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Q&A with #asics262 nutritionist Ruth McKean
On Wednesday 1 April ASICS Target 26.2 nutritionist Ruth McKean will be hosting a Q&A on marathon fuelling here on the forum – the final Q&A of ASICS Target 26.2 2015!
From how and when to carb load, to handling energy gels, to advice on how to avoid runner’s tummy, Ruth will be here to answer all your nutrition questions in the lead up to Spring marathon season.
With an MSc in Sport Nutrition and an MSc in Clinical Nutrition, Ruth works with elite athletes on a daily basis helping them to fine-tune their diets to perform at their best. Take a look at Ruth’s articles in the Nutrition Clinic.
Post your questions in advance for Ruth below or join in on the day between 1-2pm.
The materials in this website are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified personal trainer, therapist, dietitian or nutritionist Runners's World, Part of the Hearst UK well-being network © Copyright 2017
Comments
Hi Ruth,
Gels is the question from me.
I am running my first marathon at Manchester on the 19th April. I expect to finish somewhere between 4:30 and 5:00. I have heard that the idea is to take 60g of carbs every hour. Meaning i would need to carry 13 or 14 gels with me. I dont expect to pushing a supermarket trolley around with me to hold my gels.
During my training runs of 20 miles, i have taken gels onboard from 8 miles in and then every 4 miles. I run out of energy at 19 miles, so perhaps a little more frequent may be needed race day.
My family will be supporting me, so in all honesty i can ask them to have gels to pass me as i run past and there will be a couple available at drinks stations.
Is there a sensible limit to the number of gels or bars i should be taking?
Hi Ruth, doing Paris, hoping for 4:30 - not long now!
Have been practising carb load and gels.....
1. Finding it hard to get upto a decent carb total 1 day before (aiming for 400/450g) - is it ok to get to say 250/300g on each of 2 days before?
2. Can take on gels (Torq, Sis) - but can't find caffeine one for last hour that doesnt make stomach do somersaults - do I keep researching or do some stomachs never get on with caffeine?
Many thanks
Hi ...I am an Insulin Dependant Diabetic and can make it so that my blood sugars remain above those that a non-diabetic would experience ... despite my muscles, liver etc being depleted of glucose. Does this 'legal doping' mean that I am less likely to 'bonk' or hit the wall than others?
Hi Ruth,
Doing my 10th marathon at Manchester next month and hoping to crack the 3 hr barrier for the 1st time..
Can you advise on carb depletion 5-6 days before the marathon. Is this still the thinking before carb loading a few days before marathon day ?
Also can you suggest snacks high in carbs to eat the day or two before race day, I know the main foods like pasta, rice, breads etc but just looking for snacks with high carbs.
Thanks
Hi Ruth
I am doing my first marathon, Edinburgh, at the end of May. I have run a number of half marathons before.
I usually have a large bowl of porridge with honey about 2 hours before a long run. I always feel fine during the run itself but often feel really sick afterwards. I take a water bottle (500ml) and one gel with me for a half marathon distance race. I'm worried that as the training miles increase, the sickness is just going to get worse.
What might be causing the sickness?
Thanks
Hello Ruth,
kind of a follow up question to Anniesophie- if you take a caffeinated gel, how long would you expect the 'increased fat burning' benefits to last for?
Thanks.
Hi Ruth
I've been training towards becoming fat adapted (changed to a low carb high fat diet) since the beginning of the year. My training for Manchester is going very well but I don't think I'm fully fat adapted yet and expect it to take a few more months. As I intend to go for a PB at Manchester (hoping to get under 3:30) I think I am going to need to take on some carbs to fuel me for the latter stages of the race. Could you give me some advice about how many carbs, how often, when I should take them in the build up to, and during, the race ?
Thanks
Hi Ruth I'm doing my third marathon VLM this year and training is going well is there anything I should be adding nutritionally as I turned 60 this year and I do not want to hit the wall or experience tummy distress! Also I find it difficult to go to the loo until I have been running for an hour and I eat all the things recommened to runners never used to have this problem before. I am female and have a healthy appetite but I am possibly a little underweight due to the hi mileage
Hi Ruth,
I'm not sure what I should be eating post long-runs. What is the point when I need to have some kind of post-run fuel to help prevent injuries in the long run? 10k+? And what should I be eating? There are all kinds of bars available on the market but many seem to be full of added sugar and are quite expensive. They also seem quite targeted to men and I wonder if I need something different (less protein? less sugar?)
