This Marathon Guide has been created by our Nutrition Advisor, Matt Jones, to be the complete nutrition guide for training and racing the Marathon.
The Marathon distance is known by amateur and professional runners to be the ultimate test in running. Your body must be ready to race, and so it is imperative that your nutrition in the weeks, days and hours leading up to the race is dialled in, to maximise your performance potential.
Part 1: We will explain everything you need to know about fuelling your training for a marathon, to help you perform and recover optimally and get the most out of all your runs.
Part 2: We will go through the nutrition for the days running up to your marathon, going over nutrition and carb loading and hydration to prepare your body and put you in the best position to perform on race day.
Part 3: We will present race day nutrition guidance, explaining what you should consume the morning of, pre and during the marathon to keep your body fuelled and your performance maintained.
At the end of the guide, we will provide an example daily meal plans for each stage of the guide, namely a normal day in training, days in the week of the marathon, and race day itself.
Part 1: The Marathon Training Diet
The chances are you have a well structured, periodised and planned training programme to follow to prepare yourself for the marathon. But perhaps you are still wondering how to adjust your diet to best fuel and prepare yourself.
Alongside training, nutrition is equally important in your preparation; getting it right can improve your performance and make the experience more enjoyable. On the other hand getting it wrong can leave you struggling and in a world of pain.
In the following article, we will cover exactly what you will need to do to adjust your diet in training for, then in the days leading up to the marathon and finally during the race itself.
It's evident from research that ‘miles make marathoners’. Monthly training volume is the best predictor of marathon performance, so let’s begin with how to structure your diet during the training block in the months and weeks before the race itself.
Energy
The first and most fundamental adjustment you need to make to your diet when commencing marathon training is simply increasing your daily energy intake.
The energy cost of running a marathon has been estimated to be between 2200 - 3200 kcal, whilst energy expenditure of training could be anywhere between 500 - 800 kcal per hour.
If you were to maintain your normal diet, with no adjustments the chances are you would create a negative energy balance, which will not only mean you lose weight and muscle mass, but will also reduce the amount of energy available to your body to support performance and recovery. Low energy intake for extended periods of time can also impact the immune system, making you more susceptible to picking up frustrating illnesses, not what you need when trying to prepare for a marathon.
Increasing your energy intake can be as simple as eating a little more of the foods that you currently eat. Although it’s perhaps more beneficial to do this a little more strategically, by adjusting the types of foods you are eating, and also playing closer attention to the timing of those foods.
Fuel
Carbohydrate is used as a fuel for intense actions such as running. Carbohydrate is stored in small quantities as glycogen in both the muscle and liver.
The best way to imagine this is whenever you eat a carbohydrate rich food it will be used to top up small petrol tanks in your muscle and liver.
Those petrol tanks are fuel reserves for intense activity.
Given that running is relatively intense, most of the energy you burn during your training runs will come from carbohydrates. So when increasing serving sizes at meals, it will be the carbohydrate component that needs to be adjusted the most, to top up those tanks and ensure they are suitably full for future sessions.
If we assume that you currently consume 2000 - 3000 calories each day, you will likely need to add an additional 500 to 800 calories or 125 to 200 grams of carbohydrate to your daily diet to meet the demands of daily training.
In a practical sense that’s the equivalent of an additional banana and tablespoon of honey in a slightly larger bowl of porridge at breakfast, with a bottle of apple juice, an extra slice of bread at lunch with some fruit, a slightly larger serving of rice with your evening meal and three caramel rice cakes before your training run.
Consuming between 5-7 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight should be sufficient to maintain the fuel tanks and support your performance and recovery.
That is between 350 - 490 grams of carbohydrate for a 70 kg runner.
Some recommended carbohydrate-rich fuel foods include oats, bran flakes, wholegrain bread, pasta, rice, cous cous, quinoa, potatoes, rice cakes, granola or cereal bars, fruits and fruit juices.
