Half marathon nutrition and fueling for a marathon actually starts long before the marathon. Earlier this summer, I started sampling Generation Ucans energy bars. First, you dont get the high from the sugar rush at every feeding. Before discovering Maurten, I always had the UCAN Energy Powder 30 minutes before the race. While the blood glucose level is really important to fuel your brain, running also pulls some glucose from the blood so as you run your marathon, you need glucose in the blood to supplement the intramuscular fat and carbohydrates that are the primary fuels for marathon running. If using the Plain UCAN, mix with a scoop of protein powder or with sugar-free electrolytes for flavor. Additionally, consider increasing your carb intake the day and night before as your body can store some amounts of carbs from fuel, it just cant store enough to get you through an entire marathon. The strawberry banana flavor does not contain erythritol and I plan to experiment with that one in my next training cycle. Many runners will go back to bed or even take a nap between their early morning breakfast and the start of the race. One scoop provides 25g of carbohydrates and 310mg of sodium. As a former college athlete and an avid runner, I have firsthand knowledge and experience about how nutrition plays a role in performance and overall well being. Required fields are marked *. Keep them frozen as long as you can because they will melt, especially the chocolate/peanut butter bars (which are my fav)! Their endurance fuel option mixes with water and provides calories and electrolytes. Ingest 4-8 ounces of sports drink every 15 minutes and/or an energy gel every 30-45 minutes. HOW DOES SUPERSTARTCH WORKS FOR DELIVER STEADY ENERGY? ", Former NFL Quarterback, 2020 Comeback Player of the Year. A password will be sent to your email address. If youve ever experienced GI distress (sloshing, bloating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea) then you know it can make for a miserable training or race experience and can be deadly to your performance. Covered in this post here, we mentioned our Running Weight Calculator which is more for fun than genuine use. Tailwind is a popular option. On Sunday I completed the Austin Marathon. Chocolate milk, smoothies, shakes, UCAN Recovery Mix are all good choices. If youre taking in sugary sports nutrition, do it later in the workout. Healthy, efficient calories for better hunger control. Based on fueling and hydration recommendations, you may need 1-2 scoops per hour of racing. So, runners learned that we need to fuel during the marathon and this research coincided with the boom in the sports drinks industry. You can drink water to help reset your stomach if it starts to turn in the middle of your run. 4-8 oz. Because you feed less frequently and because its easier on the GI tract, you avoid the GI upset that can occur late in the race. Runners use any combination of sports drinks and/or gels as part of this strategy and runners are now even using candy and other fast-acting carbohydrates to get this quick shot of glucose into the blood stream. If the traditional strategy of sugar-based fueling has not worked. Drink formulations centered around fast absorbing carbohydrates that emptied from the stomach quickly, got absorbed from the intestines quickly and thus boosted blood glucose levels quickly (and provided some electrolytes as well). When Im on the go and making a lot of appearances, I eat the UCAN bars to curb my cravings for sweets!, Meb Keflezighi, 4x U.S. Olympian, Boston & NYC Marathon Champion. Instead, we can focus on a high quality pre-run meal and a high quality post-run meal over our quick fuel. Many runners will preload with electrolytes before running. I am a Registered Dietitian with my Masters in Public Health. with elite U.S. marathoner Emma Bates about the mindset that led her to finish 2nd at the 2021 Bank of . Today we show you how to fuel for an ultramarathon with special guest, and UCAN expert Coach Mario Fraioli. These carbs can be in the form of a sports gel or energy drink, and liquids are best. P..S. loved your Belin race recap, I am a huge fan of your podcast, keep up the good work! The secret is out! I just feel like it gives me an extra bit of pep. My hope with this section is to provide some insights into the common fueling methods so you can experiment to see what works for you. It seems that marathon fueling is so individual that it simply takes lots of trial and error in training and tune-up races to find the strategy that works best for you. You have to consider what to eat as well as when and how often to eat (or drink) as well. Hes the only athlete in history to win the New York Marathon (2009), the Boston Marathon (2014) and an Olympic Medal (Silver Medalist, 2004). Refunds Privacy Policy Terms of Service, Empowering You to Run a Marathon and Change Your Life. 4 Easy Ways to Track Your Running Distance, Hoka Trail Running Shoes Review and Comparison, Hoka Clifton Vs Bondi and Other Models: Hoka Running Shoes Review, Half Marathon Training Schedule: Transition from the 10K to Half, SuperStarch is a form of cooked corn starch, Then released slow and steady in to the blood stream, Eliminates the blood sugar spikes and crashes, Studies show this increases fat utilization (great for distance runners), Eliminates the gut bloating and distress many experience, That constant sugar flow inhibits fat usage, High osmolality means the gut start retaining water and we feel bloated, High osmolality means an increase in gut discomfort for many (, Often super high in sugar, so drinking them outside of a workout just means sugar is being stored in the body, not put to use, Unflavored option means you can add it to anything you might already like using, Energy also comes in tropical, cran raz, lemon and cocoa, Hydrate comes in Lemon-Lime, Watermelon, Kiwi- Strawberry, Berry and Orange Citrus, Energy Bars in Chocolate Almond Butter, Salted Peanut Butter, Chocolate, Chocolate Peanut Butter and Cherry Berry Almond, Edge is available in Orange and other flavors will be available soon. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Although the packaging a bit bulky compared to others. Before diving into the numbers, lets talk about thekindsof foods you should eat during a marathon. Save 10% on all UCAN products by using this link. Usually my long runs last a maximum of 2:45. water or sports drink Hydration Tips During Exercise Begin exercise in an adequately hydrated state GO SHOP! Weve alluded to many of the significant factors affecting marathon nutrition, but now its time to piece it together. This is especially important during a marathon when you want to be able to access carbohydrates as quickly as possible. At UCAN, we believe in the combined power of innovation, science, and sports nutrition. Load up with multiple servings of UCAN pre-workout if youre training for over 90 minutes and want a longer burn of energy. Pasta can be one of the best foods for carb loading before a competition. Thanks Trevor, sorry I missed your reply! I have used the bars during both training runs and races. Fueling How-to Strategy 1 - Fast Acting Carbohydrates Ingest 4-8 ounces of sports drink every 15 minutes and/or an energy gel every 30-45 minutes. -Karen J. Drink 1 serving ofProtein-EnhancedUCAN 90 minutes to 2 hours before the race starts. Again, youll want to experiment during training for your long run fueling strategy and see what works best for you. This review is based on my personal experience. Hey Carmen, I used bars only at the Flying Pig Marathon. Maurten is a fast-acting energy source that allows you to easily digest and use a large amount of carbs which has shown to enhance performance. In general, before a long run or race, youll want to decrease your fiber intake such as beans, high-fiber fruits and vegetables, whole grains, seeds, etc. The bars do have roughly twice the number of calories but after all, during these long runs, I need to replenish calories. Many people rate UCan as a great product for sensitive stomachs. Sub-threshold. Fuel early and often! Thats where strategy #2 comes in. You know what they say about the best-laid plans Marathon nutrition is not as simple as writing a plan and executing it. I have used them effectively during races, as well as runs. The bars did not disappoint. It can no longer tolerate as concentrated or as much carbohydrate as it could earlier in the race. I've switched to SIS gels for in race. water or sports drink, Begin exercise in an adequately hydrated state, Drink a couple sips or gulps (approx. Instead, it is best to prepare a meal plan that contains a mix of carbohydrates, healthy fats, and protein to fuel your workouts. In this strategy, you arent using fast-acting carbohydrates that create the quick shuttling of carbohydrates from the gut to the blood stream (and creates the spike/crash cycle). Sports drinks are another option for fueling that include carbohydrates and help with hydration. Im also currently working on my certification to become a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD). You can get away with poor nutrition habits at shorter distances. In my long quest to find the optimal fueling solution for my needs, I have found Maurten and UCAN to be the products that work best. I cant honestly say that I have tried all of them, but I have tried many varieties and have experimented with a combination of gels and energy bars during my long training runs and races. Youll be able to fuel at less frequent intervals and wont be prone to rapid energy swings if you dont get the timing exactly right. Its such a great race, requiring speed, My recent article on PodiumRunner. But theres a catch you cant have too many simple carbs at once or youll be at risk for GI distress and overly high blood sugar levels, and you cant take too little or youll bonk. half of a bagel with low fat cream cheese, a glass (roughly 8 oz.) This crash occurs because the body senses rising blood sugar levels, and the pancreas releases a hormone called insulin, which draws sugar out of the blood stream. From the stomach upset to the spike and crash of energy, the athletes were being robbed of great performances simply due to a lack of perfect nutrition.. If your calorie expenditure is greater than your calorie consumption, you will start losing weight and you will no longer be able to fuel your workouts. UCAN fuels a wide range of elite and everyday athletes, from 4x Olympian Meb Keflezighi when he crossed the finish line to win the Boston Marathon to beginner runners training for fitness and.