Running marathon how to replenish energy marathon replenish energy with what good

In recent years, marathon road running, cycling or triathlon events are booming, in which energy supplements are good assistants, so when and how often can you take them to avoid gastrointestinal alarms? Many runners have a kind of holy grail-like myth about energy supplements. We start from the principle of action to understand the real benefits of energy supplements and how to use them, and see how to eat them to help you achieve good results.

What to eat to replenish energy

Energy gels. When running, the body uses two types of fuel as a source of muscle energy: fat and carbohydrates (liver sugar). The difference between the two is that fat is broken down into usable energy at a slower rate. Therefore, when exercise intensity exceeds 60-70% of maximum oxygen uptake (approximately equivalent to aerobic threshold or allometric pace), the body relies on carbohydrates as the primary fuel source in order to quickly provide the energy required by the muscles. In general, the faster you run, the greater the percentage of carbohydrates you rely on. But the problem is that muscles are limited in the amount of carbohydrates they can store - we can store about 90 minutes when running at half-marathon pace and about 2 hours when running at full-marathon pace. However, such a time is almost only top athletes to do, the average runner has not finished running, the liver sugar in the muscle has long disappeared. At this time, the energy gel that can provide intensive and fast decomposition and absorption of glucose in a short period of time, so that you can continue to run, is regarded as a first aid soldier to replenish carbohydrates when running.

Does energy supplementation work immediately?

Unfortunately, no. Race performance relies heavily on liver sugar stored in the muscles, but liver sugar must first be digested and then passed through the intestinal wall before being absorbed by the muscles, a process that is not very efficient. The biggest benefit of energy gels is actually to help with arousal. High glycemic index energy gels replenish and invigorate the brain that has begun to muddle due to lack of glucose. In fact, it tricks the brain into detecting that the body seems to be full of energy (because it takes some time from replenishment to digestion), which indirectly clears away the fatigue of running.

When to replenish

Each runner absorbs and processes carbohydrates at different rates, some feel it within 3 minutes, others take up to 15 minutes. Or, some people's stomach sphincter completely closes on the way to high-intensity running, and may vomit up immediately when refilling water or energy gel later in the race. Therefore, the timing of taking energy gel is different for each person, the following provides two suggestions.

1. Before liver sugar is depleted

It is recommended to take the first energy gel between 45-60 minutes after the start of running, so that the body has a better chance to process sugar quickly without affecting the stomach and will not worry about vomiting.

2. Avoid pre-race

Some runners are used to taking energy gels before the race, which seems to be fine from a physiological point of view, but eating a breakfast rich in carbohydrates (liver sugar) and using less simple sugars before the race can help reconcile the situation of only consuming simple sugars for 3-4 hours of the race.

How often to replenish

The frequency of taking energy gels depends on the speed of the stomach's digestive process, which may slow down or even stop as you run longer and farther, so be careful not to overload your stomach when replenishing. Here are two suggestions. 1. Take energy gels 45-60 minutes apart, especially for runners with sensitive stomachs. If you run a full marathon for about 4 hours, 2-3 refills during the race are sufficient. 2. Avoid taking too many simple sugars into the blood system at one time. Simple sugars taken from energy gels will enter the bloodstream as glucose until they are absorbed by muscles or other organs. Too much sugar can harm your health if you continue to inject it into your bloodstream.

Caution

Energy gels must be taken with water

Every supplement must be taken with water, never alone and never with sports drinks. If not taken with water, energy gels will take more time to digest and enter the blood system. If paired with a sports drink, the two together provide nearly 60 grams of pure sugar, which is the same as throwing yourself at the risk of consuming too much simple sugar at once.

Previewing during training speeds up digestion during a race

Like most parts of the body muscles, the gut needs a good workout. Not only do you need to try out your diet plan before the race, such as dinner the day before and breakfast the day of, but you should also include a preview of your supplements during the race. If energy gels are replenished at set times during training, gut adaptations will be easier to digest and run. If you have not exercised your gut, you should not expect good results, or even eat may make your body more difficult.