Thanks so much
Fiona
Hiya Ruth
Im not sure if you can help, but i'm hoping you can. I have just turned 50 (yikes) and do not sleep well with the night hot flushes. This has affected my running dramatically, due to lack of sleep. My question is, what can i eat to help aid sleep at night to help me regain my comfortable running form. Also, i have been running without energy drinks/gels. I'm looking for a more natural way of fuelling my runs. Thank you for your time in reading this.
HI Ruth, There are so many different theories out there, but interested in your opinion on what I should be eating in terms of carbs/protein/fat in the weeks and days leading up to a marathon.
Hi All
Thank you so much for all your questions. I will do my very best to answer all your questions as fully as I can in the next hour.
Ruth
Hi John
Many thanks for your post.
The 60g per hour is really aimed at faster runners and I would suggest that to aim for this may be too much for you. I would suggest you aim for 40-45g per hour (2 gels) but start taking them earlier say every 30minutes (starting at 30minutes) or a gel every 3 miles - you would be having to carry 8-9 gels. I know your family are around to support but it may be best to try and carry them yourself (in case something happens with miss-timing etc) but you would need to start carrying these on some runs (even whilst on taper- you don’t have to actually take the gels) to see how this will work in practice. If you really struggle to take on board a gel in last 45-60minutes hour; try & wash your mouth out with a gel or don’t worry about finishing it as this may give you a boost as there is some evidence to suggest that you oral receptor’s will send a message to your brain that is receiving sugar and allow you to maintain pace.
If you are going to use bars you would be best to use this in first hour because as the race goes on your will be working at a relatively higher intensity and blood flow will start to shunt away from digestive system to go to working muscles and to get rid of heat you are generating – even if you think that is that is not possible in Manchester in April!
I would also think that carb loading for 24-36hours before the event would help you maintain pace for last 6-8miles so you should think of looking at some of the carb load examples I have done on the asics262 threads. If you aimed for around 8grames of carbs per kilogram of your body weight (so for example if you weigh 75kg then aim for 600g of carbs but split this over 6 meals (3 meals and 3 decent high carb snacks- you can graze on snacks over the morning and afternoon) . Cut back on protein and fat so that you are keeping your intake to high carb foods only and instead of drinking all water use a full sugar diluting juice as this won’t fill you up but will give you a lot of extra carbs. A litre of fruit juice will give you round 100g of carbs so even if you had 500ml of juice in morning and 500ml in afternoon this is 100g taken care of! Likewise 100g of dried weight pasta or rice is around 74g of carbs so if add a tomato sauce and large banana and 200ml of fruit smoothie for lunch then this is another 120g of carbs so down to 380g needed. 60g of breakfast cereal with a small handful of raisins or other fruit & milk with bagel/thick toast x 2 and generous spread of honey is around 100g so down to 280g needed. 2 slices of pre-sliced malt loaf is around 40g of carbs and have this with 200g low fat fruit yoghurt (you want there to be sugar added on ingredient list for a carb load day but natural yoghurt at other times/outwith carb load is usual advice) - depending on yogurt is around 30g of carbs. So now you are down to around 210g of carbs required to carb load which if you have a dinner of 100g pasta or rice or large potatoes with high carb filling & glass of fruit juice and say 3 jaffa cakes (each around 8g of carbs) then this is around 124g for evening meal & then a bedtime snack such as a 60g bowl of cereal with honey or fruit added then you are near to 600g of carbs. You should perhaps try this before Manchester to see if any issue the following morning. You may feel fuller but you store water with every gram of carb so you will feel heavier.
Best of luck!
HI Anniesophie
Thanks for question.
I would try and do carb load in one day however if this is not possible and perhaps getting too close to race day to do much more practise on this therefore I would say yes split this but aim for 350g each day. If you really focus on cutting down on protein and fat this should be achievable.
All caffeine in the gels will act the same way so if having side effects then it is not worth the risk for you. However it may be that you are using too high a dose and perhaps if you tried a gel with a lower dose and closer to just 1mg per kilogram of your body weight so if you weight 50kg then this would only be 50mg you are aiming for and is still shown to have an effect. The sis gels have 75mg each so perhaps just too much for you? and the torq has 89mg of caffeine. I suspect as are only aiming for 400g or so for carb loading you are light runner and perhaps you are simply taking too much for you and you are not a regular caffeine drinker or typically only low dose of caffeine intake on a day to day basis? Powerbar do gels with 50mg of caffeine in them, one pro-plus table has 50mg of caffeine, High five gels have 30mg of caffeine & Gu around 40mg, others will also be available at this lower end of caffeine . So suggest a reduce dose but if not sure leave it for this marathon and practise and use in next if this works. The side effects may outweigh any benefit to you.
