The simple foods remain the best.

of energy gels, sports drinks, and protein bars. They are both convenient and efficient, but could real food, free from all the added unpronounceable chemicals that are often packed into these processed products, be just as beneficial?

\ s a marathon runner, you are likely to have experimented with an array

The sugar debate

With a continual barrage of negative headlines hitting the media surrounding the damaging effects of sugar, and in particular fructose, the question from many athletes is whether they should be cutting down their intake. We know that too much sugar can have negative implications on a vast range of health markers, but there is evidence to suggest that people who exercise regularly respond differently to sugar than those who don’t. This is discussed by Anita Bean, sports nutritionist, who references a recent study that suggests that fructose is far less “damaging” when you exercise.

It is known that the body responds to high levels of fructose by releasing fats into the bloodstream. However, this study finds that exercise blunts these negative effects by causing the body to increase its production of lipoprotein lipase, an enzyme that enables the body to absorb those circulating fats and subsequently use them for energy.

In addition to this, exercise enhances the transport of sugar from the blood into the muscles with far less insulin than needed by the bodies of those who are inactive, meaning that the body learns to handle sugar more efficiently.

On this basis, Bean recommends that sugar intake for athletes be kept to the current World Health Organization recommendations of no more than 10 percent of daily calories but that sugar should preferentially come from natural sources. Whilst the body of an endurance athlete can handle a limited amount of gels and sports drinks, gels and bars marketed to sportsmen and -women are full of artificial sweeteners, additives, and preservatives and provide very little in the way of nutrition. With this in mind, we will go on to explore the natural alternatives available for marathon runners embarking on a big race.

Midrace refueling: the alternative to gels

For runs over 90 minutes, midrace refueling is essential to keep the muscles fueled and blood-sugar levels steady and to restore electrolytes to maintain hydration. For a marathon, you should start eating 30 to 60 minutes into your run and aim to be taking in approximately 30 to 60 grams of fast-absorbing carbohydrates per hour. Sports gels provide a quick, portable way for runners to efficiently ingest and digest calories and much-needed electrolytes that are lost during exercise and to refuel the muscles’ depleted glycogen stores.

However, as a runner, if the thought of forcing down another overprocessed, sugar-filled, chemical-laden, fluorescent sports gel is more than you can bear, there are plenty of natural options suitable for midrace refueling. For many, energy gels can lead to gastrointestinal distress. In fact, studies have shown that 30 to 50 percent of endurance runners suffer from some sort of stomach or bowel distress, with this percentage increasing with longer distances; this upset-stomach feeling can last for hours, sometimes days, after a run. Taking an approach to eliminate this digestive discomfort, which is likely to be detrimental to performance, is another possible advantage of switching to real food for refueling. However, it is important to stress at this point that running nutrition is very individual. Some foods you may get on well with, and others you may not. You simply need to try them out during practice. Never try anything new on race day; you want a repeatedly tried and tested race protocol in place that works for you. Keeping this in mind, let us look at some of the natural alternatives to gels.

Honey is thought to contain just about the right ratio of glucose and fructose for maximum carbohydrate absorption, allowing these simple carbohydrates to be readily absorbed to fuel the muscles. As an additional benefit, according to a 2009 study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, honey has more antioxidant activity than refined sugar, which may help speed muscle recovery. Honey can be poured into a squeezable gel flask and diluted with a little water for easy access during runs.

Nutrition score per serving (1 tablespoon): 64 calories, 17 grams of carbs

Baby food (pureed fruit and vegetables), preferably homemade to avoid any added preservatives or sweeteners. Steaming is the best way to soften fruits and vegetables whilst preserving their vitamins and minerals. They then just need to be blended or mashed and packed into small sealable bags from which they can be sucked out like a gel when you’ re ready to refuel. For convenience, Peter Rabbit Organics provides handy squeezable pouches of organic fruit and vegetable blends, available at Whole Foods and Starbucks.

