What to eat or not to eat before a huge amount of high intensity exercise?

[Nidan2Sandan]

Knowledgable people in my phone, please help.

I have a big martial arts grading coming up. About 6 hours long, no breaks really during it. I need to eat something about an hour before, and a snack before I go in.

It needs to give me energy, but be very stomach friendly as I get really bad stomach issues. So nothing with too much fibre, no onion/garlic, no dairy, nothing fizzy or with sweeteners.

Basically has to be VERY kind to my stomach.

Any ideas?

Oh and it's pretty hardcore on the cardio front. Lots of sparring, constant go go go go, not much down time..hence the need for energy but kind to indigestion prone people.

Wholemeal toast/bagel with jam and peanut butter then a banana as snack. That’s what I have before a long run.

Before running a marathon (4-4.5hrs), I would have yogurt, granola and a banana, and a bagel with marmite. That would probably be 2hrs before the start. I'd have a cereal bar about an hour before.
During the run I have a gel every hour.

But this is tried and tested. Whatever you choose, can you have a test run - at least trying some exercise an hour after eating it?

For some reason, bagels keep me going a lot longer than bread. I feel fuller for longer.

Should have said, I have a nut allergy as well.

My brother swears by Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem - he has a shake before he does a distance run and sips another through his first hour of running. Says its great on empty stomachs and fuels his runs vey well

I normally have cuppa porridge (not too liquidy, more like cement consistency!) with a chopped banana and honey stirred into it. If I can’t make cuppa porridge, I have oat cakes instead.

Just to add, DH doesn’t like oat cake, so if the snack needs to be portable he takes flapjacks or rice cakes.

Also forgot to mention malt loaf!

Another one who fuels for long runs/marathons.
A couple of hours before I'll have a porridge bar and maybe half a bagel with peanut butter/jam.
A banana around an hour before.
During I'll have gels/jelly babies/Percy pigs.
An electrolyte drink is also good during exercise.
Good luck!

Also think about the two days running up to the contest. Make sure you have enough protein & good complex carbohydrates the day before - eat everything, basically!

Good call !

Thanks everyone. I am freaking nervous as heck so know my stomach will be a mess. I've been training for 3 years for this 😬