Don't miss the opportunity to fuel well before your race

· Pre-Race Nutrition Behaviours ·

Hi Saturday Morning Fan,

This week, we are looking at a recent study on pre-race nutrition behaviors in female endurance athletes competing at the IRONMAN World Championships. The researchers examined how well athletes translated their nutrition plans into practice, and whether this influenced performance.

The results highlight an important point: executing your nutrition strategy under real pre-race conditions is often the bigger challenge.

Why pre-race nutrition matters

The final 24 to 48h before an endurance event are critical for performance. This is the window where you should aim to maximize muscle glycogen stores through carbohydrate loading while minimizing the risk of gastrointestinal discomfort.

An appropriate pre-race nutrition plan can improve endurance capacity and delay fatigue.

Key findings from the study

The main conclusions of the paper can be summarized as follows:

Only 26% of athletes achieved the recommended carbohydrate intake of 8-12g/kg/day before racing.

Average carbohydrate intake was 6.4g/kg/day, well below current guidelines.

Athletes who consumed more carbohydrate before the race achieved faster finishing times.

Higher fiber intake in the final 24h was associated with more severe GI symptoms during the race.

The main barriers were not lack of knowledge, but travel logistics, disrupted routines, emotional stress, and difficulties executing the plan in a race environment.

What does this mean for you?

First, treat your pre-race nutrition as part of your race plan, not an afterthought. The final 1 to 2 days before competition can meaningfully influence performance.

Second, practice your race-week nutrition strategy in training. This includes not only race-day fueling, but also your carbohydrate loading routine and pre-race meals.

Third, simplify where possible. Familiar foods, consistent meal timing, and reduced fiber intake before key events can improve both confidence and gut comfort.

Finally, use tools like Saturday to build a clear race-week plan in advance. Using the right amount of fuel during the final sessions before a race is also important.

The bottom line

This study reinforces a simple principle. Nutrition plans do not improve performance unless they are successfully implemented. The goal is not the perfect plan on paper, but the plan you can execute consistently on race week.

Reference

McDougall C, Corr L, Sparks SA, et al. From intention to execution: Pre-race nutrition behaviours, influences, and performance outcomes in female endurance athletes at the IRONMAN World Championships. 2025.

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

Daniel

Endurance Athlete, Coach, and Saturday Customer Support.