High-fibre Foods

• • High-fibre foods may cause digestive discomfort such as bloating, nausea etc.

• • Avoid eating high-fibre foods especially before and during the event.

• • Examples of fibre-rich foods include wheat, maize, jowar, ragi, vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, beans etc.^1,2

High-fat And High-sugar Foods

• • Consumption of excess amount of fat prior to the race may cause nausea and sluggishness therefore altering your performance levels.
  • Try to avoid foods rich in saturated fat such as butter, cheese, whole milk products etc.

• • Foods rich in saturated fat may enhance the levels of bad cholesterol in blood.

• • Consumption of sweets before and during the activity may leave you lethargic.^1,3

Excess Fluid Intake

• • Avoid drinking large amounts of water on a few occasions. Instead, drink small amounts of water at frequent intervals.

• • Excess consumption of water compared with the associated fluid loss may cause hyponatraemia, a condition characterised by dilution of sodium in blood resulting in confusion, headache, fatigue etc.^4,5

Alcohol Consumption

• • Alcohol may delay the repair of injured tissues and also cause fatigue.⁵

• • It may also cause fluid loss thus affecting the process of rehydration.