Getting Your Marathon Nutrition Right Is Easy
Any athlete knows: how you treat your body will determine how much it gives you back, come race day.
The term “carbo lading” brings to mind bowls of pasta and boiled potatoes.
If you have spent any time researching nutrition, you will know that there are different types of carbs. We are not going to be calling them “good” or “bad”, but rather focusing on how they work and what they do for you
The glycaemic index (GI) rates carbohydrates according to how quickly they raise the glucose level of the blood.
High GI foods – quick release carbs giving immediate but short lasting bursts of energy.
Cherries
Tart cherries or cherry juice is a great High GI carb option and has also been found to help with post-race repairs.
Other high GI carbs include white bread, short grain rice and baked things like cakes and doughnuts.
Eating High GI foods directly after strenuous exercise (and for the following 24hours) will help your body with recovery as it will ensure you have enough glycogen to rapidly replenish your muscle fuel stores.
Low GI – slower energy release and more long-lasting levels of energy.
Whole grains (quinoa, buckwheat, oats and brown rice or even wholewheat pasta)
Let’s call this the foundation of your carbo-loading menu. These are great low GI foods that are easy to cook in bulk as part of meal prepping and then have available all week long to add to your meals.
Eating a balanced, low GI meal at least two hours before your exercise will ensure that the meal has left your stomach but is still providing nutrition in your small intestine. This will ensure that you have the necessary energy reserves to fight fatigue without causing gastrointestinal issues.
Sweetpotato (potato’s sexy cousin…)
Sweet potatoes are brilliant root vegetables. With all the versatility of potato, but with added nutrients and the benefit of being a slow release, low GI carb source of vitamins, nutrients and easily digestible fibre.
Most ardent runners will know that the ultimate carbo-loading menu used to be pasta, pasta and pasta.
As much as we love pasta, that can get a bit boring. We decided to give the pre-race meal a much-needed makeover and this is what we came up with.
The PB (personal best) quinoa, chicken and roasted vegetable bowl with olive oil and cherry vinaigrette.
These amounts are just guidelines – use your own portion control guidelines and listen to your body.
For one bowl:
- 1 cup of cooked Quinoa (red, white or mixed.)
- 200g of cooked chicken. This can be shredded rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken breast or any other lean meat of your choice.
- 1 cup of roasted vegetables. We suggest a mix of carrots, sweet potatoes, and zucchinis. The carrots are high in sugars, the sweet potato is a low GI super star, and the zucchinis are gentle on your stomach, doesn’t cause gas buildup and is easy to digest.
- Place all of this in a big enough bowl, add dressing and enjoy!
For the vinaigrette:
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil,
- 4 tablespoons (50ml) of tart cherry juice or red wine vinegar.
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon each of garlic- and onion powder.
- Salt and pepper.
Mix this all together in a jar with a lid by shaking it vigorously and drizzle over your bowl.
We love this high carb, high protein bowl, with the added nutrients form the vegetables and a dash of good oils.
Let us know what you think about this bowl and what your new PB is, but always remember the important rule: Nothing new on race day.