Carbohydrates can be categorized based on how quickly they deliver fuel to the body, this is often referred to as the glycemic index. Higher glycemic index foods include white bread, white spaghetti, mashed potatoes, sports drinks, energy gels and candy. They deliver fuel rapidly and can be referred to as fast fuels. These foods, snacks or drinks are ideal before, during and after training and races, when the body needs fuel rapidly. Slow fuels are generally wholegrains such as wholemeal breads, pasta, bran flakes, wholegrain rice, quinoa, chickpeas, lentils and high fibre fruits such as apples. They deliver fuel slowly, over an extended period and should be prioritized at all other meals and snacks.
Repair
Protein rich foods are digested, absorbed and broken down into individual amino acids which are primarily used to support growth and repair processes in the body, particularly in muscles. Imagine amino acids are like small bricks, these bricks are used to rebuild tissues. Running is incredibly taxing on muscles and joints, so consuming protein in sufficient amounts and at regular periods across the day is important to aid growth and repair processes.
Consuming around 1.6 - 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight should be sufficient to optimise the repair processes.
Splitting this total daily dose into 4 or 5 equal parts will also ensure that the body receives a steady supply of building blocks throughout the day. That is roughly 112 - 126 grams of protein for a 70 kg runner, and 28 - 31.5 grams of protein per meal. Most people skew protein intake to the evening meal, with missed opportunities to repair and adapt in the morning and in the evening before bed. So don’t be like most people and ensure you evenly distribute your daily protein intake.
Suitable protein sources to aid repair processes include lean meats such as chicken, turkey and lean beef, eggs, fish, shrimp, dairy products such as milk and Greek yogurt, soy, beans and pulses, and even whey or vegan protein powder if you struggle to meet the daily requirements from wholefoods alone.
Salmon, mackerel and sardines are particularly worthy of mention as they not only provide quality protein, but they are also rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fats which are known to reduce inflammation, muscle damage and soreness. A very nice addition to the daily diet during intense training.
Boost
Fruit, vegetables and healthy sources of fat can be referred to as boost foods as they have the ability to boost numerous aspects of our health and functioning as humans, thanks to their vast quantities of vitamins, minerals, fibre, fatty acids, water and other phytonutrients.
Dietary nitrates have received serious attention in the sports nutrition space in recent years, owing to their ability to boost nitric oxide production, widen blood vessels, reduce blood pressure, improve blood flow, endurance performance and power output. The perfect storm for a runner in marathon training.
When selecting which vegetable to add to your meals, nitrate-rich vegetables such as beetroot, spinach, rocket, swiss chard and lettuce are certainly worthy of consideration.
Current research suggests a dosage of around 800 mg of nitrates may be required to boost performance in endurance events, with 100 grams of beetroot and spinach providing roughly 300 and 240 mg respectively.
Including a variety of nitrate-rich vegetables each day, with each meal is a worthy consideration, perhaps some spinach with eggs at breakfast, beets with lunch, rocket and beet juice with dinner, and then stewed rhubarb with protein yogurt before bed.
Including a wide variety of fresh fruits into your diet is also likely to help your performance and recovery during this intensified period of training. We have known that fruit offers a host of health benefits for many years, but in recent times we have developed a detailed understanding of how fruit-derived polyphenols can benefit the body. Polyphenols have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which support the body, brain, heart and muscles train, compete and then recover.
Current evidence suggests that doses of between 300 - 1000 mg per day may be optimal. Interestingly cloves, peppermint, cocoa, dark chocolate, coffee, berries, cherries, pomegranate, beans, green tea and red wine are all rich in polyphenols and should feature in your training diet. Its also possible to supplement with concentrated, capsule forms of polyphenols from blackcurrant extract, with evidence to suggest that consumption both before and after exercise can benefit both endurance and recovery.
On the subject of boosting performance and without diving into the minefield of supplements, I would like to discuss creatine monohydrate specifically. Traditionally creatine has been recognised as a supplement specifically for power and strength sports, and avoided by endurance athletes for fear of gaining weight and slowing them down.
