Increasing your carbohydrate intake three days before the event is helpful for your glycogen stores. Carbs such as pasta, rice, bread, couscous and noodles are all good options. Loading up on carbohydrates in the days leading to your event will help to maximise your glycogen stores in the muscle cells.

The liver is also a good store of glycogen, but this depletes faster than muscle stores. Focusing on carbohydrates in the hours leading up to your event can help to maximise liver stores of glycogen. The established guidance is to consume g carbohydrates per kg body weight hours before the race.

The time available dictates the type of meal you might choose, based on how long it takes to metabolise nutrients. It's important to never try anything new on race day. If you have plenty of time, choose your usual high-carbohydrate breakfast, which may be porridge with fruit and nuts, and avoid high-fibre carbohydrates to protect the gut.

If you have less time, make carbohydrates the priority, avoiding protein and fats. This means opting for energy drinks and gels. If you struggle to get enough carbohydrates in a single meal and have time, you may want to include a second breakfast. For instance, given 4 hours to spare before the race, you may choose to eat a jam sandwich 2 hours after your first breakfast of, say, porridge and fruit.

Hydration is crucial, and you should always start an event adequately hydrated. The easiest way to establish this is whether your urine is a pale yellow or clear colour. For example, marathon pre-event fluid intake guidelines suggest ml fluid per kg body weight in the hrs before the race.

If you weigh 70kg, this is up to ml. It would help if you consumed this fluid slowly to avoid frequent visits to the bathroom. Staying adequately hydrated in the run-up to the race also helps.

During events lasting more than 90 minutes, such as a marathon, you should aim to consume 60g of carbohydrates per hour. The most convenient way to do this is through energy gels or drinks, which have a ratio of glucose to fructose.

Again, try these supplements before race day, as the body's tolerance can differ between brands and you will also find your preferred flavour. It would also help if you planned how to take on board your carbohydrates before the race, as combining gels and sports drinks increases the risk of over-consuming carbohydrates, which may disrupt the gut.

Caffeine can help during long-distance events, especially during the latter stages of an event, where it has been shown to improve performance. Caffeine absorption can take up to 90 minutes, so plan your intake in line with your predicted finish time. The suggested dose is mg per kg bodyweight, so if you weigh 70kg, this is mg.

Caffeine is available in chewing gums and in certain energy gels. Combining caffeine with carbohydrates has been shown to improve glycogen repletion during exercise. Hydrating during the race is dependent on the individual and environmental conditions.

As a rule of thumb, you should drink around ml per hour. Like amateurs doing their first marathon, slower athletes can drink to thirst.

More experienced or faster competitors may want to plan by measuring their sweat rate to give a more accurate and individualised idea of their fluid needs.

Good nutrition after a marathon can help with recovery, which involves eating carbohydrates and a little protein. The recommended amount of carbohydrates is 1. If you weigh 70kg, then this equates to just over 80g of carbohydrates. You may not feel hungry after racing, so energy drinks 30g , fruit snack bars 18g , and bananas 30g may be more palatable immediately afterwards.

Protein is also needed to repair muscle breakdown from long-distance running. The recommended guidance suggests 0. If you weigh 70kg, this equates to around 20g of protein. Research has shown that consuming protein g with carbohydrates means eating fewer carbohydrates to get the same glycogen replenishment results.

Along these lines, post-race snacks may include yoghurt with fruit and honey, hummus with pitta bread, or protein shakes formulated for weight gain, which contains protein and higher amounts of carbohydrate. Rehydrating is critical after racing, and this can be enhanced with the use of electrolytes.

Sports drinks with added electrolytes are an excellent way to do this alongside replenishing glycogen stores. Continue to rehydrate in the hours after the race by sipping fluids regularly. Good nutrition and hydration can make a difference to both your performance and ability to get through the race without hitting the wall.

Planning a strategy well in advance to support your nutrition and hydration needs before, during and after a long-distance race is a good approach. Rob Hobson MSc RNutr is an award-winning registered nutritionist AFN and sports nutritionist SENR with over 15 years of experience.

Key nutrients that provide energy are carbohydrates, protein and fat. Here are some tips and ideas to help fuel your practice and competition:. Eat 2. For example, a pound runner would need to grams of carbohydrate per day. Choose high-quality carbohydrates, such as whole-grain breads, cereals, rice, pasta and starchy vegetables, fruit, and low-fat milk and yogurt.

Protein provides the building blocks for muscle mass. You need about 0. For example, a pound runner would need 81 to grams of protein per day. Choose protein foods, such as lean beef and pork, chicken and turkey, beans, nuts, eggs and low-fat dairy products.

Healthy fats include nuts and seeds, nut butters, avocado, and olive or canola oil. If possible, eat three to four hours before a long training run or competition. Aim for a low-fat meal with to grams of carbohydrates and about 30 grams of lean protein. This will ensure you have enough fuel but will leave time for your stomach to empty before you start your run.

An example would be a turkey sandwich with baked chips and a side of fruit. Good choices include fruit, milk, a bowl of cereal, yogurt, a small bagel with peanut butter, or cheese and crackers.

For training runs lasting longer than one to two hours, try to eat 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate every hour.

