Nutrition guidance for a half marathon | How to fuel a half marathon!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Smash your next running event with this carb loading plan! 👉www.nutritiontriathlon.com/carb-loading-plan-run?(run)&

[@NicoleTD324]

I cannot thank you enough for this video and the guide!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

@@NicoleTD324 You're welcome! :)

[@derspen]

I am running a half marathon on Sunday. This will be my first official Half marathon. Your video has answered my question. Thank you for the video. With this info I can now confidently make my fueling plan. I have done a few half marathons with friends. My tome is 2:10. I am now trying to run a 2:05. Please continue making these kind of videos.

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Thanks for the kind words Derek. I'll definitely keep making them! Good luck with your half marathon on Sunday 🙂

[@Peeze16]

How'd it go Derek?!

[@dindjarin944]

What was your time Derek ?

[@lifebyshawna]

I am training for my first half marathon! It's giving me the push I need this winter. :) Thank you for all of the helpful tips!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

You're welcome! 😃 good luck with your training - you got this!

[@dveldhuizen5611]

Me as a dietetics student find these types of videos super interesting. I am currrently training for a half marathon, but have never used gels or carbloaded before. I was looking for a video explaining how to do that and this video covered pretty much everything I need te know. Just wanted to say thank you!!! Keep up the content

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Hey! Really glad you found the video and thought it was useful 😊 appreciate the comment - happy to help 😃

[@FRANCJ02]

Top notch as usual. The 10g/kg carb load rule helped me a lot. Makes a huge difference

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Yeah it's one that surprises a lot of people! Sooo much food 😆

[@minebuilder1805]

I ran my first timed half marathon about a month back and i was able to take away 20 seconds per kilometer from my original pace and about 15 minutes from finish time. (1:59:00 finish time) I had the problem that i always trained with stopping and eating a banana or something similar and the supply stations except the first one only had water, iso and cola, the last one had some alcohol for some reason. At kilometer 10 i realized that i had to risk the iso drink as i would run out of fuel at kilometer 16 (training experience with longer runs and no supply). Cola was no option due to my low tolerance for high density shugar, it gives me stomack pain in a few minutes and i dont drink cola for about 12 years now so i avoided it. Now that i am training up to a marathon the sodium problem is something i have to figure out too. Thanks for the video and a rough estimate of the sodium intake.

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Great improvements! Good luck on your future runs, sounds like you're on the right track! 🙂

[@mkbrzoza]

I run a half marathon every Saturday. I noted what you said and will use it 👍

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Good luck, I hope it helps!

[@HECTORBIDO]

Very good James. I'm running half marathon next friday. Very helpful. Thanks

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Brilliant, enjoy it and good luck! Let me know how you get on

[@jessicamillar2479]

my first half marathon is in September this year

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Good luck with it!

[@IvanKoch]

Thanks for this! A marathon one please!!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

You're welcome Ivan! A marathon one is on my video to-do list! 🙂

[@oliviadigirolamo6331]

Training for my first one! This was helpful thank you!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Awesome Olivia, good luck with it!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Have you got a half marathon coming up? I'm looking forward to mine in a few months!

[@RonNVids]

I am running my second half-marathon later this month. I question I have is what should be the timing of consuming carbs during the event? When should I take each gel, and how long do they take to become available to your body?

[@NutritionTriathlon]

You'll start to get the energy from about 10-15 minutes, but peak will probably be around 45 minutes. Start early, before you feel tired or hungry. Use the amounts suggested in this video and that should guide you :)

[@yeahhhhh9209]

Thanks a lot very helpful

[@NutritionTriathlon]

You're very welcome 😀

[@masonswildadventures]

Hi James, Quick question: How come carb loading is recommended for 1-2days prior to race day to have any effect, but energy gels containing carbs are easy absorbed right away during the race? If carb loading requires more time, wouldn’t the gels also need more time? Just trying to get a better understanding, thanks!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Brilliant question! Love it. It's mostly a numbers game. You're trying to saturate glycogen stores to max capacity, which is around 2000 calories worth of carbohydrates. You can't do that in one meal and so you need to do it in multiple meals, which is then your carb load period 🙂 hope that makes sense!

[@RavinderSingh-x9w]

Going for Ladhak High altitude HM on 10th Sept 23 Got all answer , thanks for making such informative vdo 👍

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Good luck today! You're welcome 😃

[@Wule9]

I run my last 21K which was my first in 2:05 ... My plan is now to run under 2 hour or possibly under 1 hour 45 minutes....thanks for the tips

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Great time for your first half marathon, congrats! You're welcome 🙂 I have another video coming out in the next couple of weeks about half marathon tips so make sure you keep an eye out for that. Good luck with your next half marathon!

