How should I eat before my first marathon?

Question:
I’m doing my first marathon this month. I read that I should cut back on carbs for a few days before I carb load – but someone at the running club said that advice is out of date. What’s the best way to prepare the week before the race?

Answer:
The “old-style” 7-day carb-loading regimes, first devised in the 60’s are outdated, yes, and science and practice has since progressed to an easier, more effective way of boosting glycogen levels (i.e. the body’s storage form of carbohydrate found in the muscles and liver). A 3-day carb-load, with no prior carb depleting, is considered in many corners to be highly effective and practical, and without the “lows” in energy and mood that often accompanies a prior “depleting” low-carb eating phase. Carb-loading itself doesn’t necessarily involve stuffing yourself with enormous amounts of calories and foods like bread and pasta. Remember you are tapering your training in the days leading up to the marathon, so as long as you are eating normally, or slightly exceeding your carb requirements 48hrs prior to racing, you will be “in effect” carb loading effectively. It is more important to look towards making carbohydrates a focus of the overall diet, with much less emphasis on fat and protein. In other words, a greater % of your calorie intake should come from easy-to-digest nutritious carbohydrates (e.g. fresh fruits, oats, oatcakes, rice, barley, quinoa, millet and root veg), and less from meats, fish, and fatty foods. The 3 days before…

 … consume carb-containing fluids too such as fruit juices (best choices being dark berry juices like grape, pomegranate and cherry), and fresh fruit smoothies made from blended fruits, juice and plain yogurt, or nut milks.

Plan your 3-day menu in advance, and aim for 6-7 smaller meals to continually top-up energy stores. The night before the race eat a normal-size meal, using the above advice, and on the morning of the race, eat a simple high-carb breakfast, 3 hours prior to the start, of plain oats, with milk or water, chopped banana and a little plain yogurt.

Eat like this, and you’ll sail through your first marathon! Good luck.

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