For long-term efforts, efficiently managing your stored energy is at least as important as your physiological parameters (speed at turning point, heart rate, etc.) to achieve optimal results.
An interesting scientific article on this subject is “ Metabolic Factors Limiting Performance in Marathon ”, 2010, Benjamin I. Rapoport.
There are many tests to determine what your energy needs are to achieve a certain speed and a related end time, but in this article we will mainly focus on how you can actually put such a plan into practice.
Here we will discuss in detail how Stef Follens' preparations went for the Eindhoven marathon (October 9, 2022). On that day, Stef achieved a final time of 2h35'10" which was an improvement of his personal record by 14 minutes (Bruges 2021, 2h49'08").
We do want to emphasize here that we are going to approach this from a physiological standpoint and we definitely recommend that you consult a (sports) dietitian if you are unsure how to implement this.
The week before the competition - carboloading
In the days before the competition, it is especially important to maximise your glycogen reserves in your body.
As a rule of thumb we take these guidelines (match on Sunday):
Thursday : take up to 10g of carbohydrates per kg of body weight. You can find carbohydrates in whole grain products such as whole wheat bread and whole wheat pasta, potatoes, legumes, vegetables and fruit.
Friday and Saturday : reduce carbohydrate intake to 5 g per kg body weight.
Sunday : During breakfast, carbohydrate intake is further reduced to 2g per kg body weight. Here it becomes important not to overload your stomach.
Maintain your fluid and sodium balance
In the days before the race (from Thursday) some extra fluid is also taken (1.5l extra per day) and from Saturday you can also bring your sodium reserves up to level. We have already devoted an article to the importance of pre-loading your sodium which you can read here .
Just before the match
About an hour before the race, a final sodium intake was provided with Precision Fuel and Hydration's PH1500 product. This is the highest concentration (1500mg sodium per liter of water).
During the match
From the INSCYD test in preparation for the marathon (2 weeks before the marathon) we had determined that an intake of 70g carbohydrates per hour would be necessary to run at the intended pace. Those 70g were also the goal. To achieve this Stef used the Precison Hydration PF30 gel alternating with the PF30gel with 100mg caffeine .
To replenish his sodium and fluid losses, Stef again opted for the PH1500 sodium supplements, which he divided over 4 bottles of 250ml along the course.
The plan drawn up in advance could be followed without too many major problems (also because it had already been tested during training), which brought Stef to this wonderful end result.
If you would like some help in drawing up your nutritional plan, or if you would like to do an INSCYD test to know your paces and associated nutritional needs, please do not hesitate to contact us .
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