Marathon Fueling and Hydrating

The health industry has done a great job of muddying the nutritional waters. They have taken a simple subject and made it so complex a molecular physicist would have trouble figuring out how to eat. In keeping with the Ockham’s Razor theme of this book, I am going to keep it simple and go back to the basics.

Healthy eating and proper nutrition isn’t rocket science. It’s a simple matter of eating the proper quantities of the healthy, nutrition packed foods and avoiding improper quantities and foods that are lower in nutrition and not quite so good for you. The key is knowing the proper portion sizes, which foods are good choices, and which are not so good. It all starts with the basics of nutrition.

Nutrients

As a marathon runner you should change the way you view food. Rather that just something to satisfy your appetite or meet a social need begin to think of food as fuel. Just like you put fuel in your car to energize its engine, you put fuel in your body to provide the energy to run. Unlike your car, which only uses gasoline for fuel, your body uses six type of fuel or nutrients. Each type of nutrient has a specific purpose and meets a specific need that your body has. The six nutrients are:

Water

It may surprise you to learn that water is a nutrient. In fact it the most important nutrient because your body constantly uses it - especially during an activity like running. Without water your running would come to a quick and rather unpleasant halt. Water supports your running by regulating your core temperature, eliminating waste products and is part of the energy production process. Dehydration or lowered levels of water will result in poor running performance and the potential of serious heat illnesses such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Carbohydrates

If you pay attention to many of the popular low or no carb fad diets you may think that carbohydrates are like pure poison that should be avoided at all cost. That belief is a complete myth - especially for runners. A runner limiting carbohydrates would be like a fish avoiding water. You just can’t run without them. Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for your body. Carbohydrates power every system in your body, including your brain, heart, muscles and internal organs. Carbohydrates can be simple (table sugar, corn syrup) or complex (whole grain). Simple carbohydrates enter your bloodstream very quickly. That is why you get a sugar high when you eat candy. Complex carbohydrates are processed and used more slowly. The difference between simple and complex carbohydrates is an important one for a marathon runner. Each type of carb plays a critical role in your nutritional plan.

Protein

In the same way that the value of carbohydrates get less respect that they should, protein receives more praise and accolades than they deserve. The same people that tell you all carbohydrates are evil are telling you that protein is the most important nutrient off all. Protein is an important nutrient. It is like the brick and mortar of your body. It is the building blocks that provide the structure for the tissues of your body. Proteins are also used to transport essential elements in your blood stream. However, protein is no more important than any other nutrient and is less important than carbohydrates for a training marathon runner. Contrary to popular belief, protein is not a good source of energy. Proteins are made up of more than 20 amino acids. Nine of the amino acids, which are called essential amino acids must be consumed in your diet. Dairy products, eggs, fish and meats are all good sources of the nine essential amino acids. If you are a vegetarian - no worries - your body will manufacturer complete proteins as long as you eat a balanced diet containing vegetables, whole grains, beans, fruits and nuts.

Fats

To many inactive people fat is the enemy. They view fat as an evil presence that need to be fought and avoided. To a marathon runner fat is a secret weapon. It is an almost unlimited energy storehouse that provides large amounts of energy and provides the invaluable service of sparing valuable carbohydrate stores. There are two main types of dietary fats – saturated and unsaturated. Animal fats (meat, butter, lard) are usually saturated fats and have been proven to contribute to heart disease and cancer. Vegetable fats (olive oil, corn oil) are generally unsaturated fats and are less harmful. Some fats have been found to be helpful in preventing some cancers and heart disease. These fats called omega-3 fatty acids are found in some fish, especially cold-water fish.

VITAMINS

Vitamins are essential for the regulation of many of the functions of your body. Most vitamins cannot be manufactured by your body and must be obtained from your diet. Vitamins do not produce energy but many of them do help release energy from the foods you eat. Vitamins fall into one of two classes - fat soluble and water soluble. Fat soluble vitamins can be stored in fatty tissues. Because of that storage ability they can build up to toxic concentrations. On the other hand, water soluble vitamins are absorbed directly into your bloodstream and are not stored. Any excess water soluble vitamin is eliminated in your urine.

