Proper Marathon Nutrition (Galloway NYC Leadership Team Info)
Weeks leading up to the Marathon
-Water water water! Stay hydrated!
-Good balance of protein, complex carbohydrates (building up glycogen), and fats
Immediate 2 days prior to the Marathon
-Start adding in more complex carbohydrates now
-Not too much salt
Night before the Marathon
-Bland and balanced! Nothing acidy or spicy -- heartburn is a killer in a race! It is best to
consume a simple protein, simple green vegetable (but not too much -- causes excess gas), and
perhaps a baked potato. Even better are sweet potatoes!
Pre-Race
-Nothing new!
-If you are used to eating before a run, eat a little more than usual, but more of the same things:
complex carbs (especially important here -- no simple carbs!) and protein. Continue plenty of
water. Coffee/tea/caffeine is OK, just drink more water.
During the Race
-Some water (not too much) at each water stop
-UCAN (better than gels or Gatorade)
-If you are going to use gels, replenish your stores of sugars every 45 minutes with gels like Gu,
sports beans, etc., to the tune of 100 calories. Do not overdo it, or you will spike your blood
sugar and hence spike your insulin, which will throw off your balance and leave you depleted.
-Salt packet
-If you are going to use Gatorade and the like, only do so in the final miles of the race, when you
really need the sugar boost.
After the Race
-Water water water!
-Salt packet
-Electrolytes -- now is the time for Gatorade!
-Protein! Your body will need a lot of it to recover faster
-Again, water water water! The majority of the weird “off” after-marathon feeling is because of
dehydration, even if you don’t think you’re dehydrated.
-Indulge, but don’t over-indulge! Give yourself that day and the next day to be “bad,” but after
that, get back to the healthy ways that got you here in the first place.
Good complex carbohydrates:
-potatoes, yams, beans, peas, whole grain bread, bananas, whole grain pastas, whole grain
cereals, whole grain bagels, honey (as opposed to sugar), brown rice, corn, carrots, other root
vegetables
Good protein:
-low fat milk, beans, lean beef, chicken, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt, nuts, peanut butter, almond
butter, cottage cheese, soy, tofu, tempeh, seitan, some vegetarian “meats” (Quorn brand is best
brand because of unique protein from mushrooms and highest protein-to-carb ratio)
NUTRITION TIPS
(From RunDisney Website, TARA GIDUS, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N)
FUELING BEFORE A MORNING RUN
 It is critical to your energy and performance to eat at least a small amount prior to your run.
 The goal of a small breakfast is to ensure you have enough energy to run at your optimal
level after an overnight fast.
 Don’t ever skip breakfast completely. Try to eat or drink small amounts of carbohydrates
(15-30 grams) within the 30 minutes leading up to your run. Dry cereal never fails!
 An early morning shakeout or recovery run of 30-60 minutes may not require a large amount
of carbohydrates and you may feel fine with just a yogurt, dry cereal, fruit, or a sports drink.
 For a run longer than one hour, aim to eat a slice of toast with peanut butter or cereal/oatmeal
and a banana. Eating before a long run will help sustain your energy and can help prevent
“hitting the wall.”
 Pre-run food should be high in carbohydrates, which digest quickly and provide the primary
fuel for working muscles. A small amount of protein will keep you feeling satisfied without
slowing you down. Avoid excess fat, which digests very slowly, making you feel sluggish.
 Practice what you might do on race day on training days. That’s what practice is for!
 Examples: Bowl of cereal and low fat milk, Instant oatmeal (made with milk or water),
English muffin and peanut butter, Granola bar and fruit, Toast and small amount of almond
butter/jam, Banana and sports drink, Raisins and low fat milk
FUELING BEFORE AN EVENING RUN
 As a rule of thumb, eat a nice base of carbohydrates and balance your meal with a moderate
amount of lean protein and low fat.
