Most common marathon fuelling mistakes and how to fix them

Here are five common fuelling mistakes runners make during long distance events like marathons, and how to avoid them for a more successful race day. 

Not carbohydrate loading enough the days before the race

Because our body can typically only store around 500g of carbohydrate (stored as “glycogen”), it is essential that we complete at least 2 days of a carbohydrate loading diet to maximise our muscle glycogen stores before the race. 

Studies have consistently shown that runners do not eat enough carbohydrate in the days before the race, meaning that runners would arrive on the start line with sub-optimal glycogen stores and that glycogen stores would run out quicker during the race.  

It is recommended to consume a total daily carbohydrate intake of 10-12g/kg body mass for at least two days before. Adjust your daily diet to contain low fibre, high carbohydrate foods, such as rice, potatoes and pasta. There’s a huge range of SiS products to support carbohydrate loading, including the BETA 80 Drink and GO Energy Bakes. 

Eating too much pre-race 

Runners often make the mistake of over-eating at their pre-race meal and consume this meal too close to the race start. This can result in feeling bloated and cause gastrointestinal problems during the race itself.  

The goal of your pre-race meal is to top up your “liver” glycogen stores. This is because our liver glycogen stores are reduced by around 50% when we sleep overnight and therefore, we need to replace this liver glycogen with our pre-race meal.  This meal should comprise of easily digestible and low fibre solids, containing around 2g/kg body mass. This should be consumed at least 2½-3 hours before the start of the race. 

We would recommend white bread or bagel with jam or rice crispies. This could be topped up with BETA Fuel 80 Energy drink. 

Not taking on enough fuel during the race 

This open means you’ve “hit the wall” in the marathon. This is when your muscles have depleted its available glycogen stores. Glycogen is stored in the form of glucose (sugar) and is your body’s main source of energy. Delivering additional carbohydrates during exercise is known to improve performance. 

Fuelling during the race should begin in the first hour. The recommended amount of carbohydrate intake per hour is 90-120g, this could amount to about 3-4 GO Isotonic Energy gels or 2-3 BETA Fuel energy gels. 

Changing your fuelling plan 

You should have practiced your pacing and fuelling strategy in training, don’t guess when it comes to race day that you can go quicker or that you won’t need those extra gels. The proof is in the weeks of training you’ve just conquered, you would rather leave the race feeling like you can tackle another one than be left with an unpleasant experience over the course of 26.2 miles!   

Skipping the Recovery 

Running a marathon will deplete your glycogen stores, cause muscle damage and can result in fluid loss. Your recovery afterwards should be fixated on carbohydrate and protein to replenish your glycogen stores and to promote muscle repair.  

Skipping or rushing the recovery period after a marathon can negatively impact future training and performance, increasing the risk of injury and burnout. 

Taking BETA Recovery has 30g protein and 60g carbs per serving providing an advanced formulation suited for endurance runners.