How to Be a Vegan Marathon Runner

Marathon running requires a healthy, fortified diet and intentional food consumption. Meals should pack protein and carbohydrates as well as meet your standard daily nutritional needs. Careful attention to nutrition complements a vegan diet and provides the necessary nourishment for marathon running.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Vegan Nutrition While Training

1. Get enough protein. Use vegan protein sources such as tofu, nuts, whole grains, legumes (beans and lentils, for example) and dark green vegetables. Aim for at least 60 grams of protein per day or more, depending on your body weight. Calculate 0.5 to 0.7 grams for every pound of body weight.

2. Consume 65 percent of your dietary intake as complex carbohydrates, such as whole-wheat and whole-grain carbohydrates. Whole-wheat pastas, breads, noodles and brown rices also provide ample protein to help you reach both your carbohydrate and protein goals.

3. Hydrate your body often during training. Drink plenty of water throughout the day and during your training runs. Use electrolyte replacement drinks.

4. Consider the nutritive value of everything you consume. Eat a variety of foods. Attempt to get your protein from different sources throughout the day rather than depending solely upon soy.

Vegan Nutrition for Long Runs and Race Day

5. Carbo-load the day and night before your long runs and race. Use complex carbohydrates such as whole wheat pastas and breads.

6. Eat a low-fat, low-protein breakfast that's high in complex carbohydrates. Use your long runs as a chance to experiment and find the best breakfast, so that you eat something tried-and-true for race day. Snack on easily digestible foods throughout your run to stay energized and strong.

7. Drink plenty of water. For runs longer than 60 minutes, use electrolyte replacement drinks or gels in addition to water.

8. Have something filling and nutritional immediately following the race or long run, and continue to eat heartily (and healthfully) throughout the rest of the day. Continue to stay hydrated. Recovery nutrition is very important.

Tips & Warnings

• Use your long runs as practice races. Road-test your gear (clothing, shoes, underwear and hat, for example) as well as your eating habits. Develop a list of the best night-before meals, breakfasts, mid-run foods and post-run recovery meals.
• When running for hours at a time, remember to appeal to your senses. Select mid-run snacks that pack nutrition and taste good. Trail mix with pretzels, dried fruit and dark chocolate works well.
• Be sure to wear vegan (non-leather) running shoes. Most running shoes are entirely synthetic, but a few leather pairs are still on the market.
• Avoid hyponatremia, a dangerous condition amplified by consuming too much water without replenishing electrolytes. Salt also works, but sodium is only one of the electrolytes you must replenish.

Who Can Help:

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Resources

• Vegetarian Resource Group for vegan nutrition and fitness resources.
• Runners World for marathon-training information and vegan running articles.
• American Vegan Society for vegan nutrition and fitness information.