Welcome to the Nutrition Blog for the Georgia State University Student Recreation Center. The Department of Recreational Services promotes healthy life-styles through exceptional recreational programs, services, and facilities. This blog is kept up to date by the Graduate Dietetic Students. If you have any questions feel free to stop by the Student Recreation Center, Room 150 (Inside the Fitness Center) and talk to us. We hope you enjoy!


Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Nutrition Tips for Running the Kaiser-Permanente 5K

EatRight before your 5K!


Good nutrition before and after exercise helps prevent injury, increase energy, and decrease recovery time.  Here are some nutrition tips to prepare for the Kaiser-Permanente Corporate 5K Run/Walk

The night before the race
  • Drinking water, instead of sports beverages or juices, is the best strategy for maintaining good hydration on race day.  Try adding a squeeze of fresh lemon, lime or a splash of 100% fruit juice. 
  • The night before the race you should eat a healthy meal of lean proteins (such as chicken, fish, turkey, or beef), fruits, vegetables, and carbohydrates like rice, pasta, corn, potatoes, or peas.
  • Do not drinking alcohol and sugary beverages such as soft drinks, sweetened iced tea, or juices as they can be dehydrating. 
Pre-race meal (3-4 hours before)
  • You want to consume about 8-16 oz. of water before the race.  Limit drinking coffee, sodas, or juices on race day, as they can be dehydrating. 
  • Eat a meal of complex carbohydrates (brown rice, whole grains) and lean protein (fish, chicken, turkey) about 1-3 hours before the event.  Try to avoid meals that are high in fat, such as a burger and French fries, or pizza. 
Just before the race
It is okay to eat a small snack 1-2 hours before the 5K if you are still hungry.  See the snack examples below. 

During the race
You want to make sure that you stay hydrated while you are running or walking a 5K. Volunteers hand out water along the race course, but bring a water bottle just in case.  For exercise lasting 60 minuets or less, water is the best hydrator, more so than sports drinks or juices.     

After the race
Have a small snack such as chocolate milk, 100% fruit juice or pretzels within 20-30 minutes of finishing your race.  Your post-race meal should be well balanced like the examples below.      


Balanced snacks and meal examples
Snack
  • A piece of fruit like a banana
  • A small fruit smoothie
  • Fruit or vegetable juice
Breakfast
  • Oatmeal with brown sugar and almonds + skim milk + banana
  • Greek yogurt with berries
  • Cold or hot cereal with fruit and low-fat or non-fat milk
Lunch/Dinner
  • Grilled chicken sandwich + low fat yogurt + fruit
  • Baked or grilled lean beef, chicken, turkey, or fish + steamed rice + vegetable
  • Turkey and Swiss sandwich + fruit



Sources:
Existing handouts from rec center on sports nutrition
and

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Proper diet and regular exercise is very important for good health. I prefer juices in breakfast.


Regards,
Tahitian Noni Juice

Anonymous said...

Thanks for giving useful info....Daily healthy Tips - Get Healthy Foods ideas with help of health articles and be updated about health news. For mens, womens and childrens Healthy Eating is not only necessary but also important for long healthier life.

Unknown said...

Healthy food and on proper time is very good for health.

Aaron |
Mobile Massage

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Pawsitive Nutrition is a joint collaboration between the Division of Nutrition and the Department of Recreational Services at Georgia State University