Diet for Marathon Runners – Basic Requirements

What are the basic diet requirements for marathon runners?

Basic nutritional requirements are the foundation for healthy eating. When you eat enough food to meet basic requirements, you provide you body with just enough nutrients for energy and to maintain health and normal function. Growth, tissue damage, repair and stressful environments can increase nutritional needs.

What happens if marathon runners are not meeting basic diet requirements?

If marathon runners are not eating enough food to meet basic diet requirements their bodies will not get enough nutrients and nutritional inadequacies may start to occur. Symptoms include chronic tiredness, frequent illness, poor concentration, poor performance and poor recovery.

What are the nutrients a marathon runner needs and what do they do?

Carbohydrate

Provides the superior fuel source for muscles during marathon running. Carbohydrate is stored in limited amounts only and needs to be continually replenished.

Fibre

Helps keep bowels regular and can help reduce blood cholesterol. Marathon runners may need to decrease fibre pre-competition to prevent gut problems.

Protein

Essential in the growth and repair of all body tissues, including muscle and bone; hormone and enzyme production; optimal immune function. Protein is also a minor source of energy.

Fat

Provides the most concentrated and largest source of energy. Fat provides most of the energy for daily activity. Required for normal growth and healthy skin, production of certain hormones, structural component of body cells, supply of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K.

Water

Prevents dehydration, helps cool the body and acts as a transport medium. Stored in limited amounts.

Vitamins

B Complex

Involved in carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism. B12 and folate are required for red blood cell production.

C

Enhances iron absorption, acts as an antioxidant (antioxidants ‘mop up’ free radicals, preventing cell damage), increases energy production, is necessary for the synthesis of collagen for formation of connective tissue and bone.

E

An antioxidant that helps prevent cell damage caused by free radicals (free radicals are substances that cause cell damage. As a result of a greater oxygen uptake marathon runners have higher levels of free radicals. Antioxidants ‘mop up’ free radicals, preventing cell damage).

Minerals

Iron

Required for formation of haemoglobin and myoglobin, the oxygen-carrying components of red blood cells and muscle cells respectively. Required for energy reactions to take place.

Calcium

Required to build and maintain strong bones and teeth, essential for muscle function, blood clotting and nerve transmission.

Zinc

Essential for normal growth, reproduction, immune system function and energy production in muscle cells.

Guidelines for marathon runners to meet basic diet requirements

1. Eat a variety of food from each of the four major food groups each day (breads and cereals; vegetables and fruits; milk, dairy products and milk substitutes, especially low-fat varieties; lean meats, poultry, fish, egss, nuts and meat substitutes like lentils, chickpeas, soy beans and other beans).

2. Prepare meals with minimal added fat (especially saturated fat) and salt.

3. Choose pre-prepared foods, drinks and snacks that are low in fat (especially saturated fat) and salt.

4. Maintain a healthy body weight by regular physical activity (which is not a problem for marathon runners!) and by healthy eating.

5. Drink plenty of fluids each day.

6. If drinking alcohol do so in moderation.

Remember that the above are general nutrition guidelines that provide the foundation for a healthy diet. As a marathon runner you need to get your basic diet right before you begin to work on your training and competition diet.
You as a marathon runner should eat a wide variety from each of the food groups listed below. This will ensure your body gets the nutrients your body needs. You will also have interesting and satisfying meals.

INSERT TABLE – excel file basic nutritional requirements

Are you meeting your basic nutritional requirements?

Rule up a chart under the headings below and record what you eat for a day in the food groups. Tally the number of serves you had from each food group and compare with the recommended serves.

INSERT TABLE – excel file basic nutritional requirements If you have not met the recommended servings you need to begin by trying to meet these basic diet requirements. Supplements are not the answer! Often when marathon runners reach for supplements they choose supplements that are not appropriate for their needs anyway. Marathon runners forget that the goodness they try to get from supplements has been scientifically proven to be of most benefit when found in its natural form in food.

Write down one goal that you will work on over the next week to improve your baseline nutrition. For example: ‘My goal this week is to increase my daily servings of vegetables from one to three.’

