[Special topic on long-distance running preparation]5 tips for smart supplementation before and during the race to avoid long-distance running injuries

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(Hong Kong News) To prepare for a marathon, what preparations should be made before, on the day of the race, and during the race? When should you eat more carbs? How to improve sports performance? Is it useful to eat protein powder and supplement BCAA to build muscle?

Driven by the bodybuilding trend, many bodybuilders choose to use protein powder to build muscle. Do long-distance runners also need it? Physiotherapists teach 4 tricks to increase muscle endurance and 5 pre-race tips to reduce the risk of injury.

How much carbohydrate, protein and water should you eat before and during preparation for a marathon? Do I need to replenish carbohydrates before and during the race? Zeng Xi, a nutritionist and fitness coach, suggested that instead of looking for “chicken essence” in a hurry, it is better to replenish enough carbohydrates before and during the competition, which is also very important to improve performance. “To provide energy for hours of exercise, carbohydrates Compound requirements are relatively more important than protein requirements.”

Carbohydrates are an important source of energy. You can eat more carbohydrates 2 hours before the game, 1 to 2 grams per kilogram of body weight. For example, a 60-kg person should eat 60 to 120 grams, such as a full bowl of rice or 2 to 3 tablets. Bread and jam; also consume appropriate amounts of protein and water, such as ham, low-fat cheese, skim milk or coffee.

Don’t try new foods before a race

During the game, you must continue to add “fuel” to your body. 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates should be added every hour, and energy jelly or sports drinks can be considered.

Zeng Xi pointed out that the high sugar concentration of energy jelly may cause gastrointestinal discomfort to some people. You can try the sugar rinsing method (carb rinsing). Hold the energy jelly in your mouth, rinse it for 5 to 10 seconds and then spit it out. This can stimulate the nerves in the mouth. Sensory receptors “trick” the brain into having food, producing a feeling of energy. However, this does not really replenish energy. If you exercise for more than 60 minutes, you still have to eat energy jelly. Therefore, people who are prone to gastrointestinal discomfort due to energy jelly should prepare early and train their gastrointestinal adaptation.

She emphasized, “Before and during the competition, you should not eat food and supplements that you have never eaten before. Firstly, you may not be able to accept the taste, and secondly, you don’t know whether your stomach can tolerate it.”

Warm up for 15 minutes to wake up muscles

Liang Zeqi, a senior lecturer and physiotherapist at the Asian Institute of Sports and Fitness, emphasized that long-distance running should be within your ability. “The problem of insufficient training usually emerges in the middle of the race. If you feel pain, you should not force yourself to run again, even if you want to finish the race. You should walk to the finish line. If you get injured due to poor running form, the gain outweighs the loss.”

He offers the following five tips before a game to reduce the risk of injury:

◆Stretch more than a week before the game to stretch your muscles and joints.

◆Practice running at a time similar to the start time of the race to allow your body to get used to changes in temperature, environment, etc.

◆When competing overseas, you can go for a walk near the track at a time similar to the start of the race the day before to feel the temperature and environment.

◆Get enough sleep before the game; after getting up on the day of the game, you should take a warm bath and move your body so that your joints will not become “hard”.

◆Arrive at the competition venue early and do a 15-minute warm-up, including jogging, stretching and light muscle training to “wake up” muscles and joints.

Being too muscular makes the body heavy

“Building muscle is not very important for long-distance running.” Zeng Xi said that many long-distance runners, such as Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge, do not have much muscle mass; being too muscular will make the body heavy and make running hard, so there is no need to over-supplement protein.

“Fitness people need to supplement 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day, but long-distance runners only need to supplement 1 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.” An appropriate amount of protein can prevent muscle loss and promote muscle recovery. Generally, sufficient amounts can be obtained from food. , no need to use protein powder.

Vegetarians may need to take BCAA

In addition to protein powder, BCAA (branched-chain amino acid), which claims to improve sports performance, is also sought after by many sports enthusiasts.

Zeng Xi pointed out that there are 9 essential amino acids in the human body, and BCAA is 3 of them branched chain amino acids, namely leucine, isoleucine and valine.

“If you have eaten enough high-quality protein foods, including meat, fish, eggs, milk and dairy products, which already contain 9 essential amino acids, supplementing with BCAA has no additional effect. However, people who cannot absorb enough protein from food, such as vegetarians, If this is the case, you may need to take protein supplements and BCAAs.”

Beetroot juice helps oxygen transport

The ABCD Classification System established by the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) divides sports foods and nutritional supplements into four groups: A, B, C, and D.

