Our nutritionist, Marie Farag BSc(Hons) ANutr, shares what we should really be eating before a big race. 

Although many runners focus on carb loading the night before a race, one of the key elements to optimising performance is to make sure that you’re healthy by building foundational health.

Ensuring adequate intake of micronutrients helps create foundational health. Due to the nutrient density of soil decreasing and fruit and vegetables being picked before they ripen, it is not always possible to get all our micronutrients from food. Taking one sachet of Totum Sport daily provides all the essential minerals and trace elements that the body requires in the correct proportions, strengthening the immune system and creating a healthy body.

As athletes burn more micronutrients in comparison to the average person, there is heightened importance of consuming an adequate amount of micronutrients. When food is being converted into energy it requires minerals such as selenium, sulphur and copper, as it goes through enzymatic pathways.

Focussing on the nutritional basics helps to achieve optimal performance as it helps to get the most out of macronutrients. It is also important to maintain hydration by drinking water frequently. The minerals and trace elements in Totum Sport will enhance hydration, particularly the sodium, as this will enable the kidneys to absorb more water.

A good pre-race meal should include a portion of carbohydrates, source of protein, healthy fats and a range of vegetables. Here’s two good pre-race meals to add to your recipe book!

Quinoa Salad

-Cook 60g quinoa

-Steam 60g peas and 80g chopped broccoli for 4 minutes

-Grate 1 beetroot

-Mix all the ingredients together

Serve with a source of protein e.g 1 fillet of fish, chicken or 60g feta or goats cheese

*Drizzle over 1tbsp olive oil and squeeze of lemon

Cajun salmon

-Cook 60g puy lentils or 1 baked sweet potato (bake for 50 minutes)

-Bake one fillet of salmon with 1 tsp of Cajun seasoning for 15 minutes in the oven at 200C

-Steam 80g chopped broccoli and 50g spinach

Serve the salmon on top of the lentils and the vegetable on the side