The day before your race

· The day before the race ·

Hi Saturday Morning Fan,

Last week's newsletter discussed using Speed Nectar outside of training, including as a pre-race meal. This sparked useful conversations in the Members' Hub about how this could work and raised some questions about nutrition the day before a race.

Today, we’ll answer some of those questions to help all readers prepare more effectively.

Do you need a pre-race Speed Nectar meal if you're racing in the evening?

One question was whether a Speed Nectar loading meal is necessary for an evening race after eating regular meals earlier in the day. The answer depends on the goal of using a Speed Nectar pre-race meal. The purpose is to top off glycogen stores and ensure easy digestion before the race.

If your race is in the morning, Speed Nectar can be a convenient way to fuel without eating solid food. If your race is in the evening and you’ve already had two full meals, then adding more carbohydrate in liquid form is generally unnecessary. However, if you prefer a lighter lunch or struggle to eat solid meals before races, you might consider substituting Speed Nectar for that meal.

The key principle is to start the race with full glycogen stores. My usual recipe (which I shared last week) is: 1L water + 1000mg sodium + 2g/kg bodyweight sugar.

Can you use Speed Nectar the day before the race?

This question related to using Speed Nectar beyond training sessions and led to a broader discussion about pre-race day nutrition.

The day before a race is your chance to fully load glycogen stores. You need to eat enough carbohydrate while minimizing fiber and potential gut irritants (e.g., dairy, soy, gluten—depending on the individual). Protein and fat intake can remain normal, but carbohydrates should increase.

Personally, I aim for 6g/kg bodyweight of carbohydrate across three meals (2g/kg per meal). My go-to meals are:

Breakfast: White rice with yogurt and cinnamon

Lunch: White rice with avocado and eggs

Dinner: White rice prepared as egg-fried rice

Dr. Alex noted that some athletes go as high as 10g/kg bodyweight the day before a race. That’s a significant amount of food, which not everyone can manage.

In the Members' Hub, we discussed using Speed Nectar to meet higher carbohydrate targets without the discomfort of large meals. A possible strategy could be to add a 500ml bottle of Speed Nectar (500mg sodium + 1g/kg bodyweight sugar) to each meal. This brings the total daily intake up to 9g/kg bodyweight with less bulk.

What are we trying to achieve?

Ultimately, the goal is to ensure full glycogen stores by the end of the day before the race and then top them off on race morning.

You can do this entirely with real food. But substituting in some Speed Nectar can reduce the volume of food required and support hydration.

As always, base your approach on sound principles. Then adjust according to your personal preferences, logistical needs, and what works best for your body.

· Full carbs guide ·

Dr. Alex discusses the importance of carbohydrate intake during endurance training and provides specific recommendations based on the duration and type of exercise. He addresses various constraints, such as physiological needs and gut absorption limits, as well as gut tolerances during cycling, running, rowing, and swimming.

How Much Carbohydrate To Go Faster?

Have any thoughts, comments, or questions that you'd like to share? Please email us anytime!

Daniel

Endurance Athlete, Coach, and Saturday Customer Support.