 Avoid a lot of fat because it can sit in your stomach for a longer and you may not be able to
run at your best.
 Ideally meals should be eaten 3-4 hours before your run and then you can top off with sports
drink or a banana an hour before with something small.
 3-4 hours before run
 Turkey Sandwich w low fat cheese, yogurt, fruit, granola bar
 Pasta with red sauce with lean meat, bread sticks, low fat milk
 Chicken or fish, small sweet potato or ½ cup to 1 cup rice, side salad with light dressing
Two hours before run
 Cereal and low fat milk
 Toast, or low fat muffin
 1/ 2 Bagel, yogurt and fruit
 Nutrition bar with mix of carbs and protein
One hour or less before run
 Stick to liquids like water, sports drinks and avoid beverages like soda, juice, drinks or
“energy” drinks
 Fruit or a Granola bar (<5 gm of fiber)
FUELING DURING A RUN
 The goal of fueling during a run is to maintain energy levels through adequate carbohydrate
intake and to maintain hydration.
 If running less than one hour, water alone will hydrate just fine.
 Sports drinks provide fluids, carbohydrates, and electrolytes to sustain both energy and
hydration.
 Drink full strength regular sports drinks and not reduced calorie versions or “fitness” waters
for runs longer than one hour.
 Recommendations:
 Establish a hydration plan and fueling plan
 Use Gels, Blocks, Beans, or Stingers – just make sure you are used to them before you start
including them on race day.
IMPORTANCE OF HYDRATION
 Losing as little as 2% of your body weight can mean dehydration that can affect performance
and recovery.
 Water is a great hydrator. During intense workouts or longer duration exercise (> 60 minutes)
sports drinks are a better choice because they not only hydrate, but also replaces
carbohydrates and electrolytes (sodium, potassium, etc. lost in sweat).
 Establish a hydration plan for your runs:
 Aim for a few gulps (1/2 to 1 oz per gulp) of sports drink or water at every break during runs
this will prevent under hydrating or over hydrating. (4-8 oz every 15-20 minutes)
 Dehydration
 Can happen easily to runners, even in cold weather.
 Symptoms can include fatigue, headache, weakness, dizziness, cramps, irritability, poor
performance, increase in core body temp, and increased risk of injury
 More severe symptoms include: Chills, vomiting, nausea, rapid heart rate, and heat stroke
 Be sure to check your urine color. You want it to be barely yellow
Hyponatremia
 Over hydration (low blood sodium)
 Happens when taking in a lot of water and not taking in enough sodium (like in salty foods
on course or in sports drinks)
 True hyponatremia is fairly rare. Prevent it by making sure you alternate between water with
sports drinks containing sodium and/or eat salty foods during your run.
RECOVERY NUTRITION
 Think the 3 R’s: Refuel with carbohydrates, Rebuild with protein, and Rehydrate with Fluid.
 Aim for within 30 minutes of your run to refuel with food. This is the short window after a
workout in when storage of fuel is maximized. It is critical that you re-fuel as quickly as
possible to prepare for your next run and to prevent injury.
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Aim for primarily carbohydrates within the 30-minute window and get your protein and
additional carbs within 2 hours after exercise.
If you know you struggle to eat a post-run meal due to a lack of time or appetite, drink a fluid
replacement drink that has carbs and protein like chocolate milk, a smoothie, or recovery
beverage.
Follow your liquid snack/meal with a recovery meal 1-2 hours after that to complete your
refueling needs.
The combination of not eating before a run followed by a lack refueling after your run will
lengthen your recovery time and potentially lead to injury and fatigue.
Goals for recovery are to rehydrate, replenish muscle glycogen stores and to prevent injury.
It is not uncommon for a morning run to suppress a hearty appetite. If you’re not hungry, try
to force yourself to get something down during that critical 30-minute window, especially
after a hard run. When you want it the least is when you need it the most!