[@gxtwo1]

If your goal is 2hrs. Recommended carb intake is 30g per hour. WHEN do you consume them? Every hour would have you consuming your 2nd gel on thenfinish line?

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Great question! I typically suggest the first gel within about 15 minutes of starting. So depending on your gel size, something like after 15, 50 and 80 minutes would work well

[@lauramoore3981]

Thank-you very much. This was great information.

[@NutritionTriathlon]

You're welcome Laura!

[@bscharuda]

First 1/2 marathon coming up June 3rd! excited and nervous! your videos are very informative. will let you know how i do! cheers.

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Good luck with it, I remember my first! Enjoy it 😃

[@ArianaPergola]

This was super helpful! My question is - what's the best way to refuel after a run between 6-13 miles? I'd love any advice on not feeling fatigued for the rest of the day. thank you!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Hey! Glad to hear 😊 I know you asked the best way to refuel, but there are quite a few factors to not feeling fatigued after that sort of run. In a nutshell 1) getting your pre-run nutrition right 2) consuming enough calories during the run (if running >90 mins) and 3) optimising post-run nutrition. You can find a link to a video on recovery nutrition and protein below - hope it helps! kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJCvd4WNbrCSfa8

[@Firldnehdldmdbd]

Just the video I was needing

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Glad to hear that Rachel 😊

[@darraghsludds1515]

Fantastic video, exactly the information I was looking for 👍🏻

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Great stuff 💪

[@71spud]

My first 1/2 is in three days…. Time to get ready to carb load!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Good luck and have fun! 😃

[@hip_nik]

hallo, thanks for the very helpful video. i ordered an energy gel for an upcoming half marathon. i realized that on the packaging it says, it consists of 99% Honey. Now my question: can i simply mix normal honey and water in a soft flask and use this as my nutrition during the run? or will the mixture with water do some sort of changing the effect the body processes the carbs from the honey? salute ✌🏼

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Hi Niko 🙂 you're welcome! So yes, I can't see any particular reason why mixing it with water would be a problem. You would just need to make sure you're still consuming your target carbohydrate intake if it is diluted in water, and also just text this to make sure you tolerate it OK. Try it multiple times for runs before your half marathon and if you don't get any problems then it should be fine 👍 hope that helps

[@james08022]

I am intrigued by the different rates of carb intake based on finish time. Why would it not be the same rate of intake regardless? Thanks!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Really great question. Broadly this comes down to "need" and the risk versus benefit of taking on nutrition. The quicker you complete the race, the less likely you are to need nutrition due to a lower chance of stores running out. The longer it takes you, by nature the higher the risk that your stores will replete and negatively impact performance. So those taking longer will have higher needs. Additionally, it takes time for nutrition to be absorbed and used by your body. Again, less benefit for shorter timeframe, more for longer duration. However, it's not wrong at all to consume the same amount as for the longer distance - and there's a growing trend of elite athletes doing this. It's just got to be practised in training, at race intensities, to ensure you can tolerate it. Hope that helps 🙂

[@jessicamillar2479]

how many gels should one have for a half marathon

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Depends on how many grams of carbohydrates your gels contain. Look on the packet for how many are contained in a serving, and how that might get you to the suggestions I've made

[@lifewillseeyounow6550]

No mention of when to take the fuel during race?

[@NutritionTriathlon]

You mean exactly what time into the race? You're right, I probably didn't explicitly say that in this video. I normally advise starting your nutrition about 20 minutes into the race. Give yourself that time to get settled and then start. How often you take it depends on your strategy 🙂

[@omarinheiropopeye]

What about supplements for runners? What do you suggest?

[@NutritionTriathlon]

For the average runner? Caffeine, and that's about it. Quite honestly, there are very few supplements with any proven benefit, and the ones that do have a benefit aren't particularly helpful for endurance athletes. Focus on a healthy diet, do the basics right like balancing training load, recovering properly and getting enough sleep. Optimise protein and carbohydrate intake, and optimise meals around training. For the vast majority of runners, supplements are unnecessary.

[@lexb3672]

The 10g/kg carb load rule surprised me a lot. I have my first half marathon coming up and I was curious about your thoughts on electrolyte and isotonic drinks. Do you have any specific recommendations? And is it best to drink them before, during or after the event and how much in advance/after? Greetings from Antwerp, Belgium

[@NutritionTriathlon]

I think it surprises a lot of people 🙂 Before a half marathon I'd recommend a drink with electrolytes, chiefly sodium, with your breakfast, probably something like 2-3 hours before. This should contain around 500mg sodium in 500ml of fluid. That should be enough hydration wise to cover you across the race. As for whether you consume any drinks during the race, that's down to personal preference and how long it'll take you to complete it. You shouldn't really need hydration as such over a half marathon, drinking to thirst is fine because it's a relatively short race. For example, you could just use gels and only consume small amounts of water to thirst. Afterwards I normally recommend about 500ml of fluid every hour for at least 2 hours, and again 500mg of sodium per 500ml of fluid is good for rehydration. Then you can be dictated by thirst. Hope that helps!

