What you put into your body can make a significant difference in a competitive sport like distance running. Runners demand a high-calorie, nutritious diet tailored for intense training sessions. Running a half-marathon requires you to take in a sufficient amount of carbohydrates to power up and recharge your body for a 13.1-mile run. Before changing your diet to improve race performance, consult a physician.
Benefits
Eating the right foods before and during a half-marathon helps increase your endurance and can provide you with ample energy to sprint across the finish line. Focus on a carbohydrate-rich diet to improve your running performance. Carbohydrates are your primary energy source for aerobic activities like distance running or walking. Include lean proteins like chicken breast and salmon in your diet as well as healthy fats such as olive oil. Lean proteins provide the building blocks for your muscle tissues and healthy fats help boost testosterone levels, improving athletic performance.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables provide you with critical vitamins and minerals lost through sweating. Ditch canned fruits or veggies and avoid frozen versions. Running Planet suggests eating fresh fruits and vegetables to receive the optimum amount of nutrients from each serving. Fruits and vegetables are also high in dietary fiber. Eating high-fiber foods speeds the passage of materials through your digestive track, helps prevent heart disease and can reduce the risk of certain cancers.
Starchy Carbohydrates
Consume starchy carbohydrates like legumes, pasta and bread. Starchy carbohydrates provide you with a high-calorie food source that helps replenish muscle glycogen stores depleted during long, intense training sessions. Eat a carbohydrate-rich meal before your half-marathon or preceding any walk or run leading up to your race. Masters running champion and author Hal Higdon suggests eating a light-carbohydrate snack before going to bed one day before your race and waking early to have a light prerace meal on the day of the competition. Eat starchy carbohydrates up to two to three hours before the start of your race to avoid stomach upset during the competition.
Tips
Stay hydrated before and during your half-marathon. Drinking water hydrates your muscles, improves your performance and helps you produce sweat to stay cool during the race.
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