Nutrition for runners-Marathon Training Tips
October 6, 2017
Time to taper-3 weeks to New York marathon 2017 (race date 05/11/17)
October 20, 2017
1.General diet
What you eat and drink is very crucial to support training
Your diet needs to be balanced and healthy with carbohydrates making up around two thirds of it, with fats and proteins filling in the rest. This is how you build your nutritional foundations.
Always think about how far you’re planning to run and then do some basic maths. In terms of fuelling up for a long run, say in excess of 75 minutes, you need to looking to consume around 1g of carbohydrate for every 1kg (2lbs) of body weight, then multiply that by the number of hours you have before your run
2.Sports drinks
Most runners sweat a lot during their workouts.Some take water only while others take sports drinks which contain electrolytes, low levels of sodium and carbohydrates. For a runner who sweats a lot, sports drinks might be the way to go to replace the electrolytes you’re losing.
There are lots of things to consider when choosing a sports drink, taste being one.Always try out new drinks in training.
3.Sports gels
The body can only store a limited amount of approximately 2000 calories in the form of glycogen..Runs longer than 90 minutes may deplete these calories fully. Energy gels come in handy to replenish depleted stores.The body needs time to process the gels and convert it into glycogen.Timing of gel consumption during the run is important-(best timing being in the first 45 minutes to an hour of your long run and every hour after). The gels are absorbed into your bloodstream as sugar initially and then fed to the muscles. Using them too late in the run can unsettle the stomach.
For some runners, their stomachs shut down in the latter stages of races or long runs because of fatigue causing an emergency stop. Its important to practice with gels during your runs. Wash them down with water to assists in their digestion
4.Snacks on the go
Depending on the length of your workout, you may have to eat something while you are on the move. Take something healthy with you like a banana, or an energy bar, even some dried fruit or jelly babies. The fruit will give you carbs and energy and the glucose in the sweets will provide a sugar boost.
5.Post-run snacks
When you’ve finished your workout you need to be thinking about a high carbohydrate snack within half an hour.Some runners like to go for a snack bar or an energy bar. Others prefer some fruit or dried fruit, but if you fancy, some toast with peanut butter would do the trick. The maximal uptake of glucose into the body is in those first 30 minutes after your run.”
6.Liquid Food supplements
For those runners who don’t like to eat right after exercise, a drink packed with the right kind of ingredients will do the trick. Chocolate milk or a homemade fruit smoothie could be a potential option here. Liquid food supplements are a new addition to the runner’s arsenal of refueling options. They are high in carbohydrate but also contain protein, vitamins and electrolytes. They are also a popular way of recovering lost vitamins, minerals and glycogen immediately after a workout.
