Our Marathon Nutrition Calculator is based on your body weight and the pace you will run. Read on through the rest of this article, and soon youll be able to put together your marathon nutrition plan. Experiment to see the quantity and frequency that provides the best energy with the least GI distress. One scoop provides 21g of carbs and 380mg of sodium. how this blueprint was created It is important to keep your hydration hight, so make sure to hydrate with water and additional sugar-free electrolytes as needed during the race, especially on hot and humid days. In the last 30-45 minutes, ingest a gel (once) or ingest sports drink (4-8 ounces every 15 minutes). 2023 Nutrition for Running. You will discover whether you prefer fluids or solids or a combination. For the vast majority of athletes, your ideal running weight is roughly 10 lbs heavier than what is suggested by our Running Weight Calculator. Instead, we can focus on a high quality pre-run meal and a high quality post-run meal over our quick fuel. It's why we do what we do every day. The energy source that powers UCAN energy products is called LIVSTEADY, a low glycemic, complex carbohydrate that breaks down at a steady rate over time, almost like a time-released source of energy. I like UCAN energy before races. Since the marathon lasts 2, 3, 4, 5 and even 6+ hours, it makes sense youd need to fuel to maintain your blood glucose level. Tailwind is a popular option. Most first-time marathon runners will be out there for at least 4 hours, so fueling before and during your run is critical to performing your best and feeling good doing it. If using the Plain UCAN, mix with a scoop of protein powder or with sugar-free electrolytes for flavor. 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. Write us an email : sales@generationucan.com.au, Created by September Studio - Designer and WP developer | Copyright Generation UCAN Ltd. Free 5-days standard shipping on orders $200+ (Australia) | Shipping overnight is available! Fueling before a workout is especially important if the workout is going to last more than one hour or if the workout is high intensity and you are trying to perform your best. However, some (mostly carbohydrate) options that people eat include: Fueling during a marathon means giving your body adequate carbohydrates through and through. In general, alow carb diet for runnerisnt going to help with performance, though it can be helpful for teaching the body to use more fat for longer distances. I ran strong through 20 miles, then the wheels came off. Here are some tips on fueling with UCAN during a workout: Consume 1 serving Edge every 45-60 minutes during exercise. Find out what the best food options are before a weekday run, a long run and race day. But upon further review, isomaltooligosaccharide is found naturally in some foods. You shouldnt need any solid food during a marathon, as this will be difficult and maybe even painful to process mid-run. 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. For me, I will be cutting, carrying and chomping on Ucan energy bars in my upcoming races and long practice runs, as I have been for the past several months. To gather a stronger understanding over time of how much you need so that you are optimally fueled on race day, without hitting the wall or having stomach problems. 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. Our community of athletes, experts and ambassadors are changing the game and inspiring a new generation to say UCAN! Heres the back-story: As you run the marathon, your gut gets dehydrated and blood is shunted away from it to the working muscles. As with most things in running, its hard to find a one-size-fits-all with marathon fueling. The secret is out! If you see or feel salt on your body or clothes after exercise, this can be an indication you are a salty sweater. The longer you run, the more calories you will burn. Since this process takes time and requires lots of water, it means fluids can slosh around in the stomach for a while, potentially causing problems.. For longer events I like Tailwind too. This will help decrease your marathon recovery time. But on the other hand, if you stop taking in your liquid calories, you risk emptying your calorie tank and bonking. UCAN marathon fuel: Utilizing a super starch they claim both no stomach issues and no crashes. All Rights Reserved. In most cases, runners should separate their fluids from their calories. Stomach troubles derailing your marathon fueling? I don't use UCAN Energy Powder on race day; I use Maurten gels. See what you find works. You just get your carbohydrates once every hour and then just need to drink water and electrolytes in between. Another big plus is that the regimen on race day is much simpler. Weve alluded to many of the significant factors affecting marathon nutrition, but now its time to piece it together. Ucan is definitely the way to go for me. With some experimentation, you can use more or less UCAN each feeding and/or take it more and less frequently. UCAN delivers a steady flow of energy to help you avoid the dreaded bonk! Personally the aftertaste of this was not a winner for me. There are benefits of carb loading for runners 2-3 days in advance of the race. At Marathon Petroleum, we know that community is important. Drink 1 serving of UCAN 30-45 minutes before the race starts. Hydration for runners is of utmost importance and should be practiced continuously. You know what they say about the best-laid plans Marathon nutrition is not as simple as writing a plan and executing it. Manage Account Many runners consume sports drinks, electrolyte mixes, or sodas during a marathon. 