What do I pack for a marathon?
What if the city I’m traveling to doesn’t have my favorite fuel?
How will I get my electrolytes?
How do I carb load for a race like this?
When on race morning should I eat?
What if I’m a heavy sweater?
Should I try a new gel?
We hear you.
The runup to a marathon can be nerve-wracking, and a big piece of the equation is making sure that you have the nutrition (i.e., fuel) you need to get you to the finish line.
You have questions. Meghann Featherstun, marathoner and sports dietitian, has answers.
1. Carb load like you mean it …
As Featherstun explained it, “our bodies love carbs but aren’t great at storing them.”
Carbs are an essential source of energy for the body and are a key component of many of the “goos,” gels and electrolyte drinks you see runners use. They quickly transform to glycogen and keep us moving.
That said, we need to intentionally eat more carbohydrates before the race to fully stock our glycogen stores.
“In the two or three days leading up to a race, if we scale up the carbs to be about 80% of our plate, we can store them as glycogen in our muscles,” Feathersun said. “If we can eat enough to fully stock those stores, we have more energy to pull from in our race.”
2. … And don’t deplete your progress.
Most who are training for a marathon know the importance of tapering — decreasing your mileage and energy expended — in the weeks leading up to a race, to ensure your body is recovering ahead of race day and keeping your legs fresh.
But rest is extra important when you consider the role of carbs.
“If we’re not resting before a big race, we’re burning through those carbs we’ve worked to store up,” Featherstun said.
She recommends increasing sources of simple carbs, such as graham crackers, bagels, pasta, juices, smoothies, electrolyte drinks and pretzels, while simultaneously decreasing energy use ahead of the big day.
Another pro tip: Travel, especially by air, can also diminish pre-hydrating efforts, so be sure to increase your intake of electrolyte sources to make sure you’re covering your hydration needs as well.
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