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An example of high carbohydrate diet for a 80kg runner, consuming 7g/kg/BM, would be:

• 60g cereal with 200ml (semi) skimmed milk = 60g (carbs)
• 2 slices of bread + 2 teaspoons on honey / jam = 45g
• 150ml orange juice = 15g

SNACK 

• Medium piece of fruit (pear, orange, apple) = 15g
• 500ml Lucozade Sport or squash = 30g

LUNCH 

• Medium baked potato = 60g
• 150g low fat fruit yoghurt = 10g
• Banana (large) = 35g

SNACK 

• 50g raisins = 35g
• Medium piece of fruit (pear, orange, apple) = 15g
• 300ml of orange juice = 30g

EVENING MEAL               

• Pasta (250g cooked weight) = 80g
• Broccoli and tomato sauce = 20g
• 410g tin of fruit salad = 50g
• 500ml squash or diluted juice = 30g

SNACK 

• Lucozade Sport Energy Bar = 30g

Total Carbohydrate = 560 g

Hi Terrance,

Can I offer some nutritional advice...

Recovery after sport and exercise is often neglected and sometimes used when it isn’t needed. After a marathon it is essential that you eat the right types of food so your body can recover fully for the next event. From a nutritional point of view you are looking to replace the fluids/electrolytes you have sweated out and consume some carbohydrate and protein. The amount of fluids that you consume will depend on your individual sweat rates but sports drinks are ideal as they contain simple carbohydrates and electrolytes. Carbohydrate replenishment should be 1g/kg/body mass and protein consumption at around 20g for one sitting. Immediately afterwards recovery drinks and bars are convenient and easy for you to digest. The following recovery factsheet with provide you with some additional information.

There are also some simple food alternatives you should be looking to make when you get home:

• Bowl of cereal/muesli with milk,
• Beans on toast,
• Bagels with cheese and a banana,
• Crumpets with peanut butter and some sweets or
• Jacket potato with tuna.

I can offer a little advice in terms of what you can eat and the timing of it. Eating before a race or training session can be very tricky and the timing of that meal is crucial. Your bodies’ choice of fuel during exercise is carbohydrate so foods like pasta, rice, bread, potato are likely to pop into your head first. However, as you probably already know you wouldn't want to have a bowl of pasta too close to the start of you run!

• 3-4 hours before a run foods with a low glycemic index are advised – apples, pears, carrots, peas, pasta, muesli, fruit loaf.
• 1-2 hours before medium glycemic index food are advised – bananas, apricots, sweetcorn, muffins, crumpets, rice, cous cous, raisins.
• Less than an hour before your run high glycemic index food are advised – bagels, weetabix, coco pops, corn flakes, jelly beans, energy bars, sports drinks.

Glycemic index refers to how food affects our blood sugar levels, therefore how quickly the food is absorbed.

Remember that everyone’s digestive systems are different so what works for your friends might not work for you, never try anything new before a race and practice makes perfect. The following breakfast for athlete’s factsheet will provide you with some additional information.

I can offer a little advice in terms of what you can eat and the timing of it. Eating before a race or training session can be very tricky and the timing of that meal is crucial. Your bodies’ choice of fuel during exercise is carbohydrate so foods like pasta, rice, bread, potato are likely to pop into your head first. However, as you probably already know you wouldn't want to have a bowl of pasta too close to the start of you run!

- 3-4 hours before a run foods with a low glycemic index are advised – apples, pears, carrots, peas, pasta, muesli, fruit loaf.

- 1-2 hours before medium glycemic index food are advised – bananas, apricots, sweetcorn, muffins, crumpets, rice, cous cous, raisins.

- Less than an hour before your run high glycemic index food are advised – bagels, weetabix, coco pops, corn flakes, jelly beans, energy bars, sports drinks.

Glycemic index refers to how food affects our blood sugar levels, therefore how quickly the food is absorbed.

Remember that everyone’s digestive systems are different so what works for your friends might not work for you, never try anything new before a race and practice makes perfect. The following breakfast for athlete’s factsheet will provide you with some additional information.

If your not sure how much fluid you should be drinkning whilst you are a running a Hydration Planner is a simple way of monitioring you sweat rate. All you have to do is weight yourself before and after your run and make a note of the amount of fluid you are consuming. Pop the data into the boxes and you will get a rough idea of how much fluid you lost during that run.

I agree with fat buddah about being cautious about not drinking too much water during long runs in the heat as you need to replace the electrolytes you sweat out.

It is possible that you are not consuming enough sodium with in your diet as the amount you are losing you may not be replacing. The Food Standards Agency recommend that an adult should consume no more that 6 g of salt a day (2.4 g sodium), and although the sporting context is different, during a football match players can lose upto that amount in just 90 minutes.

If you are a heavy sweater then a product such as Hydro Active Plus might be ideal. It has less carbohydrate (4% solution) but double the amount of sodium than a LS Body Fuel or LS Lite.