Fat soluble vitamins are vitamins A, D, E and K. Water soluble vitamin are vitamin C and all of the B vitamins. If you eat a healthy, balanced diet you are most likely getting all of the vitamins that you need through your foods. If your diet is low in vegetables, fruits or whole grains you may be low in some essential vitamins. If that is the case you should either improve the quality of our diet or consider vitamin supplementation. You can get your daily dose of vitamins from supplements and achieve satisfactory results but studies have shown that you absorb your vitamins more efficiently from natural foods, so listen to your mother and eat your vegetables - it will pay off in the long run - pun intended.

MINERALS

Minerals are compounds, obtained from your diet, that combine in several ways to form the structures of your body. For instance, calcium is a mineral that is crucial in the formation and maintenance of your bones. Iron is a mineral that is especially important to you as a runner. Marathon running depends upon an adequate supply of oxygen reaching your muscles. Iron helps build hemoglobin, which carries the oxygen within your red blood cells. Low iron levels means low energy. Minerals also help regulate many other bodily functions. Minerals do not produce energy. Good sources of minerals are green leafy vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans fruits and lean meats. Just as with vitamins you can take mineral supplements, but there is no better source than healthy, whole foods.

The Rules of Healthy Eating

You have heard these guidelines many times. A healthy diet is one composed of reasonable portions of a mix of complex carbohydrates, lean proteins and essential fatty acids. The best mix of those nutrients depends upon your activity level and your goals. Carbohydrates are the fuel of life. They provide the energy to allow your muscles to do work and for your internal organs to keep operating at peak efficiency. Proteins are nature’s building blocks. You need lean proteins to build and maintain muscle, make red blood cells and synthesizing hormones. Fats in your diet provides the essential fatty acids your body needs, carry the raw materials your body needs to make other needed products and supply a highly concentrated form of energy.

Next time you are in your neighborhood bookstore take a stroll over to the diet and nutrition section. You will see a mind boggling number of diet books - all of them recommending a different type of eating plan. Each one of those books recommend a different ratio of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Some tell you to limit or even eliminate carbohydrates. Some recommend a high protein diet. Some tell you to eat only certain types of foods. Others tell you to choose your foods according to their color or even your blood type. If you look closely you may even find a book or two that recommend a healthy, balanced diet that is based upon common sense and proven nutritional research.

This is not a book on diets or nutrition. I’m not trying to sell you a diet or some unproven eating plan. My only goal in this chapter is to provide you with the basics of a healthy, common sense eating plan. A plan that will support your health and your running. As I have mentioned already, healthy eating is not rocket science but the diet industry has done superior job of making it seem like it. In my opinion healthy eating can be summed up with three simple guidelines.

• Eat a Balanced Diet - Your daily meals should be composed of choices from each of the food groups. A healthy diet emphasizes whole grains, vegetables, fruits and low fat dairy products. You also need to include daily lean proteins such as lean meats, soy products, eggs, fish, poultry, beans and nuts. You don’t need a lot of fat in your diet, but you do need some. Choose healthy unsaturated fats such as olive oil and canola oil. Try to avoid the problem causing saturated fats, trans fats, salt and sugar.

• Get the Most Bang for Your Calorie - Speaking in terms of pure energy - a calorie is a calorie. There is no difference between the energy provided by a calorie of table sugar and a calorie of whole grain bread. There is a big difference in the nutritional content. When you eat you should try to maximize your nutritional content per calorie. In other words you should focus on eating nutrient dense foods and avoid those with empty calories. Generally speaking, darker colored foods have greater nutritional content. Whole grain cereals and breads have higher nutritional value than processed cereals or white breads. Dark green vegetables are more densely packed with nutrients than lighter colored vegetables. Always try to avoid high calorie foods that are low or empty in nutrition, such as soft drinks, candies, sugary processed snacks, cookies, cakes and doughnuts.

