What to eat to run a better marathon
Posted on: 23/Aug/2015 8:36:23 PM
Are you a marathon runner? Here are a few tips to help you while training.
Food rich in carbohydrates helps re build glycogen in your muscles. About 5 to 7 days before your marathon, start this recommended diet. Rest is a very important factor for marathon fitness. As the date of the marathon nears, reduce your mileage per practice and increase your carbohydrate intake.
On the day of the marathon, make sure not to eat anything that your body is not used to. You may experiment with food before the marathon day.
During practice sessions make sure that you build up electrolytes that your body would have lost by sweating. Drink coconut water. Another drink is by mixing 1 spoonful of salt and half a tsp. of sugar to your water. Avoid juices while you are running. These have high sugar and carbohydrate content that will interfere with fluid absorption. However, drinks such as Gatorade are ok. Use the days before the marathon to experiment each drink and choose what is best suited for you.
What are the foods to eat during a marathon? Ripe bananas - the riper, the better. You could also mash the bananas and add some cinnamon powder to it. This will reduce any muscle soreness. Another good option to eat is dates, or, alternatively, raisins. These are a good source of sugar, potassium and carbohydrates.
On the day before your marathon run, spread your calories throughout the day. Eat three normal meals. If you need to, snack upto 5 times a day. Make sure to add carbohydrates to your food. About 4 to 5 days before the run, avoid sugary and junk foods. Try to eat dinner between 4 and 6 pm on the evening before the big day. This will give your body plenty of time to digest the food.
On the day of the marathon, eat breakfast at least 90 minutes before running. Eat a carbohydrate rich meal. Include proteins such as peanuts or bananas. You may have a bowl of cereals with milk. But do not experiment!
