NUTRITION: Maximising Nutrition When on the Road

Words: Zoe Wilson
Photos: TBS, Bob Conroy

Travel is becoming a regular part of our lives again and so are destination races and mountain bike trips. Travelling to ride or race requires careful planning as it brings a range of challenges for athletes. Try these tips for managing nutrition whilst on the road to maximise success on the bike and minimise fuss.

All the training is done. The race nutrition plan is dialled in. The bike is serviced, and the kit laid out. But on arrival at race base, there are no decent food options, and the bed is awful. Come race day lethargy has well and truly kicked in and performance is less than optimal, despite all the hard work. This story is all too common when travel for races is thrown in the performance mix. Instead, a little time, thought and preparation will go a long way. So…

Make like a scout

Regardless of the length of the trip, to ensure you eat well while travelling, you need to be prepared. Do some research before you go. How long is the travel? Where will you stop along the way? Where is the closest supermarket to where you are staying? Will you have access to a fridge and cooking facilities where you are staying? Can you drink the tap water? What local food options are there? Depending on your needs and the type of travel, these questions may only be a starting point. But they will help you to feel more prepared and save time, money and stress.

Take your own

If there is something you eat regularly at home, particularly before or after training, and you can take it with you – do! The aim of the game when travelling for a race is to keep your routine as similar as possible to what you do at home. Taking your usual pre- and post-training food with you makes it easier to focus on other important things than your food. Familiar food maximises chances of a settled stomach leading into the race so you can better manage any nerves. 

PRO TIP: Some excellent, healthy snack ideas for a long drive or flight include fruit, muesli or nut bars, liquid breakfast pouches, mixed dried fruit and nuts, boiled eggs, a bread roll, roasted chickpeas, mini salted popcorn or cracker packs. 

If you can’t take it, buy it

If it isn’t possible to take food with you, head out to the supermarket to buy your essentials as soon as you can. Think about what you can buy from a supermarket and make at your accommodation to keep things as similar as possible to your routine at home prior to the race. Having a good range of pre-race options also minimises your chances of getting caught-out without choices. 

PRO-TIP: Don’t forget your containers! The worst thing is buying lots of food to prepare at home base and not having anything to transport or store it in. To be really organised, take a few essential cooking items such as a chopping board and microwave safe bowl. 

Utilise what you do have

Even the most basic hotel room will usually have a kettle and a microwave. This is enough to be able to prepare all sorts of meals. Easy carbohydrate options include couscous or hokkien noodles (just add boiling water) or 90-second rice. Proteins such as tins of tuna or beans or healthy microwave meals are good go-to options. Pre-cut vegetables or pre-mixed salads with a bit of cheese, olives, seeds or salad dressing can then round out the perfectly balanced meal!

PRO TIP: A well balanced meal is one that has lean protein, carbohydrate and some veg or salad. Before a race, you may wish to reduce the amount of fibre you eat (from things like wholegrains, legumes or vegies) to minimise the need to stop and go to the loo mid-race.

Make wise choices

If you do eat out before your race, use your smarts, and make wise choices. Choose food that is close to what you eat at home. Stick to plainer options like a simple lean meat pasta, steak and vegetables, or a chicken and vegetable stir-fry with rice. Be careful with fatty or rich options and lashings of sauce or dressings in case they upset your stomach.  Also be careful with portion sizes – it’s easy to overeat when eating out. 

PRO TIP: Do your research on food safety at your destination to avoid food poisoning pre-race. Choose freshly prepared food instead of something sitting out, steer clear of sushi and pre-made salads, make sure food you buy is piping hot and be careful with water and ice if you are somewhere you need to be.

Check in with your body

Travelling often leads to increased snacking or poorer choices due to time hanging around in transit or moments of boredom during the travel itself. To avoid this, before you eat, check in with your body – are you actually hungry? Have you had enough water? Taking a moment to pause and think before you eat can save additional calories that aren’t needed, particularly in the lead up to a race. 

PRO TIP: Before you eat, rate hunger on a scale or zero-10 where zero is starving and 10 is stuffed. Try to only eat when hunger levels are between 3 and 7. 

Explore post-race

Post-race celebrations are another story! Use the time after your race to explore local restaurant options, try new food and let your hair down. Choose foods you have been eying off pre-race and don’t worry so much about portion sizes or having a drink or two as a celebration before prepping for the next one. 

Finally, if you need more help with your race nutrition plan or tailored advice on traveling for races, find a sports dietitian near you (www.sportsdietitians.com.au).