Nutrition Guide For A Marathon | How To Fuel A Marathon!

Break personal bests and level up your running
👉 www.nutritiontriathlon.com/ca...
Everything you need for nutrition for running a marathon
Learn how to run your best marathon, because in this video we go through how to fuel a marathon. I created this nutrition guide for a marathon to help you through every aspect of marathon running. Whether it's carb loading before a marathon, what to eat during a marathon or what to eat to recover from a marathon, I hope this video on marathon fuelling strategies has everything you need!
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00:00 Introduction
00:45 How your body uses energy
02:20 Carbohydrate loading
05:52 Hydration
06:42 Breakfast before a marathon
07:54 Pre-marathon snack and practice
10:26 When to start eating during a marathon
11:25 How much to eat during a marathon
12:37 What nutrition to use during a marathon
18:20 Do you have to use sports products?
19:44 Hydration during a marathon
22:05 Should you use caffeine during a marathon?
23:20 How to recover after a marathon
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Hi! I'm James. I'm a Sport and Exercise Nutritionist and I make videos on nutrition to give people simple, clear and easy to use information on a range of subjects. I focus on triathlon and how triathletes can use nutrition to help properly fuel their training and racing.
In my day job I work as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner in General Practice, or Family Medicine for those of you not in the UK, and work in a busy NHS GP practice. I'm a Specialist Paramedic by background and have full independent medicine prescribing rights.
Advanced Clinical Practitioner in Family Medicine, BSc, PGCert
Registered sport and exercise Nutritionist (SENr)
Advanced Diploma of Nutrition, MSc Sport and Exercise Nutrition
Nutrition Consultant for Hurry The Food Up
Great Britain Age Group Triathlete
Qualified L2 British Triathlon Coach
I am not affiliated or sponsored by any brands, companies or products that I mentioned or show in my videos. My aim is to make these videos free from any sort of bias!
These videos shouldn't be taken as direct, personal advice on medicine or nutrition but more for information purposes based on the latest research and evidence. Unless otherwise clearly stated, this information is more suited to adults as under 18s have different requirements and considerations. I'm happy to answer any questions you might have as an individual though!
Contact: [e-mail]

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Improve your running with this free carb loading plan! www.nutritiontriathlon.com/carb-loading-plan-run

[@danielcarlossmd]

Hey! I'm not getting an email with the resource at all. Not as a spam either

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Hmm, that's odd, sorry about that. Could you give me an email [e-mail] so I can look into it for you? I'll need your email address

[@NutritionTriathlon]

@@danielcarlossmd Just to say I checked the system and it all seems to be working at the moment, so please do give me an email and I can look into it for you!

[@seamuswalsh2888]

Brilliant video, informative and interesting, marathon in 7 days.

[@clubyzs]

Today, I completed my first marathon distance run, covering a total of 43.5 km. What's even more satisfying is that I still had the juice to go at least an extra 5k. I diligently followed the carbohydrate loading plan starting 36 hours prior to the run, as well as adhering to the well-structured nutrition plan during the run itself. The results were remarkable, especially when compared to my previous experiences where I used to hit a wall around the 30-32 km mark, plagued by excruciating leg and lower back pain. With my first official marathon just a month away, I had serious doubts about my ability to finish it. However, after today's run, my confidence has soared, and I am committed to sticking with this plan for all my long practice runs leading up to the marathon. I wanted to express my gratitude for the guidance and support that have contributed to this significant improvement. Thank you!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

That's amazing, thank you for taking the time to leave this comment! I'm so pleased to hear this, sounds like you nailed the nutrition and the run! Good luck with the marathon 😃

[@TheVictorsClubBrand]

Ultrarunner 🔥

[@GeraghtyB]

Awesome info thanks, liked and subscribed

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Thank you! 😊

[@giovannigheza9199]

I hope your channel will grove up! Really great content 💪

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Thank you Giovanni, much appreciated! 🙂

[@pedallknife]

Great content! So much good info! Thanks!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

You're welcome Robert! 🙂

[@carmencastilla2072]

Been searching for a video like this thanks for all the tips very imformative .

