With the Melbourne Marathon just around the corner, most of the hard training is behind you. However, one key element that can significantly impact your performance on race day is proper nutrition and hydration.
It’s crucial to practice your fuelling strategy during training. By doing this, you can train your gut to tolerate food and fluids while running, determine what works best for your body, and minimise the risk of gastrointestinal discomfort on race day.
Remember the golden rule: Never try anything new on race day!
Nutrition:
Glucose is the body’s most efficient fuel source for exercise above a certain intensity, making it the key to endurance and performance.
Carbohydrates play a vital role in long training sessions and races. Consuming carbs before and during your run improves endurance, delays fatigue, prevents muscle breakdown, and helps maintain blood glucose levels. Carbs are also the only fuel that supports high-intensity (anaerobic) exercise, which is common during race surges or sprints to the finish line.
It’s essential to consume enough carbs during your race to avoid "hitting the wall," a point where your body runs out of glycogen stores, leading to sudden fatigue and decreased performance.
Carb Loading (Before the Race):
Carb loading helps saturate your muscles with glycogen, providing you with the fuel necessary to maintain performance over long distances.
Start 48-36 hours before race day
Aim for 10-12g of carbs per kilo of body weight to maximize your glycogen stores.
Race Day Nutrition:
Pre-Race: Carbs + Caffeine
Your pre-race meal should consist of quick-releasing, high-GI carbs that are low in fibre and fat to prevent gastrointestinal distress during the race.
Fat and fibre take longer to digest and can cause discomfort or unwanted bathroom breaks during the event.
Examples:
White toast or crumpets with jam or honey.
Cereal (Rice Bubbles, Corn Flakes, or Nutri-Grain).
Fruit juice.
Pair these with a strong coffee or caffeine tablet to give you a performance boost, as caffeine can improve endurance and focus.
During the Race:
During the marathon, aim to consume 60-90 grams of carbs per hour to maintain energy levels. Energy gels, sports drinks, or chews are convenient options that provide easy-to-digest carbs.
A minimum of 60g of carbs per hour is essential, with the ideal range being 80-90g per hour for optimal performance.
Personally, I’ll be consuming 1 Maurten 160 Gel every 30 minutes, aiming for 80 grams of carbs per hour.
Caffeine:
As a general guide, doses of 1-3mg per kilogram of body weight have been shown to enhance performance, particularly in endurance events lasting 30 minutes or more.
Hydration and Electrolytes:
Proper hydration is vital during the race. As you sweat, you lose not only water but also sodium, a key electrolyte that helps maintain blood volume. A drop in sodium levels can reduce blood volume, making it harder for the heart to pump blood to working muscles, which can lead to fatigue and a decline in performance.
If sodium levels drop too low, you may be at risk for hyponatremia, a dangerous condition where blood sodium levels are abnormally low.
Hydration Tips:
Aim for 300-600mg of sodium per hour.
Consume 300-500ml of fluid per hour.
Don’t skip drink stations during the race.
If you can’t drink your electrolytes, consider electrolyte or sodium tablets.
Electrolyte Sources:
Gatorade/Powerade.
Voost.
Electrolyte or sodium tablets/powders.
After the Race:
Post-race recovery is just as important. Refuelling with a balanced meal that’s high in protein, helps repair muscle damage and supports recovery. Aim for a post-race meal or snack that includes protein, carbohydrates, fat and fluids to replenish your energy stores and promote recovery.
Summary:
Practice your fuelling strategy during training to find what works best for you.
Carb load 48-36 hours before the race, aiming for 10-12g of carbs per kilo of body weight.
On race day, consume quick-releasing carbs and caffeine for sustained energy and focus.
During the race, aim for 60-90g of carbs per hour to prevent hitting the wall.
Hydrate with 300-500ml of fluid and 300-600mg of sodium per hour to maintain performance.
Refuel with protein after the race to support recovery.
For personalised nutrition advice and a tailored race day nutrition plan, book a consult
Author: This blog post was written by Melissa D'Elia (APD)
Book your free discovery call now to find out how Melissa can assist you.
Disclaimer: The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with your Dietitian or GP for individualised advice.
Copyright: 2024 Sprout Nutrition & Dietetics.
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