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
Related posts:
