What Are Your Pre-race Meals?

[Vickeree]

Usually I eat a huge high carb meal of rice and some protein (usually eggs) 6-8 hours before the race and personally prefer going on a race with an empty stomach.

What are your pre-race meals? and when is the best time to eat them? 30 minutes before? 2 hours before? 4 hours before?
How long does your food take to digest anyway?

 

[9lines]

I do take any food high in carbohydrates to provide me with the required energy. I also take foods with proteins to ensure strong bones. I do avoid high sugar foods but take a lot of fruits. I do eat 3 hours before going for the race.

 

[9lines]

I like potatoes since they have a lot of energy. I then eat baked beans or soy beans. I do avoid taking foods with refined sugar. I then eat pineapples or fresh lemon juice. *duplct by mstk*

 

[Bonzer]

I don't yet ride but go for brisk walks. I consume a cup of milk and eat a couple of bananas 10 minutes before starting out. I carry a bottle of water with me. You can do the same before a bike ride. Both are aerobic exercises and require a quick boost of energy as well as sustain your spell of cycling. A banana has got all the short, medium and long-acting sugars that get you up and running and sustain you for long spells of time.

 

[Corzhens]

I am not a pro and I usually bike around the village on an empty stomach. That's for my early morning activity during weekends and holidays. And then I come home before the breakfast hour, rest a bit then take a shower so i feel refreshed in the breakfast table. What I normally eat is rice with egg plus a meat dish or dried fish. That breakfast gives me the energy that I have lost in my activity.

 

[BikeBikeBikeBike]

Big greasy breakfast.
It's sort of a little treat for myself.
It will be some combination of the following (ALL of them on a really big day )
Eggs, bacon, ham, sausage, toast, home fries, beans, steak,, bagel, oatmeal, tomato, some fruit like a banana, orange or apple.

 

[Dora M]

I don't race, but when I set out on a big tour on my bike, I like to have a nice big breakfast that includes quinoa pancakes, a couple of eggs and an avocado, accompanied by a nice big mug of hot chocolate made with soy milk. As long as I get a meal into my stomach half an hour before setting out, I will be fine for many hours. I can even go on cycling most of the day, as long as I have plenty of water.

 

[Vickeree]

Wow all these posts about breakfast and pre-bike meal is making me hungry How many hours do you guys usually go for a long bike? Sometimes I get upset stomach when I overdo the caffeine and energy gels during a race, I'm still trying to figure out what works best for me...

 

[gavinfree]

I rarely race, so my pre-race meals consist of whatever I feel like eating en masse. As long as I feel like it won't come back up while riding, I'll pretty much eat anything. I'm not super competitive, though, so I don't try to eat the absolute best thing for race performance a few hours later. I raced on a couple burritos from a Mexican shop a few months ago, and I did fine during that one!

 

[Vickeree]

For me I usually train with very little carbs or no pre race meal at all but then do a bit of carbo loading during races ... anyone here did the same and had good success with it?

 

[joshposh]

When I use to compete in anything I ever did, I usually ate spaghetti bolognese the night before the morning competition. I would eat maybe 8 pm or so and drink a decent amount of water. The next morning it would be a light meal 4 to 6 hours before the actual start time. But I will be hydrating the whole time before the start.

 

[Keyan]

I eat complex carbs so that I have a steady supply of energy throughout the ride. If I can I eat light meals like an hour before the race or sometimes a slice of fruit or yogurt then I drink water.

 

[Bark]

I always eat a big bowl of pasta a few hours before I race, and I drink Gatorade an hour or so prior. I drink water during and after.

 

[rcdpink]

It is always best not to have any kind of food immediately before any strenuous activities. These strenuous activities include racing. I personally have whatever I feel for just a few hours before the actual race.

 

[rcdpink]

I do take any food high in carbohydrates to provide me with the required energy. I also take foods with proteins to ensure strong bones. I do avoid high sugar foods but take a lot of fruits. I do eat 3 hours before going for the race.

That's a very perfect balance. I find that fruits may not give me much physical energy, but I feel so energized mentally when I eat them. I heard it's best to eat fruits on empty stomach. I had doubts because I know that some foods are acidic, but one doctor says the fruits become alkaline in the stomach and there is nothing to be worried about. So I prefer to start of my days with just fruits.

 

[Meds]

Nuts and grains. Especially peanuts. All kinds of proteins with long term energy.