First of all, congratulations! Running a marathon is truly an incredible feat. But no matter how rigorous your training regimen is, running 26 miles has a huge effect on your body.
While you run, your glycogen (or sugar) levels are depleted, your cortisol (or stress hormone) levels increase, your blood flow increases, and your muscles suffer constant microtrauma.
Your body will gradually repair itself in the days and weeks following the big event, but this imbalance leaves you more susceptible to injury. Fortunately, this guide offers essential recovery tips to follow after the marathon to ensure optimal healing.
Replenish your nutrients
Running a 42 kilometer race is an extreme test of endurance. After your marathon, it is essential to replenish lost nutrients with a well-balanced meal so your body can heal properly.
The best foods to eat after a marathon include:
- Carbohydrates – You may be familiar with carb loading before a race to improve your athletic performance, but eating carbs after It is just as beneficial. Carbohydrates are essential for restoring glycogen levels and rebuilding muscle proteins.
- Protein – Like carbohydrates, proteins help repair muscles and are crucial for recovery. Eating protein after running also helps relieve fatigue and muscle soreness. For best results, you’ll want a mix of carbs and proteins like milk, bagels with peanut butter, and chicken with rice or pasta.
- salty foods – Salt helps restore electrolytes that are lost when sweating. Some post-run salty snack options include pretzels, trail mix, jerky, and pickles.
- Supplements – Although a balanced diet will help you meet your nutritional needs, vitamin supplements such as glutamine, omega-3, magnesium and vitamin D are an effective alternative to replenish your nutrients. You can also find these vitamins in fruits like bananas, oranges, and berries.
Running speeds up digestion by increasing blood flow, so it’s best to eat within 30 minutes of running for optimal nutrient absorption.
Hydrate
You lose a lot of fluids when you run. After the race, don’t forget to rehydrate with 16 to 24 oz of fluid for every pound of body weight lost during exercise. You can do this by drinking water or drinking an electrolyte-rich sports drink.
Remember not to drink also lots of water at a time, as this can wash away electrolytes. The goal is to maintain a fluid balance that can relieve muscle soreness and assist in the delivery of nutrients throughout the body.
Passive recovery
After finishing your run, it’s important to take it easy and give your muscles time to heal and avoid the risk of injury. To that end, try these passive recovery techniques that incorporate gentle, healing movements.
Stretch
Stretching is one of the most effective ways to soothe sore muscles and maximize recovery after a marathon, but static stretches can be too intense for inflamed muscles after a run.
Instead, perform dynamic, low-impact stretches to minimize injury. Also, wait a few hours to give your muscles time to rehydrate and recover before starting static stretches and foam rolling.
Massage
The days after a marathon are the best time to massage those sore muscles. Massages are beneficial for well-being as they increase circulation and remove lactic acid and waste products from the muscles, thus relieving pain.
Cold water immersion
Cold water immersion, such as ice baths or cold showers, has similar benefits to stretching and massage: it helps eliminate lactic acid, increases circulation, and aids in the delivery of nutrients to the muscles.
These effects help reduce muscle soreness and relieve delayed onset muscle soreness.
Sleep
After your run, taking a nap may be the only thing on your mind. Luckily for you, sleep is a necessary factor in muscle recovery after exercise.
Sleep regulates hormones that aid in muscle repair and growth. Quality sleep can also speed up the healing process by replenishing energy-restoring glycogen stores.
Set new goals
When you’ve put months of rigorous training and energy into a big day, you might feel depressed once it’s over. In fact, post-run blues are a common experience among runners. But fortunately, there are ways to navigate it:
- Take a break – Take 5 to 7 days off. By implementing a recovery period and allowing your body to recover, you are taking care of your body to ensure that you can continue training in the future.
- Run slowly again – It is tempting to go back to the training you are used to, but this can lead to injuries. After your days off, start with short, easy runs.
- make new goals – Set new goals to stay motivated, such as participating in future races or venturing into a new hobby.
And of course, don’t forget to celebrate your incredible achievement.
Keep running with Chuze Fitness
Running a marathon is a true test of endurance that requires batch rest and recovery. As your body recovers from the microtrauma of intense exercise, you can help by replenishing your nutrients, hydrating, and implementing passive recovery strategies.
Plus, you can facilitate long-term running success and get back to running safely with Chuze Fitness. We believe gyms should be friendly, clean and accessible to everyone, regardless of experience. So whether you’re running marathons or just starting out, you can start a journey of fitness support by joining the Chuze Fitness family today.
Sources:
National Library of Medicine. Marathon training and immune function. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17465622/
Nutri Advanced. The best supplements for marathon runners. https://www.nutriadvanced.co.uk/news/best-supplements-for-marathon-runners/
The world of the runner. What causes DOMS and what can you do to relieve it? https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/a41869140/doms/
Reviewed by:
Ani is the Vice President of Fitness at Chuze Fitness and oversees the Group Fitness and Team Training departments. She has had over 25 years of career in club management, personal training, group exercise and instructor training. Ani lives with her husband and her son in San Diego, CA and loves hot yoga, snowboarding, and all things wellness.
