Adventure & Wildlife Magazine - Vol 1|Issue 5-6| Nov 16 - Jan 17 Vol 1|Issue 5-6| Nov 16 - Jan 17 | Page 31

ADVENTURE & WILDLIFE
FUELLING YOUR MARATHON
Aruna Prasad
M
arathons or long distance running is designed
to test the human capabilities when it comes to
athletic performance and the challenges associated with
these are probably as tough as the sport itself. Having said
that, most of the marathon runners state that the joy and
satisfaction in the accomplishment surpasses the training
discomfort, pain or any other physical challenges. An
ideal marathon is when the runner is able to pace the
second half of the distance with slightly higher speed
compared to the first half. Dehydration, muscle cramps,
loss of good form, low sugar bouts are a few common
challenges that a marathon runner faces and
majority of these concerns can be taken care with just
eating right for your training, before the marathon, during
the run and post event. Your nutritional requirement is
dependent on your training schedule since the fuel you
take in caters to your workout and the recovery that
follows training.
Yes! Your body undergoes different neuro-muscular and
metabolic changes on each of these days and eating to
support the body to cope with these changes is the best
way to enhance performance.
Nutrition planning for rest day and low intensity (<60
minutes) training days
A rest day or low intensity day succeeds a high
intensity training day which means your muscles
are under constant stress of breaking down and
building up due to the intense training. Such days
require you to cut down on your carbohydrate sources (like
potato, white bread, pasta, rice) and emphasize on
proteins since you need to ensure you are in the
ideal weight and fat% which can alter with higher
consumption of carbohydrates during low activity
levels. High protein intake (like chicken, egg, paneer,
cheese, sprouts) helps you with muscle building and also
increases satiety in turn helping in cutting down on excess
Does that mean your food/nutrient intake should vary intake. Choosing a protein-rich snack is a safer option on
from a rest day to a light intensity day to a heavy training these days. Omega 3 fatty acids from essential fat sources
day and finally on the event day?
(like fish, flax seeds, chia seeds, garden cress seeds) help
Vol 1|Issue 5-6|Nov 16 - Jan 17
31