Food before a 5k

Of course it matters. Low blood sugar will add 30 seconds to your time.

Read the book Aerobics by Kenneth Cooper, the father of Aerobics. In it you will see that he says not to eat anything 2 hours prior to running. The reason is the blood is diverted from the stomach to the legs.

4we5uyw45 wrote:

Read the book Aerobics by Kenneth Cooper, the father of Aerobics. In it you will see that he says not to eat anything 2 hours prior to running. The reason is the blood is diverted from the stomach to the legs.

Did you get that backward and mean that blood will be diverted from the legs to the stomach, thereby slowing down the running? Or did you mean that the stomach won't be able to finish digesting? If the latter...who cares, as long as you didn't eat too much?

Any science on this? How does eating or not eating before a 5k impact performance?

No. The blood is definitely diverted to the legs from the stomach. This is what is written in the book and I don't remember all he says about it but I do remember and do practice not eating for at least two hours prior to running. He's a medical doctor and the father of Aerobics so how can I argue? Read the book. It's great, easy and fun to read. That is the original version. I think 1967 or 1968.

Just bring a bottle of honey to your races.

my 5k (parkrun) pb came after a mcdonalds breakfast after working a night shift

It doesn’t matter what you eat as long as it isn’t really spicy ethnic food with undercooked chicken. That would not be pleasant for you, your coach or the rest of your team.

8 hours is too long to go without food before a race. Top up with a bit beforehand so you're not feeling hungry. A huge meal that sits in your stomach during the race is bad, too. And a book that's over 50 years old probably doesn't have the definitive answer.

That "book" is a classic and should be read by anyone interested in running and fitness. It is true he modified some of his recommendations since. One major thing was that more aerobic fitness does not mean better health. In fact his recommendation in recent years is running no more than 15 miles per week for optimal health.

From personal experience, I found that it was crucial to train my stomach to be comfortable with eating specific foods 2 hours before the race. This ensures optimal performance and no G.I (gastrointestinal) problems. In terms of making sure we have enough energy and fuel on board, if a decent meal is eaten the night before, and a few hours before the race, the human body has enough energy for up to 80 minutes of endurance activity. This means “bonking”, or in other words, running out of glycogen stores for muscle recruitment is not so much of an issue for shorter races like a 5k.

If it is an early morning race, I’d recommend a larger meal, and possibly a small dessert of some sort the night before, just before heading to bed. This is because some races have a gun start time around 7 or 8 am, meaning eating 2 hours beforehand requires an early rise, which might not be as convenient for some participants. However, it is recommended if you’re desiring to hit that personal best time, that you plan to eat around 2-3 hours before the race.

For evening races, it is slightly more flexible. Eating a solid, well-balanced breakfast or brunch 8-6 hours out, another meal 4 hours out, and a snack 2 hours out to top up energy stores will ensure you are ready.

It is crucial to train our stomach to become used to the food we intend to eat before we race when in a running context. Before race day, plan to do some of your harder workouts with the same foods on board, sticking to the same eating timings. See it as a race day simulation in a sense! The stomach can even learn to digest food closer to race time. I can now eat porridge an hour before I run, and not experience discomfort.

Like what you've read? Read the full article here, for a complete 5k meal plan, hydration strategies and learn about the benefits of caffeine before a race:

www.larahamilton.com

I ran an 8k PR once when I ate two large Rice Krispie Treats 45 minutes before the race.