[@Ianshrew]

Really useful videos - keep up the good work

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Great to hear, thank you! 🙂 I will 💪

[@mohammedyunus3172]

Hello. Instead of a gel, can I use honey and water. If so, any particular type of honey?

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Yes you can! Any honey should be fine 🙂

[@romeomiaco1031]

when should i take the gel and how many times, for half marathon?

[@NutritionTriathlon]

That depends on what gels you use and your expected time for the half marathon. Look at how many carbohydrates are in the gels you want to use, and then link it to the guidance in the video for carbohydrates per hour :)

[@LifeAsSix]

My first half marathon is in November!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

That's awesome, good luck with it Miranda!

[@friponX]

Regarding energy gels during a half marathon, is it advisable to take in the entire gel in one go? Or is it okay to consume it partially but increase the consumption frequency like half at a time?

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Whichever you prefer really. As long as you're consuming the same amount overall - whichever works for you best. Practice in training and see 🙂

[@tiffanyr.l.peters4226]

Doing the Charleston Distance Run a 15 miler in Charleston, WV, USA. It's on Sept 3rd this year and is always very hot. Any recommendations on electrolyte drinks. I don't like Gatorade or Poweraide. Thanks!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Do you know what drinks are going to be on course? Are you planning on taking your own bottle to drink whilst you run? And what sort of goal time do you have in mind?

[@tiffanyr.l.peters4226]

Water and maybe Gatorade. This is my longest distance, and the middle section has very steep hills. I run a 16 minute mile right now, so if I finish in 2+ hours that would be a major accomplishment.

[@NutritionTriathlon]

If you're looking to carry your own drink then you could essentially pick any of the other sports brands that are out there. Common ones like maurten, science in sport, neversecond and precision hydration all do carbohydrate based drinks with electrolytes in them. Depending which you go for, you could just add a small amount of normal table salt (about 0.8g of table salt per 500ml of fluid is a good starting point). That would also mean you could combine your carbohydrate and hydration needs. If you wanted to use gels or other food for nutrition then you could make and carry your own electrolyte drink, essentially just water/squash with normal table salt. If you're making your own then about 1g of normal table salt per 500ml of fluid should be about correct. This is quite individual and you might need more, but it's a good starting place. Hope that helps a little bit?

[@tiffanyr.l.peters4226]

Yes, this helps. I'm going to screenshot your comment so I can try some of those ideas!

[@DAjugRnaut]

Thanks for the tip! I’m 2 weeks out from my first half marathon(first race at all). I am a weightlifter and finally decided to take up running haha. Im pretty heavy 5’9 255lbs. Should I adjust the 30g carb amount during the race you recommended based on my size or just keep it the same. My target time is 1:55. Thanks!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Hey, you're welcome! Great to hear you've got into running, I hope you enjoy your first half marathon! 😃 Good question! I would say it's probably worth just sticking with the 30g per hour (so 60g overall). Firstly, that should be enough if you've eaten well in the days before your race and eaten a decent breakfast. Secondly, if it's only two weeks away then it's probably better to err on the side of caution with regards to nutrition. Ideally you'd want to practice your nutrition strategy at least 6 weeks out to make sure you can tolerate things okay and play around as needed. With that said, it's not wrong to try more 🙂 but you're then just running the risk (excuse the pun!) of having tummy upset but probably not much in the way of performance benefits. Hopefully that helps, let me know if you've got any more questions! Good luck with it and have fun 😃🏃‍♂️

[@DAjugRnaut]

@@NutritionTriathlon thanks for your help! I’ll definitely stick to what you recommend. I don’t want an upset stomach, my biggest fear.

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Yep fair enough! Good luck with it, would love to hear how you get on!

[@Paoloest]

Great video. Thanks. What do you suggest - how many grams should a long course Triathlet take in normally?

[@NutritionTriathlon]

You're welcome! Just to check I understand, do you mean a long course triathlete on the run leg of a triathlon?

[@Paoloest]

@@NutritionTriathlon hey. Thanks for your quick reply. I meant how many grams of carbs per kg in a normal training period training for an ironman with about 10-15h of training a week. Since I have seen your supersapiens videos and read the „Glucose Trick“ book and aim to get my glucose curve flat I ask myself if I should even take carbs or if I do so how many

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Gotcha! Just off the top of my head, I suspect around 3-6 g of carbs per kg of bodyweight per day would be about right for 10-15 hours of ironman training. Maybe more depending on intensity. Unless you have a specific reason not to eat them, carbs are essential for anyone training for any ironman. Don't worry about making your glucose level 'flat' either - it's normal for it to go up and down 🙂 I hope that answers your question, but let me know if it doesn't or you have more!

