As the Flora London Marathon approaches, you will be building up your training levels and starting to think about nutrition preparation. The key to a success is to be both physically and mentally prepared on the day. You will have already put in the hard work in the weeks prior to marathon progressively increasing your training and ideally you will have been refuelling with a high carbohydrate diet to maximise your carbohydrate stores.
During the marathon glycogen stores will start to deplete as the body has a limited supply of carbohydrate, this is why it is so important to make sure these levels are maximised to improve your endurance on the day. During the marathon you will start to deplete these stores and to ensure you do not run low or ‘hit the wall’, you will need to top up your blood glucose levels with extra carbohydrate. This can be from sports drinks, gels, sports bars or food, the choice is yours, so take this opportunity now to practice during training and find what works for you.
Diet Preparation
A balanced diet that is high in carbohydrate and low in fat, and provides foods form all essential food groups ensures that you having an adequate supply of all nutrients. Make sure that you eat breakfast and if running early in morning and can’t stomach a meal, try a fruit smoothie drink to make sure that you are not training on empty. Make sure you eat a carbohydrate rich snack containing some protein within 30 minutes following training to help the body refuel, and help muscle repair and regeneration. If you do not refuel adequately on a regular basis, this will cause reduction in your carbohydrate stores, making training more difficult. Poor recovery can lead to an increased risk of picking up a cold or chest infection.
Do I need To Carbohydrate Load before the Race?
In recent years carbohydrate loading has been modified and training is tapered over the week before the race. Continue with your high carbohydrate training diet (contain 5-6g carbohydrate per kg of body weight). Carbohydrate intake should then be increased slightly to 8-10g/kg body weight in the 3 days before the race.
On the Day of the Race
Pre-race meal
On the morning of the marathon, you will need to take a light meal 2-3 hours to allow it to digest, you may find it difficult to eat on the morning because of nerves, in this case try using liquid meal such as fruit smoothie, or fruit yogurt drink. Try a breakfast that is low in fibre, so that it does not cause stomach. It is important to practice the pre-marathon breakfast during training to find out what works best for you.
You may find a small breakfast and a series of snacks are easier to tolerate.
Take a snack, or drink in the hour before marathon for an extra boost of energy to help delay fatigue; try dried fruit, low fat fruit yogurt, cereal or energy bar, or a jam sandwich or a sports drink. Drink 400-600mls of fluid two hours before the race allows you to hydrate and also find time for a visit to the toilet. Then top up with 200-250mls of fluid 15-20 minutes before the race starts.
Ideas pre-race breakfast Breakfast cereal with skimmed milk, fruit, toast and juice Muffins or crumpets with fruit, yogurt Rolls and sandwiches with low fat filling, yogurt, and fruit Fruit smoothies or fruit flavoured yogurts |
During the race
Ideally, during the race you will need to start topping up carbohydrate levels to ensure you don’t run out. Start after about 30 minutes into race, aim for about 30-60g carbohydrate per hour, continue at regular intervals. Try energy bars, gels, bananas, dried fruit-bars or an isotonic sports drink. Start to replace fluids early into exercise, don’t wait to become thirsty. It is easier to drink small amounts frequently to avoid gastric upset. Start replacing fluids within the first 30 minutes of exercise, aim for 150-350 mls of fluid every 15-20 minutes during exercise. An isotonic sports drink is an ideal way to refuel and rehydrate. Start practising drinking while on the run in preparation for the big day, this will help to reduce stomach upset during the race.
Ideas for Carbohydrate During Race (50g carbohydrate) |
800mls isotonic sports drink 1 energy gel (large gel) 2 cereal bars 60g jelly beans, wine gums or jelly babies 1 jam sandwich (thick bread and lots of jam) 2 piece of fruit 2 handfuls dried fruit |
After the Race
Celebrate!! And enjoy what you’ve achieved. Following the marathon as spirits are high it is easy to forget about recovery. Remember to eat within the hour to make sure that your body has the fuel to start to recovery. Eat carbohydrate snack with some protein, for example fruit yogurt and sandwich, banana and yogurt drink, sandwich and tinned rice pudding, or try a recovery bar and recovery sports drink. Make provision for recovery food and drink. Start replacing lost fluids by drinking until urine appears pale in colour. Eat a high carbohydrate meal following the marathon and continue to eat carbohydrate rich meals for the next week to replenish stores.
Checklist
- Ensure that your training diet is high in carbohydrate
- Eat a high carbohydrate snack with some protein within first 30 minutes after training
- Practice drinking and eating during long runs and practice pre-race breakfast
- Eat carbohydrate rich meals 3 days before the race
- Eat pre-race breakfast 2-3 hours before race
- Take pre-race snack within 1 hour before race
- Replace fluids early in the race, 150-350mls every 15 to 20 minutes fluid (use a sports drink)
- Take 30-60g carbohydrate every hour, start 30 minutes into race
- Recovery strategy – remember to eat and drink straight after race, make sure you have prepared for this
Celebrate!!! make sure you have refuelled and hydrated before the celebratory drinks.