Zeng Xi pointed out that BCAA is included in Group C, which means that scientific evidence does not support it or there are no relevant studies showing that it can improve sports performance. As for the sports foods and supplements in Group A, scientific experiments have proven that their use under specific circumstances can help improve sports performance; for endurance sports, caffeine, beta-alanine (s-Alanine) and beetroot juice All belong to Group A.

◆Caffeine can increase the alertness of the nervous system, reduce pain and reduce the feeling of exertion. “One hour before exercise, you can consume 3 to 6 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight. For example, if you are 60 kilograms, it is 180 mg, which is about 1 cup of double shot coffee. , or you can choose energy gel with added caffeine.”

◆β-Alanine is an important component in the production of carnosine. Carnosine can neutralize acidic substances produced during high-intensity exercise and reduce fatigue. However, it should be noted that research shows that continuous supplementation of β-alanine for at least 4 weeks can significantly increase muscle carnosine concentration.

◆Beetroot juice is becoming more and more popular in the running world. Zeng Xi pointed out that the nitrate in beetroot juice is converted into nitric oxide in the body, which can dilate blood vessels and increase oxygen delivery to ” muscle”.

“Nitrates can be absorbed from foods such as beetroot and spinach, and beetroot sports drinks contain higher concentrations and higher stability. Although some studies have shown that using beetroot juice for 3 days can achieve the effect, it is recommended Try it in a simulation first.”

Avoid running out of shape

4 exercises to train muscles

After practicing for a long time, a marathon is like a test for runners.

The exam is approaching, is there any “chicken essence” that can help you get through quickly?

Physical therapist Liang Zeqi pointed out that long-distance running is endurance training, and cardiopulmonary function and muscle endurance are equally important.

“Cardiorespiratory function can be trained through running, and most runners do it; but neglecting muscle training is like studying hard and lacking exam skills.” Improving muscle endurance helps to maintain correct running posture, otherwise the muscle strength is insufficient and running posture is easy.” “Out of shape”, not only is it easy to get injured, but the speed is also reduced.

Long-distance runners can focus on training the quadriceps, gluteus maximus and hamstring muscles. The following 4 exercises can satisfy 3 wishes at once! Each group is composed of 10 times, and 3 groups are performed each time. For the first to third exercises, you need to switch sides and do 3 groups again. Do them every other day. Once you get used to the training intensity, you can slowly increase the number of times. “Muscle training requires at least 2 to 3 months of exercise to be effective.”

Liang Zeqi reminded that those who have never done muscle training should not start training until close to the competition to avoid muscle soreness and insufficient time to recover, which will affect their performance.

Eat carbohydrates and lose weight

4 days ago, store up your glycogen to face the challenge

Under normal circumstances, the body’s muscles and liver will prepare a certain amount of glycogen for daily activities.

Generally speaking, if the exercise time is less than 90 minutes, no additional nutritional supplements are required.

However, long-distance running activities often exceed 90 minutes. When glycogen is used up, the body needs to rely on other energy sources (such as burning fat and breaking down muscle). However, these less efficient energy sources cannot cope with the large and urgent energy demands required for long-distance running. Therefore, exercise performance will drop significantly after the glycogen is used up, causing muscle soreness, fatigue, and even increased cramps and falls. risks, as well as affecting physical recovery after the game.

Therefore, most long-distance runners will perform carbohydrates loading before competition to increase the amount of glycogen in their muscles and liver and improve their long-distance running performance.

Based on the principle of using less and saving more

In the past, to implement the glycogen super-supplementation method, you must first reduce your carbohydrate intake one week before the game to use up the body’s glycogen, and then start “super-supplementing”. However, recent research shows that it is not necessary to use up the glycogen first.

In fact, the glycogen super supplement method is very simple. It is based on the principle of “use less, save more”. There is no need to use up all the glycogen first:

Also pay attention to a balanced diet

1. First of all, four days before the competition, start eating more foods rich in carbohydrates, such as rice, flour, noodles, bread, potatoes, sweet potatoes, bananas, etc., but you must also pay attention to a balanced diet with enough calories, carbohydrates, Protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, minerals and water allow the body to perform optimally. If your appetite for dinner is small and you cannot eat extra carbohydrates, you can consider supplementing it with multiple meals, such as eating one more sweet potato for morning tea, two more slices of bread for afternoon tea, and one banana after dinner.

Gradually reduce training time intensity

2. Start super-supplementing glycogen four days before the competition, gradually reduce the training time and intensity, and stop training until the day before the competition, so that the body uses the minimum reserve and stores the maximum glycogen for use on the day of the competition.

Can be promoted to the highest level

3. With the combination of reducing use and increasing stored glycogen, the body’s glycogen can be raised to the highest level to maintain performance on the day of the game.

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