Long-distance races like marathons and half-marathons are now quite common today as increasingly more people have understood their significance. Not only has participation in half marathons risen, but the performance and training preparation of participants has also improved.
Here are some hydration and nutrients hints which you should consider if you are going to participate in a half marathon soon.
If you’ve been taking a balanced diet before, you do not have to change your diet greatly. Of major importance you need to increase the amount of proteins which you take in your diet.
Tips on long-distance nutrition training typically boil down to two areas: pre-run and post-run (recovery).
Pre-run eating
You should ensure that you’re properly fueled before you participate in a half marathon. To be on the safe side you should eat a light meal (comprising all the necessary fixings) of about 250-300 calories.
Specialists urge that you simply should eat 1 to 2 hours before you start running. This is to avoid cramping. Eating also ensures that you’ve enough energy to run.
When choosing your diet, you should select something that is full of carbohydrates but low in fat, fiber, and protein. This is because foods rich in fats and fiber tend to bring about gastrointestinal distress which can make you quite uncomfortable during the run.
Some of the exceptional foods which you should take include with peanut butter, a bowl of cold cereal with a cup of an energy bar, a banana and milk.
Many marathoners and half-marathoners tend to make the blunder of getting vitamin supplements during their training. This isn’t right. The best way of going about it’s getting the vitamins from whole foods.
Post-run eating
After you have completed the half marathon, you need should replenish your energy as quickly as possible. Research has shown that the body muscles are generally receptive to stored glucose stores within the first half an hour after exercise; hence, should you eat soon to reduce muscle stiffness and soreness.
Some of the finest foods are those rich in carbs and protein. Specialists urge that you simply should eat the foods to 1 g of protein in the ratio of 3 grams of carbs.
Fantastic options that you can go for are nutrition bars like Luna bars and power bars. You can even go for bagel with peanut butter or a smoothie.
When running since diet is essential, you should highly consider seeking the advice of your physician before you take any food.