02 Oct What are the nutrition strategies for the marathon? NYC Sports Dietitian Tips
The NYC Marathon is just around the corner, and many professional and amateur athletes are ready to hit the pavement. It’s one of New York City’s most emblematic sporting events, and one of the world’s most important marathons.
As a runner, whether you’re competing for the first time or are a veteran, you need to prepare your body to ensure it’s getting the nutrients and hydration it needs to stay healthy! Underfueling can lead to injury, and with just a little over a month to go, you want to be as healthy and prepared as possible.
Nutrition Tips to Prepare for a Marathon – Expert New York Sports Dietitian Advice:
- Eat enough calories! Your body is burning through those calories, and underfueling can lead to injury. Now is not the time to diet! Someone training for a marathon may need anywhere between 2,000 – 7,000 calories/day. It’s not as easy as eating a couple of extra cookies, and working on a nutrition plan with a sports dietitian can help.
- Prioritize whole-food sources: Those chips can be tempting, but your body needs great food for fuel, so include a diet rich in whole and minimally processed foods.
- Including magnesium-rich foods to help reduce the risk of stress fractures, cramping, and injury. Include these foods in your marathon diet:
- Spinach
- Dark chocolate
- Avocado
- Black beans
- Nuts/seeds
- Bananas
- Don’t forget foods high in vitamin D, calcium, and vitamin K are essential to strengthening bones and, like magnesium, reduce your risk of stress fractures. Include these foods in your marathon diet:
- Tofu
- Berries
- Leafy greens
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Bone broth
- Fortified milk
- Dairy products
- Practice your nutrition plan for the race. Just as you’re practicing running, you should practice your race-day nutrition strategy. When you’re getting close to race day, you should fuel the same way, at the same time, as you would on race day. This will leave you with the assurance that your diet plan for the marathon is ready, and you can focus on running the race.
What should you eat during a marathon?
The day has arrived, and gel packs abound. These little gels pack a necessary carbohydrate punch. Though each runner’s needs depend on their pace and body composition, all marathon runners need carbs. A standard, go-to nutrition recommendation is 30 – 60g of carbohydrates per hour for the first three hours and 60 -90g of carbs for the following hours.
What does that look like?
Gel Packs: 2 – 3 (most gel packs have 20 – 25G of carbs). The carb count depends on the pack, so make sure you read ahead of time. Eat them over a period of five minutes or so to improve absorption
Bananas: Bananas have approximately 25g of carbs.
Dietitian Tip: Start taking nutrition in the first 30 minutes of your run, then every 30 – 40 minutes after that.
How much water should you drink during a marathon?
Hydration is a critical part of your marathon nutrition plan. When running, your core body temperature rises due to dehydration. This, then, causes a decrease in plasma volume, an increase in heart rate, and an increase in fatigue. Signs of dehydration also include dry mouth, dark yellow urine, muscle cramping, and headaches. Dehydration can be dangerous.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Your hydration plan depends on how much you sweat and the temperature on the day of the race. This varies from person to person. If you are a heavy sweater, for instance, you might lose 1 kilo (approximately 2.2 pounds) in a two-hour run. This means you’ll need 1.2 kg (1 liter) of water to replenish.
How should you hydrate?
- Water
- Sports drinks
- Hydration tablets
- Gels
For most people, hydrating with water is enough. Elite athletes and extreme sports events (like marathons) require an extra oomph because not only are you losing water when you sweat, but, so, too, are you losing key electrolytes (salts and minerals).
What is a good marathon hydration plan?
Before the race:
On the days leading up to the race, drink as you normally do, ensuring your pee is clear and not smelly. Humans aren’t camels, and as much as we’d like to store up water for the race, we physically can’t. So listen to your thirst cues and stay hydrated. On race day, drink 500ml of water 2-3 hours before the race begins.
During the race:
This varies from person to person, depending on how much they sweat and how hard they run. That said, the general rule is between 50 – 250 ml every twenty minutes. Sip, don’t gulp, and listen to your body.
After the race:
Post-race hydration is critical. You will get dehydrated in a marathon. It’s inevitable, and it’s not something to be concerned about. Rehydrate within the first hour after the race. Pay attention to your urine. If it’s yellow and smelly, hydrate more. When in doubt, go see your doctor because dehydration can be hard on your body.
With hydration and nutrition, so much is about listening to your body. Know your body, your body’s needs, and pay attention to it.
What can a dietitian do for a marathoner?
As sports dietitians, we work with amateur, semi-pro, and professional athletes to help them prepare for their competitions. Together, we will come up with a nutrition and hydration plan to fit your unique needs and goals. We will:
- Create a personalized fueling plan (just a fancy way of saying a diet plan to keep your body working at its best)
- Provide macro and micro-nutrient guidance
- Give you hydration strategies
- Provide meal and snack plans to help support muscle repair, reduce soreness, and fight inflammation after workouts
- Address underfueling and nutrient deficiencies that can lower your performance and expose you to injury
- Address specific needs you might encounter, including gastrointestinal or digestive issues, cramping, and fatigue.
The NYC marathon is right around the corner, and we wish everyone who participates a safe and healthy race. Contact us for more information regarding our sports nutrition therapy to help you optimize performance, reduce injury, and improve recovery!