It is no coincidence that “one of the best fuellers marathon running has seen” recently became the first person to break the fabled two-hour barrier for the 42.195km (26.2-mile) distance.
Sabastian Sawe consumed 230 grams of carbohydrates during the one hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds it took him to complete the London Marathon in April.
That he was followed home just 11 seconds later by Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia further underlined that “the doors have been opened” to a speedier era of elite marathoning, according to the nutritional mastermind behind Sawe’s world-record run.
Josh Rowe, head of sports technology for Maurten, the brand that devised Sawe’s fuelling plan for his London charge, estimates that ingesting a prescribed amount of carbohydrates can boost performance by 6-8 per cent, whether you are hunting major victories or targeting 3:45:00 at next year’s Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon (SCHKM).
“Nutrition gets lost amid talk around shoe technology, but shoes can increase your running economy by 4 per cent,” Rowe said.
In the 12 months before Sawe’s landmark run, Rowe and his colleagues spent 32 days, across six visits, at the runner’s camp in his native Kenya.
“We wanted to understand Sabastian as an athlete and how we could make tweaks specifically for him,” Rowe said.
“Academically, there has not been much research on individuals of his level.”
In London last year, when he won in 2:02:25, Sawe took in around 95 grams of carbohydrates per hour. That increased to 105 grams last September in Berlin, where Sawe crossed first in 2:02:16.
Subsequent testing discovered that the 31-year-old still had the capacity to consume more carbohydrates, in the form of Maurten’s hydrogel, while avoiding the sickness that is familiar to many runners who use energy gels. His 115 gram per hour load in London was equivalent to eating 12 bananas during the race.
“He has a high tolerance for ingesting carbohydrates, but also for metabolising and utilising them,” Rowe said.
“When you’re running at high intensity, the body diverts blood to the working muscles and skin. Your GI [digestive] tract goes into hibernation. But Sabastian’s body is so well synced that his body still has the capacity to divert blood to the GI tract, so he’s utilising the carbohydrates. That’s why he’s one of the best fuellers marathon running has seen.”
Into his fourth year working with Sawe, Rowe said the hydrogel provided a “more efficient way of delivering carbohydrates”.
“If your stomach is at low capacity, and you ingest traditional carbohydrate drinks, which are quite acidic, it creates a volatile environment,” he added.
“The hydrogel goes straight into the small intestines, and the carbohydrates are absorbed where they’re needed. The Kenyans call it ‘the disappearing drink’. They can ingest a lot, and not experience any swilling around in the stomach.”
For amateur runners wanting to borrow from Sawe’s strategy, Rowe said it was imperative to begin practising fuelling at least eight weeks before race day.
“They definitely wouldn’t need to go as high as Sabastian, but someone aiming for 3:45:00 would be looking at 50 to 75 grams of carbohydrates per hour for a significant performance benefit,” Rowe said.
“You need to identify [the gel] you like, increase your tolerance, then practise with it at race intensity.
“Elite athletes have nutrition embedded into their training for up to 12 weeks before the race, and they have specific fuelling sessions.”
Committed to a voluntary out-of-competition drug testing programme to convince the public of the legitimacy of his achievements, Sawe trains with partners that include his rivals, the brothers Amos and Benson Kipruto.
The group, coached by Italian Claudio Berardelli, maintain their customary diets in the days before racing.
“In the past people would go to pasta parties and increase their intake, but they’d also be taking in more proteins, fats and oils and get to the marathon quite bloated,” Rowe said.
“The elites now have their normal meals, but supplement with a pure carbohydrate solid or drink.”
Sawe, who celebrated his London run with chicken, rice and water, will next race in Berlin in September.
“The mission was always leading towards Berlin,” Rowe said. “London is not conducive to fast times; it’s like a chess game. In Berlin, they usually have one or two fast athletes and it’s more of a time trial.
“Nutrition and technology have changed the marathon over the past five years, and the doors have been opened. They get quicker from 30km. In the past, it would be down to who survived after that point.
“The goal is to go faster. We can’t relax, there’s more to learn and push.”
and then Add to Home Screen.