[@NutritionTriathlon]

You're welcome, glad I could help 😊

[@moniquerodrigues6282]

Professional and informative end-to-end nutrition guide! thank you James!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

My pleasure 🙂 And thank you again for the super thanks!

[@user-cr5ot1iy1m]

Great video!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Thank you 😃

[@zacsborntorunrunningadvent3441]

Great tips & high carb advice, cheers.

[@NutritionTriathlon]

You're welcome! 🙂

[@adriennealberti6085]

Super useful, thank you so much!!!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

You're welcome 😃

[@kellyjoanneknight]

Great video. Super helpful detail. Got a few pointers from this to test out 👌🏻

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Thanks Kelly, glad you found it useful!

[@RaffaRuns]

Exceptional content James. A very well put together video and is for sure going to help newbies and experienced athletes! (Also watched all ads and liked the video to help out!)

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Hey Raf. That's awesome to hear, thank you. And thank you for the like and the ad watching, I really appreciate it and it helps me a lot! 🙂

[@brennywilson3759]

Great video man. Super helpful. Covering all 3 stages in good detail, and nice and simple. So glad I found it 👍 Thanks

[@NutritionTriathlon]

You're welcome Brenny, glad you found it useful 😊

[@pradneshlachake6631]

Too good! Extremely informative and very well explained. Thank you so much for sharing!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

😊 thank you, really glad to hear! My pleasure

[@lucasdieleman8303]

I rarely comment on videos but just wanted to thank you for all the great content you're putting out! Your videos are definitely among the most informative and well structured there are concerning sports nutrition. No clickbait, always straight to the point. Your videos have simply answered all of my questions, from which gels to use to fueling for the marathon. I've ran 2 marathons before but neglected nutrition a little too much. Thanks to you I feel way more informed and ready for the next one though!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Hey Lucas, thank you for taking the time to comment! Honestly this means the world to me and is exactly why I started this channel! Glad you've found the videos useful and that's it's answered what you needed 😀 good luck with your next! 💪

[@kurdtwebber]

Solid video. Super informative. Thanks for providing great content! :)

[@NutritionTriathlon]

My pleasure! 😊

[@MrElkabir]

Great content and excellent explanations.

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Thank you! 🙂

[@kwhumberto]

Fantastic information! I will use it all as my nutrition guide for my first marathon that is coming up in 3 weeks.

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Awesome! Good luck with it 😃

[@mathiasg4921]

Your channel is by far the best and most thorough sports nutrition channel I've come across. Thanks a ton for the great info!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Hey, thank you! That's awesome to hear. You're very welcome 😃

[@MRegah]

Thanks so much! This will surely help me a lot on my first marathon. (liked and subscribed, of course)

[@NutritionTriathlon]

You're welcome, and thank you too! 🙂

[@iftomatosareafruitwhyisntk4038]

Thank you for this! I'm running London in October!🙌🏻

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Awesome, good luck with it! You're welcome 😊

[@Joshua-sd1cb]

Just what I was looking for! My first marathon is this Sunday ❤️

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Good luck for Sunday, all the best 😃 and thank you again for the super thanks 😊

[@Joshua-sd1cb]

Thanks!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Thank you, I really appreciate this Joshua!

[@DavidWilliamsPhotographer]

This is great content. After doing 19 miles yesterday in preparation for my first Marathon, this is much needed information. I visited your website and signed up for your newsletter.

[@NutritionTriathlon]

That's awesome to hear, thank you 🙂 when's your marathon? Good luck!

[@lisacnicholas1]

I watch a lot of sport content and that was one of the most informative I've ever seen. You are a very effective educator. I was stressing about my fuelling/hydration/caffeine strategy but I have it clear in my mind now. Thank you 😁

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Thank you too, that's an awesome comment to read. Good luck 😊

[@chadstrong2808]

Excellent information, much appreciated!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

My pleasure! 😊

[@moreerom2964]

Wow man, thanks for top, structured and no-water content. Really appreciate it and wish i found your videos earlier!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

You're welcome, glad you think so! 😊

[@Rimraz]

One of the most informative videos I've seen on this !! Thankyou!!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

😃 My pleasure, thanks as well!

