The New Rules of Marathon and Half-Marathon Nutrition by Matt Fitzgerald

Author:Matt Fitzgerald [Fitzgerald, Matt]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780738216461
Publisher: Da Capo Press
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

STEP THREE: CAFFEINE FASTING

This step begins either one or two weeks before race day (therefore it partially overlaps with the fat-loading phase) and continues until race morning. A caffeine fast is necessary to maximize the benefits of taking caffeine immediately before a race. If you do not normally consume caffeine or you do not plan to take caffeine before a race, this step can be skipped as well.

Like the other nutritional steps of the fat-loading period, the caffeine fast pertains to both marathons and half marathons. In fact, you’d be well advised to do a caffeine fast ahead of pre-competition caffeine use even if your race was a 100-meter sprint.

Caffeine is very similar in chemical structure to a compound called adenosine that the body produces naturally. Adenosine serves various biological functions. In the brain it acts as a neurotransmitter—a chemical messenger that transmits signals from one brain cell to another. Many brain cells contain special adenosine receptors that adenosine molecules fit into like a key in a lock. When the brain is not releasing a lot of adenosine, the majority of adenosine receptors stand empty, and when the majority of adenosine receptors stand empty, a person feels wakeful and alert and signals travel quickly both within the brain and from the brain to the muscles. When the brain releases a lot of adenosine, which it does at nighttime, a person becomes sleepy and the brain slows down.

TABLE 5.1 SAMPLE ONE-DAY FAT-LOADING MEAL PLAN

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