More recently however, research has confirmed that endurance athletes are likely to benefit from creatine supplementation (roughly 5 grams per day) too, for multiple reasons. Including enhanced glycogen storage and recovery, greater cellular hydration, reduced neuromuscular fatigue, inflammation and oxidative stress, and maintenance of pH. Most, if not all endurance events end with a sprint finish too. This sprint finish is very likely to improve with creatine supplementation.
Fluid
The human body is around 60% and you can lose anywhere between 500 ml and 3 litres of fluid per hour through sweat during intense marathon training. Consuming sufficient fluid each day to maintain hydration status is important.
Dehydration impacts the brain, cardiovascular system and muscle strength and power. A tell tale sign of dehydration is lethargy and general fatigue, this can make daily life more difficult, nevermind your training.
Drinking 1 ml of water per kcal consumed is a good general guide, so that could be anywhere from 2000 - 3000 ml per day and then an additional 500 - 1000 ml per hour of training depending on your unique sweat rate.
The best way to monitor your hydration status is checking the colour of your urine. Urine should be a pale, almost clear colour. The darker the urine the more dehydrated you are. Note that urine colour can be influenced by a variety of factors, including some vitamin supplements and beetroot juice, and other things, but as a proxy measure it is useful.
Individual sweat rates can vary considerably too and when body mass loss exceeds 2% your performance can suffer. Sweat rate is relatively easy to calculate, using the below formula. An online sweat rate calculator has been developed by Jay et al., (2024) and the prediction model displays high accuracy, with mean absolute errors of 0.03 L/hr for running and 0.02 L/hr for cycling.
Any difference in body weight pre to post-run is assumed to be fluid losses through sweat, with 1 kg assumed to be the equivalent of 1 L of fluid. As an example, if I start my run weighing 70 kg and finish weighing 69 kg, that is 1 kg loss or 1 L of fluid lost through sweat. This is only 1.4% of my body mass, so is not going to hurt my performance, but I would need to consume around 1.5 L in the following hours to fully rehydrate post-run.
It is also helpful to know your sweat sodium composition during training and well in advance of the race itself. This can be measured with wearable tech such as Flowbio or you can also determine whether or not you are a heavy sweater by wearing black cotton t-shirts during training runs and then letting it dry after. If the t-shirt is white with salt deposits then you can assume you are a heavy sweater and might need around 1000 - 1500 mg of sodium per hour.
The addition of electrolytes to pre and post-run drinks can accelerate the rate of rehydration, enhance fluid retention and muscle function. Consider adding 1 - 2 Cadence Core Hydration Electrolyte Sachets per day around these training runs, perhaps an Energy Hydration Sachet pre-run if training in the morning.
Focus
Finding the motivation to get up and go, especially when it’s cold, wet and windy outside is challenge in itself. So adding in foods and fluids that can help get you amped up, ready and raring to go is most certainly worthwhile. Caffeine and caffeinated beverages such as coffee and or the Cadence Energy Hydration Sachet can do just that.
Caffeine is an adenosine antagonist, which in simple terms means it blocks the actions of adenosine and has a stimulant effect on the brain, improving attention, focus and generally gets you more hyped for a long-grueling run. Interestingly caffeine can also reduce perceived exertion, making tough training feel easier and more enjoyable and it can also boost endurance so you can run faster.
Be mindful that the stimulant effects of caffeine last for many hours, perhaps as much as 12-hours. So drinking caffeinated drinks after midday might interfere with your sleep, not such a good idea. So it’s best to consume these drinks earlier in the day and ideally around 30-minutes before you train.
Meal timing
It's important to time your meals strategically to ensure that you are adequately fuelled to run and then fully recovered afterwards.
That likely means having a large meal around 3-hours before a run and a smaller, carbohydrate-rich snack around 60 to 30-minutes before, followed by another large meal or snack within 1-hour post-run.
There are potential benefits to fasted runs. In recent years we have begun to understand that muscle glycogen stores are actually like a fuel gauge that can influence metabolism and cell signaling pathways responsible for mitochondrial biogenesis and by increasing oxidative adaptations of skeletal muscle. This in turn can benefit aerobic adaptations to training, potentially improving endurance.
