Please welcome guest blogger Marci from Marcirunsthemarathon.blogspot.com
Ever go to a park or running trail during marathon training season and see packets of gel littering the road?
Those gels are a more solid form of simple carbohydrates used by runners and other endurance athletes to power through a longer workout.
Training for a marathon, triathlon or other major sporting event doesn’t give you license to eat all the burgers and donuts you want. True, you may be training enough to absorb the caloric blow, but unless you’re taking in a good balance of complex carbohydrates and muscle-building protein, your performance will suffer a lot more than your waistline will.
This falls by the wayside when it comes to endurance training. Your body can store about an hour’s worth of glycogen, which is a simple form of glucose that your muscles use for energy. Once you burn through your glycogen stores, you will quickly fatigue and hit the dreaded “wall.” That’s why marathon runners carbo-load before a major event – since carbohydrates break down into sugars, they are trying to increase their glycogen stores. It’s like gassing up the car before a long road trip.
As with a car, it’s important during endurance events not to let your tank get too low before refueling. You don’t want your muscles to run low on glycogen and start fatiguing. You need to replenish your glycogen stores on a regular basis after about 45 minutes’ worth of activity if the activity is going to last for over an hour. In this instance, you want a simple carbohydrate that doesn’t need a lot of processing before it gets where it’s needed – your muscles.
Gels and sports drinks provide 100-150 calories, and around 25 grams of simple carbs. Some contain extra sodium, caffeine, electrolytes, or even some protein, all of which may enhance your performance in some way, but the primary ingredient in all of these items is some proprietary blend of simple sugars and salt. Compared to a pasta dinner, which will take hours to convert to fuel in the body, gels take about 15 minutes to get absorbed by the body properly, and sports drinks work even faster. In this instance, sugar IS good for you!
For those who find the idea of taking in calories while one is burning calories to be self-defeating, there are lower- and no-calorie sports drink options that contain electrolytes and B. Those are fine for short or lower-intensity workouts, but if you’re not taking in some carbohydrates during an intense or long-lasting training session, you’re going to burn out quickly.
So if you’re embarking on your first marathon training program, or if you’re ready to push your training to a higher gear, in addition to a balanced diet and plenty of water, look into adding gels or drinks to your routine. Your muscles will thank you.
Marci is a marathon runner currently training for her first triathlon with Fred’s Team. Fred’s Team raises money for pediatric cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in NYC. To learn more, please visit http://marcirunsthemarathon.blogspot.com
i don’t fuel for runs as a general rule, whether long, 12- 16 miles, or short, 5.
i find eating a substantial amount the night before, though is helpful. i don’t drink sports
drinks either, and i do well. are there any other runners who do this as well? i’de really like to know.
BCAA and maltodextrine are very important for long distance activities