Mastering the Mountain that is the Marathon!
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of completing a marathon. The hard work begins months in advance. If you’re planning on running a marathon this year and are worried about the task at hand, fear not! Endura Sports Nutrition has the perfect race plan solutions to make sure you are in peak condition pre-race, perform at your best and recover to tiptop form.
1. Listen to your body in training. Athletes get sucked into what they hear others are doing. Do what is good for you. Some athletes need 2 days to recover from a training session, some may need three or four. Ultimately the marathon is a test of your endurance, no one else’s, so make sure you focus on you and what you need.
2. Do plenty of road running. Mix both hard runs and easy runs on the road. Ultimately the marathon is 42.195km on road. Practice for it.
3. Practice your nutrition during training. Take on fluids, electrolytes and gels during both easy long runs and solid sessions where you intend to run at or above race pace. This will ensure you learn to take it on while out of breath and also teach your body and stomach to digest it while stressed.
4. Recover: Recovery comes in many forms, ice baths, supplements, diet etc. etc. For your body to absorb the training it needs the correct fuel to recover. Recovery should start while you’re actually training. Taking on a nutrient dense fuel while training can help you at the time, but more importantly staying fuelled during training enables us to recover quicker post workouts so we can train again sooner.
5. Rest: No one gets fitter while they are out pounding the roads. We get fitter when we’re recovering in bed or on the couch!! Allow your body down time to absorb the training and make the necessary adaptations.
The Perfect Pre-Race Prep
Avoid starting race day on the back foot this marathon season. Following some simple pre-race nutritional tips can help to reduce dehydration and fatigue, and improve stamina and endurance. The right nutrition at the right time means you can train harder for longer and be firing on all cylinders on race day.
Tip 1 – Consume adequate protein during training and leading up to the big day.
During training for endurance events there is a heavy reliance on your muscles to keep you moving faster for longer. The excessive exercise you endure may require increased amounts of protein to maintain muscle mass and support recovery.1 Endurance athletes need 1.2 g to 1.4 g of protein/kg of body weight every day.2 Endura Optimizer contains protein, carbohydrates and electrolytes; perfect to power your performance and speed recovery.
Tip 2 – Consume adequate carbohydrates to top up your fuel tank.
Carbohydrate loading is essential marathon preparation to replenish glycogen (energy) stores so you’re fuelled up and ready to fire on race day. Endurance athletes are advised to consume 10 g to 12 g of carbs/kg of body weight per day, 2 to 3 days before the race.3 Endura Rehydration Performance Fuel is a great option for carbohydrates and hydration. For carb loading 2 to 3 days prior to the race, take 1 level scoop with 200 mL of water three times daily (hypertonic). Each dose contains 20 g of immediate and sustained-released carbs to help you reach your pre-race carbohydrate goal!
Tip 3 – Serious competitors follow the plan
Follow the Endura Race Guide and Endura Training Guide to ensure you are properly prepared with nutrients to fuel your race. The Endura Paleo-Performance Eating Plan can help take your training to the next level.
Maximise Your Race Day Nutrition
The day you have been training for has finally arrived. What can you do to make your hard work pay off? A marathon race takes several hours to complete; it is important to have the right nutritional combination at each stage of the event.
Before the race starts
In the hours before the race, ensure you are well hydrated and your body is properly prepared with nutrients to fuel your race. This includes carbs to top up your glycogen stores as an energy source to power your muscles. For pre-race fuelling, consume 1 g to 4 g of carbs/kg of body weight within hours of the race.4 Two hours to 30 minutes before start time, take 1 to 2 doses of Endura Rehydration Performance Fuel plus one serve of Endura Optimizer to help hit your carb requirements and power your performance.
Throughout the event
Replenish glycogen stores and stay hydrated. Within 30 to 60 minutes of intense exercise, you start eating into your glycogen stores and dehydration sets in. During marathons, you need to provide your body with 60 g to 90 g of carbohydrates each hour of activity.7Endura Sports Energy Gels are power in your pocket, one sachet provides 26 g of immediate and sustained release carbohydrates for sustained energy. Use with Endura Rehydration Performance Fuel, which provides carbs plus electrolytes to replace those lost during sweating; allowing you to stay hydrated and fuelled. Take one dose, every hour during the event.
Two hours into a marathon, the gruelling effort really starts to take its toll on your body. After the two hour mark, add a ½ serve of Endura Optimizer with 250 mL of water hourly until completion to provide protein and carbohydrates to maintain muscle mass and fuel performance.
Hydration is the name of the game!
Dehydration is the key challenge for endurance athletes, leading to reduced energy, performance and endurance capacity as fluid and electrolytes are lost. A fluid loss of even 2 % body weight can impact performance.8,9Endura Rehydration Performance Fuel, at one dose hourly for isotonic rehydration, includes essential electrolytes - sodium, potassium, Meta Mag® magnesium diglycinate and calcium lost during sweating. Plan your hydration stations to avoid dehydration. Utilise Endura Rehydration Performance Fuel to stay ahead of the game.
The Right Post Race Recovery
Now you’ve raced your hardest, proper recovery is important to care for hardworking muscles, so you can bounce back ready for the next event. Like your pre-race nutrition plan; protein, hydration, electrolytes and carbohydrates are key. Endura Optimizer is your one stop recovery shop. Take one serve within four hours after your event and one serve before bed to provide the perfect nutritional combination to restore depleted glycogen reserves, maintain muscle mass and speed recovery.
To get the most out of the months of gruelling training and beyond, Endura Sports Nutrition provides you with key solutions, specialised for endurance competitors serious about their performance. Stick to your race plan so that you can train harder, race faster and recover quicker!
References available on request