Every marathon season, I meet runners whoโve trained their hearts out, logged countless kms, and are ready to conquer the courseโonly to struggle because they didnโt optimise their nutrition.
As a sports dietitian who's guided countless marathoners to the finish line, I can confidently say that fueling your body properly is as important as your training plan.
๐ฆ๐ผ ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ต? Letโs dive into some tried-and-tested strategies that will keep you running strong from the start to the final sprint.
1. ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฏ-๐๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด Start 24-48 hours before the race by getting 70-80% of your calories from complex carbs like whole grains, rice and sweet potatoes.
2. ๐๐๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐น๐ Drink water steadily in the days leading up to the marathon. On race morning, aim for 5-7 ml/kg of your body weight four hours before the start and make sure to sip water at regular intervals during the race.
3. ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ-๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น Eat 2-3 hours before the race, focusing on easily digestible carbs and a bit of protein.
4. ๐๐๐ฒ๐น ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ Start fueling early, around 45-60 minutes into the race, and aim to take in 30-60g of carbs every hour. Energy gels, sports drinks, or small snacks are ideal for keeping your energy levels steady.
5. ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป Within 30 minutes of finishing, consume a snack with a 3:1 ratio of carbs to protein to start muscle repair and replenish glycogen. Follow up with a balanced meal within two hours and stay hydrated.
6. ๐๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ Stick to fast-digesting carbs before the race and avoid fats or fiber that could slow digestion or cause distress.
7. ๐จ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ If you've tested it in training, caffeine can help by delaying fatigue and boosting endurance. A dose of 3-6 mg/kg body weight 30-60 minutes before the race is typically effective but it's important to consume it in moderation.
8. ๐ฆ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ Race day is not the time to experiment with new foods. Stick to what you know works well for your body.
9. ๐ข๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐น๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ Prioritize getting 7-9 hours of sleep in the week leading up to the race.
10. ๐๐๐ฒ๐น ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฆ๐น๐ผ๐-๐๐ถ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฏ๐ The night before, eat slow-digesting carbs like quinoa or sweet potatoes for steady energy release during the race.
Ready to optimize your nutrition and crush your next race? Letโs connect! DM me "๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐" for a consultation and let's get you crossing that finish line in record time!โฃโฃโฃ
Rashmi Cherian
Every marathon season, I meet runners whoโve trained their hearts out, logged countless kms, and are ready to conquer the courseโonly to struggle because they didnโt optimise their nutrition.
As a sports dietitian who's guided countless marathoners to the finish line, I can confidently say that fueling your body properly is as important as your training plan.
๐ฆ๐ผ ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ต? Letโs dive into some tried-and-tested strategies that will keep you running strong from the start to the final sprint.
1. ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฏ-๐๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด
Start 24-48 hours before the race by getting 70-80% of your calories from complex carbs like whole grains, rice and sweet potatoes.
2. ๐๐๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐น๐
Drink water steadily in the days leading up to the marathon. On race morning, aim for 5-7 ml/kg of your body weight four hours before the start and make sure to sip water at regular intervals during the race.
3. ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ-๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น
Eat 2-3 hours before the race, focusing on easily digestible carbs and a bit of protein.
4. ๐๐๐ฒ๐น ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ
Start fueling early, around 45-60 minutes into the race, and aim to take in 30-60g of carbs every hour. Energy gels, sports drinks, or small snacks are ideal for keeping your energy levels steady.
5. ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
Within 30 minutes of finishing, consume a snack with a 3:1 ratio of carbs to protein to start muscle repair and replenish glycogen. Follow up with a balanced meal within two hours and stay hydrated.
6. ๐๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐
Stick to fast-digesting carbs before the race and avoid fats or fiber that could slow digestion or cause distress.
7. ๐จ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐
If you've tested it in training, caffeine can help by delaying fatigue and boosting endurance. A dose of 3-6 mg/kg body weight 30-60 minutes before the race is typically effective but it's important to consume it in moderation.
8. ๐ฆ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ๐
Race day is not the time to experiment with new foods. Stick to what you know works well for your body.
9. ๐ข๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐น๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ
Prioritize getting 7-9 hours of sleep in the week leading up to the race.
10. ๐๐๐ฒ๐น ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฆ๐น๐ผ๐-๐๐ถ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฏ๐
The night before, eat slow-digesting carbs like quinoa or sweet potatoes for steady energy release during the race.
Ready to optimize your nutrition and crush your next race? Letโs connect!
DM me "๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐" for a consultation and let's get you crossing that finish line in record time!โฃโฃโฃ
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