Write down your ideas for a meal plan that will enable to you meet your nutritional goals.

Prepare meals with minimal added fat (especially saturated fat) and salt

Fat provides a concentrated source of energy. Your body requires some fat for essential functions. However, too much can contribute to being overweight, heart disease and other health problems, even for marathon runners who can burn off the extra energy. Eating too much fat leaves less room for the other much needed nutrients like carbohydrate, fibre, vitamins and minerals. It is undesirable to cut fat out of your diet completely, instead, try to reduce your intake if levels are high.

Hints to reduce fat:

Go easy on foods with hidden saturated fat, for example, fried fast foods, pastries, pies, high-fat cakes and cookies, chocolate, butter and cream

When having take-out choose low-fat options.

Choose low-fat snacks.

Buy lean meats and trim off any fat you can see.

When you have chicken don’t eat the skin and fat.

Keep the meat, chicken, fish or egg part of your meal to the recommended serves using breads and cereals and fruits and vegetables to bulk out your meal.

Use low-fat milk and milk products, for example, low-fat yoghurt, Edam cheese, mozzarella cheese or alternatively, use less of richer cheese like tasty and mild.

Use low-fat cooking methods, for example, grill, bake, barbecue, microwave, steam. A non-stick frypan can come in handy.

Use a non-stick spray or add a little water to the pan to stop food from sticking.

Did you know that there are two types of fat?

Saturated fats are generally of animal origin. They are known to raise cholesterol levels, contributing to heart disease. Saturated fat is found in butter, cream, cakes, pastries, cheese, ice cream and the fat on meat.

Unsaturated fats come from plants and fish. Unsaturated fats can be further divided into monounsaturated (eg: canola, olive, avocado, nut and seed oils and margarine) and polyunsaturated fats (eg: sunflower, soybean and fish oils and margarine). Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can help reduce cholesterol levels.

Remember, mono and polyunsaturated fats contain the same amount of fat as saturated fat – it is just the type of fat that is different.

What about salt?

Many foods contain salt. If you add salt in excess to your meals or consume foods very high in salt you may be getting too much. This can disturb calcium balance and, in some people, can contribute to high blood pressure. Even though as a marathon runner you sweat a lot you will not usually require extra salt as the food you eat after exercising usually replaces the salt lost in sweat. (Note: There maybe exceptions for some marathon runners competing in hot, humid conditions and/or where total sweat lost is large). It is undesirable to cut salt out of your diet completely, instead, try to reduce your intake.

Hints to reduce salt intake

Use herbs and spices to flavor meals.

Reduce salt added when cooking meals.

Reduce salt added at the table.

Limited salty snacks, for example, salted nuts, pretzels, potato chips, some crackers, preserved meats like salami, corned meat, processed cheese spreads and some canned foods like canned soup.

Choose pre-prepared foods, drinks and snacks that are low in fat (especially saturated fat) and salt.

Take-out, fast foods, and high fat, high salt snack foods are often the easier alternative when you run out of time. Choose healthier options.

Healthier fast foods include:

Sandwiches and filled rolls with salad and lean meat. Ask for no margarine or butter.

Fruit

Yoghurt

Sushi

Kebabs

Chow mein

Hamburgers (when choosing at the fish and chip shop)

Subway instead of McDonalds, Burger King, Wendys etc

Alternatively if you have a little more time to make your own home-made fast foods like hamburgers, pizzas, burritos, tortillas and baked stuffed potatoes using low-fat ingredients. Home-made fast foods are quick to make, cheap and taste even better than the bought variety.

Healthier snacks include:

English muffins, toast or pita breads with toppings like jam, relish, tomato, cottage cheese, baked beans, spaghetti or corn.

Crackers (rice and/or water crackers) with relish, cheese, sliced cucumber and tomato.

Fruit bread.

Toasted sandwiches with spaghetti, baked beans, banana or creamed corn.

Breakfast cereal.

Fruit smoothie.

Soup.

