“Racing on a go-kart is certainly a sport that involves a high expenditure of energy and even if there is no magical food, able to let you win a race, there are for sure many products which can provide the body with the necessary energy to end the competition in the best way and others that can make it even harder for you. With the help of the CRG Team drivers’ fitness coaches, we tried to understand what could be the most effective advice to give to drivers of any level, from professionals to amateurs.
The diet of a good kart driver, like any other sportsman, must be able to meet the high energy requirements and the necessary needs for the vital functions. Overindulging food can even lead to many problems, both for our health and for our performance on the track. Some time ago we have published an article about how the mind is absolutely essential for a driver, but be careful, the Latin phrase “mens sana in corpore sano” always applies. We know that making serious food mistakes could inexorably compromise the result of months and months of training and preparation. Our body is a bit like an engine and if you use the wrong petrol you will get stranded in a second.
It is good to know that one of the common mistakes made before a race is fasting for hours, or even worse, eating just before the traffic lights go out, so that to have to deal at the same time with both, opponents and one’s own digestion. You should remember that this process “takes away” a lot of blood from the rest of the body, leaving less of it for the brain.
Rule number one is certainly to drink a lot, but obviously avoid the consumption of alcohol and sugary drinks. Before a race it is good to reduce fat as much as possible, go for low proteins and focus more on complex carbohydrates. So we can say yes to pasta, rice and potatoes. Vegetables and fruit are also essential for providing a good part of carbohydrates but also vitamins, minerals and fiber. Foods for which you can therefore also slightly exceed the quantities.
Recently many sportsmen (even of a certain caliber),have shared the choice of a vegetarian or even vegan diet (also excluding animals’ derivatives, such as cheese and eggs) and specific studies have shown that these are absolutely sustainable choices, even for those athletes subjected to a great physical stress, as they guarantee the correct protein intake, without having to introduce animal fats into the body.
Obviously, before choosing which is your most suitable diet, we advise you to rely on an expert, as athletes’ diets must always be modulated with the training times and the specific performance requirements that are necessary for the body. Do-it-yourself is never a good idea and could take you off track.”
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