In nutrition it all depends. And it just depends on what you ate, even a week prior to the competition for which you have been training can make a difference in your athletic performance.
"In running, in addition to following the coach's plan, working on the physical part is important to practice hydration and eating protocols. We call this training the gut, something like training the intestine, so that at the time of the race, nothing affect the athlete's performance. " This is how the nutritionist and runner Alejandra Aguileta Vergara explains this very important aspect in the life of athletes.
"There is a fine line between 'I had to go to the bathroom for a moment but I finished the race' and 'I had to stop altogether'. And the difference lies in whether we test in advance which gels we are going to consume in the race, if we follow an adequate hydration protocol and if we take care of what we eat the week before the race, not just the night before, "adds Aguileta.
The digestive system reacts differently in all people and the circumstances in which they are also affect sports performance. Those circumstances can even be emotional. "Recently, in a mountain race in which I participated, I went to the bathroom about five times before I started running, and it was pure anxiety and nerves ... I started the race with an upset stomach," recalls the nutritionist.
In addition to the nutritional issue, in women it is also important to take into account the phase of the cycle in which they are. "If we are in the period week, it is common for the belly to loosen a little more, that we feel swollen, with pain. This happens and is normal, so we must take it into account during planning," says Alejandra.
It is for these reasons that it is essential to "train the intestine" in the hands of a professional to minimize the risks of discomfort before or during a sporting event. In nutrition, the ideal is to have a personalized plan, since we all work differently, however these are some of the general recommendations that are part of this preparation:
Nutritional preparation should start months before the race.
In workouts, especially long runs, try gels, hydration drinks, gummies. You should never consume something new during a race. And it is vital to consider if these foods contain caffeine and see how the body tolerates it.
Little by little they are testing what are the dinners and breakfasts that work best prior to a long run. Various options are tested to see how the runner's body reacts.
During the week before the competition, fiber consumption is reduced, as it causes greater intestinal mobility. It is also recommended to reduce the consumption of fat, as it delays digestion.
The pre-race breakfast can have banana or fruit without peel, jam, fruit strains, honey, toast, peanut butter, white bread, oatmeal. With dairy and caffeine it is better to try, as they can interfere with digestion and cause an upset stomach.
