{"id":1044,"date":"2022-11-01T10:56:19","date_gmt":"2022-11-01T07:56:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stage.runzy-run.com\/blog\/?p=1044"},"modified":"2022-12-23T14:05:22","modified_gmt":"2022-12-23T11:05:22","slug":"what-to-eat-before-a-marathon-and-what-foods-to-avoid-scientifically-proven-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/runzy.com\/blog\/what-to-eat-before-a-marathon-and-what-foods-to-avoid-scientifically-proven-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Eat Before a Marathon and What Foods to Avoid: Scientifically Proven Guide\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is a healthy diet to run a marathon relatively quickly and without serious consequences? Why does the body struggle after 18 miles? And how to avoid losing speed in the final miles? Find out what to eat before a marathon in the following blog post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Do Scientists Say About the Runner Diet?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Glycogen is a polysaccharide (a long chain of carbohydrates) stored in the liver and skeletal muscles as a source of glucose during periods of muscle activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scientists estimate<\/a> that, on average, 120g or 3,000 to 3,500 kcal of glycogen is stored in muscles and the liver. A well-trained amateur runner has enough energy for 18 – 21 miles of continuous running in aerobic mode. After that, the body switches to fat stores, accompanied by unpleasant feelings like dizziness, nausea, increased heart rate, and heaviness in the legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sanford Health states<\/a> that in a runner diet, you must \u201cStart several days before your race by increasing your normal amount of carbohydrates from 55 to 65 percent to 70 percent\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to Eat the Week Before a Marathon?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Usually, the diet starts 6 days before the marathon and in different schedules – 3:3, 2:4, 2.5:3.5, where the first number is the number of days without carbohydrates, and the second is the number of days of accumulation of carbohydrates. The regimen is individual since everyone’s bodies are different, and one program won\u2019t suit everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The primary condition on \u201ccarb-free\u201d days is the exclusion of absolutely any carbohydrates. In pre-workout food, you must avoid cereals, starchy foods, sweets, and unprocessed carbohydrates such as fruits and starchy vegetables. Nutrition for runners on these days includes proteins:<\/p>\n\n\n\n