by Kathie Portie

Running a marathon wears down the muscles in the body. Because of that, paying attention to nutrition—what fuels the body—is as important as planning the workout, according to Dr. Yvette Rooks, team physician for the Baltimore Ravens professional football team. The body tears down the muscles during extreme exertion. “Post race (and long run training) meals need to include protein to start the healing process,” Rooks says. “You need to get the appropriate amount of protein and fats to heal and rebuild your muscles.”

But while protein is important in rebuilding the body after a hard run, it’s carbohydrates that provide the fuel that makes the body go. “Runners need higher levels of healthy carbohydrates for that quick fuel,” Rooks says. “Carbohydrates are the quickest thing your body can use for fuel.”

Runners should approach their nutrition requirements for training and racing the same way, says Ted Devito of Powermyhealth.com in Big Bear. “What you eat in training should be the same as for racing,” he says. Carbohydrates, protein, fruits and vegetables are important for different reasons. Carbohydrates provide quick fuel for the muscles. Protein helps rebuild the muscle. Fruits and vegetables also have healing properties. Fish oil, fruits and vegetables can help reduce inflammation and speed up recovery time, Devito says.

Rooks says marathoners eat about 60 to 70 percent more carbohydrates than the average person. “Runners need higher levels of whole grain foods to help with their glycogen levels,” Rooks says. “These are quick fuels, the quickest thing for your body to burn.”

Whole-grain pasta, barley, oatmeal and brown rice are examples of whole grains that provide ample carbohydrates.

The other key ingredient to good training and racing nutrition is basic water, Rooks says. “Water is the drink of choice,” she says. “Don’t use thirst as a guide to consume water. You need to drink water throughout the process. Hydration is extremely important.”

Hydration is more important at higher elevations, Rooks says. “Runners need to be acclimated to the altitude,” she says. “They need to do some training at that level or they can run into all kinds of problems, like dehydration.”

Training and nutritional regimens should be the same whether training or racing, Devito says. “The first and most important thing is you want to do everything in training like you’re going to do in competition,” he says. “Just start with that in mind. You’re going to be out there four to six hours, you are going to have to eat through that time. If you think about what you’re going to do on race day, you’re just going to be doing smaller portions of that in training.”

One problem many runners encounter is introducing a new food or beverage on race day. Companies often provide supplements and drinks along the course. Unless the runner uses these supplements in training, Heather Salzer Devito says to stay away from them. “Don’t try anything new on race day,” she says.

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