CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Marathon is just a few weeks away. Sports medicine doctors at University Hospitals want runners to know how they are fueling right now, matters.
"Before the race, the meal that you eat the night before you want some easy-to-digest carbs, pasta, quinoa, a lean protein like chicken or tofu and healthy fats, avocado would be a good example," said Sports Medicine Dr. Allison Schroeder at University Hospitals.
While runners are starting to taper down the mileage ahead of races on May 18 and 19, Schroeder recommends upping the emphasis on trying out what food will work for you on race day.
"You don't want all of your hard work and miles and training that you put in thrown out the window because of poor nutrition," said Schroeder.
She continued, "You should practice your fueling just like you practice and train for the marathon. So you want to plan what you'd eat before and do that before race day. Typically, we recommend at least 16 ounces of water a few hours before the race."
Schroeder suggests waking up early to eat breakfast on the day of the race.
"A lot of protein right before the race is also hard to digest; save that for afterward. You are going to need to fuel while you're running and typically, we need fuel within the first 30 to 45 minutes so that we don't get behind, and that after that every 25 to 40 minutes," Schroeder said.
Most importantly, getting into a routine that works for you is the most efficient way to fuel up.
"Everyone's different, and you need to find the thing that works for you," said Schroeder.
