Training for a marathon means more than just logging miles. Figuring out exactly what your nutrition needs are when you’re training hard is imperative. For winter marathons, even more crucial. You’ve gotten used to training in the plummeting temperatures of winter, but it’ll mean nothing if you forget the most important part of your training plan: nutrition. Having a good diet filled with the right nutrients is essential for endurance events like winter marathons or triathlons. Getting your nutrition plan dialed in for before, during and after the race is a vital part of your training, one that cannot be missed. Therefore, here are some nutrition tips that will help you to perform your best.
Nutrition Tips for Winter Marathons as per following :
The Early Preparation:
Your nutrition plan needs to kick in many weeks before the main event. Trying out different kinds of foods before and after a run and finding recipes that agree with you is important – the last thing you want during the race is an unhappy stomach. For this, you need to know some of the basics of the race like: what are the weather conditions likely to be, what type of nutrition will be provided on the course and where the feed stations are. Finding out what nutrition is going to be handed out is particularly important because it’s a good idea to practice with this nutrition to make sure you can tolerate it and adapt to it. You can also introduce low GI carbohydrates such as wholegrain rice and pasta into your general diet as they slowly release energy and will build up your carbohydrate tank.
Carbo-loading:
Hitting the wall during a marathon is every distance runner’s fear. And it can happen to anyone, no matter how much training you’ve done. This happens when the body’s carbohydrate fuel tank which is stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen, gets low. Therefore, loading up on carbs before and during a run to maximize your energy stores is essential. You can stock up on lots of carbohydrate-rich potatoes, pasta and certain fruits and vegetables.
Pre-Race Breakfast:
Eating a carbohydrate rich breakfast is important because it replenishes your liver glycogen. A healthy breakfast of 800 to 1,200 calories will provide you with energy stores that will last. Exactly what this breakfast should consist of depends on your personal preference. However, a whole-grain bagel, oatmeal or non-fat yogurt are good food options to have. Drink plenty of water and avoid fatty foods which tend to aggravate your stomach.
During the Race:
It’s important to replenish your carbohydrate fuel tank during races that are of 90 minutes or more. Otherwise, your fuel tank warning light will flicker on just after a few hours of running. To avoid this, high GI carbohydrate foods are best during any race as they release energy quickly. Keep drinking water, but also add specially designed sports gels and isotonic drinks that replenish the electrolytes, potassium and sodium you are constantly burning. You can also try bananas, oranges, honey and dried fruit.
After the Race:
Consume more sports drinks to replace lost nutrients. You get a window of around 30 mins when your body is all set to replenish its carbohydrate stores and soak up muscle-repairing protein after a race. Chocolate milk is a good mix of carbs and protein or a smoothie with lots of fruits. Also, make sure you have something light to replace blood sugar levels effectively.
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