Proper diet and nutrition is something that most beginners often overlook when preparing for their first mud race. Though it is not something that is absolutely required, it is still crucial if you want to perform your all and get the best possible result. To help you be familiarized with some of these simple but effective types of nutrient sources, take a moment to scan through the following list of foods that can help you be at your best in your first-ever mud run event.
- Carbohydrates
- Protein
- Hydration
Contrary to what you might think, these kinds of foods are easy to find and are mostly inexpensive. There are even lots of readily available choices that enable you to have options to customize your daily food plan. Some might already be present inside your kitchen!
Before digging deeper with the benefits of these food groups, just a disclaimer, I am not a dietician. I based my blog post on my experience, from my racing enthusiast friends, and from research that I have done. Some of the references are cited below. You may also opt to consult with a professional dietician that suits your needs.
Now continue reading and make sure to have a mental note on the examples!
Carbohydrates as Your Main Fuel
If you haven’t heard of carbo loading, it is a method which aims to allow the body to store glycogen into your muscles by consuming carbohydrates. In layman’s terms, it is the storing of energy inside of your body by eating bread, pasta, and potatoes, to name a few. This is commonly practiced by almost all athletes to increase their performance during the competition and is done a few days before their upcoming event.
With carbo loading, you can fuel your body to last longer and perform better during the whole course. Another advantage of doing this method is that you will have a lesser chance of experiencing fatigue during the race.
According to various scholarly articles and my racing enthusiast friends, the ratio of carbohydrates in your meals should be around 50% during your training weeks while increasing to around 70% during the week of the event. With this amount, any energy used when moving our body will be easily replenished.
With the variety of carbohydrates available, make sure to identify which are easily digested and absorbed by the body and those that are denser. With this knowledge, you will be able to identify which type is best to eat during training, rest day and competition day.
For what carbohydrate to add in your meal, a few samples are listed below:
- Potato
- Sweet potato
- Pasta
- Whole grain bread
- Oats
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Cereals
- Fresh or Dried Fruits such as banana, apple, raisins, etc.
Protein to Build and Repair Muscle Tissues
Protein helps improve synthesis of glycogen into your muscles, increasing the overall efficiency of your body to adapt and make use of your stored energy. During post training or competition, protein helps prevent your muscles from breaking down, helping it recover faster, preventing any future injuries that might develop. Protein also helps in muscle growth. As muscles grow, more glycogen can be stored within our body.
During training, protein consumption should be maintained, ideally, at around 50% of every meal. This ratio shall be reduced to about 20 to 35% of the meal during competition day. Once the competition is over, protein consumption should be returned to normal. Consuming protein shake 20 to 30 minutes after completion is a good choice and will help for a better and faster recovery.
Below is a list of protein products that can help you with your protein requirements when preparing for a mud run competition:
- Eggs
- Tofu
- Chicken
- Fish
- Beef
- Nuts
- Beans & Peas
- Greek Yogurt
- Whey Protein
Stay Hydrated to Avoid Injuries
In every sports competition, hydration is vital and should not be taken for granted. Without proper hydration, you might risk not being able to completely finish the obstacle courses prepared in the race. In other cases if hydration is insufficient, you might experience cramps, injuries or even heat stroke.
Water and sports drinks are the most common option when talking about hydration. But comparing the two, sports drinks is much recommended during competition day as it has additional ingredients that can help replenish lost minerals from your body as you sweat. As to when would be the right time to start hydrating yourself during competition day, there is no definite time. This will depend on how you usually hydrate yourself during your training period. Just make sure to have your last sip 30 to 20 minutes before the race starts.
Given that our body consists of 60% water, it is just normal that we have to maintain it as much as possible during the duration of the competition. Though it is completely natural that this level of fluid within our body will be reduced as we go through each and every obstacle during the race, we should try to recover what was lost if there is an opportunity. Make use of every available water station throughout the obstacle course, or carry with you a small bottle of water that you can use when you feel that you need to hydrate yourself.
As early as you start your training, you should also try to accustom your body to consume and retain enough liquid. Assessing on how much you need during your training will give you an idea how your capabilities would be during competition day. It would be helpful to know until when you can last in the obstacle course without hydrating yourself as well as how much water you should be bringing with you in case there won’t be any water stations available in the obstacle course.
But what if I did not have ample time to prepare my diet plan during the training period leading to the event? And what am I going to eat on race day? Keep on reading for some more tips.
In Case You Missed Planning
If you were not able to follow any meal plans during your training, just make sure that you start with pre-competition meals 24 to 48 hours before competition day. Keep in mind the ratio of the kind of food you consume per meal. This is usually the perfect time to start your carbo-loading phase, and to store enough energy for the competition. Having a balanced meal will provide assurance that you won’t be experiencing any low energy, muscle weakness, fatigue and cramps.
Hearty Meal Before the Battle Begins
On race day, it is recommended to eat three hours before the start of the mud run. If the event just so happens to start early, you can have your meal at dawn then just go back to bed to continue with your rest. Keep in mind to avoid eating heavy meals during this time.
Below are some combo meals that you can eat during this time:
- Ham sandwich (toast, ham, tomatoes, lettuce), Banana
- Oatmeal, Egg, Nuts
- Yogurt, Egg, Fruits (Apple/Banana/Mango)
- Protein Shake, Peanut Butter, Banana
- Pancake, Egg, Fruits (Apple/Banana/Mango)
If you think that the obstacle course will take at least an hour and thirty minutes to finish or even longer, consider eating slow digesting proteins like chicken breasts, tuna, salmon or lean beef. With this, you will not feel hungry as you progress through all the obstacles in the course.
When Hunger Strikes During the Race
To prevent the occurrence of sudden hunger, take some fruits, energy bar, smoothies or half a serving of protein shake with you. You can consume it as you travel going to the obstacle course area. And to avoid any abdominal discomfort, keep in mind to never try any food that is new to you as well as any dairy products. With this, you can be rest assured that things will go well and that you can give it your all without any worries.
What About After the Race?
Before considering drinking a can of beer to celebrate your first ever completion in a mud race, make sure that you already ate your post competition meal. Keeping some snacks or a packed meal ready is suggested for this case. Mud runs usually involve using almost all parts of your body during the race that is why you need to replenish all those nutrients and minerals that were lost. Complete hydration is a must.
Final Thoughts
Getting the right nutrition does not necessarily mean it would be hard and expensive. Rather, it can be an enjoyable experience. With proper scheduling and planning, preparing your food might not even interfere with your daily routine.
Choosing what the right food to get is never a hassle as most of these foods are just an arm’s reach away from your nearest supermarket or from your local produce shop. Some do not even need to be prepared but rather are just ready to eat.
In the end, proper nutrition is very significant to ensure you function at your optimum. Remember that no matter how hard you try to train and plan your first mud run, if you do not compliment it with proper nutrition and rest, the hard work that you had done can end up going down the drain.
References