Nutrition for a half marathon isn’t just about eating a big bowl of pasta the night before the race, proper nutrition starts weeks (if not months) before the big race.
Nutrition for a half marathon isn’t just about eating a big bowl of pasta the night before the race, proper nutrition starts weeks (if not months) before the big race.
Now: Eat a clean diet, practice carb-loading
- Avoid alcohol.
- Diet should be 60% carbohydrate, 25% protein and 15% fat.
To practise carb-loading: Two or three days prior to your longest run, start eating more carbs (about 80% of your diet) and less fat and protein. You’ll get an idea of what foods agree and disagree with your stomach, as well as whether this helps to improve your performance.
1 Week before: Make a race plan
- Pack plenty of snacks, like sports bars, oatcakes and glucose sachets.
- Taper down your training, let your body recover from weeks of training.
2/3 Days Before: Switch to high-carb diet
- 80% of your diet should now be carbohydrates.
- Split food into five or six meals and snacks across the day.
Night before: Don’t stuff yourself
- Dinner should be relatively small but carb-heavy.
- Eat earlier so you have lots of time to digest your dinner.
Race morning: Have breakfast
- Three hours before the start of the race, eat 150g of carbohydrate, a bagel and yoghurt or porridge.
- Remember to stay hydrated.
During race: Water and glucose sachets
- Staying hydrated and keeping your blood sugar levels up are paramount to performance.
- Pick up water before you need it.
- Have a glucose sachet at 5 and 10 miles.
After race: Rest, re-hydrate, re-fuel, repair
You will be feeling tired, but to avoid any excess muscle soreness and stiffness
- Take on water straight away.
- Stretch.
- Grab something to eat about 30 minutes after you finish the race, carbohydrate heavy to replenish stores and protein to repair muscles.
