Fueling for Victory: Smart Dieting

When sprinting, jumping, or pushing through the final few meters, your diet can make the biggest difference in how you perform on and off the field. Dieting supports one's stamina, recovery, and overall health. 

Why Dieting Matters

1. Energy Supply

Track athletes burn more calories than most people. Running requires fuel—mostly from carbohydrates—in order to train or compete. Without it, one will feel sluggish or weaker throughout their exercise, which will affect their overall progress. But this critical dietary principle is common to all active athletes.  For instance, Illia Topuria, undefeated Lightweight Champion of the Ultimate Fighting Champion (UFC), emphasizes the necessity of glycolysis in his cardiothoracic preparations. On the Joe Rogan Podcast, when asked about his diet, the Spanish fighter replied, “...carbohydrates, I don't eat any proteins because it doesn’t help you at all to have a great performance inside the octagon…everything you need? It’s electrolytes and carbohydrates, that’s all you need.” Indeed, it is carb heavy starches that fuel the greatest athletes in the world. 

2. Muscle Repair and Growth

Track training adds a lot of strain and stress to your body, which creates microtears that stimulate muscle growth to make you faster. However, balance is key—you still need carbs and fats. Overdoing protein can lead to issues (e.g. dehydration) and may displace other nutrients.

3. Hydration and Nutrient Balance

Water is essential for many processes including converting carbs into glycogen, keeping you cool, transporting nutrients, etc. Lack of hydration can hamper performance, as it may cause many problems (e.g. headaches). Also, nutrients—vitamins/minerals—play roles in recovery, immune support, etc. 

4. Avoiding injury, fatigue, and cramps

A proper diet helps reduce fatigue, support recovery, and lower the risk of muscle cramps. As the American College of Sports Medicine notes, “Sustaining optimal fluid and electrolyte balance is crucial to reduce the risk of cramping and fatigue during prolonged exercise,” highlighting how nutrition directly protects athletes from common setbacks that can derail training.

How Should You Eat

Here’s what a well-structured, day-in-the-life of nutrition for a track athlete looks like, outside of race day.

	What to Aim For	Why It’s Important
Macronutrient balance	Roughly 60% carbs / 20% protein / 20% fat (this may vary slightly by event, training status, and individual)	Carbs supply energy; protein supports muscle recovery; healthy fats help with hormone balance and satiety.
Frequent meals & snacks	3 main meals + 1-2 snacks depending on training load. First, figure out your daily calorie needs using a calculator or a coach’s guidance. Track your usual intake for a few days, then adjust portion sizes or add snacks so your calories match your training and performance goals.	Prevent long gaps that deplete energy; help maintain steady blood sugar; support recovery.
Hydration	Drink water throughout the day; more on hot/training-heavy days; ensure the body is well-hydrated before workouts or races.	Hydration supports performance, helps with glycogen storage, and prevents dehydration’s negative effects.
Sleep and rest	Enough sleep—ideally 8 to 10 hours a night, as the American Academy of Sleep Medicine notes for teenagers. Older athletes can aim for 7 to 9 hours, adding short naps on tough training days if needed. Along with this, taper your training properly before races so your body has the full chance to rebuild.	Recovery is when muscle growth happens. Without rest, risk of cramps, fatigue, and injury increases.

Example of a Daily Meal Plan: (Training Days)

• Breakfast (3–4 hours before morning practice or on a light training day)

  • Oatmeal topped with banana and a spoon of peanut butter

  • Why: Carbohydrate-rich foods like oats and fruit provide energy, while small amounts of protein/fat add satiety. Hopkins Medicine recommends carbs as the main source of fuel before activity.

• Mid-Morning Snack

  • Yogurt with berries (or a banana if short on time)

  • Why: Easily digested carbs plus protein support recovery. Hopkins Medicine advises avoiding heavy, fatty foods before competition and using lighter, familiar snacks.

• Lunch

  • Brown rice, beans or grilled chicken, and mixed vegetables

  • Why: A balance of carbs and lean protein supports glycogen storage and muscle repair. The Comets of Charles County site emphasizes hydrating and building meals around carbs and lean proteins before races.

• Afternoon Snack

  • Apple with peanut butter, or whole-grain crackers with hummus

  • Why: Simple carbs provide energy, while healthy fats and protein keep blood sugar stable. Nancy Clark highlights using affordable, versatile foods like peanut butter, beans, and bulk grains for smart snacking.

• Dinner

  • Pasta with tomato sauce and lean protein (chicken, fish, or tofu) plus a side of vegetables

  • Why: Carbohydrates should make up about half the pre-race dinner, with some protein and veggies. Both Hopkins Medicine and the Comets of Charles County note that pasta, rice, or potatoes paired with lean protein are good options the night before a race.

