"Finishing that 5K was the hardest thing I have ever had to do,” Michael Scott said in a popular episode of The Office sitcom. “I ate more fettuccini Alfredo and drank less water than I have in my entire life.”

While Michael Scott was a frequently incompetent but always well-meaning boss, no one should emulate his long-distance running strategies. 

When it comes to a marathon, eating a plateful of fettuccini Alfredo minutes before the race is going to make you regret running it. Instead, there are in fact tried and true strategies for maximizing your performance for that grueling road race.

Sai Krupa Das, a senior scientist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University who specializes in energy metabolism, could have set Mr. Scott straight.

“Carb loading is popular because your muscles are dependent on your carbohydrate stores, which are in the form of glycogen,” Das said. “Glycogen supplies the fuel for endurance exercises such as the marathons.”

A better authority to listen to than Michael Scott is the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), according to Das.

“They recommend 10 to 12 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight 36 to 48 hours before the race,” Das said. “That’s because glycogen stores are limited and used up sooner than other sources of energy in your body.”

Though Michael Scott shouldn’t have had that fettuccine Alfredo minutes before the race, could he have included it in his overall training plan?

“For the three days prior to the race, simple carbs like plain pasta or rice are recommended, because they’re easier to digest,” Das said.

In other words: go ahead and order the fettuccine, but eighty-six the Alfredo. 

While carb loading three days before the marathon is vital, Das said runners also need to eat and drink on race day for maximum performance, and to prevent them from “hitting the wall.”

“Aim for 30 to 60 grams of simple carbohydrates per hour on race day,” Das said. “Most runners prefer using energy gels, because they allow you to easily replenish your glycogen stores during the race.”

Das said that the focus on carbohydrates is important, but there are other components of marathon training that are often overlooked. 

“There’s also sleep and hydration, both of which contribute to energy metabolism,” Das said. “The structural component of glycogen includes water, so if you just eat carbs but don't drink enough, glycogen storage will not be optimized.”

During the race, the ACSM recommended fluid intake would be 13 to 27 ounces of fluids every hour to balance sweat loss, and both individual sweat rates and environmental conditions. But don’t overdo it or you could risk low sodium levels, adds the ACSM, which also recommends getting 30-600 mg of sodium per hour.

Beside carbohydrates, one of the macronutrients that is important, especially for older runners, is protein—according to Roger Fielding, a senior scientist at the HNCRA who specializes in sarcopenia, an age-related syndrome where muscle mass starts to decline when we hit middle-age. 

“People begin losing muscle mass in their mid-thirties,” Fielding said. “For those who don’t exercise regularly, that’s a half a percent per year—and that means you begin losing strength at a rate of about one percent per year.”

While the RDA for protein intake is about 8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, Fielding said there is some evidence that protein requirements may be higher for individuals who are doing regular endurance training.

“That’s because some essential amino acids are burned for fuel during endurance exercise,” Fielding said. “The branch chain amino acids in particular are directly oxidized to make energy during endurance exercises.”

Fielding added that the number of mitochondria—the “powerhouse” in our cells—declines with age as well. 

“That contributes to reduced metabolic capacity in the muscle, which has an impact on endurance exercise capacity and performance with aging,” Fielding said. 

While the basic mechanics of energy metabolism are well-understood by nutrition scientists, there are a variety of other factors that come into play when preparing for something as demanding as a marathon. 

“Not all of us metabolize macronutrients in exactly the same way,” Das said. “So nutritional strategies should be individualized in terms of your training level, age, race, ethnicity, and body composition.”

While not everyone preparing for a marathon needs to approach their training with the seriousness of a scientist, knowledge is still power—and that power can help them run a satisfying, injury-free race and have excellent post-race recovery. 

“Professional runners often have coaches who work closely with them,” Das said, “but for the average person, it's still important to be aware of what the guidance is and make it work in the best way for that individual.”

(Newswise/HG)