Suitable diet for a athlete with a 10k run in a weeks time

General facts: The food and drinks a sportsperson consumes daily provide the energy, from carbohydrates and fats, to maintain bodily functions, as well as giving all the energy needed for training, competition and any other physical activity. A balance diet containing the correct proportion of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, together with minerals, vitamins, water and roughage, is important to an individual, whether active in sport or not, in order to maintain good health.

My athlete is a man in his early 20’s training for a 10k run and has a week before the race In general he should be right now because he is particularly active eating around 5000-6000kCal a day. A balanced diet contains: 10% protein 30% fat 60% carbohydrates Sufficient vitamins and minerals, fibre and water However because my athlete right now is training quite a bit he should be increasing his carbohydrate intake to round 65-70%

Diet: A change in the athletes diet to help with enhancing with his performance in the race should begin 4 days before the race begins. At this time the athlete should be eating lots of carbohydrates, low fat and moderate protein. As always, pasta, potatoes, and bread should be his staples, but now they should take an exaggerated place in his diet

Start Carbo-loading: This is a method of increasing the glycogen stores in muscle and liver prior to major endurance exercise. During this week it is an important period to stock his energy reserves to their max In order to do this he should follow his normal balanced diet and kick in some extra carbohydrates in the week before a race. Fruit juices and sports drinks are good carbo supplements if he is having trouble eating all that pasta and other carb’s It is important to try and not miss meals, but also to try to avoid overeating. Balance and consistency are particularly important as the big run approaches.

two days before a race start to drink more fluids two days before a race start to drink more fluids. Sports drinks can be a good thing to drink as it helps to get carbos at the same time as replenishing your body. God idea to stay away from alcohol since it not only dehydrates you but also interferes with proper storage of glycogen In the last 48 hours, avoid hard-to-digest foods like peanut butter, fried food. To avoid the chances of getting bad digestive problems and stomach cramps. Keep eating food with high amounts of complex carbohydrates.

By the end of the day before the run, his high-carbo diet should have helped to top up his glycogen stores. he should begin to snack moderately on mild foods, like sports bars. Drink water and juice constantly. For his final meal that night have a meal that contains lots of carbohydrates and only a little fat. Pasta and sauce would be ideal.

The day of the race: On the morning of the race, have a light breakfast; a bagel or whole grain cereal would be idea. Don't eat any solid food for three hours before the run to avoid stitches and cramps, and just drink water During the race itself, staying hydrated is most important. Drink as much fluid as possible. Water at this time would be the best fluid to drink.

After the race: After the race, drink plenty of water and get some food into yourself as soon as possible. Carbo-reloading is as important as the carbo-loading before a race. Try to have a bagel or a sports bar in the fifteen minutes after you stop running. It's in this window of time that your muscles will absorb the glycogen.