Thousands of people are in the final stages of preparing for New Zealand's largest marathon this weekend.
Around 17,000 runners will take part in the Auckland Marathon, hitting the pavement for 11km, 21km or 42km early this Sunday.
Breakfast reporter Lucy Bendell was among those training for months to take part in the half marathon, with countless hours spent on pavement.
The training is done — and now it's time to fuel.
Carbohydrate loading, or carb loading, is a strategy athletes use to boost their energy stores before a big race.
In the days leading up to the event, athletes can increase the intake of carbs to fill up muscles with glycogen — that's the fuel our bodies rely on during endurance activities - with the goal of maximising energy to perform at our best.
Sports dietitian Dane Baker spoke to Bendell about the carb loading strategy, and tips to craft the perfect pre-race menu.
Sports dietitian Dane Baker spoke to Breakfast about the carb loading strategy, and other tips to craft the perfect pre-race menu. (Source: Breakfast)
"For a race which could be two hours to four hours, we're going to run out of that fuel, especially if we're running at a good intensity," Baker said.
That meant loading up on carb-rich foods such as pasta, potatoes, and cereals — so our muscles have enough fuel to power us through and keep us going for longer.
"The simple sugars that we probably don't deem as healthy, but for a race like this, we probably need to increase those fuel stores.”
For a full marathon he recommended two days of "really good, consistent carbohydrate intake" and anywhere between one to two days for a half marathon.
He said it was a certain type of carb needed, which was simple and avoided high fibre.
"Less sort of whole grains, and we're focusing more on those white parts," he said.
Baker urged people to avoid protein and fibre immediately before the race, or have it in moderation if people were familiar with it, otherwise, "protein and nutrients might just get stuck in the stomach".
"Fibre is normally really good for us, but trying to put more carbohydrate in the system, that can just be a bit of a pressure on the gut," he added.
White bread, bagels, crumpets, pasta, rice, and cereals such as Cornflakes and Coco Pops were examples of great simple carbs.
Stick to toppings such as jam and honey, over lots of peanut butter, as it was too high in protein and fats and was harder to break down then simple carbs, Baker said.
"Stick to foods that you’re familiar with and have trialled in the weeks leading up to the race, and increase them," he said.
Higher carb foods could be incorporated into main meals, or increased in your snack intake.
Baker said an easy way to do this was to start by using sports drinks such as Powerade or orange juice - as long as they were full sugar.
"Things like orange juices, spreads like honey, all the things that can just increase that simple sugar can be used more."
Race day
Baker said people should begin fuelling for the race at least 90 minutes to two hours before the start.
"The reason being [that] we can get it through the gut, digest it and get it into the muscle."
He stressed the importance of eating the food you’re familiar with, and have run on before.
Baker said if you're running the half you would need anywhere between 30g to 60g of carbohydrates about an hour into your run.
"If you're running the full, it might be 60g, or 90g for the faster runners," he said.
For context - that's a couple of servings of jet planes, or gels - but they're a little bit more on the expensive side.
Breakfast presenter Chris Chang said he was surprised Coco Pops were an encouraged choice, and asked if porridge would be a better option.
"So oats have a bit more fibre, but if you're used to running on oats, great," Baker said.
"But it’s all about individual preference and what you can tolerate…if you tolerate oats and you feel good on them, go for it."
Post race
You’ve done it! Congratulations. Now it's time to re-fuel with a focus more on protein than carbohydrates.
"Having a good meal, you might have one or two good meals, try to rehydrate yourself, get maybe some simple sugars in immediately afterwards, and then just try to have a good restful day afterwards," Baker said.
He said the carb loading strategy pre-race can also help with the post-run recovery phase.
A greater supply of glycogen helps replenish stores more quickly after the race, reducing muscle soreness and speeding up the recovery process so you are ready quicker for the next one.
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