5 Recommendations For Marathon Nutrition
by FitQuickly
Running a marathon is widely considered to be one of the most challenging things ever, putting you with less than 1% of the world’s population (541,000 finishers in the 2013 U.S. marathons). It’s no secret that in order to be a part of that small percentage you have to go through rigorous training, both physically and mentally. On top of that, you must be supplying your actions with balanced nutrition in order to fuel your run.
With the Berlin Marathon just around the corner, and the New York City Marathon following in its steps, the quest to become a part of this 1% is becoming more real. However, whether you’re Wilson Kipsang (the previous winner of The Berlin Marathon) or someone who’s just getting ready to cross your first finish line, there are certain marathon nutritional guidelines that you would benefit from adhering to.
Here are 5 Marathon Nutrition recommendations to get you fit for a marathon:
1. Optimize your Performance
Optimal performance is only achievable if athletes are able to recover from the stress that their training puts on their body. A healthy diet, proper training and rest are all required. A marathoner needs general support such as a multivitamin, muscle builders such as amino acids, antioxidants, immune system builders, and of course energy boosters.
Micki Contini, Nutritionist at FitQuickly.com
2. Avoid The Unknown
The preparation for the upcoming marathon is not the time to be trying something new. You know your body best, and we suggest you stick to the foods that your body performs best on. For some this means avoiding eggs, peanuts, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, wheat, or fish.
3. Eat carbs
Carbohydrates are a major source of energy for the muscles during a marathon. Inadequate amounts of carbohydrates in your diet can leave the working muscles with low levels of glycogen and cause fatigue. Carbohydrate loading before an event can prolong the duration your muscles are able to perform before they run out of glycogen and fatigue starts to kick in.
Alfred Nassoro, Nutrition Coach at FitQuickly.com
4. Don’t start celebrating too soon
Avoid drinking alcohol or indulging in your cravings prior to the race. Alcohol, even in small amounts is dehydrating to the body, which can in turn cause complications during the race. Same goes for cravings, especially foods rich in fat. In addition to the unnecessary weight gain, such foods take longer to process, keeping you from performing at your best.
5. Not every “sports drink” is healthy
Have you read what is in some of the sports drinks? Here’s what’s on the label: Water, sucrose syrup, glucose-fructose syrup, citric acid, natural grape flavor with other natural flavors, salt, sodium citrate, monopotassium phosphate, Red 40, Blue 1. I’m all for re-hydrating, but are the monopotassium phosphate, “natural flavors” and artificial dyes really necessary? I don’t think so.
Micki Contini, Nutritionist at FitQuickly.com
Bonus Sports Drink Recipe from Micki:
Here’s a recipe I make for my son:
- 1 quart of coconut water or plain water
- 1/4 tsp of sea salt (this provides lots of trace minerals)
- 1/4 cup of apple juice (can use any juice: grape, lemon, lime, etc.)
- 1-2 tbsp of maple syrup or honey
This guest post was written by FitQuickly.com:
FitQuickly.com is an online platform for consultations between dietitians, nutritionists and their clients via face-to-face video chat. FitQuickly.com offers its clients a tailored approach to dieting, providing access to an abundance of qualified dietitians and nutritionists in one place, thereby allowing them to seek help even on the most specialized topics.
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