However, this comes at the cost of exercise intensity. Fasted runs are likely to be slower and fatigue will set in much earlier. Its also important to recognise that the race itself will be completed in the fed state, so practicing with various runs after larger meals containing different foods is vitally important. Then adjusting and refining the carbohydrate, fiber, protein and fat content so you feel comfortable and fully fuelled is important.
So consider the timing of your meals strategically. Some training in the fasted state is absolutely fine and might actually be of benefit. But note that its just as important to practice in the fed state to simulate race day and allow for increased speed and intensity.
Your Daily Diet
To conclude Part 1, you will need to increase your energy intake in training for the marathon. This can be achieved by adding more carbohydrate rich fuel foods into your normal diet.
Eating protein rich build foods at regular intervals throughout the day, with omega-3 rich options such as salmon multiple times per week, combined with some polyphenol rich fruits can help support recovery and optimise repair processes so you are less sore.
Selecting nitrate rich vegetables such as beetroot and spinach are valued considerations too.
Finally, a focus on maintaining hydration with sufficient fluids and electrolytes, and timing caffeine intake to boost your mental and physical performance is essential.
Part II: The Week of Marathon Diet
Carb Loading
It was traditionally thought that you need to significantly reduce your carbohydrate intake and combine that with an increase in training intensity to completely deplete glycogen stores in order to then supercompensate and maximize carbohydrate stores. This has now been disproven.
24 - 48 hours of 10 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight is sufficient to fill the fuel tanks in the muscle and liver.
This 24 - 48 hour carbohydrate load should be coupled with a reduction in training volume and intensity to encourage storage.
In a practical sense, for a 70 kg runner that is around 700 grams of carbohydrate, which could look something like this:
- Breakfast: Oatmeal (100 g oats and low fat milk) with Banana (x1) and Honey (2 tbsp)
- Lunch: Rice (250 g), Fruits (200 g) and Fruit Juice (500 ml)
- Snack: Bagel (x2) with Jelly (4 tbsp)
- Dinner: Pasta (300 g) with Tomato Sauce
- Snack: Bowl of Bran Flakes (60 g) with Low Fat Milk
Note: This example only includes carbohydrate items.
The carbohydrate load can sometimes be viewed as an opportunity to eat as much as possible, with the pasta party culture common in endurance events. That’s likely to be counterproductive and result in gastrointestinal issues, bloating and general discomfort the following day.
Instead, continue eating the same, familiar foods as normal, just a little more of them.
If you are traveling to the race, it's also a wise idea to research the various restaurants in the vicinity well in advance of your arrival and consider making a reservation at somewhere suitable, like an Italian restaurant perhaps, rather than leaving it too late and finding out that the place is fully booked by your competitors.
Also look out for local grocery stores where you can pick up additional carbohydrate rich snacks such as rice cakes, cereals, fruits, juices and milk. Finally, don’t forget to pack big bowls, cutlery and bottles.
Fiber
In the days leading up to the race it might also be a good idea to begin reducing fiber intake. This can have multiple advantages, including reducing the risk of gastrointestinal issues but also reducing overall body weight, which might ultimately benefit performance. Remember that fiber essentially just sits in your gut feeding the trillions of bacteria, waiting to be excreted.
From a health perspective, fiber is important, but acutely before competition it might be more beneficial to reduce your intake for a day or two.
In a practical sense, using the meal template example we provided previously you could simply adjust the foods you consume in order to reduce the fiber content. For example, swapping oatmeal for rice krispie cereal, swapping brown for white rice, swapping bagels for sliced white bread, and bran flakes for rice cakes. These simple swaps, while also reducing vegetables and prioritizing nitrate-rich options can reduce fiber.
Boost
As previously mentioned, increasing your nitrate intake can be of great benefit, by vasodilating (making wider) blood vessels, boosting blood flow to the muscle and brain, enhancing endurance.
Research has shown that a short term nitrate rich diet can improve performance.