[@sainathanakonar]

So glad to come across this video .. preparing for my 5th Marathon end of this month . So can test my fueling strategy on this weekend's 30K run. Thanks a ton. ❤

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Awesome! You're welcome :) Good luck with the run!

[@jvmoura]

What a great video, mate. Cheers from Brazil

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Thank you, I appreciate that! :)

[@iliasel3661]

Mate you should be charging for this video. Very informative, succinct and comprehensive. Thanks a lot for sharing.

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Thank you, that's a big compliment! 🙂 Just trying to help as many fellow endurance enthusiasts as possible!

[@IvanKoch]

running exactly next Sunday, this is gold.

[@NutritionTriathlon]

💪 Run well Ivan!

[@jellebeekma1778]

Thanks so much, followed your advice and ran a PB for the first time in 12 years, no "hunger wall" this time! (I ran 12 marathons before over as many years)

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Amazing! Huge congrats 😀 that's a massive achievement. You're very welcome, it's my pleasure - especially when I get to hear stuff like this!

[@avifvideo]

Excellent nutrition guidelines, thanks!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

No problem at all, my pleasure!

[@abozain3685]

Hello from Riyadh Saudi Arabia. I’m running my second marathon this Saturday😊. Thank you 🙏🏻 for the video ❤

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Good luck with the marathon, enjoy it! 😊

[@Starchaser63]

When preparing for a race or competition, try a switch to Gluten ,Wheat, Egg , Dairy free ) . Eat real whole foods 👌 with little or zero processing...this works for me..😊

[@NutritionTriathlon]

If it works for you then that's perfect 😀

[@patricecrawford1272]

Thanks for all the tips.im running my 1st full marathon in 12 weeks and have been struggling with gastro issues for some time on longer runs.Looking forward to trialing your suggestions.

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Good luck with your marathon and I hope the tips help! Please let me know how you get on 😀

[@moniquerodrigues6282]

Thanks

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Thank you, I really appreciate this 😊

[@linuxgirl10]

Thank you for such an informative video! What brands do you recommend that have both glucose and Fructose in their gels?

[@NutritionTriathlon]

No problem at all, you're welcome! In no particular order: Science in sport beta fuel gels, OTE super gels, precision fuel and hydration, Maurten. Those are my go tos

[@jacobmickel5235]

thanks mate. very helpful video. I'm one week out on my first marathon and haven't practiced my nutrition during running haha. But fingers crossed it'll work out lol

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Good luck, you can do it!

[@jacobmickel5235]

@@NutritionTriathlon thanks! Finished in 3:35. Super happy. Thanks for helping out :)

[@deeanna8448]

Thank you for this! I'm just starting Couch to 5k and have a marathon scheduled in one year. I ran a couple of halves a decade ago when at peak fitness, and want to get back out there!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Awesome, that's a great goal! What marathon are you doing? Good luck with your training 😀

[@deeanna8448]

@@NutritionTriathlon Richmond. They will give my slow ass 7 hours to finish 😂

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Haha, don't worry about the time - if you do one then that's an amazing achievement in itself!

[@michelleryan405]

Hi James, great video thanks. I just have a question about amount of carbs to take in per hour. Why the big variation between 40g and 90g of carbs. Does it depend on your body weight, or what a person can tolerate?

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Hi Michelle. Yes, exactly that! The lowest I would like to see is 40g per hour, but ideally you'd consume more. There are individual tolerance levels hence the wide range 🙂 basically, work upwards!

[@philstafford6272]

Excellent video! Quick question, for my upcoming marathon, they have honey stinger gels as the race fuel. I‘ve practiced with honey stingers, Mauren, and SIS with all of them sitting fine in my stomach. You mentioned the importance of a mixture of glucose and fructose, however the honey stingers rely on honey as the carb. How does that stack up against the others? Thanks!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Good question 🙂 honey is mostly made up of glucose and fructose. You should be fine with it!

