Top Nutrition Tips for Marathon Runners

Carb Load the Right Way

Contrary to popular belief, “carb-loading” doesn’t happen the evening before a long distance race. It actually starts a few days beforehand. And it doesn’t mean chowing down on pasta at every sitting! Instead, think about including a high-quality carb at each meal. That means eating whole-grain toast with your morning omelet, adding a few spoons of quinoa to your lunchtime salad, topping Greek yogurt with fruit for your afternoon snack, or scooping more veggies on your dinner plate. The combination of adding a little extra carb to each of your meals while tapering your training runs helps to store energy, called glycogen, in your muscles. That’s fuel your body taps into when you’re well into your race and need the power to keep going.