• Evening Snack (optional)

  • A small smoothie (banana + frozen berries + milk or yogurt)

  • Why: A light carb-based snack before bed can top off glycogen stores. Hopkins Medicine recommends topping off energy reserves with easily digestible carbs the night before an event.

• Hydration throughout the day

  • Water at meals and snacks, extra fluids in hot conditions

  • Why: Hydration is essential for glycogen storage and preventing cramps. Both Hopkins Medicine and Samitivej Hospitals highlight hydration as a key to reducing fatigue and cramp risk.

What to Eat Before Races

Getting your pre-race nutrition right can be the difference between hitting PRs or hitting the wall.

1. Days (2-4) before the race

   • Focus on complex, carbohydrate-rich foods: whole grains, pasta, rice, potatoes.

   • Keep fat moderate, avoid heavy, greasy foods that digest slowly.

   • Hydrate well—glycogen storage depends on adequate fluids.

2. Night before the race

   • Balanced meal: carbs + lean protein + vegetables. (E.g., grilled chicken or fish, pasta or rice, some veggies.)

   • Possibly a light high-carb snack a little before bed to top off energy stores.

3. Morning of race (3-4 hours before, if possible)

   • Carbs make up about half the meal; include some protein and fruits/vegetables. Keep it something you’ve eaten before in training.

   • Smoothies can be useful if digestion is a concern.

4. 1 hour to 30 minutes before race

   • Small, simple carbohydrate snack (easy to digest): maybe a granola bar, fruit, whole grain crackers.

   • Continue to hydrate, but don’t overload so you feel sluggish.

5. Foods / habits to avoid

   • Heavy, fatty, fried foods, high fiber foods, lots of lactose if that bothers you.

   • Trying new foods just before race day. Always test in training. 

How to Diet on a Budget

There's a common consensus believing that dieting is expensive. Yet, this is simply untrue as there are many ways to eat well without spending beyond your means.

Strategy	Tips
Plan ahead	Menu plan weekly; check grocery ads for what’s on sale. Make shopping lists.
Buy in bulk / store brand	Grains like oats, rice, pasta; beans; frozen fruit & vegetables; big packages of staples. Store brands are often much cheaper.
Reduce over-reliance on expensive protein sources	You don’t always need steaks, bars, or powders to reach your protein goals. Use cheaper proteins: beans, legumes, eggs, canned fish, smaller portions of meat.
Use leftovers & batch cooking	Cook once, eat twice; meals that carry over to lunch; soups, stews, casseroles.
Smart snacking	Instead of costly packaged snacks, prepare your own: trail mix (nuts + dried fruit), peanut butter with fruit, yogurt + fruit. Buy larger containers then portion into reusable containers to take with you.
Frozen / canned options	Frozen fruits & veggies are often cheaper, store longer; canned beans, canned fish are good value.

Additional Considerations & Tips

• Avoid overtraining and allow rest — training too hard just before races increases risk of muscle fatigue and cramps. Vitamins also play a huge role in this process.

• Listen to your body — everyone’s digestion, tolerance, metabolism is different. What works in training will guide what works on race day. Eat what works for you. It should be clean burning whilst hitting all of the nutrition guidelines.

• Micronutrients matter — iron, calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, etc., are essential (especially for women). Even with a good concentration on macros, deficiency here can hurt performance or health.

Overall, dieting isn't an on-and-off task. Create a good diet habit, as you need consistency—not just in what you eat pre-race, but in what you eat day in and day out during training. That builds the foundation.

Citation:

1. Johns Hopkins Medicine. “Nutrition for Athletes: What to Eat before a Competition.” Johns Hopkins Medicine, https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/nutrition-and-fitness/nutrition-for-athletes-what-to-eat-before-a-competition.

2. Samitivej Hospitals. “Why Do Runners Get Cramps While Running?” Samitivej Hospitals, https://www.samitivejhospitals.com/article/detail/cramps-while-running.

3. Comets of Charles County. “Nutrition Tips for Athletes.” Comets of Charles County, https://www.cometsofcharlescounty.org/Default.aspx?tabid=902391.

4. Clark, Nancy. “Sports Nutrition on a Budget.” Nancy Clark RD, 12 Nov. 2024, https://nancyclarkrd.com/2024/11/12/sports-nutrition-on-a-budget/.

5. “JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria.” YouTube, 5 RmF0ryPA-k, uploaded by JRE MMA Show, [date if available], www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RmF0ryPA-k.

6. American College of Sports Medicine. “American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand: Exercise and Fluid Replacement.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, vol. 39, no. 2, 2007, pp. 377–390. PubMed Central, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3445088/.

American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “Sleep FAQs.” Sleep Education, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, https://sleepeducation.org/sleep-faqs/.