Kelsey HigginsonSports Nutrition Coach and Founder at Clutch Day Coaching

Cross Country Nutrition

23 Sept 2025 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

0:46

In this brief instructional segment, the speaker urges cross‑country runners to consume a post‑race meal within one hour of finishing. The recommended meal should be high in protein to aid muscle repair and high in carbohydrates to replenish depleted glycogen stores. An example given is a turkey sandwich paired with two pieces of fruit (such as an apple and a banana or an orange). While a turkey sandwich is not mandatory, the key criteria are a carbohydrate‑rich, protein‑rich food plus fruit, which also contributes to rehydration and provides additional carbs and micronutrients. The speaker explains the physiological basis: during a race glycogen stores are exhausted and muscles need both energy replenishment and repair.

Chapters

Cross-country runners, please eat this within 1 hour after your race. Turkey sandwich plus 2 pieces of fruit, as in like an apple and a banana or an orange, a banana, or something like that. And here's the reason why. Your muscles have little energy tanks in them called glycogen storages. And during the race, the glycogen or the gas is depleting in your muscles. At the same time, you're using your muscles and those need to recover as well. So the key with the post-race meal is we want it to be high in protein to help repair your muscle, and we want it to be high in carbohydrates to help refill those glycogen storages or those energy tanks. Does it have to be a turkey sandwich? No, but we want something high in carb, high in protein, and giving us pieces of fruit to both rehydrate and to give you an additional amount of carbs plus micronutrients.