[@michaelcrossman8739]

Let me start by saying thank you for the amazing content you put out, it’s so helpful! I’m wondering if you could possible do a video on Marathon taper. My girlfriend is a amazing runner but often gets confused about the taper prior to the race. She’s not so hungry but feels like she should be eating more and she vegetarian. Thoughts?

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Thank you Michael, appreciate it. Do you mean tapering in terms of nutrition, or in terms of how you manage your training (or both!). General advice regarding nutrition is to eat the same up until about 3d from the race, then start transitioning to lower fibre diet, and then 36-48 hours is the carb load period - so definitely eating more then. You may have seen this already, but if not here's a carb load guide video for a marathon: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gauliYx8jaiSfLc

[@michaelcrossman8739]

Yes, sorry I meant nutritionally speaking. Thank you, we’ll check out this video!

[@conradburdekin722]

I really enjoyed this and found it super useful. Only started running in April (after a near 30 year break after school…). Did my first half in august. Got another in October. Then my first marathon May 2023. I’ll be following ALL this advice. Thank you! PS: is an electrolyte tablet same as a salt tablet??

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Thanks for the comment Conrad, I'm really glad to hear! Great question, and sorry if it wasn't clear, that's something I'll keep in mind for future videos. When I refer to an electrolyte tablet I mean something that is dissolvable in water which contains electrolytes. As an example, science in sport have their 'hydro tabs' which are actually what I use in a clip in this video. I think people usually refer to a salt tablet as a tablet they swallow with water, and that's not what I mean - although it would still help with pre race hydration and more or less the same job 🙂 Thanks again!

[@sietsevanheeren5006]

Legend

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Thank you 😊

[@user-qi5lf3bm3i]

Great video! I was just wondering… what about mouth wash during the marathon? Would you suggest them? And with how many carbs?

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Great question! I'll answer this fully in my live marathon nutrition Q+A. But my short answer would be if you're talking about a carb mouth rinse then no, I wouldn't suggest it, at least not really. Carb mouth rinsing is really only useful when exercising for

[@trevorharris1007]

Terrific video thx. Looking forward to trying it. Not sure how will have so much carbs on a run.

[@NutritionTriathlon]

You're welcome Trevor! Good luck, let me know if you have questions!

[@trevorharris1007]

@@NutritionTriathlon thx. What are your thoughts on raisins on a long run. Would it get in my system straight away or take a while ? Thinking of using gels after 30 minutes and raisins the other 30 minutes. Maybe a chocolate bar after 2 hours 30 minutes. A rx chocolate bar. Would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Because of the fibre, raisins will likely be a bit slower to digest and release energy, and for some people could cause GI upset. Might be fine for training - give them a try! But personally wouldn't recommend them in racing. Would also usually avoid pure chocolate bars because they'll contain a high fat proportion in comparison to calories

[@trevorharris1007]

@@NutritionTriathlon thx. I am very slow. Looking at a 4.45 marathon approx. might be a bit over cautious based on a 2.07 half time r but will see how it goes. Gels okay the whole time for that length of time. Thx again

[@ogbaba4239]

Thanks for this, so useful. Does anyone know how much of your carbs you want to be sugar in the marathon? The gels i've seen in the shop have barely any, but the one he showed in the vid (14:41) is over 50% sugar

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Just chiming in here to help out as it can be a bit confusing. You want simple sugars only for these, which would include glucose, maltodextrin and fructose. The problem is that maltodextrin, for food labelling purposes, isn't classified as a sugar so it'll be under carbohydrates. Have a look at the packaging - it should contain either glucose or maltodextrin as well as fructose. If it's got those, you're good! Hope that makes sense :)

[@1of3fish]

Thanks for your videos! I find them helpful as I prepare for tournaments where I tend to cramp. Would you recommend honey as an alternative to an energy gel?

[@NutritionTriathlon]

My pleasure! 🙂 Honey is a viable alternative, yes! You can get honey pouches which people use. Some will also mix honey or maple syrup with water for a carb drink.

