Top five runners' foods to prepare for Dubai Marathon

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  • Are you racing on January 20th?

    The Dubai Marathon startline is very much in sight now for runners in the UAE and while by now competitors will be running more kilometres than ever to get themselves in peak condition, it’s fundamental to back-up your training with a healthy diet.

    You naturally burn a lot of calories running and stir up a strong appetite, but make sure you take the following foods into account when you are refueling, race prepping and putting the final touches to your marathon programme.

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    PASTA

    It’s the perfect food to have in the build-up as it provides slow-release energy, given it’s full of carbohydrates. Pasta is also easily digestible and should be a staple part of your diet, particularly if you combine it with some low-fat protein like chicken and fish.

    Read our recent piece on carb-loading before a big endurance event.

    MEAT AND FISH

    Your body needs building blocks to repair and protein will do just that. For a runner training for a marathon, around 1.5g of protein per kg (0.2g per kg) of bodyweight could be consumed daily. Protein also contains amino acid that is used by the body to rebuild.

    BANANA

    Great for a quick snack and energy hit – it’s the ideal fresh fruit that’s full of good nutrients and will help replace electrolytes such as potassium and magnesium, which are lost when sweating.

    Most fruit and vegetables generally come into this category.

    RICE

    An excellent long-distance food, rice provides slow energy release and important fibre content, helping you to build up crucial reserves for endurance activity. Try and go for boiled and steamed rice where possible.

    PORRIDGE

    Looking for that perfect breakfast boost? Porridge is a classic runners’ food – kick-starting your day with a mix of protein, fibre and again, slow-release energy.

    Oatmeal cereal and breakfast bars will also come in handy as a small, yet efficient breakfast to have before race day that won’t make you too full or leave you too hungry either.

    AND…

    FLUID INTAKE

    While this isn’t foods as such, water is of course essential and keeping hydrated is fundamental. Consuming a minimum of two litres per day should be your basic daily target, particularly given the hot climate in the UAE.

    There’s obviously lots of energy drink options out there and while some probably contain too much sugar, a glucose-booster is particularly good to give you that extra edge during a race and help recovery after you pass the finish line. I’d also recommend coffee, but not too much. One cup a day obviously gives you that much-needed caffeine boost and can help you stay the distance for endurance events.

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