• Find Your Caloric Balance - For healthy individuals, weight loss is a simple function of calories in versus calories out. If your daily calorie intake is in balance with your physical activity you will maintain your current weight. You should always be aware of your caloric balance. That doesn’t mean that you need to keep a strict count of your calorie intake and expenditure. Just pay attention to your weight and body composition. If you are putting on weight or body fat you should consider decreasing your daily portion sizes. A daily surplus of just 100 calories per day can result in a 1 pound weight gain per month.

In my opinion that is the essence of healthy eating. It is really as simple as that. Just eat a balanced diet composed of the proper portion sizes of healthy, nutrient dense foods and you are on the healthy track.

Your Marathon Eating Plan

My suggestions for your marathon eating plan are very similar to the basic healthy eating guidelines with two exceptions. First I believe that the strenuous and demanding marathon training you are about to take on requires higher nutritional levels than a standard diet. For that reason you should include more green “super foods” in your diet. Green super foods are nutritional powerhouses that will provide the extra nutritional kick that you need to support your training and aid in your recovery.

Second - there are a lot of eating and nutrition rules that have become accepted as the healthy or “right” way to eat. While I don’t believe the axiom that “rules are meant to be broken”, there are times that those rules need to be bent. Marathon running is one of those times. Heavy training requires a higher percentage of carbohydrate intake than a basic healthy diet provides. There will also be times, especially during and after your race when fueling with some of the normally less desirable simple sugars and carbohydrates will come in very handy.

Go Green to Improve Your Running

Green super foods aren’t anything new. They have been around since the first plant sprouted from the soil of Mother Earth. Our ancient ancestors were the first to discover the benefits of eating green. They didn’t eat green foods because they thought they were healthy – they ate them because they were readily available. Early man survived on what they could hunt or gather. The green foods growing all around them made for easy picking.

In modern society the convenience of fast food restaurants and pre packaged foods have become a new and much less healthy way of eating. Instead of enjoying the health and fitness benefits of freshly harvested vegetables we are chowing down on processed foods, pre-packaged meals and deep fried fast food.

It is a well known fact that these high calorie, high fat, low nutrient foods are not good for your general health. But does it affect your running performance? You bet it does! As a runner you need to pay close attention to how you fuel your body. You need lean, high quality, high octane fuel. Not watered down, over processed fuel that provides a lot of empty calories and few nutrients.

Green Food Basics

All foods contain energy in the form of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. But where does that energy come from in the first place? You know from your physics classes that you cannot create energy from nothing, so where does it come from? It originates with the sun. The carbohydrate in plant life contains the sun’s radiant energy and represents the first link in the food chain of life. Green plants make carbohydrates through the process of photosynthesis. In photosynthesis, the chlorophyll (green pigment) in plants traps the energy from the sun and uses it to convert carbon dioxide and water to carbohydrates. So - green foods contain the most pure and nutrient rich form of carbohydrate available. Of course, all fruits and vegetables aren’t green. Some are blue, red, purple and nearly every color under the sun. All of those fruits and vegetables are healthy food choices, but pound for pound you can’t beat the nutritional value of green foods.

Types of green foods include leafy green vegetables, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage), grasses (wheat grass, barley grass), algae (chlorella, spirulina), vegetable sprouts and sea vegetables.

Benefits of Green Foods to Runners

You know green foods are healthy because they are low calorie, nutritional power houses. But why are they great foods for runners? It starts with the chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is more than a pretty green color. Chlorophyll has been shown to stimulate the production of hemoglobin, increase your oxygen uptake and energize your body. Does oxygen uptake sound familiar? Your VO2 max is a measure of your maximum oxygen uptake. Chlorophyll can increase your oxygen uptake and your VO2 max. Your endurance, recovery time and energy levels all improve.

Green foods are also slightly alkaline in nature. One of the causes of running fatigue is a rise in the acidity of your blood. If you consume green foods on a consistent basis, the alkalinity of the green vegetables will help buffer the acidity of your blood and improve your running performance.

Green foods also contain a lot of phytochemicals. These are compounds that will aid in your recovery and protect your cells from the oxidation caused by free radicals produced by strenuous training.