Nutrition score per serving (pouch): 72 calories, 19 grams of carbs

Raisins packaged in small boxes make a great portable running snack. In one piece of research, raisins were found to be just as effective during endurance-based

cardio workouts as sports jelly beans, whilst another study found raisins to give an endurance boost similar to that provided by energy chews. Nutrition score per serving (1-ounce box): 90 calories, 22 grams of carbs Bananas are a staple favorite among athletes, and one study found that eating half a banana every 15 minutes during exercise is as effective as sipping a comparable amount of sports drink in terms of sustaining exercise performance. Nutrition score per serving (medium banana; 118g): 105 calories, 27g carbs Natural chia gels, the base of which is real fruit (strawberries or apple puree) mixed with natural sweeteners, ground chia seeds, and a hint of sea salt. Chia seeds are known as “the running food” because they were the dietary staple of the Tarahumara Indians, a tribe of super runners in Mexico (a topic discussed in great detail in the book Born to Run). These little seeds are extremely nutrientdense, packed full of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, iron, potassium, and vitamins A, B, E, and D, and they have the unique ability to absorb more than 12 times their weight in water to form a gel-like substance. When eaten alongside carbohydrates, this enables them to regulate the body’s absorption of sugars whist also maintaining the electrolyte balance and protecting against dehydration. Nutrition score per serving (46-gram sachet): 100 calories, 22 grams of carbs

What about sports drinks?

Fluid loss during strenuous, long-duration exercise is common, and not staying adequately hydrated can result in impaired cardiovascular function, lowered cognition, accelerated fatigue, and impaired exercise performance. The key to maintaining good hydration throughout a race, as simple as it sounds (but often neglected), is to start the race hydrated. Ensure that you’ re drinking water regularly and consistently on the days leading up to the race and then on race day aim to drink 400 to 600 milliliters of water approximately two hours before running, giving your body sufficient time to excrete anything it doesn’t need before the start. You can regularly monitor your hydration status by checking the color of your urine, which should be a pale-straw color. During the race, your level of drinking should be led by your thirst, and this is the official advice given by the International Marathon Medical Directors Association.

For workouts below 60 minutes, pure water is the best form of hydration. However, for endurance athletes doing longer sessions and races, carbohydrateelectrolyte sports drinks are usually the recommended drink of choice. The manufactured sports drinks available usually contain fructose and/or maltodextrin, artificial flavors, sweeteners, and added electrolytes. Whilst functional, these can often be overladen with calories and sugar beyond requirements, and for those who want a natural alternative, there are a couple of options that can be tried:

Coconut water is a rich source of potassium and contains electrolytes like sodium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. It contains 18 calories and 5 grams of sugars per 100 milliliters, which is similar in composition to most manufactured sports drinks. According to a 2012 study, coconut water is as good for performance and rehydrating as regular water and sports drinks. Coconut water is also more easily digested than most sports drinks, meaning it may help to ease the symptoms of gastrointestinal distress often suffered by long-distance runners.

A homemade electrolyte drink gives you more control over what’s going into your body and is free of all the artificial chemicals found in sports drinks. Simply combine eight teaspoons of sugar, two teaspoons of honey, one-third teaspoon of salt, one teaspoon of lime juice, and 24 ounces of water.

It’s just as important to hydrate after a race as it is during, and guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) state that you should aim to drink between 1.2 and 1.5 times the weight of fluid lost during exercise. This should be sipped gradually over the course of one to two hours after the run.

The importance of postrace nutrition

After a race, there is a window of around 45 minutes when the body is primed to replenish its muscle and liver-glycogen stores and to soak up amino acids to enable protein synthesis for muscle-tissue recovery and repair. Along with adequate hydration, a postworkout snack consumed in this time window should ideally consist of 1 gram of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight plus 0.25 grams per kilogram of body weight of protein. Whilst from a convenience perspective there may be a temptation to consume one of the many commercial recovery drinks and bars available, these are not the best option nutritionally, and with just a little extra preparation you would be wiser to opt for real, natural food.

Few athletes have much of an appetite after a race, and therefore a homemade, protein-rich smoothie can be a great way of replenishing the body with everything it needs.

The guide to making the postrace smoothie:

1. Start with liquid. Use 8 ounces of liquid such as milk (or a nondairy alternative) or coconut water.

2. Add fruit and vegetables. Use one cup of produce such as banana, berries, or cooked beetroot.

3. Add a source of fat and protein. For fat, add a tablespoon of nut butter or seeds, half a fresh avocado, or one-half tablespoon of extra-virgin coconut oil; for protein, add one-half cup of oats or a scoop of natural protein powder.

4. Sweeten. Add one or two teaspoons of honey, date, maple, or agave syrup.