So in the week leading up to the race, make a concerted effort to add more spinach, rocket, chard, rhubarb, more beetroot, more beet juice and perhaps even 1 or 2 concentrated beet shots to increase your nitrate intake to around 1200 mg per day.
Hydrate
Despite the apparent obvious benefits of hydration on performance, research suggests that as many as 31% of amateur runners begin a race dehydrated.
In the days leading up to the race, be mindful of your fluid intake, avoid hyperhydrating (drinking too much) and hypohydrating (not enough).
Keep fluid intake relatively normal, but introduce additional sodium at a dose of 1000 - 2000 mg by supplementing with an Electrolyte Drink or Electrolyte Sachets and adding some additional salt to meals or salty snacks.
This will help by improving fluid retention, reducing fluid loss through urine and increasing plasma volume ahead of the race itself. It also provides a reservoir of fluid and electrolytes to draw upon as sweat rate increases to regulate temperature during the race itself.
Part III: Marathon Race Day Diet
Carbohydrate (Morning of Marathon)
The liver is responsible for managing and maintaining blood glucose levels while we sleep. So an overnight fast can reduce liver glycogen stores by roughly 40 - 50%. Muscle glycogen stores on the other hand are likely to remain pretty full following the previous day's loading.
So, the objective of breakfast on race day is to simply top up liver glycogen and stabilize blood sugar.
Thankfully research has given some clear recommendations on how best to achieve this.
A meal providing 2.5 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram body weight (175 g at 70 kg) consumed after an overnight fast increases muscle and liver glycogen by 11% and 33% respectively in just 3-hours, while a single 200 g dosage of carbohydrate (2.8 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram body weight at 70 kg) is likely to increase muscle glycogen by 15%.
We therefore recommend that you aim for a breakfast in the range of 2.5 - 2.8 grams of carbohydrate per kg (or 1.1 - 1.3g per lb) of body weight.
Including fruit juices, fruits, honey, milk or yogurt (with cereals) within this breakfast is likely to be of particular benefit as they are all rich in fructose and galactose, specific forms of sugar that result in greater rates of glycogen storage in the liver.
This will likely be the pre-race meal and should be consumed around 3 - 4 hours before the race begins, to allow time for digestion, absorption and assimilation in the muscle and liver.
The exact makeup of the meal depends on personal preference, although again select familiar foods that digest easily and are lower in fiber. This meal should have been trialed, tested and refined prior to training runs previously, so no surprises on the day of the race. It might look something like this:
70 kg runner aiming for 175 g (2.5 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram body weight) carbohydrate:
- 1 Large Toasted Bagel
- 1 Sliced Banana
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- 400 ml Apple Juice
- 2 Large Caramel Rice Cakes
The addition of protein to this meal can help in stabilizing blood sugar, preventing rebound hypoglycemia and also optimizing neurotransmitter production. The last thing you want to do is feel sleepy, relaxed and lethargic on the day of the race.
Hydration (Morning of Marathon)
Research has shown that up to 71% of adults fail to meet daily fluid intake recommendations. There is also research to suggest that up to 56% of professional athletes and approximately 70% of collegiate athletes are dehydrated before practice. So, dehydration is a real concern affecting many people and you do not want to be one of them, particularly on the start line.
Upon waking, aim to drink 600 ml of water plus 1 Cadence Core Hydration Sachet.
Tthis will likely allow you to fully rehydrate within 45-minutes. Continue to monitor urine colour between waking and adjust fluid intake to ensure urine colour is consistently pale. Excessive fluid intake is certainly not recommended, but can be common as a result of pre-race anxiety.
Pre Race Fuel (1-2 Hours Pre Race)
In the 1 - 2 hours pre-race, having an additional carbohydrate-rich snack such as a banana, caramel rice cakes or rice based cereal bars can help stabilize blood sugar.
Having a faster fuel such as an energy gel to consume around 15-minutes before the race begins is also a good idea.
