5 Products You Shouldn’t Run a Marathon Without

Those that run know the struggle to take on board fuel during training or racing. However during a marathon, staying on top of fuel stores is a must if you want to avoid the dreaded ‘bonk’. Our body only has enough energy stores for around 90 minutes of moderate to intense exercise. If we want to exercise for any longer than this we need to make sure we replenish these stores with carbohydrates.

Energy gels are a very easy way to take on board a concentrated amount of carbohydrates, very quickly. Our OTE Energy Gels are almost liquid like in consistency and are made from real fruit juice concentrate making them much more palatable then other gels on the market; and kind on the stomach.  Therefore during a marathon, an energy gel is a great option to help replenish energy stores easily and quickly.

We would always advise trialing the use of gels in training so they don’t come as a surprise come event day. Also it is important to remember that not all energy gels are an equal to aim to race with what you train with.

Using OTE Energy Drink during a marathon is our top tip, mainly because by using it you are ticking off two important areas in one bottle:

• Hydration
• Fuelling

Getting your energy for a marathon from purely gels is doable but by using energy drink along side gels you can rest assure you are also rehydrating as well as replenishing energy. Believe us, this is important! As little as 2% loss of body weight through dehydration can negatively affect performance; and this 2% is more easily achieved than you would think. OTE Energy Drinks also have some other factors that make them the ultimate product for a marathon:

1. They are pH neutral! What does this mean? It means they’re kind on the stomach, low acidity and should mean that you avoid unwanted ‘discomfort’ that is so often linked to sports nutrition. It doesn’t have to cause stomach upset, trust us!
2. They contain a balance of electrolytes. These are the salts that we lose when sweating and they need replacing to help prevent cramp, aid rehydration and help our muscles contract. They are vital for long endurance events, particularly when it’s hot.

If you are one for eating solid food when running, this is the bar for you. Developed using a rice cake concept used in professional cycling, Duo Bars are designed to deliver energy in the easiest way possible. The light crisped rice concept makes them super easy to eat whilst exercise; and it helps that they taste great too. They deliver 40g of carbohydrates; that’s the same as 500ml bottle of energy drink or 2 x energy gels.

With many people struggling to eat during running event solid food is used around the event and these bars can make the perfect pre race snack. They are a great idea to take to the start pens and are light enough on the stomach to have around 30 minutes before the start as that final carbohydrate top up.

If you choose not use energy drink we would strongly suggest consuming Hydro Tabs during a marathon. Consuming fluids that contain electrolytes is much more effective than just drinking water alone for aiding rehydration. A combination of Hydro Tabs and an increased number of Energy Gels is just as effective as using Energy Drink and Energy Gels.

If you chose not to use Hydro Tabs during the event then we still advise using them as part of your preparation. Having a bottle with Hydro Tabs in to hand during the days before the marathon means that you will sip on it little and often without even realising; and this will help you get on top of hydration before you start.

A marathon is going to put a lot of stress on your body, so making sure you give yourself the best chance to recover properly needs to be top of your agenda at the finish. Having an OTE Recovery Sachet in your kit bag to make up straight away after the event is an easy and effective way to help kick start the recovery process. We have two types of recovery sachet; a whey version which is the most widely used, or a soya version for people that are lactose intolerant or vegan.

Having some protein straight after strenuous exercise can help to reduce muscle soreness and help your body repair.