Good Nutrition for Marathon Training

Your marathon training plan is in place; therefore the next stage is good nutrition. A good nutritional diet is vital to your training success.

The first point is fast foods should never be part of your training diet. It’s important to get the right combination of fruit and vegetables, proteins, and grains. Raw fruit and vegetables are the most valuable as none of the nutrients have been lost due to cooking, and white meat is preferable to red meat. For any vegetarians training for a marathon soy and whey products make an excellent alternative to meat.

The diet you undertake for marathon training may not be the same as a non-training diet in the quantity and type of carbohydrates you consume. The carbohydrates from pasta and grains have been suggested as the ideal base for an endurance training diet; however a lower carbohydrate diet would probably be preferred in a non-training diet.

Hydration is also vital during a training programme. Trainers recommend that fluid losses should equal the fluid intake. It is a very fine balance and can be monitored by weighing yourself before and after a run. Research suggests that for every pound lost is a measure of fluid loss on the run and should be replaced by 2 to 3 cups of fluid over the day. During a marathon fluids should be replaced at the time with a balance of electrolyte, fluid, and carbohydrate intake. Sports drinks are provided at the marathon event and it may be useful to train with the same product.

CONTENT SOURCES:

Health and Fitness Advice by FitFarms Editorial Team

Image Credit to BodyFitTrainingSolutions.com