Eat, Drink and Be a Finisher

Jacqueline Hansen
Special to the Mirror

   Patrick wants to know: Is carbo-loading really worthwhile? “Carbohydrate loading” was made popular by a Swedish cycling team in the ‘60s. The objective is to store energy-providing glycogen, beyond normal levels, to enable the athlete to perform better over a longer period of time. It only benefits athletes exercising over 90 minutes, so it is applicable to marathons.
   Carbo-loading is not an excuse to gorge yourself. In fact, by simply decreasing your mileage three days before a race while eating normally, you’re in effect “loading.”
   Most nutritionists remind us to balance our diets and include all the food groups at every meal. In general, it’s advisable to maintain protein intake in proportion to your body weight (.6 - .9 grams per pound of body weight), and to keep your fat intake lower than 25%. Just increase the carbohydrates in your diet to 70% during the loading phase or 8-10 g/kg of body weight. The pre-race meal should consist of familiar foods, ones you’ve tried in training. The amount recommended is more or less in proportion to the number of hours before the race. In general, try to stick to low fat foods and avoid acidic or high fiber foods that might upset your digestive system. A lot of people avoid dairy products for the same reason.
   And don’t forget about hydration. It’s the number one cause of poor performance. Recommended daily consumption is at least 8, or even 10-12 cups a day! Drink at least 16 ounces of water before the start of your marathon. On race day, you’re going to need 150-250 ml. of fluids at least every 20 minutes, depending on your body size and the weather, so check out the aid stations.
   Have you thought about how you’re going to replace your carbohydrates on the run? To give you the fuel you need to endure the marathon, consider gels, bars and/or replacement drinks. This is something you’ll definitely want to rehearse in your training. Nutritionists suggest that you’ll need 30-60 grams of carbohydrates per hour starting at 60-90 minutes into your run, taken with water to aid digestion. If you wait until you’re thirsty or hungry, you’ve waited too long.
   Jacqueline Hansen is the director of coaching education at the Amateur Athletic Foundation. If you have questions about marathon training, email Jacqueline at coachjqhansen@aol.com, or write to her in care of the Mirror.