Including Green Foods in Your Diet

Green foods have their highest level of nutrition when eaten fresh and raw. Green foods start to lose some of their life-force as soon as they are picked because their source of energy has been cut off. So – the fresher the better. Eating raw foods is also better because heating above 120 degrees will destroy the living enzymes they contain.

It is not always possible to eat freshly picked vegetables so the next best choice is fresh, raw vegetables, preferable organic, from your local grocer. Juicing is also a good way to go. You can purchase your own juicer or buy fresh juice at a local juice bar or natural grocer. Wheatgrass juice is a popular type of juice that is a nutritional giant.

Nothing beats fresh, whole green foods – but if you are in a hurry or just can’t get to your organic grocer, you can also go the supplement route. Spirulina and chlorella are available in both powder and tablets. Try to consume green foods on a daily basis. Both your general health and your running performance will benefit from it.

Marathon Nutrition

Imagine a marathon training program in which you run the same distance, at the same pace every day. You obviously would not perform very well with a training routine like that. Marathon nutrition is very similar. Your training program follows a periodized schedule where your workouts are modified as you progress though your program. Your nutritional plans should be periodized just like your marathon training program.

There are three basic stages in your marathon nutrition plan. They are: marathon training nutritional plan, marathon taper nutritional plan and marathon race day plan. Each of these phases have their own unique nutritional needs.

Training Nutritional Plan

Leah is a client who approached me not long ago about training for a marathon. She had attempted a marathon a few years ago and struggled so severely during training that she quit. She said that she was constantly tired and did not have the energy for daily activities, much less marathon training. She thought that she may have been training improperly. I took a look at her training log and found that the program she was following was a basic, but essentially solid training schedule. I discovered her mistake when I asked about the nutritional plan she was following. She told me she was trying to lose weight at the time and was following one of those popular low-carb diets. I placed her on a high carb diet and she went on to successfully complete not only her first marathon but several more.

Carbohydrates are the fuel for your body. Marathon training burns a lot of carbs. The exact number of carbohydrates you burn per mile depends upon your fitness level, experience level, pace and running economy, but most marathon runners average around 110 to 140 calories per mile with about 75% of those calories coming from carbohydrates. A typical runner can store approximately 1800 calories worth of carbohydrate in their muscles, liver and blood. That amount of carbohydrate will be depleted in about 22 to 23 miles which explains why most marathon runners “hit the wall” at that point in the race.

A training marathon runner should be consuming a diet that is composed of between 65% and 70% carbohydrates. A typical marathon training diet is one that is around 65% carbohydrates – 25% protein – 10% fat. Most runners believe that a carb is a carb. The truth is that all carbs are not created equal. Some supply energy very quickly while others provide a slow, steady stream of energy. Carbohydrates are classified by numbers between 1 and 100. This is called the glycemic index (GI). Simple carbohydrate is low on the GI and gets into you system very quickly. Complex carbs are generally higher on the GI and filter into your system more slowly. Foods that are low on the GI list tend to keep your blood glucose levels level and give you a steady supply of energy.

You will be able to maintain your training runs for longer periods of time if your blood glucose is stable. High GI foods cause a roller coaster effect. After eating a high GI food your blood glucose will soar. This causes your body to release insulin which pulls the carbs out of your bloodstream and your blood glucose plummets. For that reason you should be eating mostly low GI carbs during your training periods. There is a time when you will want higher GI foods, especially during your marathon for fast carbohydrate replacement and after your race for recovery - more on that later. In the mean time here is a chart with a sample of low, medium and high GI foods.

Low GI foods are generally considered those with a GI of less than 55. Meats and cheeses are all low GI food choices, but you should limit your intake of high calorie or high fat meats and cheeses. Low GI foods should be consumed frequently throughout your training program. Medium GI foods are OK to eat occasionally but try not to eat large quantities of them. High GI foods should be eaten in limited quantities during your training.

Marathon Taper Nutritional Plan

As a marathon runner you are probably already well aware of the importance of a proper taper. Your two or three week taper will give your muscles the time they need to recover from your hard marathon training and get up to full strength for your race. What you may not know is that your should follow a special diet during the final week of your taper.

