Meal on the run

With a week to go before the Delhi Half Marathon, make sure you’re eating right.

So you’ve been huffing and puffing to get in shape for the first marathon of your life? In exactly seven days you will find out if your efforts have paid off. A critical factor in marathon running is your diet leading up to the event. All the stamina built is wasted if you run out of steam in the first few miles. The right diet for a marathon helps utilise your energy as efficiently as possible.

The week leading up to the run is the period when you need to begin loading carbohydrates. Research has shown that during a run the body’s metabolism increases significantly and it needs instant replenishment. In the absence of dietary glucose, your body first taps into glycogen, a form of glucose taken from the muscles, and next takes glycogen stored in the liver and then glucose from the blood.

The easiest way to keep that energy store ready is to stock up on simple carbohydrates. Though it takes time to convert carbohydrates into glucose, your training in prior weeks will have adapted your body to hasten the process. But experts say a cardinal rule is to avoid fats. Fats are an excellent energy reserve but take very long to metabolise.

Ideally, different carbohydrate sources are experimented with while training. Try pasta (keep the sauces simple), potatoes, rice and whole-wheat bread, and supplement with fruits, vegetables and protein. But limit your roughage intake the day before and on the day of the race to prevent bowel movements during the run.

On race day, avoid sugary foods because they may speed up your muscle glycogen utilisation. The carbohydrate loading should be over and instead consume lots of water. Glucose feeding during the race is inevitable but the solution must not be too concentrated. Too much sugar in the stomach delays passage of water into the bloodstream. The maximum recommended is a 10 per cent solution. Try sports drinks, which also replenish minerals lost in perspiration.

Finally, don’t flop onto a bed at the finish. It is critical to stock up on carbs within 15 minutes of stopping. Light exercise or a massage for your sore legs helps. Ignore this and you will wake up sore the next morning.