Confluence Running · Nutrition education
Rehearse your food as carefully as your pacing. Favor familiar meals, practical portions, and enough time to digest.
Evidence → explanation → your plan
Carbohydrate-rich pre-race eating supports fuel availability. Longer races create a different preparation need from short track events. Rehearse meal size and timing instead of forcing a large unfamiliar meal.
Read the evidence ↗Keep meals regular as training tapers. Prepare travel food and confirm breakfast access. Avoid using race week to test a restrictive diet, new supplement stack, or a much larger fuel intake.
For events longer than about 90 minutes, formal carbohydrate loading is one option. Published guidance describes roughly 10–12 g carbohydrate per kg per day for 36–48 hours while reducing training. This is a large, structured intake, not a reason to force one huge dinner. Practice and use a sports dietitian if you want an individual plan.
Use familiar carbohydrate foods across meals and snacks. Adjust fiber or fat if needed for comfort while keeping enough overall food. A mile or short 5K does not require this loading routine.
A common adult guideline for exercise lasting more than an hour is 1–4 g carbohydrate per kg in the 1–4 hours beforehand. The amount depends on time available and tolerance. Use the smaller end when the window is short. This is not a requirement to eat 4 g per kg one hour before racing.
| Time available | Practical rehearsal |
|---|---|
| Several hours | A familiar carbohydrate-rich meal, with portions and digestion time tested in training. |
| 30–60 minutes | A smaller familiar carbohydrate snack if needed and tolerated. |
| Very early start | Prepare food the night before and test a smaller breakfast or liquid option on early training days. |
| Long delay after breakfast | Pack a snack instead of leaving the gap unplanned. |
Race-week loading is a specific strategy. During the rest of your preparation, match meals and snacks to the training ahead. See daily fueling examples.
