Hey guys,

A couple of months ago I ran a competition about diet and training
for F1. The prize was a consultation with one of the best sport
dietitians I know – Linia Patel (website coming soon!)

There were two winners of that comp.

The first was Aaron. Part One of his consultation is below.
Have a look and put them to use in your own training for F1!

1) Alongside my currently training program could
you recommend a diet that will allow me to maintain a certain weight?.

Maintaining a healthy weight is a calorie balancing act. To maintain a
certain weight the first thing you need to do is to make sure that the
amount of calories you consume = to the number of calories you are
burning. The diet you should be consuming should supply adequate
carbohydrates, moderate protein and fat and should supply sufficient
vitamins and minerals to maintain good health and optimal performance.

2) Is there an ideal ratio between the amount of
calories consumed to the amount of calories burnt that will help
in losing a few kilos without burning myself out?

Creating a calories deficit (i.e. burning more calories than you consume)
of 500kcal/day will promote weight loss of 0.5kg/week. Creating a calorie
deficit of 1000kcal/day will promote a weight loss of 1.0kg/week. In order
to maintain optimal performance ( i.e. not burn yourself out) it is
recommended that you do not create a calorie deficit of > 1000kcal/day.

3) What is the main thing I should change in my
diet when moving from karts to cars?

In cars there are greater physiological demands on the body than in
karts, e.g. greater g-forces, greater sweat rates and races are longer
as well. You will therefore be at risk of mental and physical fatigue.
The best way to prevent mental and physical fatigue is to make sure
that you minimise the effects of dehydration and ensure carbohydrate
stores are well maintained.

Keep carbohydrate stores topped up by eating regular meals throughout
the day and ensure you have carbohydrate at each of these meals.

Follow these guidelines:

3-4 hours before race: Pre race meal.

Eat a carbohydrate based( low glyceamic index), moderate in
protein and low in fat meal.

Examples are:

Breakfast: Porridge, cereal, muesli, toast and juice or Baked beans on toast

Lunch: Whole-grain sandwich ( es) filled with lean chicken/ beef, low fat cheese or peanut butter and jam and juice

If you can’t eat a full or solid meal pre-race: Smoothie with your favourite fruit ( e.g. banana, strawberry or blueberry) and low fat yogurt OR Juice and a couple of cereal bars OR Sports bar ( i.e. PowerBar, Protein Bar, Clif bar) with a banana and some juice

1-2 hours before racing: Pre race snack:
High in high-moderate glyceamic index carbohydrate, moderate-low
in protein, low in fat:

Examples are:

Sports Drinks ( e.g Gatorade)
Fruit Juice
Pieces of fresh fruit or a handful of dried fruit( dried mango/ dates)
Low fat yogurt
Packet of soup + bread
Low fat hot chocolate

Minimise the negative effects of dehydration by:

Drinking sufficiently in the days leading up to the race to
maintain hydration. Aim to drink with all meals and snacks
throughout the day. In hotter conditions, additional drinks
maybe needed.

Drink 400-600ml fluid 2-3 hours before the race. This provides
enough time for you to go to the toilet if needs be. Choose a drink
that contains some sodium (i.e. sports drink) or if you opt for a
non-sodium containing drink (i.e. fruit juice) drink this with some food.
Drink 200-300ml of immediately before the race. Sports drink is the best option.
Use a fluid delivery system to drink regularly throughout the race.
Drink small amounts from the beginning of the race. Don’t wait to feel
thirsty. This will minimise fluid losses during the race.
After the race drink enough to replace fluid losses, especially if
you have another race that day or the day after. Use your pre- and post
race body weights to provide an indication of the amount to drink.
Generally drivers will need to drink 150% of any post-race fluid deficit.

Coming up in the next post is part two of the consultation
where there is a specific diet to help maintain a certain weight.

In the meantime feel free to check out the nutrition pack
for motorsport through this link:

>>> Nutrition Pack For Motorsport

Keep Racing!

Robin

PS. Any questions please leave them in the comments below

Getting your nutrition correct is absolutely essential for peak performance.

This means that you need to be aware the best foods to put into your body and the
best times to do it. This is especially important for motorsport where weight makes
such a difference.

Getting your eating right doesn’t only affect your weight though it also influences your:

- concentration levels

- decision making skills

- stamina

Getting the nutrition aspect is not just important for race day but is also important
for training and racing.

Getting the correct nutrition is often overlooked in motorsport. Optimally fueling yourself
until the end of the race has the potential to give you the edge that you require. This can be
achieved through the use of Low GI foods (foods that slowly release their energy).
In addition it is important for you to also know about how to have speedy recovery
sessions post training and post race.
In the coming weeks I am going to go into more detail and look at the importance of
optimally fueling yourself for both training and racing to give you the edge and to
ensure optimal peak performance is achieved!

However for this week you need to track and monitor what you are eating.
This can be done with the use of a food diary. Every time you eat or drink anything
over the next week record it as you go. Have a look at the example food diary at this
website to understand a little more about the best way to record your food to optimise performance:

Example of a food diary

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Keep Racing!

Robin