Up until the final week of your taper, maintain a diet that is similar to your training diet or about 65 to 70% carbohydrates, but remember to decrease serving sizes during this time. Your training mileage is dropping fast and so does your calorie requirements. You do not want to put on a couple of extra pounds before your race.

During the week before your race you should start a super compensation eating plan. Super compensation involves slightly depleting your muscles of carbohydrate followed by a loading period. This is an effective final week eating plan because, in the final 3 days your carbohydrate depleted muscles will soak up your dietary carbohydrates like a sponge - giving you even more stored carbohydrates than a traditional eating plan. It is important to follow this nutritional taper only for the first four days of your final taper week. During all other times you will need a high percentage of carbohydrates to fuel your running and insure full recovery.

To carry out this plan follow the table presented below. The result of this plan will be muscles that are “maxed out” in their carb storing ability. The best types of carbs to eat during your marathon taper are also low GI carbs so that your blood glucose levels maintain a steady state.

Final Taper Week Nutritional Plan

Day        Carbohydrate Percentage

Day 1     60% Carbohydrate Intake

Day 2     50% Carbohydrate Intake

Day 3     40% Carbohydrate Intake

Day 4     70% Carbohydrate Intake

Day 5     70% Carbohydrate Intake

Day 6     70% Carbohydrate Intake

Day 7     Race Day - Follow Race Day Plan

Race-Day Plan

Your marathon day eating plan has two phases. Pre-race eating and fueling during your race. Get up early on race morning and eat a light meal of low GI foods. Do not fast. You will need to “top off your tank” and replenish liver glycogen stores before your race. The addition of some fats along with some low GI foods will also help keep your blood glucose stable. An example would be two pieces of whole grain toast with butter and a banana. Avoid high GI foods on race morning because it can cause your blood glucose to fall and you will end up using a very high percentage of liver glucose for energy early in the race. If that happens you will pay the price at mile 20.

During your race the rules all change. Now it is time to eat high GI foods. The high GI foods quickly release energy and give you a fast energy boost. Good high GI foods that are convenient foods on the run are energy bars, energy gels and sports drinks.

The Wrap Up

During training eat a high carbohydrate diet composed of low GI foods. During your last taper week decrease your carb intake briefly before increasing it back to 70% of total calories in conjunction with decrease training volume. Eat a light pre race meal of a combination of low GI foods and fat. While running start taking in high GI foods for fast energy replacement.

Drinking on the Run

There’s a playground not far from the track at which I coach a weekly speed session. The most popular piece of playground equipment there is my personal childhood favorite – the swing set. It seems like there is always a large group of kids playing on the swings. I never fail to be fascinated by the physics of the swings. The kids are thrilled by the pendulum motion of the swing set. They soar high through the arc until the relentless force of gravity overcomes the momentum they have built up. Then their downward motion builds up its own momentum and pulls them through the arc in the other direction before starting the cycle over again.

Historically, hydration in runners has worked much in the same way. When I first became involved in running and athletics, the conventional hydration wisdom was to avoid drinking when exercising. Coaches in those days believed that you would be more likely to suffer from muscle cramps and your performance would decline if you drank during your training or event. That represented one extreme end of the hydration pendulum. Later, as the dangers of dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke become better known, the recommendations changed. In order to avoid heat illness and the performance declines associated with dehydration, we were told to drink early and often. It was thought that your hydration levels lagged behind your feelings of thirst. The new recommended hydration guidelines were to drink before you were thirsty. It was thought that there was no such thing as drinking too much fluid.

The new recommendations did their job. The incidence of dehydration and other heat illnesses plummeted. But, did the pendulum swing too far? It appears that it did. Hydration recommendations traveled from the extreme of under hydration to the opposite extreme of over hydration. The momentum gained in the effort to eradicate dehydration pushed the recommendations too far in the other direction. Now, instead of drinking too little, we are drinking too much.

