Ideally between 40 – 60% of our overall energy in our diet should be coming from carbohydrates. And that is why it’s crucial to get your carbs in both before the race and mid-race to keep glucose stores topped up. However, these stores are finite (usually only enough to fuel you for 18-20 miles!). And can be stored as muscle and liver glycogen to utilize during exercise. Glucose is readily available for the body to use quickly and efficiently. Hawley and Leckey, Sports Medicine, 2015 CarbsĬarbohydrates, broken down into glucose, are our bodies favorite energy source. ‘When athletes compete in endurance events it is carbohydrates, not fat-based fuels that are the predominant fuel for the working muscles, and carbohydrate, not fat, availability that become rate limiting for performance.’ We should be aiming for a combination of macro-nutrients protein, carbs and fat. We are all different, as are our nutrition needs, however the fundamentals are fundamentally simple. A meal complete with macro-nutrients can help delay the onset of fatigue, improve endurance and performance. Combining protein and fat with carbohydrates can help fuel longer runs, raise blood glucose levels and keep hunger at bay. And this is particularly useful for speed work. if you eat a meal high in carbs pre-workout, then you’ll burn a higher proportion of carbohydrates during the session. But does influence the fuel mixture that your muscles utilise during the workout. What you eat immediately before you run won’t be stored as glycogen. This comes from the food that we’ve eaten in the days before the run/workout. When we workout, most of our fuel comes from the stored fat and carbohydrate (glycogen) in our body. (Check out my blog on What to Eat Before Running in the Morning when you don’t have much time). But when was the last time you thought about how you’re fueling your Tuesday track session, or a Thursday tempo. Whilst we focus a lot on the meals we eat the night before and our breakfast pre-race, it’s important to consider what we’re eating in the weeks and months prior. I believe nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated, even when it comes to fueling for a marathon and the miles of training that goes into getting us to the start line. I’m a Registered Dietitian working for the NHS (National Health Service) in the UK, 13 time marathoner, and author of runner’s cookbook ‘ Cook Eat Run’. I’m Charlie, also known as The Runner Beans online. Hi A Foodie Stays Fit readers! I’ve read Teri’s blog for years and am thrilled that she asked me to write a guest post for you all. Wondering what to eat on race morning? Learn the most important things to consider and see one of our favorite pre marathon breakfasts! Unsubscribe from Running In The Cold QSG.
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