Fat load preceding the carbo load

From Matt Fitzgerald:

research has shown that a short-term high-fat diet that immediately precedes the traditional pre-race carbo load offers the best of both worlds. 10 days of fat-loading are enough to increase the muscles’ fat-burning capacity, while the subsequent three-day carbo load ensures muscles also have plenty of glycogen available.

In 2001, Vicki Lambert, an exercise scientist at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, tested the effects of 10 days of fat loading followed by three days of carbo loading on endurance performance in cyclists. After warming up with two hours of moderate-intensity cycling, Lambert’s subjects were able to complete a 20K time trial 4.5 percent faster after using this protocol than they did when carb loading was preceded by their normal diet.

To get these benefits in your next marathon you’ll have to get 65 percent of your calories from fat every day for ten days starting two weeks before your race. This means virtually everything you eat will need to be high in healthy fats. Recommended staples for fat loading are avocadoes, Greek yogurt, cheese, eggs, nuts, olives and olive oil, salmon, and whole milk.

Read more at http://running.competitor.com/2013/11/nutrition/the-new-rules-of-marathon-nutrition_67841/5#2mjd2EUpypgfsTpK.99

This will be interesting to try (and tasty). Good thing avocados are cheap at the moment. I will be indulging in this diet immediately after my long run on Sunday.

Foods high in dietary nitrates have shown to have a positive effect on muscular performance; therefore, before I leave the house I will whip up a small spinach smoothie (something I have quite regularly anyway, though this time I will skip the fruit to avoid intestinal issues).

As for fluids, Fitzgerald says that we should drink often, but not overdo it. Drink when thirsty, basically.

As for eating during the race, eating roughly 120 calories worth of banana or orange slices (they'll even have chocolate at this race) every 45 minutes or so seems to be the agreed upon amount. Of course, some people rely on gels, though I'm just going to stick to the freebies at the race and not burden myself with having to carry gel packets. So, since I want to finish in under 3:20:00, I will need to eat at 45 minutes, 1:30:00, 2:15:00, and probably something small again at 2:30. The body takes about 45 minutes to process the sugar and release the energy to the muscles.

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