This week’s Speedo Tip of the Week comes from Jessica Knowles, a sports nutritionist from Evergreen, Colo., and a member of USA Swimming’s Sports Medicine Database. Knowles offers some advice on pre-race meals.

Knowles’ Tip:

Pre-race meals should always be low-fat and high in carbohydrates. Fat slows down the absorption rate in your GI tract, which is not ideal. What you want is easily digestible carbohydrates so your body can use them for energy during the race. Depending on how much time you have between when you eat and the start of your first race, there are some general guidelines for the type and amount of carbohydrate to consume.

If you eat 3-4 hours before the start of your first race, you need 1.5 to 2 grams of carbohydrate per pound of bodyweight. For a 130-pound athlete, that is 195-260 grams of carbohydrate. You want low fat, low fat proteins and low fiber (fiber also slows digestion). Good sources are cereal, fruit, fruit juices, breads, bagels, yogurt, non-fat milk and preserves.

If you eat 2 hours before the start of your first race, the amount of carbohydrate needed is 1 gram per pound of bodyweight. Now our 130-pound athlete needs 130 grams of carbohydrate from low-fat, low-fiber sources of food. Good sources are again cereals, fruit, fruit juices, non fat milk, yogurt and preserves.

If you eat 1 hour or less before the start of your first race, the amount of carbohydrate needed is .5 grams per pound of bodyweight. Our 130-pound athlete now needs 65 grams of carbohydrate. At this point, you need to emphasize liquid sources of carbohydrate and avoid protein, fat and fiber. Good sources are fruits and fruit juices.