What nutrients do long-distance runners need?

Training nutrition recommendations

Ultra-marathon runners should focus on a well-balanced diet that aligns with their training needs. Establishing and maintaining effective nutrition strategies early on helps the body adapt and efficiently use fat for energy. For optimal endurance training, aim for a dietary breakdown of:

• 60% Carbohydrates
• 15% Protein
• 25% Fat

Your total calories depend on your activity level and build, but this can help as a good guidance.

Training hydration strategies

Proper hydration is vital for performance and health. Focus on

• Post-Exercise Hydration: Replace fluids lost during training by weighing yourself before and after exercise. Drink 1.5 times the fluid lost, including at least 500 mg of sodium per liter, to rehydrate effectively.
• Day-to-Day Fluid Intake: Hydration needs vary, but listening to your body's thirst signals is generally effective. Avoid overhydration, which can lead to dilutional hyponatremia. During the day hydrating based on thirst signal suffices.

Effective long-term strategies to boost race performance

Ultra-marathon runners should focus on a well-balanced diet that aligns with their training needs. Establishing and maintaining effective nutrition strategies early on helps the body adapt and efficiently use fat for energy. For optimal endurance training, aim for the following breakdown of your total daily calories:

• Gut-Training: Research supports gut-training to reduce gastrointestinal distress during races.
• Micronutrients: Daily intake of 600 mg of vitamin C for 14 days post-race can reduce the risk of upper-respiratory-tract infections. Antioxidants (300 mg of vitamin E and 1000 mg of vitamin C) taken 7 weeks before a race can reduce oxidative stress.

Racing nutrition recommendations

Pre-race

Consume 10 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight daily for two days before the race. On race day, eat a familiar, easy-to-digest meal high in low-glycemic index carbs.

Better Oxygen Delivery

Runners should aim to consume 150-400 calories per hour. The specific needs depend on several factors such as race duration, individual tolerance, and environmental conditions. For races up to 50 miles, consume 150-300 calories per hour. For longer races, aim for 200-400 calories per hour. Higher calorie and carbohydrate intake is crucial for longer races to maintain performance.

• Carbohydrates: Aim for 30-50 grams per hour.
• Protein: 5-10 grams per hour.
• Fluids: 450-750 milliliters per hour, or about 150-250 milliliters every 20 minutes.
• Electrolytes: Ensure adequate sodium intake, especially in hot conditions. Aim for 500-700 mg of sodium per liter of fluid.

Effective short-term strategies to boost race performance

• Caffeine: To minimize side effects, avoid frequent high doses of caffeine. For ultra-marathons, 50 mg per hour is likely safe and helpful, especially during night runs when sleep cycles are disrupted. Consider personal caffeine sensitivity and practice your strategy. Caffeine is most effective in the later stages of endurance events, so save intake for the final parts of the race.
• BCAAs: Amino acid supplements can reduce central fatigue and improve endurance during ultra-marathons. Long exercise sessions increase brain serotonin, causing tiredness and lack of motivation. Tryptophan, a serotonin precursor, competes with branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) to enter the brain, and its levels rise during prolonged exercise. Increasing BCAA levels can decrease serotonin production and central fatigue. For example, athletes who took BCAAs felt less tired during long bike rides with low energy stores. Trained cyclists exercising in heat could sustain activity 12% longer with BCAA supplements. BCAA ingestion maintains or reduces the free tryptophan/BCAA plasma concentration ratio, preventing a rise in brain serotonin levels.

Conclusion

Balancing carbohydrates, proteins, and fluids is key to optimizing training and race performance. Proper nutrition and hydration strategies support endurance, recovery, and overall health.