Regardless of consuming a vegan, gluten-free, or omnivore diet, you will need to fuel well to obtain the best results for the Boston Marathon! Here are some sample carb-loading menu suggestions, developed by Simmons University nutrition student Emma L’Esperance. She wishes you the best of runs on Marathon Day.
First off, why is it important to carb load two days before a marathon?
It is important that athletes carb load prior to a marathon. If a runner consumes inadequate carbohydrates, the glycogen (carbohydrate) stored in the muscles gets depleted. After long-duration training with minimal carbohydrate and a mostly protein and fat diet (think protein shake for breakfast, chicken Caesar Salad for lunch, and protein + veggies for dinner), the muscles get even more glycogen depleted. However, when an appropriate amount of carbohydrates is consumed, glycogen stores are able to be replaced, prompting better performance.
Carbohydrate loading two days before a marathon can optimize glycogen storage. This means the body will be able to fully restore glycogen in muscle and liver tissue. These stores get used to sustain exercise during the marathon. By having stored energy to use, you’ll get to the finish line much more easily!
Menu One: Carb Loading for the Omnivore
Emma’s notes: This menu is for runners who do not have any strict food groups they are avoiding. It was difficult to reach the recommended 60-70 percent of calories from carbohydrates. Therefore, this athlete would need to utilize a small amount of energy chews and energy gels to get to the 60% daily target when carbo-loading. Reaching protein levels was easy as I could use meat to do this.
Macronutrient Values
Total Calories: 2,300
• Protein: 15% of total calories (80 grams)
• Carbohydrates: 60% of total calories (365 grams)
• Fat: 20% of total calories (55 grams)
Breakfast: Oatmeal, toast, and a smoothie
- 1 cup dry oats, cooked
- 1 large banana
- 1 tbsp milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup milk, whole
Combine oats and milk in a bowl, heat in microwave oven for 1.5 minutes, add banana and chocolate chips on top
- 1 slice bread, multi-grain toasted with ½ tbsp peanut butter on top
- Fruit smoothie
Lunch: Veggie bowl
- ½ cup canned chickpeas
- ¼ cup dry lentils, cooked
- 1 cup chopped baked sweet potato
- ½ cup corn
- ¼ cup broccoli
- ¼ cup cauliflower
- ¼ cup carrots
Dinner: Pasta
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 2 ½ cups of cooked spaghetti noodles
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp grated cheese
- 4-ounces ground turkey
Snack: Honey stinger energy chews (10 chews)
Menu Two : Gluten-Free Carb Loading menu
Emma’s notes: Getting adequate macronutrients using a gluten-free menu focused mostly on adding fruits like bananas and apples to the daily diet. Again, it was difficult to reach the recommended 60-70% of total calories from carbohydrates that were needed. Therefore, the athlete should consider carb-heavy snacks!
Macronutrient Values
Total Calories: 2,500
- Protein: 15% of total calories (80 grams)
- Carbohydrates: 60% of total calories (390 grams)
- Fat: 25% of total calories (65 grams)
Breakfast: Oatmeal with nuts and fruits, 1 cup of cranberry juice for a beverage
- 1 medium banana
- 1 tbsp pistachio nuts
- ¾ cup dry oats
- ½ cup blueberries
- 1 tbsp slivered almonds
- 1 tbsp chopped walnuts
- ½ cup whole milk
Combine the oats and milk, microwave for a minute and a half, add toppings
Lunch: Rice with veggies, tofu, and sweet potato and side salad
- 1 cup steamed brown rice
- 1 cup sweet potato
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup cauliflower
- ½ cup tofu
Side salad: 1 cup arugula, 1 cup spinach, 1 cup chopped apple, 0.5 tbsp olive oil, ¼ cup craisins
Dinner: Rice with veggies and beans
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1 cup mixed veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots)
- 1 cup corn
- ½ cup black beans
- ½ cup kidney beans
Snacks: 2 Rice Crispy treats
Menu Three : Carb Loading for the Vegan
Emma’s notes: This is a vegan menu for any runners who are working towards sticking to a vegan diet but still need to hit their macronutrient values. This menu was very difficult to make as ensuring that the athlete reached the protein baselines was harder to achieve without any animal products. In addition, since the athlete needs 60-70% of calories from carbohydrates, getting enough carbohydrates was another challenge.
Macronutrient Values
Total Calories: 2,500
- Protein: 15% of total calories (85 grams)
- Carbohydrates: 65% of total calories (400 grams)
- Fat: 20% of total calories (60 grams)
Breakfast: Chia pudding with berries, toast with mashed banana on top
- 3 tbsp chia seeds
- ½ cup blueberries
- ½ cup almond milk
- ½ cup strawberries
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
Combine all of the ingredients, shake to mix, and then chill it for a few hours.
Toast: 2 medium slices of sourdough bread, 1 medium banana mashed onto bread
Lunch Stir-Fry with rice, peppers, broccoli, carrots, tofu, and a side salad
Enjoy 1 cup of cranberry juice as a beverage.
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1 cup baked sweet potato
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup cauliflower
- ½ cup tofu
Side salad: 1 cup arugula, 1 cup spinach, 1.5 cup chopped apple, 1 tbsp olive oil
Dinner: Vegan Rissoto
- Arborio rice 1 cup cooked
- 1 cup raw mushrooms
- 1 leek
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 small onion
- 1 cup veggie broth
- 1 cup soy milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 rounded tbsp nutritional yeast
Snack: large apple
FUEL WISELY AND RUN WELL!!!