If you wish have a read of my following articles for more background information on caffeine and the second link also has some info on caffeine in gels:
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/target262/asics-nutrition-clinic/can-caffeine-improve-sports-performance/12806.html
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/target262/asics-nutrition-clinic/energy-gels-vs-jelly-sweets/12771.html
Hope this helps.
Hi Martin
Thanks for this post. Interesting question. Even if you have high blood sugars you require the insulin to put this sugar into your cells. Insulin moves glucose out of blood and into cells and this is where you need it to work so you do not hit the wall hence having high glucose in your blood stream per se won’t work unless it is getting into your working muscles and you need to balance the insulin with the sugars. The other issue with as you will already know is having high blood sugars is damaging and can also make you feel tired and not right so running high is not the answer for good performance. The aim should be to maintain your blood sugar within your “normal” range whilst running- but I absolutely appreciate this is easy to say in theory. As you know it is very individual about how you control your blood sugars and you need to do so much testing to see how long runs & shorter higher intensity running affect you and knowing how to adjust your background insulin and short acting insulin to deal with this and the aftermath of these session as this can have delayed effects on your blood sugars.
I really hope this answers your question. If you struggle to keep sugars high enough (even when adjusting insulin regime has not helped) then perhaps you should consider either trying more solid food in first part of run or trying a maltodexrin/glucose gel with fructose added if you think you need more than 60g per hour (not usually advised in marathon runners but suggesting it in case for you this may help). If needed more than 60g per hour (no more than 80-90g but probably around 60-70g) then glucose or maltodextrin alone won’t work as your absorption comes saturated at this point so you need to add fructose to this as this using a different pathway to get onto muscles. Torq gels and CNP gels are two tyres that offer this but there will be others. Caffeine may also help get the sugars into muscles but this depends on the issue you have in races – not sure if you go high or too low? Sometimes you just have to try different things and also I would practise this before any race situation.
If want more information on fructose/glucose ratio gels have a look at end of this article. http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/target262/asics-nutrition-clinic/energy-gels-vs-jelly-sweets/12771.html
Best of luck
Hi Finish Gantry
As you are well trained you only need to carb load for 24-36 hours and I would suggest 24 hours may well be enough for you. The depletion is not advised partly because when you eat a low carb diet you impair your body’s ability to use carbs for some days after, so not ideal when you need to be primed to uptake carbs on race day. So if you have a good in-race fuelling strategy & do 24 hour load (but please practise this before the 19th) then this is the best way to maintain pace in latter six miles (if off course the right training has been done).
See above my first post but you should work out as a sub 3 runner around 10grames of carbs per kilogram of your body mass so if weight 75kg then aim for 750g but I would not go any higher than 800g of carbs no matter what your weight.
Here are some snacks and carb values but I would suggest you sit down for an hour and look at labels on the brands of food you eat and at least this will give you an estimated value so you can work out a plan. You spend hours training so an hour or so working out a plan is not actually a lot of effort compared to the hours of training you have put in.
I have mentioned a little on how on cutting out carbs can effect uptake of carbs in this article so may be of interest to you:
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/target262/asics-nutrition-clinic/low-carbing-gf-or-52-alternative-diets-for-runners/13128.html
I really hope this is useful. Good luck!
Hi Rachel
I wonder if you push your long runs too hard as often these are meant to be long slow steady as sound like they are taking more out of you than they should? Do you think it is exhaustion that is making you feel sick or/& being very low in carbs towards end of run? If it is this it will have a knock on effect for a few days so your quality sessions or not as good as they should be. I do not know how long you take to run 13 miles so hard to judge what you need but if you think you are not pushing the runs too much perhaps you should try (only to see if this helps) taking on board some gels or jelly sweets say 40g per hour (starting at first hour of run and see if this helps).
