Marathons & sporting events

If you are a beginner, you should plan for at least 12 weeks of event training before an endurance event.

This should include an adequate diet that is high in protein and complex carbohydrates to support muscle maintenance, tissue repair, and reduce your risk of injury.

On training days, you should aim for between 1.4 and 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.

Some evidence suggests up to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, which may also be indicated if you are over 50.

Practice your exact race-day nutrition during long training sessions. Train your gut to tolerate the high levels of carbohydrate needed in the carb-loading phase and during the event.

Make sure you pay particular attention to low- and high-glycaemic foods.

Low-glycaemic foods enter your bloodstream slowly and release sugar gradually, helping you sustain your energy for longer. This makes them suitable during training and the pre-event diet, but less suitable if you are eating close to or during the event.

A good way to test whether you are consuming enough carbohydrates is to do some trial runs and see if you maintain your energy. If not, consume more.

Low glycaemic foods include:

• Nuts and seeds
• Whole grains
• Wholemeal bread and pasta
• Fruit with skin on
• Most vegetables with skin on
• Animal proteins
• Eggs
• Cheese, full-fat milk, and yoghurt
• Beans and legumes
• Tofu, tempeh

High glycaemic foods include:

• Apples and fruit sauces in natural juice or syrup
• Melon
• Grapes
• Fruit juice
• Honey, jam, and syrups
• Mashed potato without skin
• Boiled white rice
• Pasta
• Noodles
• Lebanese bread
• Pita pockets
• Crumpets
• Filled fruit biscuits
• Plain sweet biscuits
• Rice cakes and honey
• Fruit roll-ups
• Corn tortilla
• Rice Bubbles, Corn Flakes, instant oats, and low-fibre cereals with a little skim milk
• Sports drinks or gels

In the 36-48 hours before your event, you are advised to consume familiar, easily digestible foods that are low in fat, low in fibre, and high in carbohydrate to maximise your glycogen stores while minimising gut discomfort.

Before competition, carbohydrate loading with carbohydrate-fortified whole foods has been shown to enhance your glycogen stores and provide essential nutrients with a high level of safety.

Carbohydrate loading quantities

A quick guide for carb loading:

• Start 36-48 hours before your event.
• Keep your calorie intake the same, with less protein and fat and more carbohydrates.
• Over these 2 days, graze slowly throughout the day.
• Aim for quality carbohydrates every 3 hours.

Choose familiar, easily digestible foods that are:

• Low fat
• Low fibre
• High-GI wholefoods high in carbohydrate

Remember to:

• Rest and sleep well in the days leading up to your event.
• Stay well hydrated and aim for at least 3 litres of water a day during race week.
• Remember that glycogen binds to water, so proper hydration is important.
• Hydrate at least 4 hours before your race: 5–7 mL/kg body weight.

Don’t do anything new with your nutrition on event day.

Fuelling for activities lasting less than 90 minutes:

On average, you will usually consume enough carbohydrate to fuel an event that lasts an hour or up to 90 minutes.

A small healthy breakfast three to four hours before your event, containing some carbohydrate and protein, with a snack after the event, should do the trick.

As a general guide, avoid high-fat carbohydrate meals before any exercise and stick to smaller portions before your workout.

This is what 30 grams of carbohydrate looks like:

• 1 large banana
• Half a jam sandwich on white bread
• 10–12 jelly beans
• 1 standard sports gel

Half-marathon and marathon activities lasting 2 to 5 hours:

Endurance events usually start early in the morning, often before 7 am. Getting the timing right to fuel your body is crucial.

Make sure you are well rested in the days leading up to your event.

Hydrate at least 4 hours before your race: 5–7 mL/kg body weight.

Try to coordinate your water and carbohydrate intake during the race.

Consume high-glycaemic foods in the 2 hours before the race:

• Banana, quick oats, honey
• White toast, almond butter, honey
• Rice cakes, 1 Tbsp peanut butter, berries

Do not consume high doses of carbohydrate 30-60 minutes before your event. Your final pre-race meal, eaten at least 2 hours before the event, should not exceed 75 g of carbohydrate. Consume an electrolyte drink in the 90 minutes before the race.

Have a small high-GI carbohydrate snack to top up your glycogen levels 30 minutes before the race:

• Half banana
• 1 date
• Rice cake with honey or jam
• Jellybeans
• Pretzels
• Or, have a sports gel if this has worked during your training. Otherwise, consume the gel 30 minutes into the race.

Sports gels

High doses of either glucose or fructose alone can cause gastrointestinal issues such as diarrhoea, abdominal pain and bloating. A combination of glucose and fructose in supplementation has been shown to reduce or prevent gastrointestinal discomfort.

• Sports drink gels can work well if you are fuelling closer to the event and need to take in more carbohydrate during longer exercise.
• Choose a sports gel with maltodextrin and fructose at a ratio of 1:0.8 or 2:1 during the event. This supports quick absorption and can help minimise gastrointestinal discomfort. These ratios are well researched as a quick fuel source during endurance events.
• Maltodextrin is a flavourless, not-sweet powder that is rapidly broken down into glucose for fuel.
• You can use caffeine 30–90 minutes before your race starts, and again in the final stages of the race for an extra boost.

During the race:

• Start fuelling in the first hour of a 2–3-hour event to help prevent glycogen depletion.
• Aim for 30–90 g of carbohydrate per hour.
• Don’t wait until your stores are depleted before you start fuelling.
• Replace fluids every 15–20 minutes whether you feel thirsty or not.

• Hydration: It is essential that you hydrate within the first hour after your event and replenish with electrolytes and water.
• Immediately post-race: a liquid option is best because it is easily digested and contains 1–1.2 g carbohydrate/kg body weight and 0.2–0.4 g protein/kg body weight.
  o Smoothie with banana, oats, protein powder (whey or plant-based), and milk
  o Fruit juice and banana
  o Rice pudding, Greek yoghurt, and berries
• 1–4 hours post-race: continue with the ratios above over the next 4 hours to replenish your glycogen stores. Aim for a mix of high- and low-glycaemic foods and lean protein sources.

• 4–24 hours post-race: choose moderate- to low-glycaemic foods as your glycogen synthesis rate slows but still needs replenishing. These foods will also help stabilise your blood sugar levels. Aim for a 3:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein. This is approximately 8–10 g carbohydrate/kg body weight and 0.2–0.4 g protein/kg body weight.