[@Paoloest]

@@NutritionTriathlon thank you very much. Really helpful!!! After my gcm plugged and read the book I was worried how to take so many carbs in without spiking. Eating a lot of carbs does nearly always spike shortly to 180/190. don’t know sheathed the abbot libre sense is so exact that you need to worry hitting high numbers

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Totally normal for your glucose levels to spike and then come back down! 🙂 That's just a normal bodily process. If you do keep seeing really high glucose levels though it can serve as a good prompt to consider what you're eating and the macronutrient split. So for example, are those meals lacking protein, fibre or fat? It can prompt you to just double check those sorts of things!

[@pajoreis8357]

Hii, the 10g per kg are per day, or 10g per kg for the entire 48h? Thank you

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Hi! Per day 🙂

[@neilduncan441]

Learnt so much from this video, I’m totally underfuelling!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

😊 knowledge is power!

[@dytolisman6938]

Hi i just curious about how to avoid stomachache (runners trot), feeling like im going to poop while running a half marathon. That's my biggest fear to be honest. 😂 Do you have any tips? Thank you!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Hey. Haha you're not alone in that fear! I have lots of tips 😃 I've actually got a full video on this topic coming out within the next 2-3 weeks so keep a lookout for that. But briefly until then, things to try: Having longer between the time that you eat and when you run Having a smaller meal Having less fibre, protein and fat in your pre-run meal Less fibre, fat and protein in the days before your half marathon

[@becks33]

You said to consume 10x per kg of bodyweight of carbs day before race but then you said 36-48 hours beforehand? How's that work?

[@becks33]

You have all the carbs day before or 2 days before

[@NutritionTriathlon]

As a minimum, 8-12g of carbs per kg of bw for the day before your race (24 hours). But I usually suggest starting a carb load 36-48 hours beforehand, so 2 days before your race. This would mean you eat 10g c/kg/bw on each day, not split over both.

[@Architectamangandhi]

❤❤

[@RobinDeCraecker]

I dont eat or drink during a half marathon just a liter of water before.

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Each to their own, but not quite what I would advise! 🙂

[@danielcarlossmd]

Last week I did a 10mile run and it went pretty well. This week I was supposed to do the same distance but I couldn’t finish the last 2km. I’m still trying to figure out what works for me in terms o food. But would you say that’s mostly related to nutrition?

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Great work with the 10 mile. To double check I'm understanding right, are you wondering whether it was your nutrition that meant you couldn't finish the final 2km? How did you feel? What meant you couldn't finish it?

[@danielcarlossmd]

I think I just didn’t have the strength to keep going. I didn’t feel hurt or exhausted, which is the confusion part. From my research I’ve learned that a single gel during the run isn’t enough for me, given I run the 10mile in 1:40h. And from my calculation, for the 21km I’ll have to take three.

[@danielcarlossmd]

Another strange part is that this is my second attempt to run my first half marathon. The first time I wasn’t paying attention to nutrition at all besides having a pre training meal. I managed to run 20km without taking any gel whatsoever and without carb loading (intentionally). But when I tried the 21km I had to start walking in the last kilometers because I didn’t have the strength anymore.

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Yep, that sounds right about needing 3 gels. It may well be that you started running out of energy. So good work on looking into that and realising you need more! I'm sure this time around with the right practice you'll be fine and finish without needing to walk! 💪

[@danielcarlossmd]

Hey! Just wanna share that not only did I run the whole period, I did in 2h05min. It felt great and the gels were definitely a big part. The race spirit also helped.

[@dimitar297]

There is no reason to eat during the half marathon. If you need to eat to complete it, you are racing the wrong distance.

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Not true at all. You would definitely benefit from eating if it took you 2 hours to complete. Even 1.45. Would you say those people are doing the wrong distance?

[@dimitar297]

@@NutritionTriathlon that's an interesting question. There is definitely a line in the sand somewhere. I'm saying shorter races don't require food fueling. If you saw a 5km racer downing a gel halfway through you'd raise an eyebrow. I would argue that half marathoners are in the same boat. Of course, if the goal is simply to complete it, then anything goes.

[@NutritionTriathlon]

A 5k and a half marathon are very different. The reason why half marathon fuelling is important is because we only have enough carb stores for about 90 mins of hard, steady exercise, and that's if we have full glycogen reserves to start with (which many people don't). Fuelling stops critically low glycogen levels and can be very important for a half marathon. 5km on the other hand - yes, no need for any nutrition during it!

[@Kath69989]

@@dimitar297i see what you mean a half marathon is 4 times a 5km so not at all the same..