[@1of3fish]

Thank you! @@NutritionTriathlon

[@MarkoCoomo]

Great video. Does this all scale to heavier weights? I end up running at about 110kg and take about 5h30. Last marathon carried something like 15 gels (Iclusing pre race gels). Is carbon loading a kilo of carbs and smashing endless gels ok??

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Hey, thank you 🙂 good question! For carb loading, it does scale by weight but up to a point. If someone is overweight then it would be better to carb load based more on an ideal body weight within a normal BMI range. As for carb loading and lots of gels, the answer is that from the evidence we have available, it is safe. If you don't have any health issues already like diabetes, carb loading should be well tolerated and not cause any problems. As for gels whilst running, definitely fine. The mechanism by which you absorb carbohydrates whilst excruciating is different to when not exercising. Body simply uses it for fuel!

[@BruceGuitar]

Great video! I'm running the London Marathon in April and currently have a bottle of Lucozade to start off a long run then Lucozade energy gels every 30 mins. The gels are very dull but I'm used to them and that's what they hand out on the day. Never tried caffeine strips though. Is it worth trying them? Just want to tick all the boxes!!!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Sounds like a good approach to me. The old saying works - if it ain't broke don't fix it. Re: Caffeine - maybe! Caffeine can be really useful for marathons. Generally the effects of caffeine last about 6-8 hours for someone, so if you're having caffeine before the marathon it might still be having an effect afterwards. But then can be useful in the last third or so of the marathon to give you a boost. If you're tried it in training and get on ok then that's great, just don't try it on the day. Can cause gastro upset for people so toilet stops become far more necessary!

[@BruceGuitar]

@@NutritionTriathlon great thank you!!!

[@Jaydev2001]

Very informative video !! Thanks . I have question on my cramps. I get cramps after 30-35 kms running (on marathon races not on training😅) I take plenty of water and salt tablets but this keep on coming .. what should I do ?

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Hey, you're welcome! Are you new to running? And what sort of pace are you running at? Muscle cramps can be caused by many things, but at only 35km into a marathon it's unlikely to be associated with your nutrition/dehydration. More likely something like muscle fatigue and something you need to build up over time

[@Jaydev2001]

@@NutritionTriathlon no. I am running last many years and participates many marathons too. But last two three years I am having this problem .

[@KwyjiboVanDeKamp]

Super helpful video!! Thanks a lot! Am running Berlin Marathon this year. Not sure about caffeine since it will elevate the heart rate significantly which may causes crossing the lactate threshold. What do you think about that?

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Hey! Personally, this would not factor into my decision for using caffeine. It could increase heart rate a little bit, but it shouldn't be significant enough to cause lactate to change. The potential benefits would outweigh the risks IMO, if it works as part of an overall nutrition strategy. Good luck with the marathon tomorrow!

[@KwyjiboVanDeKamp]

@@NutritionTriathlon Thanks for answering. Will "experiment" with caffeine in the future.

[@KwyjiboVanDeKamp]

@@NutritionTriathlon I just wanted to let you know that the race went well! I believe a huge key to that was the carb loading you suggested. The only bad thing I had to deal with were cramps in the hamstrings at kilometer 32. Maybe I drank too little?! Can too much salt also causes cramps? I took 215mg of sodium every 23 minutes.

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Congrats for completing it! Was it an incredible atmosphere? Glad to hear the carb loading went well. I'm not aware of too much salt causing cramps, no. Do you know how much fluid you consumed? Unfortunately cramp can be due to lots of different causes, and hydration/nutrition is only part of it. It could have been to do with that, but it could have just as easily as been due to muscular fatigue

[@KwyjiboVanDeKamp]

@@NutritionTriathlon The atmosphere was awesome! So many cheering people! Super helpful. I think I drank too little. Always grabed a cup at the water stations but I spilled a lot of it while drinking and running at the same time. Lesson learned. Next time I will be more careful while drinking. Thanks for your advices.

[@mrmoneymark]

Really helpful, thanks. What are your preferred energy gels?