Also I wonder if you on a high enough energy diet (carbs included) generally for you. If on a low carb diet (apart from breakfast which is great) it may also be this or other form of alternative diet? If you should be having regular menstrual cycles but these have changed (got lighter/stopped) maybe an energy issue (if not another known cause) as your menstrual cycles can be linked to not enough energy availability which would hint you are not fuelling your body enough generally. It is hard to know with the above information – sorry if not fully answered the question.
Ruth
Hi Ferrous Ferret
It is not probably not so much the fat burning you are looking for but more the effect it is having on your central nervous system as this is probably the most performance effect of caffeine during a race and even helping put blood sugar into your working muscles. Caffeine as a general rule peak at around 60minutes but you should start getting an effect in as little as 15minutes and then will start to decline but will remain for 2-3 hours in ever decreasing levels but this will depend on amount you have taken. Have a look at the same link I posted for Anniesophie as: http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/target262/asics-nutrition-clinic/can-caffeine-improve-sports-performance/12806.html
Hope this helps.
Ruth
Hi Carterusm
I will be honest with you that my practical experience in fat adaptation is limited as my typical work is with Olympic sports but I have used this with a couple of ultra-distance runners but never advised or undertake this with a marathon runner so my advice is more theory. It would be perhaps be useful if you read my below short article on fat loading as well.
Your ability to utilise the carbs you do take on board is going to be impaired (see article below) but I would suggest you might want to try increasing your carb intake 5 days before a race but if don’t wish to do this then you may be best to try to aim for 25g each hour of the race starting on hour one n race rather than waiting until too late in race and use caffeine as this may help as well (although need to practice this). It may also be helpful to take some mouth washes of carbs (see link on gels). So if don’t wish to increase carbs in the days leading up then take on board during the actual race and if can use it with no side effect some caffeine with mouth washes of carbs when you can.
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/target262/asics-nutrition-clinic/low-carbing-gf-or-52-alternative-diets-for-runners/13128.html
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/target262/asics-nutrition-clinic/can-caffeine-improve-sports-performance/12806.html
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/target262/asics-nutrition-clinic/energy-gels-vs-jelly-sweets/12771.html
Best of luck
Hi Kippydog
Thanks for your post. As you get older the theory is you need more protein. As you are on the lighter side I would not try & reduce fat or carbs but increase the protein at each meal and even at snacks, perhaps slightly larger chicken breast or meat or fish or egg portions at meals, eating more natural yoghurt and cottage cheese and more milk as all high in protein. Perhaps consider added a handful of whole nuts each day (25g).
I would also make increase natural antioxidants in your diet (not via supplements) & natural dietary nitrates (see both links below). So make sure you have lots of colour & lots of leafy greens in your diet each day.
Bowel habit can alter as you get older but yes running certainly flaps your gut around to make them move! Ideally you need to find a way of opening your bowels before running but often this is not as easy as it sounds. Do you drink enough as thirst can start to decline as get older (although you are not that old!). It may be on race day (if you this is becoming a real problem) you speak to your GP to discuss using mediation to stop the bowels moving. Not ideal but for some it works and allows less stress on race day.
Suddenly starting to need the toilet usually effects those women after they have had children and I wonder if it is to do with weakening of muscle in this area but if this is new to you then not such as issue however the increase of colour in diet may work as this will increase fibre but check also that you are peeing urine that is not dark all the time but aiming for a straw colour with decent volume when you do go (however very pale and large volumes of urine may indicating drinking too much).
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/target262/asics-nutrition-clinic/wise-food-choices-for-marathon-runners/13000.html
Hope this is helpful.
Ruth
Hi Fiona English
The idea of eating for recovery as soon as possible after runs is really only a focus for when you are training 5-6 or more times per week and doing prolonged endurance type training in these runs such as training for a marathon or indeed training twice daily.
The reason for the recovery foods is for refuelling your glycogen as it goes into your muscles very efficiently straight after exercise. The injury related reasons is to do with fatigue if you are always training low in glycogen (carb stores) you increased risk of fatigue related injuries (poor form whilst running) but also immunity related problems because if you do not eat enough for your individual needs this may well affect how good you are fending off infection. Also if you do not eat suffice calories then you can get bone related injuries such as stress fracture type injuries. So it is not only recovery that it is important to eat good foods ,if doing regular hard training but also how you eat over the full 24 hour period and beyond is important not only in this immediate period after a run.