Sipping on an electrolyte drink in the 1 - 4 hours before the race is also recommended, aiming for 350 - 700 ml with 1 Cadence Energy Hydration Sachet to improve hydration and focus.
This will take total sodium intake up to around 1000 - 1500 mg pre-race. The addition of caffeine at this stage is also worthy of consideration, perhaps 1 - 2 espresso shots to deliver and a combined total of 160 - 220 mg of caffeine (2.2 - 3.1 mg of caffeine per kilogram body weight).
Around 60-minutes before the race consider adding in 400 - 800 mg of nitrates in the form of beetroot juice or 1 - 2 concentrated beetroot shots.
There is also evidence to suggest that polyphenols such as blackcurrant extract capsules might also benefit performance when consumed at this time. Again, these things should have been tried and tested in training previously.
During the Marathon
Carbohydrates
During the race itself, carbohydrate should again be prioritized.
Research shows that 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour might be the best for runners targeting a 4 - 5 hour run.
Although more experienced, faster runners aiming for a 3 hour finish can benefit from a higher intake of carbohydrate closer to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour.
This is particularly the case if you are using carbohydrate products with a specific glucose to fructose ratio to enhance absorption and oxidation. Remember running faster essentially means you are burning more carbohydrate and are therefore likely to benefit from greater fuel consumption.
Again, this race day strategy should have been tried multiple times in training so that you develop and refine the timings and also avoid stomach issues. Much like muscles, the gut can be trained too. So having training sessions where you replicate this fuelling strategy will train the gut to tolerate, absorb and utilize carbohydrates more efficiently.
Some example carbohydrate sources include:
- Super Energy Gel: 40 grams
- Standard Energy Gels: 20 grams
- Super Sports Drink: 40 - 60 grams
- Standard Sports Drink: 30 grams
- Chews (4-5): 16 - 25 grams
- Jelly Beans (10): 12 grams
- Banana (ripe with brown spots): 24 - 30 grams
Hydration
Fluid intake during the race itself should reflect individual sweat rate, which should have been assessed previously, although this is typically around 200 - 300 ml every 10 - 20-minutes. The stomach can clear around 180 - 210 ml of fluid every 15 minutes.
Aiming for 700 - 750 ml of fluid per hour is recommended.
Very few can tolerate larger fluid volumes than that, particularly those running at a faster pace. Note that the various stations around the marathon track itself provide cups of around 150 - 200 ml, and the likelihood is that you would only be able to consume around 75% of that as you move/run.
With regards to the composition of the drink, it should contain electrolytes and ideally some additional carbohydrate depending on your fuelling strategy.
Drinking only water can increase the risk of hyponatremia and exercise-induced muscle cramps. The sodium content of the drink should reflect sweat sodium losses, assessed in training well in advance of the race itself. This could vary from 500 - 1500 mg per hour.
The consumption of another 100 - 200 mg of caffeine during the race is also likely to benefit. Remember that caffeine can make intense exercise feel easier, while also improving endurance and power output. That could be in the form of a Cadence Energy Hydration Sachet added to water at the halfway point of the race.
Conclusion
There is significant individual variability in nutrition requirements during a marathon itself, so making specific recommendations is challenging. But we hope that this document helps inform your decisions ahead of the race so that you are adequately fuelled and hydrated, and dare I say enjoy the experience.
The Marathon Meal Plan
The below meal plan has been developed to meet the unique requirements of a 70 kg runner in preparation for a marathon. This is to demonstrate how you might go about adjusting your diet in the lead up to the race itself to meet macronutrient needs and is not intended to be a prescriptive meal plan. This does not account for individual preferences and unique micronutrient requirements.
Training Daily Diet
This particular example demonstrates how to manage your diet to include a fed run in the afternoon or evening. Fasted runs in the morning, before breakfast can be utilized periodically throughout the training week to elicit specific aerobic adaptations.
