Nutrition Tips for Traveling to a Race

As an endurance athlete entering your peak season, it is likely that race days will involve some sort of traveling.

However, travel isn’t an excuse to fall off of your nutrition and lose valuable opportunities for carb loading and other strategies that can boost your performance on race day. 

Here are a few of my top nutrition tips as a sports dietitian and age-group athlete on how to stay on track while traveling to races. And, make sure to save this post to help you prepare for your next big travel day!

Hotel Nutrition Tips

It is common that you may have to stay in a hotel for varying amounts of time depending on your trip details.

My best tips for hotel stays are:

• Call ahead and see what you will have access to as far as food preparation and storage methods.
  • Will you have a microwave? Mini fridge? Hot water/coffee pot? 
• Pack hotel snacks based on your room’s accommodations.
  • Non-perishable snack ideas: Triscuits, beef jerky, nuts/trail mix, nut butter packs, shelf-stable protein shakes (Fairlife, CorePower), oatmeal packs, bagels, protein/granola bars, whole fruits (apples, oranges), cereal
    • Check out my recipe for these no-bake protein balls that are great for road trips and travel!
  • Mini-fridge ideas: hard-boiled eggs, string cheese/Babybels, greek yogurt, pre-cut fruit, hummus, milk for cereal, toppings for bagels
• If your hotel doesn’t have a mini-fridge, consider bringing an insulated cooler and adding ice throughout the trip.
• Utilize hotel breakfasts and ask ahead to see what types of foods they will have in the morning (bonus points for pancakes!). 

Bonus tip:

• No stove? No problem! Use the hot water from your coffee maker to make oatmeal packs, ramen noodles, mac n cheese cups, etc.

Staying at an Airbnb

Airbnb’s can be a great option for athletes traveling to races. They often include full kitchens that allow for more cooking and preparation options.

My Air BnB tips:

• Look for one with a good setup. Does it have a stovetop, fridge, microwave and oven? These are important to consider when choosing a site. 
• Once you have one picked, look at the map and find the nearest grocery store/market to stock up on items as soon as you arrive.
  • Local markets and delis often have great options such as deli meats, fresh baked goods, sandwiches, salads, and pre-cut fruits and vegetables.
  • Chain grocery stores tend to be safe choices. You may be more familiar with the choices and brands that they carry.
• Is there not a market or grocery store nearby? That may be something to consider when choosing a location. Eating out can get pricey (especially when carb loading with 400+ grams of carbs before your race day!) so make sure you have that factored into your trip’s budget.

Eating Out While Traveling

Eating out while traveling is inevitable, but here are some tips you can use to make sure you are sticking with your performance nutrition goals.

My eating out tips:

• Plan ahead! Research restaurants near where you are staying and competing. Look up the menus and plan/track accordingly to make sure you are hitting your macronutrient goals.
• Carbs, carbs, carbs! Restaurants are a great place to carb-up before race day
  • Order a side of white rice, potatoes, or pasta with your main dish
  • Get a flatbread or bruschetta as an appetizer at dinner or lunch
• Stick to familiar foods. The day or two before a race is not the time to be experimental and try something different! It may not sit well with your GI tract and can cause digestion symptoms/issues on race day.
• Get a larger portion size or an extra dish that you can save and eat later or the next day (meal prep on-the-go!) 
  • Bring extra lightweight, meal prep containers in case you aren’t able to get one. I like getting these on Amazon in bulk!

Extra Nutrition Tips

Here are a few extra tips that have helped my endurance athlete clients out when they are traveling to races that I want to include.

My bonus nutrition tips:

• Save “tourist activities” for the days after your race. This includes any amount of heavy walking! 
  • Opt to bike or cycle instead of walk
  • If you are going to be walking a lot, make sure to keep that in mind and do even more carb loading that day 
• Airplane travel can be tricky. Airports often don’t have athlete-friendly food choices.
  • Pack airport-friendly snacks (see the non-perishable list above)
    • Bring an empty water bottle to fill once through security to stay hydrated throughout flight.
    • Limit snacks that need to be cooled or chilled and will go bad in a few hours while on the plane. Buy these when you get there!
  • Research the airport options ahead of time if need be
• Keep up on your hydration and electrolyte consumption.
  • Bring hydration mixes if necessary. I like LMNT or Liquid IV powder mixes and they are very travel-friendly!

As you can see, there are plenty of nutrition tips and tricks that you can utilize to stay on top of your game while traveling to races.

Don’t miss out on these great opportunities to carb load and increase your energy stores! You will be thankful when race day comes and you were prepared with proper fueling beforehand. 

If you are looking for additional support as an endurance athlete, reach out to my dietitian team and me, and let’s get you started today! We are currently accepting clients, feel free to apply through this link.

Do you have any big races or travel days coming up? Comment down below!