[@NutritionTriathlon]

I go through phases of liking different ones, but OTE super gels, Maurten and science in sport beta fuel range would be my top 3

[@mrmoneymark]

@@NutritionTriathlon Thanks, and do you find OTE and SIS both as gentle on the stomach as the Maurten ones are?

[@NutritionTriathlon]

OTE definitely, SIS less so. But I've had clients finish full distance ironman races using only beta fuel products, so it's very much an individual thing.

[@CrazedPhsycho1023]

Any suggestions on gels for someone with a weak stomach/acid reflux? Preferably one that doesn’t need water for absorption.

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Personal preference here, but my go to would be either Maurten gels or OTE super carb gels (or their usual ones). You could also try science in sport beta fuel gels

[@ryaninSartell]

Ive been carb loading for decades!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Good stuff 😃

[@georgebarr5102]

Good content, very much appreciated, i carry my own stuff for a marathon, copy my training, pre mixed tailwind, my normal time is 4.30, - does that i mean i can stop bothering with fuel intake about 3.30 or 4.00 ? anybody :-)

[@NutritionTriathlon]

You're welcome! 🙂 Glad it was useful. Great question. You should be fine stopping fuelling from about 4.00 onwards with a finish time of 4.30. You might still benefit a small amount from taking carb sources for a sugar brain pick me up, but it'll be marginal at that point

[@clos122]

Hello James, I recently ran in the NYC Marathon. At mile 24 I started to feel nauseous I walked a little bit then I ended up puking a lot of fluid. I need some guidance to figure out what I did wrong, Would you be able to give some general tips?

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Hey. What nutrition plan did you follow? Can you tell me how much fluid you consumed, how much sodium you consumed, how many carbohydrates you consumed and how long it took you? All important questions for context

[@lexnyama8757]

Can you use a gel after the race as recovery?

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Yes, absolutely 🙂 you might need a couple but they do the job!

[@MarieBdsq]

Not me watching this 5 days before my first marathon with no preparation whatsoever

[@NutritionTriathlon]

😅 good luck!

[@charleshoms6129]

I use Maurten CAF 100 and Hammer Endurolytes Extreme for a marathon, but I would prefer to have a gel similar to Maurten CAF 100 combined with those electrolytes in one. Any suggestion?

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Hey Charles. Do you mean a gel that's similar to the Maurten hydrogel stuff? As far as I'm aware there aren't any that are similar and the rest are all normal gloopy gels (with varying degrees of gloopy-ness!). Also I'm not aware of any gels that would replace the potential electrolyte need - they are all too low in sodium so you would have to consume sodium in some other form. This does depend on your intended time for completion and climate etc but my question would be around whether you specifically needed electrolytes during your marathon. If you pre-hydrate well then that plus water should be sufficient to get you through a marathon safely.

[@charleshoms6129]

@@NutritionTriathlon During my last marathon I suddenly had very significant muscle cramps in my right calf muscle. I used the same 6 Maurten gels, and drank (more or less) the same amount of water as I always do. The temperature was 60F so nothing was out of the ordinary. You'd think it's a lack of hydration, but I gather it could be a lack of electrolytes too. I can obviously take electrolytes separately in capsules but perhaps there's a gel that has enough electrolytes. Thanks for your advice, I like your videos!

[@anthonyjanes9973]

JUST ATTEMPTED TO COMPLETE THE FAN DANCE, HIT THE WALL AT 12 MILES, AFTER WATCHING YOUR VIDEO I HOPE IT WONT HAPPEN NEXT YEAR THANK YOU

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Sorry to hear that. Good luck for the next time, hope this helps you!

[@bethanymoore1136]

I have gels every 5 km, but feel like I'm bonking at like 20 km. It starts with stomach cramps and then today I was actually sick 26 km into my 30 km run; I feel like I'm hydrating enough. I've got my first marathon in 2 weeks, do you have any advice? Thanks!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Hi Bethany. What I would do if I was working with a client is to separate it out into different sections to try to find the cause. So I would look at things like: What you've eaten the day before (?lots of fibre/fat etc contributing to GI upset?) What you've had for breakfast - too much, too little, the wrong sort of foods? Have you drank enough/too much Have you tried the same gels at a different pace/different day and got on with them ok? Are you running too hard for what you're able to tolerate from a nutrition point of view? Basically, it's a bit of problem solving to understand the root cause. Hopefully the above gives you some topics to consider!