AVOIDING WEIGHT GAIN WHILE TRAINING
 Many people lose weight when they increase their mileage. As long as weight loss is 1-2
pounds per week on average, that is good.
 If weight comes off too quickly, that may mean loss of muscle or chronic dehydration.
 As mileage increases, so does hunger and overcompensation of calories. It’s too easy to think
that you “deserve it” and over consume.
 If you’re trying to lose weight, you can’t make up for all the calories burned with additional
food. All too often we overestimate the calories we burned and underestimate the calories we
ate.
 Long distance running does burn a lot of calories; however, eating more than what is burned
will cause weight gain.
 One common culprit: skipping breakfast before a workout and then being so famished
afterwards you eat much more than you need.
 Another common problem is using food as a reward for miles logged. Often the calories
eaten surpass those burned in the mileage--even a 20 mile run can be overcompensated for
with a big plate of pancakes with butter and syrup and a tall glass of OJ.
In order to help control overeating, consider the following tips:
 Balance nutrient-rich, low calorie foods, yet filling foods to help with weight loss (for filling
think fiber and protein).
 Reduce intake by 500 calories per day to produce a healthy weight loss of 1-2 lbs/week.
 Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables.
 For exercise lasting >60 minutes, a sports drink is beneficial, otherwise drink water
 Aim for a source of lean protein with all of your meals.
 Snack in between meals--they act as prevention to cravings and overeating later. Keep snacks
around 100-200 calories.
 Eat breakfast within 1 hour of waking up. Even if it is something small.
(From 10 Race-Day Preparation Tips - By Thad McLaurin • For Active.com)
Fuel Up
During the last three days before an endurance run such as a marathon, a runner’s carbohydrate intake
should increase to 70 to 80 percent of his/her total daily caloric intake.
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Day 1: The first day of the carb-load should consist mainly of complex carbs (i.e., whole grain breads
and pasta). By loading up on complex carbs the first day, you have time for them to be processed and
voided well before race day.
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Day 2: Taper off the complex carbs and switch over to simple carbs. Be careful though. Don’t load up
on tons of fruit and the like, if you’re not used to eating lots of fruit. Also avoid loading up on simple
carbs that contain a lot of saturated fat (cookies, doughnuts, pastries). The extra fat will slow down
digestion and make you feel sluggish. This is the time to eat regular pasta and use white bread for
your sandwiches.
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Day 3: Continue with the simple carbs. Eat your last major meal 12 to 15 hours prior to the race. This
meal should be comprised of easily digestible foods that will pass through your system before the
race. This is the time for the big plate of regular pasta. Avoid heavy cream sauces and stick with
basic marinara sauce.
FYI: Each gram of carbs can store 3 grams of water. So, to make sure you get complete carb storage,
drink four to eight glasses of water each day. You may gain a pound or two during this carb-loading
phase, but most of this extra weight is water and will actually help keep you well hydrated during the race.
Plus, you’ll sweat out those extra pounds on the run.
Practice: Eating before a race can be a tricky thing. Test different foods for your carb-loading phase well
before race day. Pick one of your longest training runs and pretend it’s “race day.” Try a mini-carb-loading
phase before this run. This will give you the opportunity to see how long different foods take to pass and
which ones to avoid because they “hang around” too long.
(More info at: http://www.active.com/nutrition/Articles/Your-Guide-to-Pre-Race-Fueling.htm)
Hydrate
Hydration can make or break your race. Use the following tips to ensure you’re properly hydrated at the
starting line.
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Find out what sports drink will be provided during the race. If you’re able, train using the same
sports drink provided by the marathon. If your system doesn’t tolerate the featured race drink or you’d
just prefer to use something different, be sure to plan out how you’ll carry or have access to your
preferred hydration source. Some options include, wearing a hydration belt or stakeout family
members or friends along the course ready to hand you your preferred fluids.
