Sponsored by Lucozade
Your long runs are the perfect opportunity to practise your fuelling and hydration strategy for Event Day and, crucially, get your gut on board with your new regime.
When taking on prolonged or high-intensity exercise - such as long-distance running or intervals, tempo sets, and hill runs - your body relies on glycogen stored in your muscles. If these stores deplete to the point of no return, you’ll struggle to maintain your pace, and it’ll impact your recovery post-event.
There are many ways to take in energy, but some runners opt for gels as they are convenient to carry and provide rapid carbs to top up your glycogen stores.
If you’re planning to use gels, you’ll find Lucozade Sport Gels at Miles 14 and 19 on the TCS London Marathon course.
If you’re new to gels or have yet to use Lucozade Sport Gels, Lucozade’s Sport Scientist, Katherine Shaw, gives us the four dos and don’ts.
Do start practising with gels on your long runs
If you’re going to use gels on Event Day, practise with the brand you intend to use while you’re training.
Any gel, regardless of the brand, takes a bit of getting used to. Each brand of gel is slightly different, so using a new brand on Event Day is a risk.
Don't consume a gel in one go
We recommend taking a third of it, then some water, then another third to help with palatability. Keeping hydrated will help your body to digest the gels too.
If you’re brand new to gels, try one towards the end of your run just in case it doesn’t go down so well, and then build them slowly into your long runs.
Do start with little and often
Fuelling is down to the individual, but as a starting point, whether it's a gel or a different form of carbohydrate, aim to consume something within the first hour and then every 30 to 40 minutes.
Taking on small amounts throughout Event Day ensures you remain topped up for the duration of the marathon.
Don’t forget water
Don’t rely just on gels as they don't provide hydration. Even if it doesn't feel like it on the colder training runs, the amount of sweat you're producing is quite high and you’ll need to take on water.
