|A fruity way to the top|
|Around the Academy:
Food and drink is crucial for any athlete, whether they're running one mile or 26 miles.
For most elite athletes, when they train hard, they eat LOADS!
I used to coach an athlete and he ate so much that whenever he went to Kenya they declared a famine as soon as he got off the plane!
Marathon runners burn up so much energy so that's why they have to eat so much.
An athlete will burn over 1500 calories running 26 miles.
Their energy will come from carbohydrates, such as bread and rice, and also from fatty foods, like meat and cheese.
A typical marathon runner's diet:
Lunch: Fruit and vegetables and then rice, pasta or bread.
As well as food though, the fluid you put into your body is just as important.
A marathon runner should be drinking a large amount of fluid throughout a day.
Bland fluids such as weak orange juice are all good.
You shouldn't have too much coffee or tea and virtually no alcohol.
And sports drinks are usually pretty good, but they should be well watered down.