Most endurance athletes are familiar with the guideline to eat their pre-race meal approximately 3 hours before the event. The reasoning behind this is twofold: first, to allow for some digestion, and second, to allow blood glucose to stabilize before the race begins.
After eating, blood glucose levels rise, followed by an insulin response. Sometimes, this insulin response can lead to rebound hypoglycemia, where glucose is removed from the bloodstream faster than it enters. This is not an ideal state to start a race or training session.
The general recommendation to eat 3 hours before a race allows time for glycogen stores to be replenished, blood glucose to stabilize, and the race to start on solid footing. However, eating three hours before an early session is not always practical!
For most athletes, training fits into their daily schedule. Early starts make it difficult to eat a few hours before the session. To avoid the risk of rebound hypoglycemia, the best option is to consume something light 15-20 minutes before the session. In these cases, we recommend a snack that is low in fiber, low in protein, and high in carbs.
How Saturday can help
In the app, when you create a training session, there is an option on the recipe page with a checkbox for “Fasted before training!” Tapping this will adjust your nutrition recipe to account for the fact that you haven’t eaten before the session. This can apply to an early morning workout or even an evening session if you haven't eaten since lunch.
The app also provides guidance on how to consume part of the recipe either immediately before or during the first part of the session.
For key races and race simulations, you should aim to eat a few hours before the event. But for everyday training, when you’re simply looking to do your best, using the fasted training option can help you optimize each session.
