Nutritional strategies with carbohydrates for marathon runners
Abstract
The marathon is a race that attracts elite and amateur athletes who use different nutritional strategies. Carbohydrate intake during running plays a crucial role in optimizing performance and muscle recovery for long-distance runners. In this sense, a literature review was carried out to investigate the effects and strategies of carbohydrate consumption in marathon races. A search was carried out in the Scielo and PubMed databases for the last 30 years. Scientific articles with an emphasis on human beings and fowling terms: in Portuguese (“carbohydrate” OR “marathon and carbohydrate”), (“performance”) AND (“sport”) were analyzed; ii) in English (“carbohydrate” OR “marathon and carbohydrate”), “performance”, AND “sports”). From the articles evaluated, it was observed that strategic moderation in carbohydrate intake before and during the marathon can trigger beneficial metabolic adaptations, optimizing the performance of endurance runners. Also, carbohydrate intake during the marathon demonstrates the ability to intensify the race, highlighting the importance of this practice during the competition. Supplementing 120g/h of carbohydrates during a marathon emerges as an effective strategy to mitigate neuromuscular fatigue, contributing to improved muscle recovery. After muscle glycogen depletion, strategic carbohydrate intake not only facilitates recovery, but can also limit exercise-induced muscle damage, highlighting its relevance in the post-exercise phase. These results consolidate the importance of carbohydrate supplementation before, during and after a marathon.
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