Carbohydrate Consumption While Running   
         In the last post I mentioned the importance of carbohydrates for energy. Carbohydrates are the bodies first fuel source for activity. Carbohydrates are stored in the muscles as glycogen, and when these stores are used up during activity, the runner will then burn fat or protein stores. This process is what is referred to as "hitting the wall," as it is much more challenging and inefficient to maintain exercise on these fuel sources. For this reason, one must replenish some of their glycogen stores through food sources during their endurance activity.
          Unfortunately, you will not be able to just bump up your glycogen stores immediately, as the sugars must be digested and put into the blood stream before going into the muscle cells. When one is running the body focus' the blood flow to the heart and muscles, and takes blood flow away from the digestive system. This means that you should be sure to have your pre-race meal around 1.5 hours before your run, so that you are not still trying to digest the meal while you are running, which can cause stomach cramping and bloating. This also means that the fuel consumed while running needs to be very easily digestible and composed of fast absorbing simple sugars.
          Some of the things that you can eat during a race include energy gels, beans, or blocks, drinks like Gatorade or coconut water. It is generally recommend that you consume nutrition about 45 minutes into your run, and wait another 45-60 minutes to consume the second gel. Gels contain around 20-25 g of carbs and typically some sodium and potassium. Be sure to practice using gels as much as possible before race day. Some people have very sensitive stomachs and they may benefit from consuming 1/4-1/4 package of the gels at a time, others cannot tolerate the texture of gels and may prefer using energy beans or the blocks. Be sure to consume water with gels, but do not use a sugary sports drink with the gel as it will be too much sugar for the body at one time. Some gels contain caffeine to give you an energy boost through the race. Consuming caffeine post race with your carbohydrates can actually help to increase the amount of glycogen that you can store.
          If you really don't like the idea of gels, you can use a drink like Gatorade or a drink mix from a health food store. Ideally the fuel source will be a combination of fructose and glucose, and these two sugars combined allow more carbohydrate to be digested. You could also use a homemade energy ball or dried fruits like dates, but you will not replenish lost electrolytes this way.

Fluid Intake While Running
        The best way to determine your fluid requirements for a run is to do this simple test. Weigh yourself naked before your run. Run 30-60 minutes without any fluid, and then weigh yourself naked, post run and toweled off (don't use the washroom!). Each gram lost is equivalent to the mL in fluid that you have lost, so be sure to have an accurate (ie digital) scale that displays grams.
        You can use this number to determine what you should drink during a race, although you do not need to replace all fluid while running. The human body generally functions quiet well with short term fluid loss, and you can replace most post run if necessary. Also keep in mind that with your fluid loss test, the amounts will fluctuate with weather and your running speed. Have water before your race (sip, don't chug) and remember a lot of water may mean a bathroom trip mid race.


The most important thing to remember is to PRACTICE! I know many first time half or full marathon runners may not even hit their actual race distance before their first race, but try to find a program that works for you before race day. Do not try a new breakfast, different coffee schedule, or employ a new hydration technique the day of the event. See what works best for your body while preparing for a race, and try something different if you are having issues with your current routine.

Best of luck runners, and if you have any questions feel free to contact me!
whitneynicolehills@gmail.com