For amateur runners, it's crucial to match your nutritional strategy to the type of training session \u2013 your body has different needs during intervals than during long runs or strength training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to eat before different types of training?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I. Long runs (90\u2013150+ minutes) This is a high-energy unit. A meal 2\u20133 hours before a race should:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In practice, the following work well:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you're adding vegetables, choose those you tolerate better before your run and that don't cause digestive issues, such as zucchini, cooked carrots, peeled cucumbers, peeled tomatoes, or butterhead lettuce. The goal of this meal is to maximize glycogen replenishment without burdening your digestive tract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n II. Intervals and tempo training Quality training requires good carbohydrate availability, but typically doesn't require a very large meal volume. Two to three hours beforehand, the following is recommended:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Light sources of protein include eggs, semi-skimmed cottage cheese, skyr, plain yogurt, natural tofu, and lean fish like cod or pollock. The goal of this pre-workout meal is to provide energy without feeling heavy during faster runs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n III. Running Strength (runs, skips, supplementary training) Although the duration may be shorter, the intensity of such a workout is high. It's worth having a light carbohydrate meal 1.5\u20132 hours beforehand. This could be, for example, toast with honey and plain yogurt, or a small portion of cornflakes with plain yogurt and strawberry jam. A meal that's too heavy or fatty can cause discomfort during dynamic exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nutrition during exercise \u2013 how much and when to eat?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For exercise lasting longer than 75\u201390 minutes, it's recommended to consume 30\u201360 g of carbohydrates per hour at moderate intensity. The most common solutions are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It's best to start eating early\u2014consume your first carbohydrate source right before your run, and the next one about 30-40 minutes into your run\u2014don't wait for a significant energy drop. Test products on long runs, gradually increasing the amount of carbohydrates and observing your body's reaction. It's best to do this a few weeks before the race, not just a few days before. Typically, gels are taken with water to reduce the risk of stomach upset. For example, B-PAC energy gels are a great option.,<\/ins> thanks to the consistency of the hydrogel,<\/ins> do not require washing down with water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n AronPharma has prepared a special Marathon Runner Set<\/strong><\/a> for runners competing in the Energa Gda\u0144sk Marathon. You can try it throughout your run preparations to learn which products your body tolerates best and which flavors suit you best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anabolic window and post-workout recovery \u2013 practical tips<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The first 30\u201360 minutes after exercise is a great time to begin recovery. This is the time to eat a meal to replenish muscle glycogen and accelerate the body's recovery process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After training, it is worth providing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In practice, this may be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vegetables that can complement your meal include zucchini, carrots, peeled tomatoes, or lettuce. Fat should be moderate\u2014excess fat can delay stomach emptying and slow the recovery process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Training hydration in high temperatures<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember that hydration is an element that also requires training and planning. Dehydration of 2% of body weight can significantly reduce performance. Therefore, it's important to regularly replenish fluids to avoid dehydration. During exercise lasting longer than 60 minutes, it's recommended to drink 150-250 ml of fluid every 15-20 minutes. In high temperatures, include sodium-containing beverages, and after training, replace 125-150% of lost fluids (based on the difference in body weight before and after the run \u2013 simply weigh yourself before and after).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Common stomach problems in runners \u2013 how to avoid them?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Many runners are familiar with the feeling of their stomach giving out when they least expect it. Common causes of gastrointestinal problems include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n To reduce the risk of the above conditions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The digestive tract can be trained\u2014we call it gut training. However, it requires consistency, time, and a conscious approach. It's best to plan ahead and incorporate this into your training plan. Most importantly, test your nutrition at the same training paces that will later be your race pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In summary, pre-workout nutrition isn't about complicated regimens, but about consciously matching food to a specific type of effort. Proper preparation before training, a well-thought-out strategy during the run, and rapid recovery afterward allow amateur runners to train effectively, avoid energy slumps, and fully utilize the potential of marathon preparation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The few weeks before the race are also the best time to test new products and nutritional strategies \u2013 checking which solutions actually work for your body and which ones trigger intestinal problems. Don't wait until the last minute. Experimenting during the preparation period gives you comfort and confidence on race day. All this experience will pay off on the Energa Gda\u0144sk Marathon starting line \u2013 there's no room for chance, but rather room for a consciously developed plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Agnieszka Gruszka, Sports dietitian and psychodietician<\/strong> You can find Agnieszka on Instagram<\/a> i Facebook<\/a>.<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Conscious pre-workout nutrition is one of the elements that truly impacts the quality of marathon preparation. A proper pre-workout meal, a well-thought-out strategy during exercise, and proper post-workout recovery help maintain high intensity and limit the accumulation of\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":990004,"featured_media":6667,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[188],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6666","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-odzywiania"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.gdanskmaraton.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-05-at-18.41.51127.jpeg","author_info":{"display_name":"Katarzyna Krupicka","author_link":"https:\/\/www.gdanskmaraton.com\/en\/author\/katarzyna\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gdanskmaraton.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6666","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gdanskmaraton.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gdanskmaraton.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gdanskmaraton.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/990004"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gdanskmaraton.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6666"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.gdanskmaraton.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6666\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6671,"href":"https:\/\/www.gdanskmaraton.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6666\/revisions\/6671"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gdanskmaraton.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gdanskmaraton.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6666"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gdanskmaraton.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6666"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gdanskmaraton.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6666"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}.<\/del><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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For years, she has been combining scientific knowledge with sports practice. In the past, she trained as a regatta sailor, and triathlon was her sporting adventure. Currently, she is active in mountain biking and running. In her work, she provides nutritional support to athletes of various disciplines, including young competitors\u2014including her son Grzesiek, who trains mountain biking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n