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Eating for Ultramarathons BY CARYN HONIG RD LD Ask 10 ultra-runners what they eat before, during, and after an ultra-distance race, you’ll get 10 different answers. Some carbo-load, some don’t. Some eat protein and carbohydrates during the race, some only eat carbohydrates. Some eat candy, some eat chips. The most important thing regarding nutrition during endurance racing is that you find what works best for you – and stick to that. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. Just like everything else, practice makes perfect. During training, practice what you are going to eat and drink during the race. Figure out what settles best whether it is fruit, bagels, power bars, power gels, sandwiches, candy, or soup. Also, practice drinking Gatorade, soda, and water. DRINK ENOUGH FLUIDS. During training, you should monitor your urine. You should drink enough fluids so that you are urinating frequently. Urine that is dark and has a bad odor might be a sign of dehydration. Drink more! During the race, you should drink fluids at every stop. "I recommend drinking Gatorade (or a fluid with the same composition of carbohydrates and electrolytes) after 60 minutes of exercise," said Dr. Jon Divine, Sports Medicine and Family Practice Physician at Hermann Memorial Family Practice "Chicken broth is really good – if an athlete can handle it," he said. "It provides the sodium needed to help prevent hyponatremia." CONSUME SODIUM. Because of the risk of hyponatremia (low sodium), be sure to consume foods and drinks that contain sodium. Salted pretzels, potato chips, chicken broth, and potatoes sprinkled with salt are all good choices. "I would not recommend salt tablets," said Dr. Divine. "They could make the problems worse by causing delayed hyponatremia. Stick with Gatorade supplemented with salty foods," he said. GO WITH YOUR GUT (LITERALLY). Listen to what your body is telling you. If you cannot stomach the thought of eating another energy bar, then don’t. If a bagel or peanut butter and jelly sandwich looks tempting and that’s what you’re craving - then go for it. If you think you need a quick energy boost from jellybeans – take a few and see what happens. If it turns out to be a mistake – at least you’ve learned what not to eat at the next stop. During the December 8, 2001 Sunmart Texas Trails Endurance Runs, the food offered was unbelievable in quantity and quality. It was a smorgasbord before, during, and after the race. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks were offered to both runners and spectators. At the start/finish of the race biscuits, sausage, bacon, eggs, deli meat, bread, hamburgers, hotdogs, grilled chicken, fried chicken, beans, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, coleslaw, sodas, and tea was offered. The six aid stations placed along the 12.5 mile loops were well-stocked with Gatorade, Coca-Cola, bananas, pretzels, potato chips, jelly beans, cookies, boiled potatoes, M&M’s, peanut butter sandwiches, soup, cantaloupe/honey dew melon, peanuts, gum drops, and more. Runners could easily find exactly what they needed in terms of fluid and nutrients. So, what did the runners eat during the 50K or 50-mile race? CARYN HONIG, writer, 1st time ultra-marathoner. Because I’m a dietitian, I should know exactly what to eat during a 50-mile race, right? Wrong. I know exactly what works for me during a 26.2-mile marathon, but for the Sunmart 50 miler on December 8, it was all new to me. I cut back on my training and started increasing fluid and carbohydrates the week before the race. I really carbo-loaded the day before the race by eating bread, bananas, pasta, crackers, and gummy bears (my weakness). The morning of the race, I was still full, and a little bit nauseous from nerves. I did manage to choke down a bagel, and that was it. During the race, I tried a variety of things: Coke (I had read that Charl Mattheus drank Coke and won the race– so maybe it would do wonders for me. Unfortunately, it didn’t work – I didn’t win and I got a bad side cramp), Jelly Beans and Gum Drops (the simple sugars did not agree-caused cramping and one bathroom stop), boiled potatoes, hot chicken broth, 1 Harvest Bar, Gatorade, water, a few salted pretzels, bananas, 1 peanut butter and jelly sandwich (all worked great). I wanted to eat everything – cookies, M&M’s, peanuts, and potato chips – but once I figured out what worked - I stuck to that. Immediately after the race, I ate grilled chicken, a biscuit, and an Ironman Bar. The day after the race, I ate everything in sight. For the next few days, I ate according to hunger (which was quite often) and listened to what my body was craving (mostly carbohydrates and protein). I knew my body would eventually return to normal hunger levels and I would go back to eating "normally." CHARL MATTHEUS, 2000 Sunmart Texas Trail 50 mile winner and record holder in 5:20:25. As written in the 2001 Sunmart program, during the 50-miler in 2000, "Mattheus by-passed the snacks at the aid stations, using only Coca-Cola for fuel." MARK FRASER, Houstonian who is known for his daily long distance training efforts. Fraser has completed six ultra-marathons, one 50K and five 50-milers. "I carbo and fluid load three days before the race," Fraser said. For Fraser, the pre-race day includes: Breakfast: 2 bowls of cereal with skim milk, 1-2 bananas, yogurt, juice "Throughout the day, I am totally filling up with fluids," Fraser said. The morning of the Sunmart 50 mile race, Fraser helped himself to the breakfast offered at the starting line. During the race, he ate boiled potatoes dipped in salt, bananas, _ Harvest Bar, 1/4 peanut butter and jelly sandwich, hot chicken broth, and Gatorade. "I don’t eat a lot at each stop, but I eat something at every stop," he said. He has learned from previous ultra-marathons what works and what does not work for him. "After the race, I eat lots of protein, and keep drinking lots of fluids," he said. Runners are different, and their nutritional needs are different. The trick is finding out what works (and what doesn’t) and sticking to that! Good eating and good running!
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