Our columnist met a nutritionist who is an incredibly good runner herself. Together with her, he reveals the secret behind the running success of many marathon athletes.
It’s hot, it’s muggy. After a run in Berlin, I have an appointment with a real expert. At first I don’t see them at all. Around the corner is a very quiet and modest woman – Anja Carlsohn from the Schwäbisch Gmünd University of Education.
Mike Kleiß has been doing sports since he was a child. “Those who exercise achieve more” is his motto in life. Running was always his favorite topic. For seven years he has been running between 15 and 20 kilometers almost every day, often in marathons and sometimes in ultra marathons. So far, our columnist has published two books on running. He is the founder and managing director of the communications agency GOODWILLRUN. Mike Kleiss lives with his family in Hamburg and Cologne. He writes about running here every Thursday.
Of all people, she shouldn’t have to hide at all. On the contrary! She is a former marathon runner, her personal best is 2 hours 37 minutes. She ran for SCC Berlin and SC Potsdam. For a long time and often I have had discussions with doctors and scientists about the favorite topic of almost all runners: nutrition.
Many are looking for the key to success for the perfect marathon preparation. And that – that is undisputed – is also found to a considerable extent in nutrition. Every runner has their own approach to preparation – nutrition is a key part of this. And that is as different as we humans are.
Anja Carlsohn has become quite clear over the years of research: “Of course, it’s all about personal taste. What do I like, what do I like, what doesn’t. But there are parameters that, according to science, are quite undisputed,” says the scientist.
She gave me these parameters. They apply to the experienced runner who already has half marathon or marathon experience:
If you still have a little too much on your ribs, you should first lose the extra pounds before you start marathon training. “Everything else puts too much stress on the body. This should deal with the energy utilization during training. He has enough to do with that.”
If in doubt, the nutritionist advises running a half marathon first or postponing the marathon.
A study launched by Louise Burke – she is a nutritionist at the Australian Institute of Sports – says very clearly: low carb is a performance killer. High carb rocks!
“There were two groups. The low carb and the high carb group. The latter improved training performance over the ten-kilometer distance by three minutes. In addition, members of the low-carb group were often ill.” Logical for Anja Carlsohn: “The body needs a full glycogen store from which it can draw energy. Let’s give it to it! Withdrawal is not a good advisor here.”
… and preferably water. Anyone who trains intensively sweats a lot and loses quite a lot of salt. That’s why runners in particular should choose water with a high sodium content. Anyone who gets into a salt deficiency runs the risk of running into what is known as hyponatremia. This can potentially be fatal.
Salty sweaters are particularly at risk. So runners who find salt stains on their running clothes when they have trained hard. For this group in particular: add a pinch of salt to a liter of water. And at the same time you should be careful not to add too much pure water – otherwise you will dilute what you are trying to compensate for.
An important basic rule for drinking is: If you are heavier after running than before training, you have drunk too much.
This is definitely the most important secret, which should be revealed at this point. The first thing to do after training is to compensate for the loss of water. The body needs about 150 percent of the mass loss.
Or better: I have to drink 150 percent of what I lost. Just as important: In the first two hours after training (called the open window in runner nutrition jargon), it is essential to top up on carbohydrates. Only in this open window can the glycogen store fill up optimally.
Perfect for regeneration: 1-1.5 grams per hour per kilogram of body weight. To put it in perspective, let’s take a 60-kilo athlete. In the open window, it consumes 60 grams of carbohydrates. Ideally, this is a mix of solid and liquid crabs.
From overweight chain smoker to marathon runner – a success story
In the meantime, thank God, many marathon events are taking place again. And an unbelievable number of runners are currently preparing for the upcoming competitions. If you are one of them and want to get the last grain out of yourself, then try these four tips.
My mother-in-law always says: trying makes you smart. That’s how it works.
Read all of Mike Kleiß’s columns here.
