Nutrition

Fuel your body for peak performance

Article from the Dietitians Association of Australia.

When preparing for any event , it’s important to make sure you have enough energy to train. You need a variety of healthy foods to make sure your body gets all the nutrients you need to stay fit and healthy. While training for the HBF Run for a Reason, pay attention to what you are eating and make changes where necessary to help make sure you are ready for the day.

Your training diet

A diet high in carbohydrates, with a moderate amount of protein and low amounts of fat will help you to prevent fatigue during performance. A good place to start is by following the Dietary Guidelines for Australians:

Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods.
Eat plenty of vegetables, legumes and fruits.
Eat plenty of cereals (including breads, rice, pasta and noodles), preferably wholegrain.
Include lean meat, fish, poultry and/or alternatives.
Include milks, yoghurts, cheeses and/or alternatives. Choose reduced-fat varieties where possible.
Drink plenty of water.

You can also take care to: alt

Limit saturated fat and moderate total fat intake.
Choose foods low in salt.
Limit your alcohol intake (if you choose to drink).
Consume only moderate amounts of sugars, and foods containing added sugars.

If you’re preparing for the 14km category of the HBF Run for a Reason, you’ll be using more energy and may need to increase your daily intake of good foods.

Eating before the event

On the day, eating a healthy snack one or two hours before you compete will help stock up your energy reserves. Some snack ideas include:

Fresh fruit with low-fat yoghurt
Cereal with low-fat milk
Toast with jam or honey
A fruit smoothie made with reduced-fat milk/yoghurt

In the weeks leading up to the HBF Run for a Reason, experiment with a range of pre-event meals to find the one that best suits you. It’s also a good idea to make a note of how long before exercising you will need to eat to avoid any discomfort during the event.

Eating after the event

It’s important to replenish the energy stores in your muscles after training or competing.
On the day of the HBF Run for a Reason, have high-carbohydrate snacks ready for when you complete your event. Avoid high fat food options, as these take time to digest and won't provide the nutrients required to help your body recover.

Some snack ideas to follow your run include:

A sandwich or roll with banana
Muffins
Fruit – canned or fresh
Fruit juice or sports drinks
A cereal bar

The importance of hydration

Drinking plenty of water is the best way to stay well hydrated in the weeks leading up to the HBF Run for a Reason. Carbohydrate drinks are a good option help keep you hydrated and replenish your energy stores after an intense training session.

On the day of the event, it’s important to drink small amounts of fluid as you run or walk.

After the event, it is important to replace any fluids lost. Sports drinks can be useful to replace the fluid, replenish some of the carbohydrate stores and replace some of the electrolytes lost through sweat.

Alcohol can be dehydrating and can slow your recovery, so it’s a good idea to concentrate on re-hydrating and replenishing your energy stores rather than celebrating with alcohol. If you do have alcohol later in the day, drink in moderation.

To find an Accredited Practising Dietitian, visit www.daa.asn.au or call 1800 812 942.