What should I eat before I compete in an athletic event?

What should I eat before I compete in an athletic event?

John Spencer Ellis (Author, TV Show Host, Trainer and CEO, National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association) gives expert video advice on: What do muscles use for energy during exercise?; What should I eat before I compete in an athletic event?; Should I take extra vitamins and minerals? and more...

Eating before an athletic event will depend on what type of athletic event you're doing. For example, if you're to go out and run a marathon or go for a long bike ride, you will need more fuel stored in your body. If I'm doing something short in duration, maybe it is a 5-meter swimming competition, I will still eat something appropriate which could be a balance of proteins, fats and carbs, but in smaller amounts because I don't want my stomach so full as it's just an all-out energy burst; I don't need to have so much energy. Yet you need to have the right type of energy available to your body.