[@guillermovargas8564]

Questions: 1) According to science, our system runs out of carbs after 12 hours of fasting. Does it make sense to carb loading 36-48 hours prior to a race? 2) According to science, any glucose excess in blood will be stored as fat. Why do we want to store fat for a race? It's useful, but it takes longer to make it available as an energy source. 3) Why not eat some good carbs 3 or 4 hours prior to a race? Thanks for the videos.

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Hey Guillermo. Great questions! Energy stores are constantly depleting. You use your carbohydrate stores in the day for normal life as well as exercise. You even use them while you sleep. In normal circumstances, so not during a carb load period, one meal with a good amount of carbohydrates will not usually be enough to fully replenish carb stores - far from it. As a minimum, it usually takes 24 hours of increased carbohydrate intake to fully maximise glycogen stores, hence you get advice to carb load for at least 24 hours. You have to eat a significant amount of carbs during this period to fully maximise (or even go above) the normal amount of stored carbohydrates. Finally, yes excess carbs will get turned into fat, but as above, especially those who are training for a marathon, you're unlikely to have full carbohydrate stores and therefore a carb loading period achieves this and the amount of fat stored should be minimal. It's also the lesser of two evils. The potential performance benefit of carb loading properly far outweighs the small amount of carbs that will be turned into fat during a carb loading period. You absolutely should have a meal with a good amount of carbs in the 3-4 hours before, but hopefully the above info now explains why this isn't enough on its own. Essentially you're topping up your carbohydrate stores so that you go in with as full a tank as possible.

[@guillermovargas8564]

@@NutritionTriathlon Thank you for the information!

[@abozain3685]

Where can I buy these gels?

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Are you referring to any in particular?

[@karenmicinski3028]

Just found your channel. So as a diabetic, if I’m increasing my carbs (which normally isn’t good) wouldn’t it be ok since I’d be running. I’m thinking about a marathon in the Fall

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Hey, thank you for the comment! Honestly I don't feel in a position to recommend you yes or no here. I'm not a specialist in diabetes and sport and wouldn't want to give you bad advice. I think this would in part depend on whether you type 1 or 2, what medication you were on and how well your diabetes was controlled normally. I'd suggest finding a sports dietitian with a special interest in diabetes.

[@karenmicinski3028]

I’m controlled type 2 only 1 pill a day. Lucky me! I’ve only done half marathons so doing a full seems daunting but I have more research and in a few months probably will make a Dr appointment. Thanks for replying and your honesty. I’m checking out all your videos. They are helpful God Bless

[@NutritionTriathlon]

@karenmicinski3028 that sounds brilliant, and good luck with it! You're welcome - happy to help where I can!

[@alexm1841]

I ran a 4:10:00 marathon and only took in 5 gels (100 carbs total). Bonked at mile 20 and it took me 1:20:00 to finish the last 6 lol

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Well, at least you know what to change for next time 😅

[@alexm1841]

@@NutritionTriathlon yeah haha I take in 60-80g of carbs every hour now. Maurtens and or tailwind have been good to me, but I also haven’t gone over 20 since my marathon. I’ve done 18 miles at pace, fueling 60 g of carbs/hr and felt phenomenal.

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Sounds like great news for the next time you do a marathon then! 😉

[@camelet9601]

Should I eat if only going to run like an hour or hour and a half during traning. Im new to running and overweight. I'm trying intermittent fasting at the moment. So I don't normally eat breakfast. Thanks.

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Hey. My honest advice would be yes. This is still a long time for your body to exercise without food and I would recommend eating. Also, from my anecdotal experience working with heaps of 1:1 clients, those who don't eat before exercise often end up hungrier later in the day and struggle to control cravings - so it might help you manage your food later too!

