Nutritional Intake and Timing of Marathon Runners: Influence of Athlete’s Characteristics and Fueling Practices on Finishing Time
Abstract Background Endurance athletes’ competitions have increased over the decades and marathon races are becoming increasingly popular. Proper nutrition is critical for optimal performance and long-term health in marathon athletes. This study aimed to investigate runners’ nutritional intake, espe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Sports Medicine - Open |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-024-00801-w |
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| author | Rubén Jiménez-Alfageme Florencia Pino Garrone Nidia Rodriguez-Sanchez David Romero-García Isabel Sospedra Daniel Giménez-Monzó César Iván Ayala-Guzmán José Miguel Martínez-Sanz |
| author_facet | Rubén Jiménez-Alfageme Florencia Pino Garrone Nidia Rodriguez-Sanchez David Romero-García Isabel Sospedra Daniel Giménez-Monzó César Iván Ayala-Guzmán José Miguel Martínez-Sanz |
| author_sort | Rubén Jiménez-Alfageme |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Endurance athletes’ competitions have increased over the decades and marathon races are becoming increasingly popular. Proper nutrition is critical for optimal performance and long-term health in marathon athletes. This study aimed to investigate runners’ nutritional intake, especially fluids, food, and supplements, competing in the Seville Marathon. A descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out to obtain information on the consumption of liquids, food, and supplements. A total of 160 runners (aged 42.2 ± 7.3 years) who were primarily men (87.5%) who participated in the 2022 Seville marathon took part in the study. Results There was no significant difference (p > 0.050) between marathon finish time (from 2 h 12 min to 5 h) or sports experience and fluid, carbohydrates (CHO), sodium, and caffeine intake pre- and post-competition. However, according to the results obtained, the athletes who met CHO intake recommendations during the competition (60–90 g/h) were more likely to finish the marathon in less than 180 min (p = 0.035). Conclusions The intake of CHO (35 ± 17 g/h), sodium (192 ± 150 mg/h) and caffeine (57 ± 49 mg/h) was low compared to the current recommendations during the competition. The intake of fluids (466 ± 279 mL/h) was at the lower limit of recommendations. Most athletes did not receive nutritional counselling by a sport dietitian, which may explain why athletes failed to meet specific nutrient recommendations. Future investigations with a larger sample size are warranted to assess the relationship between dietary intake and finish time. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-11f6b08dd8db4ce9a91fb2e7d5b673fa |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2198-9761 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sports Medicine - Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-11f6b08dd8db4ce9a91fb2e7d5b673fa2025-08-20T03:41:40ZengSpringerOpenSports Medicine - Open2198-97612025-03-0111111610.1186/s40798-024-00801-wNutritional Intake and Timing of Marathon Runners: Influence of Athlete’s Characteristics and Fueling Practices on Finishing TimeRubén Jiménez-Alfageme0Florencia Pino Garrone1Nidia Rodriguez-Sanchez2David Romero-García3Isabel Sospedra4Daniel Giménez-Monzó5César Iván Ayala-Guzmán6José Miguel Martínez-Sanz7Physiotherapy Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Vitoria-Gasteiz EUNEIZGenetic Center Jorge DottoPhysiology, Exercise and Nutrition Research Group, University of StirlingFaculty of Health Sciences, University of AlicanteNursing Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of AlicanteDepartment of Community Nursing, Preventive Medicine and Public Health and History of Science Health, University of AlicanteHealth Department, Iberoamerican UniversityNursing Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of AlicanteAbstract Background Endurance athletes’ competitions have increased over the decades and marathon races are becoming increasingly popular. Proper nutrition is critical for optimal performance and long-term health in marathon athletes. This study aimed to investigate runners’ nutritional intake, especially fluids, food, and supplements, competing in the Seville Marathon. A descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out to obtain information on the consumption of liquids, food, and supplements. A total of 160 runners (aged 42.2 ± 7.3 years) who were primarily men (87.5%) who participated in the 2022 Seville marathon took part in the study. Results There was no significant difference (p > 0.050) between marathon finish time (from 2 h 12 min to 5 h) or sports experience and fluid, carbohydrates (CHO), sodium, and caffeine intake pre- and post-competition. However, according to the results obtained, the athletes who met CHO intake recommendations during the competition (60–90 g/h) were more likely to finish the marathon in less than 180 min (p = 0.035). Conclusions The intake of CHO (35 ± 17 g/h), sodium (192 ± 150 mg/h) and caffeine (57 ± 49 mg/h) was low compared to the current recommendations during the competition. The intake of fluids (466 ± 279 mL/h) was at the lower limit of recommendations. Most athletes did not receive nutritional counselling by a sport dietitian, which may explain why athletes failed to meet specific nutrient recommendations. Future investigations with a larger sample size are warranted to assess the relationship between dietary intake and finish time.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-024-00801-wSport nutritionFluid intakeCompetitionCarbohydratesEndurance athlete |
| spellingShingle | Rubén Jiménez-Alfageme Florencia Pino Garrone Nidia Rodriguez-Sanchez David Romero-García Isabel Sospedra Daniel Giménez-Monzó César Iván Ayala-Guzmán José Miguel Martínez-Sanz Nutritional Intake and Timing of Marathon Runners: Influence of Athlete’s Characteristics and Fueling Practices on Finishing Time Sports Medicine - Open Sport nutrition Fluid intake Competition Carbohydrates Endurance athlete |
| title | Nutritional Intake and Timing of Marathon Runners: Influence of Athlete’s Characteristics and Fueling Practices on Finishing Time |
| title_full | Nutritional Intake and Timing of Marathon Runners: Influence of Athlete’s Characteristics and Fueling Practices on Finishing Time |
| title_fullStr | Nutritional Intake and Timing of Marathon Runners: Influence of Athlete’s Characteristics and Fueling Practices on Finishing Time |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nutritional Intake and Timing of Marathon Runners: Influence of Athlete’s Characteristics and Fueling Practices on Finishing Time |
| title_short | Nutritional Intake and Timing of Marathon Runners: Influence of Athlete’s Characteristics and Fueling Practices on Finishing Time |
| title_sort | nutritional intake and timing of marathon runners influence of athlete s characteristics and fueling practices on finishing time |
| topic | Sport nutrition Fluid intake Competition Carbohydrates Endurance athlete |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-024-00801-w |
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