Post-Race

The most important thing you need to do after a race is replace fluids. Drinking a sports drink instead of water can help replace sodium that your body lost from sweating. It can also help prevent you from diluting your blood with too many fluids.

Your second priority should be carb replacement since your body uses a lot of energy during a cross country race. You should eat somewhere between 0.5 and 0.7 grams of carbs per pound of body weight. If you weigh 100 pounds that means you should eat between 50 and 70 grams of carbs. The list below will show you some foods with 30 grams of carbs so you can mix and match. These carbs should be consumed within two hours of your race to provide any benefit.

Another priority should be protein, but it should only make up about 25% of what you eat after running. Protein can help muscles recover, but make sure the protein is low in fat.

Foods with 30 Grams of Carbs

The list of foods below was taken from Monique Ryan's book mentioned above. The list contains serving sizes of foods that would give you 30 grams of carbs. You can combine these foods or simply increase the serving size to reach the number of carbs you want. Always try to minimize the fats you are taking in. Fat is the least helpful source of energy for an endurance athlete.

Protein Sorted By Fat Content

The table below is also from Monique Ryan's book. You want to minimize fatty foods as an endurance athlete, but you still need protein. The foods are grouped into categories below and sorted based on their fat content.