Daily Totals
Energy (kcal): 3246 (46.4 kcal/kg of bodyweight)
Protein (g): 126 (1.8 g/kg of bodyweight)
Carbohydrate (g): 595 (6.6 g/kg of bodyweight)
Fat (g): 98 (1.4 g/kg of bodyweight)
Fluid (ml): 3200 (No weight-based measurement)
Breakfast
Oatmeal with berries, honey, almond butter and yogurt, and a smoothie.
Oatmeal:
- Oats (dry): 60 grams
- Milk (low fat): 200 ml
- Greek yogurt (non-fat): 100 grams
- Banana: 1 medium
- Honey: 1 tbsp
- Mixed berries: 100 grams
Smoothie:
- Apple juice: 250 ml
- Spinach: 1 handful
- Frozen berries: 60 grams
Total:
- Kcal: 764 kcal
- Protein: 28 g
- Carbohydrate: 148 g
- Fat: 8 g
Lunch
Chicken, Microwave Rice with Sweet Chilli Sauce, Spinach, Bread Roll, and Fruit Salad.
Total:
- Kcal: 861.7 kcal
- Protein: 21.5 g
- Carbohydrate: 131.7 g
- Fat: 27.7 g
Snack
Rice Cakes with Banana and Honey, and Chocolate Milk.
- Rice cakes: 3 medium
- Banana: 1 medium
- Honey: 1 tablespoon
- Chocolate milk (low-fat): 250 ml
Total:
- Kcal: 371 kcal
- Protein: 21.5 g
- Carbohydrate: 60 g
- Fat: 5 g
Run at this Point
Dinner
Salmon, Pasta with Tomato Sauce, Spinach, Pineapple, and Beetroot Juice.
- Salmon (grilled): 120 grams
- Pasta (whole wheat, cooked): 150 grams
- Tomato-based sauce: 1/2 cup
- Spinach (steamed): 1 cup
- Pineapple (fresh): 100 grams
- Beetroot juice: 200 ml
Total:
- Kcal: 861.7 kcal
- Protein: 21.5 g
- Carbohydrate: 131.7 g
- Fat: 27.7 g
Pre-Sleep
Protein Shake, Kiwi Fruit, and Pistachio Nuts.
- Whey protein shake: 1 scoop (30 grams protein)
- Kiwi fruit: 1 medium
- Pistachio nuts: 20 grams
Total:
- Kcal: 290 kcal
- Protein: 40 g
- Carbohydrate: 10 g
- Fat: 10 g
Preparation Diet (24-48 Hours Before Race)
The following template demonstrates how a 70 kg runner might adjust their diet in the 24 - 48-hours preceding a marathon in order to fill fuel tanks, reduce fiber intake, and introduce nitrates and polyphenols to encourage enhanced blood flow.
Daily Totals
Calories (Kcal): 4004.8 (57.2 kcal/g of bodyweight)
Protein (g): 112.0 (1.6g/kg of bodyweight)
Carbohydrate (g): 700 (10g/kg of bodyweight)
Fat (g): 84.0 (1.2g/kg of bodyweight)
Breakfast
Rice Krispie Cereal with Banana, Honey, and Milk + Beetroot and Berry Smoothie with Yogurt.
Total:
Lunch
Chicken, Microwave Rice with Sweet Chilli Sauce, Spinach, Bread Roll, and Fruit Salad.
Total:
Snack
Rice Cakes with Banana and Honey, and Chocolate Milk.
Total:
Dinner
Shrimp, Pasta with Tomato Sauce, Spinach, Pineapple, and Beetroot Juice.
Total:
Pre-sleep
White Bread with Strawberry Jam, Beetroot, and Apple Juice.
Total:
Race Day Diet
Again, this is just a template to demonstrate how a 70 kg individual might adjust their diet on the day of the race to best prepare for competition.
Breakfast
Rice Krispie Cereal with Banana, Honey, Milk, Caramel Rice Cakes, and Beetroot, Berry, Apple Juice Smoothie with Yogurt.
Pre-Race Snack
Rice Krispie Square Bar and Banana.
During Race (per hour)
Carbohydrates: Either 2 x Super Carb Energy Gels or 1 gel + 20-25 jelly beans