Hyponatremia

Can we drink too much fluid? In recent years we have been told how important it is too stay fully hydrated. It has been suggested that we should drink even if we are not thirsty. Experts have said that we should drink copious amounts of fluids in the days leading up to a marathon and take every opportunity to drink during the marathon. As a result we are now seeing a problem that is relatively new in the world of running. The new problem is on the opposing side of the existing dehydration issue. It is hyponatremia.

Hyponatremia is not a new disorder. It has been a known medical issue for many years, but it is fairly new to athletics. Hyponatremia is an imbalance in the fluid-electrolyte ratio in your body. More simply put it means that your blood sodium concentration falls below normal levels. Because athletes in the past tended to drink less fluid, they were usually in a dehydrated or normal hydration state. That kept their blood sodium concentration levels either normal or a bit on the high side. The recent recommendations of high fluid intake caused some athletes to be hyper hydrated. This caused the sodium concentrations in their blood to become diluted, which can cause hyponatremia.

Normal blood sodium levels are between 136-142 mmol/liter. If your level drops below 135 mmol/liter you are considered to be in a state of hyponatremia. Between 125-135 mmol/liter there is usually either no or mild symptoms such as: nausea, bloating or gastrointestinal upsets. When levels drop below 125 mmol/liter symptoms can become more severe and serious with a throbbing headache, swollen extremities, wheezing, confusion and extreme fatigue. Sodium levels below 120 are extremely serious and can result in seizure, coma and death.

Runners and other athletes are most often affected by a form of hyponatremia known as “dilutional hyponatremia”. This type is caused by more water than normal for the amount of sodium and other minerals in the blood plasma. There are other types of hyponatremia including “isotonic” (normal water to mineral ration) and “hypertonic” (less water to mineral ratio), but these are far less common among athletes.

Who Is at Risk

All runners are at risk of developing hyponatremia but the development of this disorder has been more strongly associated with certain risk factors. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine recruited the services of 488 runners in the 2002 Boston Marathon. Thirteen percent of the participants finished the race in a state of hyponatremia. Slightly less than 1 percent were suffering from critical hyponatremia (less than 120 mmol/liter). The researchers found that the subjects who were hyponatremic tended to have the following characteristics.

• Weight Gain – Runners who over drink during the race will gain water weight. This dilutes the blood plasma and results in hyponatremia. In contrast, runners who do not over hydrate will lose weight over the course of the race keeping the blood sodium ratios stable. Their sodium balance remained stable despite weight loss because they lost sodium through sweating.

• Drinking more than 3 liters of fluids - Consuming large amounts of fluids will lead to weight gain and blood plasma dilution.

• Consumption of fluids each mile – Most major marathons have aid stations at every mile marker. This practice encourages runners to drink at each mile which can lead to over hydration.

• Finishing time of over 4 hours – Since slower runners spend more time on the course, they have more opportunities to drink. Again, this can result in over hydration.

• Small body size – Smaller bodies require less fluid to dilute the blood plasma. That makes it much easier to over hydrate.

• Female runner – Hyponatremia can strike anyone but historically females have been shown to be 3 times more likely than males to suffer from this disorder. This is most likely partly because of smaller body size and also because of learned behavior.

Avoiding Hyponatremia

It is a well established fact that dehydration presents both a health hazard and threat to your running performance. You must drink to replace lost fluids. But, how much is enough? The previous recommendations suggested that one good strategy was to drink enough fluid to replace your lost body weight. For example, if you weighed 150 lbs at the start of a marathon and weighed 145 lbs at the end of the race, you should have consumed an additional 5 lbs of fluids to maintain proper hydration.

In theory, that practice seems sound. But recent data suggest that may not be the case. Data indicates that runners who lose less than 2% of their body weight during a long distance race experience a decrease in serum sodium. Athletes that gain weight are usually in state of hyponatremia. Runners that lose between 2% and 4% of their body weight tend to keep their sodium levels in balance and avoid hyponatremia. Those that lose more than 4% of their body weight actually increase their levels of serum sodium.

Studies conducted in a laboratory confirmed the accumulated data. The studies showed that replacing 100% of the body weight lost during a race resulted in decreased serum sodium levels and put the athletes at risk of developing hyponatremia.

