Breakfast on track day? What to eat...
 

I've been hit and miss with my choices of food on race day. Was curious what you guys recommend for breakfast on here. I did try to google this and oddly enough couldn't find anything on this topic.

What to eat, what to avoid, etc...

I think this is the right forum since it is race prep, mods feel free to move it if not.

Learned a hard lesson recently that no breakfast on a track day can end badly. Ended up getting very nauseous and had to take a few unscheduled breaks before lunch.

It's definitely overlooked often how much fitness and nutrition driving on a racetrack takes. I do not have any science to bring to the table, just that you should eat something that will give you energy and make you feel good without upsetting your stomach. What and how much you eat will depend on when you are driving and when you are eating. Don't eat a lot right before you drive. If you are eating breakfast at 7 and your first session is a 10, don't worry and just eat a normal breakfast. If your breakfast is a 9, then maybe back it off and keep it simple. A bowl of oatmeal and an apple or something, then a snack after your session.

At my recent Lemons race (2 hour sessions), I had a pop-tart for breakfast, then granola bars every hour or so until lunch, then a sub sandwich for lunch. All while drinking a LOT of water. I'm not the healthiest eater by any means, but I did not feel any sort of fatigue during that 2 hour session. I could have easily hopped back in and gone another 2 hours. Granted that car is much easier to drive than my Miata.

I'd substitute something like oatmeal for the pop tarts so you don't have a bit of a sugar crash.

Stay away from anything too heavy/greasy that sits heavy in your stomach.

Granola bars can often have a ton of sugar as well. Cliff bars are rad.

Don't try anything new, no matter how awesome you read/were told it was.

(No experience with track days, but some basic nutrition knowledge.)

I eat the same thing I eat every day for breakfast, bagel with peanut butter + coffee. At the track the gf always packs sandwiches, granola bars, oranges, purple powerade, water ect. Eat small and often.

Clif bars also have a metric ton of sugar. Like 1/3 sugar by weight.

I always did something like a not sugary granola bar and a banana. Lots of water.

Repeat lots of water. Then made sure to hit the bathroom before gridding up for each session.

Eat light throughout the day. I like to start with protein. Honestly, an Egg McMuffin (sandwich only, skip the potatoes) isn't a bad way to start. Drink, drink and drink (water, not beer). I often instruct 2-day events in the heat which ends up being 24 sessions for a weekend. That takes it out of you!

Great stuff. thanks for the info! So far it seems like grains and proteins (nothing greasy) are the winners with lots of water.

I like breakfast burritos because they're pretty easy to walk around and do other stuff while eating

Go to a diner style place and eat meat and eggs. Skip the carbs. Load up on water.

I try to treat race day at the track the same as race day for a triathlon or run or ruck march of old. You're not burning 4000+ calories, so the quantity is reduced, but the type of nutrition is the same. The day before you want to stock up on carbs and water. Dehydration increases fatigue (the rate at which you get tired), and decreases metal acuity and physical coordination. All of which will affect your driving. A rule of thumb is your urine should be clear the night before. The complex carbs will help maintain your glycogen levels throughout the day, which will keep your glucose levels from crashing. Race day morning don't do anything out of the ordinary. If you typically drink coffee, have a cup; you don't want a caffeine headache. A mixture of carbs, light protein, and low fat is a good choice. Fats aren't beneficial because they take so long to digest. Some toast with jelly and an egg, for example. I highly recommend avoiding all dairy products, but milk and cheese are the worst. Dairy is difficult to digest and can lead to an upset stomach, which will lead to some brown lightning. Ignore this tip if you subscribe to the Taco Bell pre-race weight loss diet. Once the day get's rolling just keep a steady flow of water and calories to maintain hydration and energy levels. Naturally, keep the alcohol to a minimum.

I usually just try to drink tons of water because it seems like most of my track days start with a massive hangover...

then after I think I'm okay I'll go for a breakfast burrito or breakfast sandwich. If you have a trailer with a generator then this thing is a gangster track item:

ftfy

My home track is pretty laid back, if anyone saw a driver drinking alcohol during an HPDE.........I'm sure Connie would permaban you from the track. And rightly so.

Sure after your last session crack a few open as you load up and get ready to go, NOT during the day when on course.

Yeah pretty sure he wasn't talking about boozing in between sessions there chief...

Track day breakfast? PBR and polska kielbasa.

Unless you are driving.

What's it matter how much you drink after the day is over?

Chief...

What a bunch of youngsters, BRAN FLAKES, just like every other REGULAR day.:)

Doesn't matter at all. I drink a shitload as soon as I'm done driving for the day. Seems like your reading comprehension isn't that great or something?


You changed his quote to "absolutely zero" alcohol. He wasn't talking about drinking alcohol and driving on the track at the same time, just try to keep it to a minimum the night before, which is a tip I will continue to fully ignore anyways.

"Once the day get's rolling just keep a steady flow of water and calories to maintain hydration and energy levels. Naturally, keep the alcohol to a minimum."

See how that says, "once the day get's rolling"

But I'm not going to sully this thread anymore.

Considering he was pulling from triathlon experience I would assume it to mean the evening before despite how it's written. Pretty common for tri/ultra folks to refrain for a week or so leading up to a race as alcohol does you no favors. Of course, the Friday/Saturday evening camping party is half the fun :p.

For breakfast, I'd eat whatever you normally eat (or close to it) unless you eat garbage. Breakfast burritos/tacos are usually pretty easy to find around here. As long as it has eggs/potatoes I'm happy and then throw in some fruit. On that note TT isn't racing, so eh.

See how there is a period between them.