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. Delivers a steady stream of energy to the mind and body. Dathan Ritzenhein's Marathon Fueling Journey Dathan Ritzenhein details his struggles with "The Wall" and how the steady energy of UCAN helps him get the best out of himself in training and racing. Nothing new on race day. You hear, 5 Steps to Nailing Your Best Half-Marathon Race Pace. Sports drinks are another option for fueling that include carbohydrates and help with hydration. Third, just because its an easier method doesnt mean you wont need to experiment. When you have simple carbs before your run, you may start to feel your blood sugar drop 30 minutes into your workout, which can cause fatigue and loss of focus. Sara has Cran-Raz UCAN Energy as her pre-race meal before her marathons to load her muscles with glycogen and sips on a bottle of UCAN leading up to the race start. UCAN comes in powder and portable forms, so it can be mixed as a liquid or carried like a gel. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. The same goes with food (fruits and nuts seem to be popular) and food-like products (baby food, apple sauce are common ones). Skratch is another popular option. I am a Registered Dietitian with my Masters in Public Health. The amount of UCAN you take at each point during the race will vary based on the individual, but most people will consume a total of 1-2 servings during the race. heat exhaustion. Check out the resources below, and The Performance Zone: Your Nutrition Action Plan for Greater Endurance & Sports Performance for more information. This led to the traditional fueling strategy that most runners have used (or at least started with). 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. Studieshave shown thatcarbohydrates in liquid form are the best food to consume during a marathon for most runners. Clinically proven to help maintain stable blood sugar, LIVSTEADY supports increased productivity, sharper focus, and optimal energy levels. Unfortunately, most runners simply stop ingesting as much fuel since their GI system is upset and this leads to under fueling and often a slow down. My favorite flavors are Berry and Watermelon. This change in the GI tract makes Strategy #1 a big challenge for many runners. Gatorade, powerade, Skratch Labs, Tailwind Nutrition and UCan are some options. The top three ingredients for all of the Gu Energy gel options were maltodextrin, water and fructose. ENERGY THAT LASTS UCAN delivers a steady flow of energy to help you avoid the dreaded bonk! Save 10% on all UCAN products by using this link. It comes available in four non-caffeinated flavors and four caffeinated flavors. P..S. loved your Belin race recap, I am a huge fan of your podcast, keep up the good work! Low-calorie electrolyte mixes not only provide fuel and hydration but also increase absorption of carbohydrates. water or sports drink 10-20 minutes before activity drink 10 oz. If you start experiencing stomach distress, yet all your calories are coming from liquids and bottles, the risk becomes two-pronged. After working with thousands of marathoners from charity marathon groups to Boston Qualifiers to Olympians, I wanted to provide a quick overview of the three most common strategies that Ive seen work. The slow-release of carbohydrates provided by SuperStarch helps athletes and active people maintain steady energy levels without the spike & crash. Sports drink will also provide carbohydrates and electrolytes (more on that below). Osmolality is a term describing how quickly a solution clears your stomach and enters the gut. Fuel with UCAN 30 minutes before your workout rather than sipping on it slowly like a traditional sports drink. 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). You may be carrying some food, but you should also know what will be available at the aid stations along the marathon course. You should ingest a liquid with carbohydrates and a little protein within the first few minutes (less than 30 minutes) after a No-Fuel/Slow-Fuel long run. water or sports drink, Begin exercise in an adequately hydrated state, Drink a couple sips or gulps (approx. Traditional energy gels and sports drinks with maltodextrin and simple sugars have a high osmolality, which is why many runners experience GI distress when they consume them repeatedly. They do not cost you anything to use, but are a huge help to support the ongoing content creation process. Most stations are clustered in urban areas where driving a few miles can take 20 minutes. Soups, broths, salted nuts and nut butters, dairy, breads, crackers, and pretzels can be great to incorporate in your overall diet to help improve sodium intake. As you know, I give you my honest feedback on all products. These carbs can be in the form of a sports gel or energy drink, and liquids are best. Consider 1-2 servings of. It can be tempting to lose weight in the hope that it will make you faster, but this plan will eventually fall apart. This last strategy is becoming very popular and I suspect will be the go-to strategy for most runners in the future (unless some breakthrough product/strategy is discovered). Having breakfast before a marathon creates a buffer like nutrition insurance which provides you with some extra carbohydrates if you under-fuel during the race. It did not take me long to figure out that I could cut them into easily manageable bite-sized pieces that were easy to transport and easier to chew on the run. As a pro, hes won 22 National Championships and has been named to three United States Olympic Teams. -Jayme N. Use our referral number MTA to save 20% on your order. water or sports drink, 10-20 minutes before activity drink 10 oz.