So, what should you do to avoid hyponatremia and dehydration at the same time? The most important thing to keep in mind is no two runners are exactly alike. Each athlete sweats at different rates. Every runners produces sweat with different levels of “saltiness”. Each athlete runs at different speeds and has a unique level of fitness. “One size fits all” does not apply when dealing with the fluid recommendations for runners. Here are some basic recommendations for your fluid replacement.

• Drink according to your thirst level - Thirst is your body’s method of telling you it needs fluid. Drink when you are thirsty and drink only enough to quench your thirst. Do not avoid fluids early in your race. If you become dehydrated your performance level will drop and you will be at risk of developing heat illness. Do not ignore physical thirst.

• Use generalized fluid recommendations as a baseline, but remember that you must adjust those recommendations according to your individual needs. The current recommendation from The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) is to drink 600 – 1200 ml per hour. The International Marathon Medical Directors Association (IMMDA) lowered the recommendations to 400 – 800 ml/hour to protect smaller and/or female runners.

• If you are female, have a small frame or are a slower runner, use the low end of the recommendations as a baseline.

• Start well, but not over hydrated. Drink 400 – 700 ml of fluid 2 to 3 hours before your race or exercise. Remember that hyperhydration provides no performance benefit so don’t over drink.

• Do not rely on plain water. You need to replace sodium and other electrolytes lost through sweat. Drink a sports drink containing sodium. You also need the performance boost of carbohydrates contained in sports drinks.

• Take advantage of aid stations with available food and drink to replace lost sodium and carbohydrates. Let your individual needs and tolerances dictate how much to consume.

• If you are exercising in a high heat environment you will need to drink ahead of thirst to avoid dehydration.

The Art of Drinking and Running

Knowing what to drink and when to drink it is only half the battle of your marathon hydration plan. The next trick you need to learn is how to get that fluid in your mouth and down your throat without spilling most of it down the front of your shirt. I know - you learned how to drink years ago. The thing is - drinking on the run is a skill you need to learn. It may sound a bit silly to spend time working on your drinking skills, but becoming an efficient hydrator will not only save you precious seconds at each aid station but will also get more valuable carbohydrates and fluids into your body.

There will be aid stations located along your race course. The number and locations of your aid stations will depend upon the size of your race and how it was organized. Most large marathons will have a fully stocked aid station located at every mile marker. Some smaller races may only have them every other mile or even every 4 or 5 miles. Make sure you check with the race organizers so you know what to expect.

There are 2 steps to drinking during your race. They are: grabbing your fluids and drinking on the move.

Grabbing Your Fluids

Usually the aid stations are located at or near the mile markers. When you see the aid station gradually move over towards the side of the course that the station is located on. Don’t wait until you are right at the station and then dart over to the tables. You may end up in a painful collision with another runner. Some of the aid stations may be quite busy and congested so watch your step.

In most marathons the stations will have a number of volunteers handing out cups of fluids and energy foods. As you approach the table on the run try to make eye contact with one of the volunteers so they know that you are heading for them. That will save you time because the volunteer will have a cup ready for you. Take the cup on the move. If you are trying to run the entire race with no walking breaks, take the cup on the run. If you are using walking breaks this is a great opportunity to take one. Don’t stop to drink at the station. There are many runners behind you that will need access to the fluids, so keep moving.

If you are inexperienced at drinking on the run, take the cup with both hands. Some more experienced runners are able to grab it with one hand and not spill most of it.

Drinking on the Move

Now that you have your fluids the next trick is to get most of it down your throat. Right after grabbing the fluids, pinch the top of your cup shut. That will keep the fluids from sloshing out while you are running or walking. When you drink, keep the cup pinched mostly shut and sip your fluids through a small opening. Drink quickly but don’t gulp it down in one shot. When your cup is empty try to toss it in one of the trash receptacles that should be located nearby. You don’t need lose time or go out of your way to find a trash can. If there isn’t one nearby, just toss the on the ground with most of the others. The volunteers will clean them up.

That’s the essence of drinking on the run. It isn’t brain surgery, but drinking efficiently can end up saving you minutes by the end of your race.

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