Maintain a healthy body weight with regular physical activity and healthy eating

People come in all shapes and sizes. By taking part in regular exercise and following healthy eating patterns you will be at a healthy body weight that suits you. As a marathon runner you generally should be better position than most in this regard.

Drink plenty of fluids each day

Water makes up about 60% of your body and is part of all the cells in your body.

Water regulates your body’s temperature, transports nutrients around your body and acts as a medium for reactions to occur.

It is essential to ensure that you maintain your fluid balance by drinking at least eight 250ml glasses of fluids each day.

More fluids are required in hot weather and during exercise.

Excess water is not stored and thus you must replace water on a regular basis to prevent fluid imbalance.

Five reasons you should drink more water

I know you've heard this many times - "Drink more water!". Yet, 99% of the people don't heed this advice. Maybe if water was more expensive, people would pay more attention to consume enough of it on a daily basis. We are living in a dehydrated world of carbonated beverages, caffeine and alcohol. Recent research shows how important water is for your health, figure and well-being.

Reason 1: Water can cure many modern diseases

According to the research, a long list of modern diseases can be practically eliminated by just drinking more water. The list includes and is not limited to: asthma, hypertension, back and joint pain, arthritis, constipation, allergies, ulcers and the list goes on and on.

Converts say: "I know it sounds crazy. I have heard many weird health theories in my life, but what interests me is the "results of following this or that advice". The "drink more water cure" has worked for so many of my friends and me that I wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone. I cured myself of a nagging skin allergy. I have much more energy, strength, endurance and sleep much better now. I have had 100% success curing chronic constipation with my female clients. I don't know a single person that didn't benefit in some way by drinking more water."

Reason 2: Water can decrease your appetite

This is common sense. When you drink water, your stomach gets full and your appetite decreases. You end up eating fewer calories. If you drink water before each meal, you'll prevent yourself from eating thousands of calories in the long run. This means you are going to be leaner.

Reason 3: Drinking water BURNS EXTRA calories

When you drink water, your body burns extra calories. Drinking 18 ounces of water increases your metabolic rate by about 30% for about 40 minutes. This phenomenon is called Water Induced Thermogenesis. The total amount of extra calories burned by drinking 18 ounces of water is about 25 calories. Drinking 72 ounces of water amounts to 100 extra calories. That is a lot of calories in the long run.

Reason 4: Water may help you burn more fat and build more muscle

It has been shown that dehydration decreases protein synthesis. Protein synthesis is what builds muscle. It is an energy costly process. When you suppress protein synthesis, fewer calories end up building proteins and more calories end up in your fat stores. It's elementary: calories have two possible fates - they either get burned, or they get stored. When more of the calories you eat get burned, less will get stored.

Dehydration has been shown to decrease maximal strength. When you are stronger, you can lift more weight and that means you'll build more muscle.

Reason 5: Your skin will look much better

Nothing will improve the appearance of your skin better than consuming enough water. It's a pity women spend so much money on skin products, while neglecting the cheapest and most effective one - water.

How much water should I drink?

The expert’s advice is simple: drink one ounce of water for every two pounds of bodyweight plus one and one half additional ounces of water for every ounce of beverage you consume containing caffeine, carbonation or alcohol. Do this every day.

As you increase your water intake you should also increase your salt intake. Don't buy the "Sodium causes hypertension nonsense". Restricting Sodium does not help the vast majority of people with hypertension. Clearly, Sodium is not the CAUSE of hypertension. Your body needs Sodium to hold its water stores. Even if you consume more than you need to, your body will get rid of the extra amount that you overconsumed.

Drink your water. Stay well hydrated. Stay healthy.

If drinking alcohol, do so in moderation

Alcohol can negatively affect every part of your body.

If you drink, do so in moderation.

Alcohol can contribute to being overweight as it is a concentrated source of energy providing few other nutrients.

If you do decide to drink, be responsible and follow these guidelines:

Eat some food when you drink.

Dilute alcoholic drinks with plenty of water or mixers and lots of ice.

Do not binge drink. For example, on any one drinking occasion drink no more that six standard drinks for men or four standard drinks for women. A standard drink is one 300ml glass of beer, one nip of spirits or one glass of wine.