Choices include sports drinks, sodium, potassium, and energy gels or chews with water.

How to Carbo Load Before a Marathon or Half Marathon. An ideal ratio would be Your muscles need both of these components to recover.

About 20 to 25 grams of post-exercise protein is optimal to stimulate muscle growth. You want to aim to refuel within the first 30 to 45 minutes after a run.

The next 2 to 3 hours eat a full meal as your body is still recovering. You want to have a balanced meal with carbs, protein, and fat. This continues to be an optimal time for your muscles to rebuild and replenish glycogen stores. Related: How to Carbo Load Before a Marathon or Half Marathon.

If you have a sensitive stomach, limit or avoid those foods that cause GI distress. For some people this is milk or dairy products; gas-producing vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts; high fiber foods like beans; and fried foods or high-fat foods.

Related: Should You Eat Before You Run? Hydrate the days leading up to a long run or hard workout. When you only have less than 1 hour before a run, focus on drinking sips of fluid. Having an electrolyte-rich beverage during this time is often beneficial.

When you have 1 to 2 hours before going out for a run, aim for 8 to 16 ounces of fluids; and when you have 3 to 4 hours before a run, aim for 16 to 24 ounces of fluid. After a run, you want to refuel with both fluids and electrolytes. Related: 8 Best Electrolyte Drinks for Runners.

Ideally, you will have weighed yourself before your run and before you hydrated to know your pre-run weight or performed a sweat test. In general, runners should aim to drink ounces per pound of body weight lost.

Aim for at least mg of sodium after your run. Sodium is the most important electrolyte to replenish, so consider a beverage higher in sodium like Pedialyte.

Get all the Hydration Plan for Runners here. For every pound of body weight lost, this is equivalent to 16 ounces of fluids lost. Keep track of any fluids you consumed during that minute workout. During runs longer than 1 hour, you will want to include fluids, electrolytes, and carbohydrates as part of your fueling strategy.

Aim to consume grams of carbohydrates per hour for runs lasting 1 to 2. An energy gel typically has about grams of carbohydrates. This means just taking 1 energy gel plus water does not meet the recommended intake of carbohydrate needs per hour. For proper fueling, begin taking carbohydrates about 30 minutes into your run.

Continue fueling every 30 minutes. For runs lasting longer than 2. Start fueling early during your run to prevent you from falling behind later on. If blood glucose or glycogen is not available, your body will need to break down other forms of energy, which is not efficient, can lead to muscle breakdown and fatigue.

I share the best pockets shorts and pocket bras here. Aim to drink a dixie cup of water with each gel or gu, and aim to sip on an electrolyte drink in between. You can also take electrolyte tablets like SaltStick or a gel like Huma Gel Plus that includes electrolytes.

Aim for about mg of sodium an hour with a couple ounces of fluids every mile. You can also carry a water bottle or use aid stations. For my marathons, I carried a Nathan water bottle for the first half of the marathon, then dropped and use water stations.

I detail how I fueled my marathon here. Related: 6 Best Energy Gels for Runners. The 1 mistake I see is under-fueling your runs! Runners are weight conscious. These messages are targeted towards the average non-active individual , yet as health-conscious runners, you may think this applies to you as well.

If you run, you are a runner and need to view food differently. If you are not eating enough, you are not taking full advantage of your training and you are risking getting injured. Related: My Nutrition Plan for My Marathon. Fueling before, during, and after your runs is important and makes a big difference in how you feel.

However, the meals you eat on a daily basis truly fuel your body and sets you up for feeling energized on your runs. If you are looking for more support with your fueling strategy and how to create balanced, satisfying meals that support your performance, follow Kristy on Instagram Marathon.

If you want guidance with your running goals, check out my run coaching services. Also, be sure to check out my free training plans:. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Download my FREE FULL MONTH of strength workouts for runners! Looking for a free running plan? Email me at [email protected]. About Get on the List! Fueling well before, during and after your runs when training for a marathon is vital for success. Skip Ahead What should I eat before I run?

How long before a run should I eat? Is it okay to run on an empty stomach? If you eat within 60 minutes or less of the start of your run, experiment with liquid fuel like a sports drink, juice or foods that are higher in water content like a banana.

I eat my favorites 1 — 1. Consume ounces of water or fluid an hour before the start of your long run or race. A great way to do this is to have a glass of water at your bedside and drink it as you wake up. Fueling During the Long Run: The American College of Sports Medicine recommends consuming grams of carbohydrate about calories per hour during activity lasting longer than an hour.

The purpose for fueling during the run is to replenish energy, fluid and electrolyte sodium, potassium, chloride… stores — not replace them so it is key to find the balance between too little and too much.

For long runs lasting 60 minutes to two hours, keep it simple and consume one source of carbohydrate energy a sports drink, or gel with water. My favorite is a sports drink because it contains all that a runner needs with fluid, energy and electrolytes and is easy to digest and carry. For runs lasting longer than 2.

My favorite combo is a sports drink plus a gel later in the run washed down with water. It can be helpful to set a watch alarm for every 10 minutes and take sips of fluid — or to consume a larger volume of fluid every minutes.