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Never use the featured sports drink in a marathon if you did not use it in your training. The
different brands of sports drinks contain varying amounts of carbs and electrolytes. Some contain
other components such as protein. If you’ve not tried these products during training, you don’t want to
risk causing stomach issues on race day.
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Don’t over-hydrate. Throughout the day before the race, drink water when you are thirsty, but don’t
overdo it. Drinking 4-8 oz of water each hour works well. Remember, you’ll still be carb-loading on
this day. Make sure some of your carb intake includes salty simple carbs like pretzels. Also eat a
banana or two for the potassium. This will help ensure that you’re not flushing out your precious
electrolytes that you’ll need during the race. Do not drink alcohol the day before the race. This can
dehydrate you.
Drink 16 oz. of water two hours before race time. This will provide enough time for the water to
pass through your system and the excess be voided well before the start.
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(From Jeff Galloway’s Race Day Prep Page)
Race Nutrition Countdown
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I begin my eating countdown the day before by eating small meals every 2-3 hours. On each, it’s
okay to eat a little protein with carbohydrates that you know will be digested easily. Your goal is to eat
just enough to leave you satisfied, but not full, for 2 hours or so. Be sure to drink water or an
electrolyte beverage with your snacks. That afternoon and evening I’ll take water and juices regularly.
If I’m hungry I’ll eat only easily digestible food, such as bread or energy bars. I’ll obviously avoid fried
or greasy food or other foods that are hard to digest, like peanut butter or dairy products. I’ll also stay
away from high roughage items like salad, bran, etc.
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The carbo-loading dinner before a race is great social fun. It’s okay to eat a little, but don’t overeat
and avoid salty food, particularly if the weather is predicted to be warm. Loading up too much the
night before can lead to unloading during the race. I like to wake up 3-4 hours before the race. During
the first 2-3 hours, I’ll take 6 ounces of water or Accelerade very hour. About 60-90 minutes before
the start, I usually eat an energy bar and have a cup of coffee as logistics permit. Hopefully, I’ll have
some water with me at the start to sip, but primarily to dump on my head if the day is warm. It may
look strange, but it works! (If you want to try this routine, test it out on your long runs first.)
Caffeine
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There is now strong evidence that a cup of coffee an hour before a race will improve performance.
This drug helps mobilize free fatty acids and triglycerides, making them available for energy utilization
in the blood stream. It also helps you to wake up and get your sewage system cleaned out, avoiding
the last minute lines at the “porto-johns.” Too much caffeine, however, can cause dehydration and
may negatively influence your heart rhythm. Be careful and try it out on several trial runs before using
it in races.
(Jeff has a new book, Nutrition for Runners, plus a book especially aimed at weight loss, Running and
Fat Burning for Women. Here is a section from his website on this subject:)
Fat Burning: Key Points
1. You are in control of the process.
2. You have the power to take responsibility for your eating and your exercise
3. Have patience and don’t give up.
4. Enjoyment of the exercise is the key
5. You are in command of a “calorie budge”, as you add gentle movement to your daily activities.
Part 1. Eating with a purpose. Set up your eating plan to gain control over the calorie balance each day.
One great tool is www.FitDay.com. (Also see www.SparkPeople.com, www.MyFitnessPal.com, etc.)
Part 2. Create your fat burning furnace. By gradually increasing a long walk or Run-Walk-Run, or your
longer workout of choice each week, you will train thousands of muscle cells to burn more fat – not only
while exercising. Once adapted to fat burning, these muscle cells will burn more fat when you are sitting
or walking around – even at night when asleep!
Part 3. Take more steps per day. Get a step counter and increase the number of steps taken per day. Extra
steps, in segments of 500-2000 do not tend to increase appetite – but they burn fat all day long.
Focus on fat burning, not weight loss. While the scales are an important tool, you cannot be obsessed
about daily changes in weight. Water fluctuations will have you up one day, down the next. Your overall
fat level can be reduced, even if it is a bit higher on some days.