Are you ready for marathon season? Do you have your running training program ready? Awesome. Endurance sports are increasing in popularity and athletes at all levels are looking for ways to optimize their performance by training and nutrition. Now remember how important food is for the perfect race. Here is 5 tips on how you should fuel up towards the big day.
On Your Marks, Get Set, 5 Tips!
1 – The day before race you need to focus on food
Fuel up mostly on delicious carbohydrates and have some healthy fats from avocado or/and nuts the day before. It would also be a good idea to eat beetroot and arugula salad, as they both contain nitrate. When you consume nitrate from plants, it is converted in the body to nitric oxide, which increases blood flow to the muscles, which means you will experience more energy.
2 – Eat a mix of whole grain & refined carbohydrates
Eat a mix of whole grain & refined carbohydrates. Brown rice or whole grain pasta is the healthy choice. The fibers cause the carbohydrates to be released more slowly, so the energy lasts longer. When you are out for a long run, you really want to have energy that lasts for a long time. White rice or white pasta is good for fuelling on a lot of calories – you can eat more when a food has less fiber. Fruit is always very good to consume the day before the race, while you are on the move, and after the race. The best fruits you can eat are those that are fresh and fully ripe, e.g. bananas that have brown spots on the peel.
3 – Try to consume natural raw foods on race day
The healthiest thing you can train your body to do, in relation to liquid and food on the run, is to eat as naturally as possible – instead of various energy drinks and super refined gels. If you would like to have a good source of energy for your training or run, pack some dates that you can keep in your pocket. It might be a good idea to make such a thick date paste that you can easily eat when needed. You can also take some tube smoothies with you on training, as they are easy to transport and easy to eat on the run. The reason why we want to have natural raw foods is that you can absorb the energy better and at the same time you will get lots of important vitamins and minerals. When it comes to liquids, it might be a good idea to try coconut water, which contains good electrolytes. Of course, you should also just drink plain water. If you have to run far and need extra sugar, you can also use agave syrup or organic cane sugar mixed in water.
4 – Do not expose your stomach to something unknown.
On marathon day, remember to always do what your body is feels comfortable with. Many make the mistake of stuffing themselves with sugary liquids on running/marathon day. This is not always a good idea if you are not used to giving your body this when training for the marathon. Therefore, a good piece of advice is to stick to what you have been doing while training for the marathon. You don’t get anything good out of trying something new when the body is under a lot of pressure. You can end up with a very sick stomach.
5 – Breakfast is important
A really good tip is to drink a delicious smoothie in the morning, at least 3 hours before the race. You should not have anything that is too heavy, as you will soon be going for a run. You should have eaten the heavy carbohydrates the night before. These carbs are stored in your muscles and are now ready to help you through the race. So this means that in the morning you must have something light that can give you energy to get started. The best plant-based runners drink a smoothie with lots of ripe bananas, preferably 6-8. You can also add chia seeds for good fats.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21916794/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32679728/
https://www.usada.org/athletes/substances/nutrition/carbohydrates-the-master-fuel/