydrate loading protocol: 8-12 g/kg/day for 1-2 days, with tapered training to maximize storage

During the loading phase: reduce fiber and high-fat foods to avoid GI issues from the large carbohydrate volume.

2. Design the pre-event meal (3-4 hours before)

The pre-event meal is the most critical single nutrition decision on competition day:

• Timing: 3-4 hours before competition (allows gastric emptying)
• Composition:
  • Carbohydrates: 1-4 g/kg body mass (higher for longer events; lower if GI sensitivity is high)
  • Protein: 20-30g for muscle protein synthesis signaling
  • Fat: low (delays gastric emptying, increases GI distress risk)
  • Fiber: low (reduces GI motility risk)
• Familiar foods only: never introduce new foods on competition day

Example meal for a 70kg athlete running a marathon: oatmeal (80g dry) + banana + 2 eggs + 250mL fruit juice + coffee (if habitual).

3. Plan the top-up snack (1-2 hours before)

For events >60 min: a small carbohydrate snack 60-90 min before maintains blood glucose:

• 30-60g carbohydrate (banana, energy bar, rice cakes, white bread + jam)
• Easily digestible, low fat, low fiber
• Small volume (athletes with reactive hypoglycemia should not eat within 30 min of start)

4. Address individual GI tolerance

Common pre-competition GI issues and solutions:

• Lactose intolerance: remove dairy from competition-day meals; test in training
• Gluten sensitivity: use gluten-free carb sources (rice, potato, banana) during competition week
• Stress-induced GI sensitivity: test all competition-day foods extensively in training; replicate timing exactly
• Reactive hypoglycemia: avoid sugary foods 30-45 min pre-start; use moderate GI sources

Rule: never eat anything on competition day that hasn't been practiced in training.

5. Handle unusual start times

Adjust meal timing for early morning events:

• Very early start (6-7am): wake 2-3 hours early; eat pre-event meal; return to light rest if possible
• Late afternoon start: normal breakfast + normal lunch; pre-event snack 1-2 hours before
• Multi-day events: prioritize recovery nutrition post-event (see design-recovery-nutrition-protocol); next-event pre-nutrition begins within the recovery window

6. Confirm the plan is trained not just planned

Every competition-day nutrition strategy must be practiced in training:

• Replicate pre-event meal in the final long workout or tune-up race at least 3-4 times before the competition
• Practice all in-event nutrition (gels, bars, bottles) during equivalent effort training

GI problems discovered in competition are almost always preventable by testing in training.

Common Mistakes

• High-fat meal night before or morning of: Fatty foods delay gastric emptying and increase GI distress risk during exercise.
• Trying new foods on race day: Novelty food = unknown GI response. Never try something new on competition day.
• Eating too close to start time (within 30 min): Insulin spike from a high-GI food can cause reactive hypoglycemia at the start.
• Skipping the pre-event meal because of nerves: Pre-competition appetite suppression is normal; liquid carbohydrate (sports drink, smoothie) is effective when solid food is difficult.

When NOT to Use

• Weight-class sports where pre-competition weight targets conflict — coordinate with a sports dietitian; hydration and fueling strategy must account for the weight cut and rehydration timing.