If trying to train with adequate carb availably in your muscles then good recovery foods include regular food: 50g bowl of cereal & milk, pint of milk (skimmed, semi skimmed or full fat depending on your own energy needs) & banana or 400g natural yoghurt & fruit or eggs on toast with large banana or regular meal containing some carbs (such as pasta, bread or rice) and some fish or meat or egg and regular vegetable intake will all contain protein and carbs, Milk based foods are currently seen as the best foods for immediate recovery period after a long run or very hard interval type session as they have the right type of protein & also contain good level of carbs and help replace fluid.
You don’t need the commercial sport products, regular food can do the job and you get more natural nutrients from these foods although the commercial foods can help but they are not necessary – most people use these for convenience. The sport products can be protein bias but I would not say endurance products are aimed at men (with the exception of those products aimed at body builders but I would say that most of these products are also not needed for endurance training men either).
It is added sugar that you need to be aware of so look at ingredients and look down the list for sugar and then look at other similar products and buy the ones with no added sugar or lower sugar – you can compare per 100g to make this easier. Try and not eat ready-made foods and look at ingredients list and look for things which have more natural list of foods in them.
You may like to read about my wise choices of foods for runners: http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/target262/asics-nutrition-clinic/wise-food-choices-for-marathon-runners/13000.html
Ruth
Olga
I am not sure I am the best person to ask this question. I know there are many natural remedies that people do think works such as oil of evening primrose which may help with hot flushes but in all honestly I do not know how good an effect this has.
What I would not do is eat too much before bed perhaps just a glass of warm milk but not anything too heavy. I would also eat as natural foods as possible saying away from too much sugar and processed foods.
I would also practise what people call is good sleep hygiene! Getting up at the same time every morning and going to bed the same time each night, no tablets or phone activity in the couple of hours before bed and even read short stories or article based reading rather than a book you can’t put down.
Sleep is important so perhaps your GP may be able to help guide you with something to control hot flushes but feel you should always try natural ways first.
Hi Sarah
Everything goes on this forum! So not delicate at all. I would not be too concerned with the bowel movements as this food has already been digested but I would suggest you do have an electrolyte drink 500ml the morning of a race perhaps 2 hours before race then small sip or wet mouth with water 2 in final two hours (although this can be electrolyte drink if wish to continue this). You could use an the tablet forms from SIS, high five brands etc popped into some water or even use Lucozade light or if you feel you want a little extra sugar then go for an isotonic sports drink which will have some electrolyte added. If feel your bowels or loose also the day before then have an electrolyte drink late afternoon and in morning and make sure you are well hydrated from regular water as well.
The heavy legs is usually nerves and should go once you get into the race.
Good luck!
Hi 15 west
For marathon I would focus on carbs being very important for the actual race and in the day or two leading up to a marathon however I do think that doing some training sessions low in carb availability is also useful and likely to help with performance. So training in the lead up should probably vary in amount of carbs you have available to your working muscles but I would do most high end sessions with sufficient carbs but longer steady runs fasted or with low carb availability. I wrote this below article a couple of weeks ago and I think it probably answers this question quite well!
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/target262/asics-nutrition-clinic/low-carbing-gf-or-52-alternative-diets-for-runners/13128.html
Many thanks for all your posts. I really hope some of my answers have given practical advice for you to try.
Best of luck to you all in your chosen race.
Ruth
Brilliant advice Ruth....hadn't realised caffeine content in gels varies so much, so will try lower dose, many thanks!
Thanks Ruth, that was a great answer and i am glad you covered the carb loading aspect as well as I was struggling with what to do there.
I am now going to read all your responses tonight, as i am sure i will pick up on some other good bits of advice.
Cheers.
Many thanks Ruth I will eat more protein and I do eat a varied diet and good portions! But I shall increase my greens etc my wee is usually very pale so I'm not sure that's a problem. I am a big tea drinker (yorkshire tea) I have not had children so there's no problems in that dept and I don't want medication if I can help it. But I shall take on board what you suggest. Let's hope it works! Cheers
Ruth,
Thanks for some really good advice. At the risk of sounding churlish, could I suggest that if you (or your colleagues) do this again, that you use the Quote function when making your replies..
I know that this makes the thread look really long, and I know that you are replying to individuals, who will know exactly what was posted... but the biggest value from threads like this is for the rest of us to read through all the Q&A.
It's really quite difficult to understand your answers without having to keep searching for the original post, including skipping back between pages.
I'm sure you know I'm making this suggestion in good spirit and thank you again for your time and sharing your expertise.