The Importance of Marathon Training Nutrition - The Hidden Secret to Marathon Successmarathon training nutrition, marathon diet, marathon training diet, marathon nutrition Marathon training nutrition should be top of mind for you. Why? Because it is so important that I'd like to call it the hidden secret for marathon success. Most marathon runners eat many more calories than non-endurance athletes or non-runners. When you are training for a marathon you should consume a diet emphasizing the right carbohydrates and protein. We'll get into the details of this below, but don't just skip this page thinking, oh, I have heard it all before. Nutrition is key to a top performance. Marathon Training Nutrition Tip #1: CarbohydratesThe best marathon diet concentrates on carbohydrates. Once carbohydrates enter the body, the body absorbs them as muscle glycogen.Runners tap into this glycogen for fuel and energy-replenishment.. Though carbohydrates are in many foods, you should concentrate on eating mainly whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products to receive the most nutritious carbohydrates. Moreover, you should eat an amount every day based on your body weight. You can determine the recommended amount by multiplying your weight in pounds by 3.2, or your weight in kilograms by 7. The resulting amount will yield the total amount in grams of carbohydrates you should eat each day. This amount should then be categorized into approximately 15 servings of whole grains, 6 servings of fruit, 6 servings of vegetables, and 5 servings of low-fat dairy products. Marathon Training Nutrition Tip #2: ProteinSecondly, marathon nutrition centers on protein. Though it is a myth that protein alone enhances muscular bulk, it is still necessary for muscle growth and repair.It is especially important during marathon training and other high-exertion activities that cause muscular "wear and tear". You should try to make sure to consume protein throughout the day. You should also take caution in eating animal-based protein sources, because these sources often contain high amounts of saturated fat. Nothing is more detrimental to marathon training nutrition than saturated fat, since it clogs the arteries. In contrast, good protein sources include lean meat, fish, eggs, poultry, and low-fat dairy products. Tofu, nuts, and dried beans work well as snacks. To obtain your daily protein intake, you multiply your weight in pounds by 0.6 or your weight in kilograms by 1.3 to yield the number of protein grams to be eaten each day. You should try to get that much protein into about 3-5 servings per day. Marathon Training Nutrition Tip #3: "Good" FatTo round out your daily marathon training diet, you should also eat a small amount of "good" fat.Recommended sources of "good" fat are those containing unsaturated fat rather than artery-clogging saturated fat. Olive oil, nuts, and salmon are good examples of unsaturated fats. Marathon Training Nutrition Tip #4: Diet / Weight Loss a No-NoI'd be really careful in trying to combine a low-calorie marathon diet with marathon training. When doing all those miles and miles of running, you need to supply your body with fuel.Try to starve yourself and you'll run out of fuel. It might help you lose weight, but the consequences are that you'll end up very, very low in energy, you'll be more likely to skip workouts, you'll get grumpier and grumpier, you may get sick, etc. Chances are, that you'll lose weight anyway. But make sure you eat healthily and make sure you eat enough. Marathon Training Nutrition Tip #5: Eat Directly After a WorkoutEating directly after a workout is an incredibly good idea. Your body is most susceptible to taking in the fuel you'll provide it with directly after a workout.Choose a snack or meal that is both high in carbs and protein. Some of the diet drinks are fairly popular as they offer a quick way to take in energy at a pretty good carb/protein ratio. But I prefer natural choices. E.g something like a sandwich with lean meat/salmon or some noodles with tofu and some vegetables are quick to prepare and healthy as! They are the smart components of your marathon training diet. Marathon Training Nutrition Tip #6: Practice Running and Eating and DrinkingDuring the marathon you'll likely be eating, drinking and running all at the same time. And it is not as easy as it seems! So practice it during training.Lots of runners rely on energy gels and sportsdrinks as their marathon diet on race day. Again, I'd like to offer some healthy, natural alternatives. Banana, dates, sultanas/raisins, trail mix, etc. I personally like trail mix. I take a fuel belt with me on long runs. It allows me to carry four little water bottles and also has a pouch which you can stuff with something like trail mix. While running (note, this does take a bit of practice!), you can then open the pouch carefully grab a small handful of trail mix and eat. It's really best if you try to eat from early on at regular intervals. E.g. something like every 15 minutes or so. In the beginning you won't be hungry, but when you are feeling hungry, it is too late. It takes 30-60 minutes for the food to get your blood, so you'll need to eat before you think you need it. Same with water. Start drinking from the beginning. Little sips at a time. Marathon Training Nutrition Tip #6: Carbo LoadingOne practice you may have heard about already is "carb loading" or "carbo loading". What this basically means is that you eat extra carbohydrates in the days before your marathon. This fills up the muscles with extra glycogen.The goal is that when you run your marathon your muscles will have top levels of glycogen in them (this will keep you going for longer). Now, one common misconception with carbo loading is that you first need to deprive yourself of carbs. The original practice was that elite marathon runners would go out on these long runs about 7-10 days out of the big race. Afterwards they would not provide their bodies with any carbs. I think it was Steve Moneghetti, the Australian marathoner who once said that this made him feel like "death warmed up". So, not a great feeling... :) After doing that for 3-4 days, they would then start feeding their bodies lots of carbs. It was believed that this was the optimal way to get the highest levels of glycogen in your muscles just before the race. This is simply not true! Later, with more advanced research and technology available, it was found that you absolutely don't need to deprive yourself of carbs. Just fill up extra in the 3-5 days before a race. That's why pasta is such a favorite with marathon runners and all the big marathons now have a pasta party the night before. Marathon Training Nutrition Tip #7: Don't Attend the Pasta Party (or the Expo)This may come as a little bit of a surprise. We just talked about carbo loading, now I am telling you to not go to the pasta party.The reason for this is not on a nutritional basis. Pasta the night before a marathon is a sound choice. But, if you can avoid it, don't go to the pasta party. And most big marathons have a marathon expo that provides you with all kinds of goodies and discounts on running items. Skip that one as well. Why? It's really best to not spend too much time on your feet the day(s) before the marathon. Or go to bed too late. Pasta parties are often great get-togethers. But when they are poorly organized or just very busy it can mean that you'll stand in line for a long time waiting for your food. And when you start talking to other runners time will fly and before you'll know it you'll be up too late. I'd highly recommend being non-social in the last day(s) before the marathon and get a nice pasta meal at a quiet Italian restaurant, relatively early at night, then go to bed early. A bit of discipline here can make a world of difference! Marathon Training Nutrition Tip #8: Don't Experiment During the RaceOne of the big, big mistakes that people make is to suddenly do something different on race day. I am not sure what it is, but without reason, suddenly, you get this big idea and you throw your complete marathon training diet out of the window.You decide to experiment with another brand of sports drink or a food that somebody else swears by. Don't do it. Don't ignore your marathon diet and don't experiment with it. You have trained with a certain sports drink/water and with certain foods or gels. You have tested what works. Don't mess it up on race day with silly experiments. It could end badly. With that I mean stomach cramps, not being able to hold your food in, etc. I have seen it all. Don't play around. Marathon training is tough, so you need to eat well. Use your training to experiment a bit with the food you use and work out what works. Once you have found a golden formula, don't play around with it anymore, especially not on race day. I hope these marathon nutrition tips have helped, so that you are optimally prepared for your big race. Wish to get more running tips? Subscribe to the Best Running Tips Newsletter or to my site blog. Go from Marathon Training Nutrition Page to Marathon Running Page Go from Marathon Training Nutrition Page to Best Running Tips Homepage Marathon Running 100 Day Marathon Plan | Marathon Training Tips | Marathon Training Nutrition | History of the Marathon Like this page: |
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