Nutrition for the Marathon Runners
With the onset of winter in India we see most big cities hosting the City Marathon.Marathon running comes under the category of Endurance sports.Marathon /Long distance running is a huge fad amongst the fitness freaks who wish to achieve new goals in their fitness regime.
Marathon running especially the half(21km) or the full marathon(46km) requires intensive training well in advance. But along with the actual training the other most important aspect of this sport is the nutrition. For a regular marathon runner the ideal weight should be around 65kg.His/her daily calorie requirement should be around 5200 kcal/day.(source: NIN,Hyd)
How to plan your nutrition for this long a run?
A)The 16 week period: This is the time when you can start tracking the mileage, your pre-run meals and fluid intake during the run. Find out which sports drink suits you the best.
B)The 2-4 month period: During this time frame start taking in more fluid than your regular routine. studies indicate that by doing so you can train your gut to take in double the amount of fluid and thereby avoid dehydration during the actual Run.
C)The week before: After having trained for almost 4 months ease up on your training so that your muscles can recharge and store the amount of glycogen much needed during the final run. A relaxed workout means muscles store more carbs helping to build up reserves for the actual race.But beware of overdoing it as it may lead to excess weight gain. In your daily weighing routine if you gain anything above 1.5 kg then you need to go slow on the carbs.
D)2-3 days before: Cut down on the high fibre food. This helps to lighten the weight of materials in the intestine in turn reducing body weight.
E)2-4 hours before: Take a carbohydrate rich (100 gms of carbs)meal. This helps to steady your blood sugar levels during the race. Make sure you have enough time to digest the meal. Fats should be kept to a minimum and proteins should be 15 gms or less.
F)Pre-event meal: Marathon being an early morning event this meal should be light such as cereal with low fat milk/juice & toast/low-fat yogurt.
G)Mid-race period: Fuel-up according to your training. Fluid intake should be according to the training, the temperature around you and your sweat loss. In case during the second half you find yourself fading out then try a caffeine based chew or gel to boost your alertness. Do not use high sodium drinks, stick to ones with normal level of sodium.
Fluid Balance
Maintaining a proper fluid balance is necessary for optimum performance as
1)Water transports nutrients and gases to cells, which in turn give energy to the muscles to work .
2)It maintains body temperature
3)It combines with viscous molecules to help in lubrication of joints.
Lack of adequate fluid can cause dehydration. Depending on the degree of dehydration you may face-heat cramps OR-heat exhaustion OR-heat stroke.
Most of your calorie intake should be through carbohydrates.Carbs here are best taken in form of grains and cereals instead of sugary desserts. Roti, Rice, Bread, Toast and biscuits should form the staple food to get enough of carbs.
Intense workout is the key to successful completion of a marathon but Nutrition is also equally important.Hope these tips will help the budding runners.
HAPPY RUNNING!