[@camelet9601]

@@NutritionTriathlon thank you so much. Your advice means a lot.

[@danielcarlossmd]

Hey there! I see that this gel "Science in Sport Beta Fuel + Nootropic Gel, 40 g Carbohydrates, with Nootropics" suggests only 1 gel per day. "maximum one serving per day". What is this about? I'd need 4 to 5 of them for a marathon

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Yeah it's a bit of a tricky one. It's not the caffeine that's the issue, it's the other nootropics. However, average half life of caffeine is 6-8 hours and the effective dose for caffeine is 1-3mg of caffeine per kg of body weight. Which means for most people, if they consumed one of these half way into their marathon then they should still be feeling the benefit by the end.

[@rubengodwin-suttie7016]

If gels are mostly just fructose and glucose/maltodextrin then why not just dissolve table sigar in water? Especially given the price of something like Maurten. Cheers

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Perfect question my friend! Realistically it's preference, ease and marketing I've made a video that talks through using table sugar here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5rXo2ytZ66LaJY I'm gonna do a running specific one relatively soon too!

[@danalo62]

How much grams of carbs on a gel you suggest every 5 Kms (running between 22 to 25 minutes a 5k). This is because I am doing my first marathon

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Hey. This is down to you as an individual and what you can tolerate and also what gel you are planning on using. Find a gel that works for you first of all. I generally suggest going off time rather than km just because there's a potential for under-fuelling, but loosely I'd be looking at ~50g of carbs per hour, so that's probably 1 22-25g carb gel every 5kms

[@MarianAvram-pd3lg]

Hello!i will participate to an marathon on 8 October!i brought as gels beta fuel from SIS(40g carbs).my time estimation is 3h30-3h50.what is your advice in how many gels per hour to take?thank you in advace

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Hi there. This very personal and varies between individuals. You need to test in training and see how you get on. One every 50 minutes is a nice starting point for most people and then see if you can tolerate more

[@MarianAvram-pd3lg]

Thank you so much!

[@mydestinationtraining7905]

Testing is important

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Absolutely!

[@mydestinationtraining7905]

@@NutritionTriathlon where are you located?

[@NutritionTriathlon]

England

[@bdubs4036]

I’m obsessed with the idea of someone running a marathon with a sandwich in one hand 😂

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Haha, you'd be surprised! I've seen and heard of some amazing nutrition practices...!

[@yousefosman9051]

At 6:30 you mention about thirst whilst carb loading. Is it not because the storage of glycogen needs water in a 3:1 ratio? 🤓

[@NutritionTriathlon]

That's my theory too, yep! I talk about it in the full video I did on Marathon carb loading which you can watch here kzbin.info/www/bejne/gauliYx8jaiSfLc This video felt long enough though that I didn't want to go into detail on it 😅 I can't find anything to support it in the literature, but I'm guessing that's the reason why!

[@yousefosman9051]

Ah great cheers, I will look into that one, trying to swot up on in race nutrition for upcoming marathon

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Good luck with it!

[@Monamie44]

No example of food or photos! I didn't see any food photos. Thank you for all the info.

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Hi Mona, thanks for the comment. When you say you didn't see any food photos, what were you hoping to see? I always want to make my videos more useful for viewers!

[@Monamie44]

@@NutritionTriathlon i wanted to see food with carbs. If you could display an example for breakfast/ lunch/ dinner that would be helpful. Many thanks x

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Thanks Mona, that makes sense. Have you checked out the carb load guide I've put in the comments section? I give examples of different meals there with carb amounts

[@theshadow8008]

How to fuel a marathon??? You cant fuel a marathon! CORRECTION :HOw to fuel "f😅r" marathon....

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Haha, too picky 😉

[@bdubs4036]

It’s so much better listening to advice that comes in a British accent. I’m an American and I can’t stand when Americans give tips like this. It always feels so obnoxious 😂

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Haha thank you! 😂 My favourite comment for a while!

[@hugue1000]

Thanks!

[@NutritionTriathlon]

Thank you too, really appreciate this 😊