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Food intake patterns of marathon runners
D E Butterworth1, D C Nieman, J V Butler
1Department of Home Economics, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608.
International Journal of Sport Nutrition
|March 1, 1994
Summary
Marathon runners consume a significant portion of daily calories from snacks and late meals. This intake pattern impacts their overall nutritional strategy for endurance events.
Area of Science:
- Sports Nutrition
- Human Physiology
- Dietary Habits
Background:
- Understanding the dietary patterns of endurance athletes is crucial for optimizing performance.
- Marathon running demands specific nutritional strategies to support energy requirements.
- Previous research has highlighted the importance of macronutrient timing, but detailed analysis of intake patterns across the day is less common.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the timing and composition of food and fluid intake in recreational marathon runners.
- To identify the contribution of different meal periods (breakfast, lunch, supper, snacks) to total daily caloric and macronutrient intake.
- To investigate potential differences in macronutrient distribution between meal periods.
Main Methods:
- Prospective food and fluid intake recording over a 3-day period by 344 marathon runners (290 males, 54 females).
- Intake data categorized into six specific time periods throughout the day.
- Analysis of average daily caloric and macronutrient (carbohydrates, fat, protein) intake.
- Calculation of percentage contribution of each meal period to total caloric intake and macronutrient composition.
Main Results:
- Average daily intake consisted of 314g carbohydrates, 83.2g fat, and 99.7g protein.
- Breakfast, lunch, and supper accounted for 71.5% of total caloric intake, with snacks contributing 28.5%.
- Breakfast was carbohydrate-dominant (68.9% carbohydrate, 20.4% fat), while supper had a different profile (47.7% carbohydrate, 31.8% fat).
Conclusions:
- Recreational marathon runners consume a substantial amount of calories from snacks and post-4:00 p.m. food intake.
- The macronutrient composition varies significantly between meal periods, particularly between breakfast and supper.
- These findings suggest that timing and composition of intake, including snacks, are important considerations in the nutritional planning for marathon runners.