When not busy with his work as a basketball coach, Alex Groothuis brings his athleticism to a different field - he runs marathons. Coach Alex Groothuis and many others must train every aspect of their bodies for a marathon, which includes diet and nutrition planning as well as more conventional training.
Nutritional choices to optimize performance during a marathon need to be made days before the event itself. Before heavy training or small races as well as just prior to the marathon itself, runners should switch to a diet that gets more nutrients from carbohydrates than fats. On race day, breakfast should include at least 100 grams of carbohydrates, three to four hours before the race starts. This builds up glycogen in the muscles and liver, providing a healthy amount of energy going into the race.
During the race itself, athletes need to hydrate well and continue to consume carbohydrates. Consuming at least 30 grams of carbohydrates per hour should get most runners through the race, although those running at high intensity may need to go as high as 60 grams. All athletes should also calculate how much they sweat over time by weighing themselves before and after training, and make sure to consume at least enough water to replace sweat lost during the race.
