Apr 20th, 2012
On Sunday 22nd April over 23,000 people will participate in the London Marathon running over 26 miles and 385 yards for charity.
Most runners will have prepared meticulously for the marathon by following strict diet designed for endurance events. However, they often forget that what they eat afterwards is just as important to speed their recovery. Research shows that the perfect post-marathon celebratory meal is a high carbohydrate meal mixed with protein.
Eating a mix of carbohydrate and protein speeds glycogen recovery faster than eating carbohydrates alone, in turn promoting faster muscle repair.
Why? The combination of protein and carbohydrates stimulates insulin release, which prompts the muscle cells to take up glucose (carbohydrate) and amino acids (the building blocks of protein) faster from the bloodstream.
Juliette Kellow, nutritionist BSc RD commenting on behalf of Quality Standard Beef says: “A high carb meal mixed with lean protein will help speed up recovery for London’s marathon runners. One of the nation’s favourite dishes – Spaghetti Bolognese – is the perfect mix of pasta and lean beef mince to celebrate and recover with. It’s tasty and most importantly it’s easy to make and prepare.”
“Those cooking for themselves post marathon can simply pick up a packet of pasta and pre-prepare the lean beef mince and sauce the night before. Those who have family or friends treating them to a celebratory meal should put in their request now! All hail Spaghetti Bolognese”
When shopping look out for Quality Standard mince beef - the label assures quality and provenance. In addition it tells you that the mince is 100% beef with no added water, additives or fillers, and does not have a fat content over 20%. The label can also be found on lean or extra lean mince which has between 10% and 5% fat content
A few extra recovery tips
- Stay warm and avoid a sudden temperature drop
- Keep moving and avoid staying in one position for too long
- Enjoy a gentle massage and avoid intense stretching
- Drink and rehydrate throughout the evening and if possible avoid alcohol
- Take a cool shower or bath – avoid hot baths
- SLEEP and get lots of rest