Do not drive.

When you are hosting a party provide non-alcoholic drinks like fruit juice, soft drinks and water, as well as plenty of food.

Alcohol calories and weight loss

Successful weight loss is all about oxidizing (or burning), more calories than you eat. When they go on a diet, many people choose low-calorie alcoholic drinks, mainly because they contain fewer alcohol calories than their regular counterparts.

However, drinking too much has a far more damaging effect than you can predict simply by looking at the number of alcohol calories in a drink.

Not only does it reduce the number of fat calories you burn, alcohol can increase your appetite and lower your testosterone levels for up to 24 hours after you finish drinking.

According to conventional wisdom, the infamous "beer belly" is caused by excess alcohol calories being stored as fat. Yet, less than five percent of the alcohol calories you drink are turned into fat. Rather, the main effect of alcohol is to reduce the amount of fat your body burns for energy.

Some evidence for this comes from research carried in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Eight men were given two drinks of vodka and sugar-free lemonade separated by 30 minutes. Each drink contained just under 90 calories. Fat metabolism was measured before and after consumption of the drink. For several hours after drinking the vodka, whole body lipid oxidation (a measure of how much fat your body is burning) dropped by a massive 73%.

Rather than getting stored as fat, the main fate of alcohol is conversion into a substance called acetate. In fact, blood levels of acetate after drinking the vodka were 2.5 times higher than normal. And it appears this sharp rise in acetate puts the brakes on fat loss.

A car engine typically uses only one source of fuel. Your body, on the other hand, draws from a number of different energy sources, such as carbohydrate, fat, and protein. To a certain extent, the source of fuel your body uses is dictated by its availability. In other words, your body tends to use whatever you feed it. Consequently, when acetate levels rise, your body simply burns more acetate, and less fat. In essence, acetate pushes fat to the back of the queue. So, to summarize and review, here's what happens to fat metabolism after the odd drink or two.

- A small portion of the alcohol is converted into fat.

- Your liver then converts most of the alcohol into acetate.

- The acetate is then released into your bloodstream, and replaces fat as a source of fuel.

The way your body responds to alcohol is very similar to the way it deals with excess carbohydrate. Although carbohydrate can be converted directly into fat, one of the main effects of overfeeding with carbohydrate is that it simply replaces fat as a source of energy. That's why any type of diet, whether it's high-fat, high-protein, or high-carbohydrate, can lead to a gain in weight.

Appetite: The combination of alcohol and a high-calorie meal is especially fattening, mainly because alcohol acts as a potent appetizer.

A Canadian study shows that an aperitif (an alcoholic drink taken before a meal to increase the appetite) increased calorie intake to a greater extent than a carbohydrate-based drink.

Researchers from Denmark's Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University report similar results. When a group of men was given a meal and allowed to eat as much as they wanted, they ate more when the meal was served with beer or wine rather than a soft drink.

Not only does too much alcohol put the brakes on fat loss, it's also one of the most effective ways to slash your testosterone levels. Just a single bout of heavy drinking raises levels of the muscle-wasting hormone cortisol and increases the breakdown of testosterone for up to 24 hours. The damaging effects of alcohol on testosterone are made even worse when you exercise before drinking. The effect of alcohol on testosterone could be one reason that people who drink a lot carry less muscle. In fact, a 1993 study shows that alcoholic men have bigger waists and smaller muscles than teetotalers.

This doesn't mean you need to avoid alcohol completely. A recent study, published in the November 2004 issue of the International Journal of Obesity, compared the effect of two different diets over a three-month period. Both diets contained 1500 calories daily, one with 150 calories from white wine and one with 150 calories from grape juice. Weight loss in the grape juice group and white wine group was 8.3 pounds and 10.4 pounds, respectively.

The bottom line: Although an alcohol-rich meal does increase your metabolic rate, it also suppresses the number of fat calories your body burns for energy -- far more so than meals rich in protein, carbohydrate, or fat. While the odd drink now and again isn't going to hurt, the bottom line is that alcohol and a leaner, stronger body just doesn't mix.