What to eat before, during and after the VnExpress Marathon Quy Nhon competition?

Stocking up on starch, eating enough nutrients and living a healthy lifestyle in the 5 days before the VM Quy Nhon 2023 race will help runners achieve their best physical condition.

Pre-race nutrition has a big impact on performance. Especially with summer marathons like VnExpress Marathon Quy Nhon 2023, athletes compete in hot weather conditions, quickly lose strength, this factor is even more important. Runners should consider diet as part of their training plan. They help optimize training sessions, competitions, and support muscles to recover and adapt faster. Below is a complete nutrition plan for the pre- and post-race process that runners can refer to.

Before the race

The body uses carbohydrates to fuel high-intensity running and stores them as glycogen in the muscles and liver. Therefore, if you do not take in enough carbs, your energy levels will drop during competition, causing your body to fall into a state of fatigue. Symptoms of fatigue can range from simply feeling heavy in the legs to more serious symptoms such as hitting a wall, making it impossible for the runner to continue competing.

To store glycogen, runners need to take in carbohydrates about a week before the race. The ideal amount of carbohydrates per day is 7 - 12g per kg of body weight. In addition to main meals, athletes need to take in two to three carb-rich snacks.

Carbohydrates are an important source of nutrition for runners. Photo: coachparry — Carbohydrates are an important source of nutrition for runners. Photo: *coachparry*

Pasta, rice, brown bread, white bread, potatoes and cereals are starches that can be included in meals. If you have stomach problems, you should choose starches with less fiber such as white bread and pasta.

In addition, it is necessary to supplement adequate groups of substances such as zinc, magnesium, calcium, sodium, vitamins B, C... Because these substances all have the function of balancing fluid levels in the body, stabilizing blood pressure, and supporting nerve, muscle, and cardiovascular functions.

In addition to nutrition, adequate hydration in the days leading up to the race is also important. To check if the body is hydrated, runners can monitor the color of their urine - urine should be a light straw color.

Alcohol is an absolute no-no in the days leading up to a race. When you consume beer, wine or any other alcoholic beverage, your liver goes into overdrive, removing the alcohol from your blood. This temporarily stops your liver from converting glucose into glycogen. The newly absorbed glucose is converted into fat.

In addition, alcoholic beverages also have a diuretic effect, causing dehydration. Drinking a lot of beer and wine reduces the concentration of Testosterone in the blood. This is an important substance, developing the muscle system in both men and women.

On race day

Runners need to carefully study the race route map, the location of water and fruit stations of the organizers to know what they need to bring. Runners need to eat breakfast 2 to 4 hours before arriving at the starting area to replenish the glycogen reserves in the liver that have been depleted overnight, and at the same time help control blood sugar levels.

This meal should be high in carbohydrates, low in fat, fibre and protein to keep your gut happy. You can eat toast with jam, cereal or bread with honey and banana. At the same time, add 5-7ml of water per kg of body weight. After warming up, you can suck on an energy gel to replenish your fuel stores.

Energy gels are chosen by most runners during races. Photo: veloforte — Energy gels are chosen by most runners during races. Photo: *veloforte*

Typically, a race lasts two to four hours, so athletes still need to replenish their glycogen stores throughout the race. According to research, the body uses up to 90g of carbohydrates for every hour of high-intensity exercise. Typically, on the racetrack, elite runners will take in an energy gel every 7km.

Gels, chews, energy bars, bananas, and sports drinks are all good sources of carbs that provide adequate fuel while still being “light on the stomach.” Stick to products you’ve already eaten to reduce digestive issues.

Drink water regularly, do not skip any of the organizers' water stations. Note that when receiving water, athletes should slow down and take small sips to avoid shaking. However, do not consume too much water, because it can cause hyponatremia, which is life-threatening.

Recovering after a race

Liquid foods such as sports drinks, smoothies, milkshakes, yogurt... are foods that runners can refer to. Milk is an effective rehydration drink after playing sports, foods containing protein, help muscle growth and recovery.

In particular, this meal should be high in carbs and protein. In the four hours after the race, consume 1 to 1.2 grams of carbs per kilogram of body weight and 30 to 40 grams of protein per hour to help your muscles recover. Drinks with an alcohol content of more than 4% can negatively affect the recovery process.

Protein intake after a race helps muscles recover faster. Photo: insider — Protein intake after a race helps muscles recover faster. Photo: *insider*

To ensure all that training doesn't go to waste, carefully plan your diet in the days leading up to the marathon to fuel your body properly.

According to experts, there is no common denominator for nutrition for runners. Through the process of training and eating, runners will gain experience and apply the most suitable regimen for themselves. In addition, every six months, runners should have a blood test to know the micronutrients and what supplements are needed.

In less than a week, VnExpress Marathon Spakling Quy Nhon 2023 will officially kick off. This is the right time for runners to reduce the intensity of their workouts, supplement their nutrition and prepare mentally before entering the race.

Lan Anh

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