Sports Nutrition: The Figure/Fitness Competitor & Marathoner

My exicitement about my Figure and Fitness competition victory has settled down to make way for my excitement about training for a 1/2 marathon! I'm not tossing my blingy swim suit and clear stripper shoes yet though. My figure/fitness competition season will last until the September, so I thought doing a 1/2 marathon would be great for my current training regimen and prove to be a great challenge for me afterwards.


I haven't really liked running in the past, but I'm working on improving my mentality and performance. Thus, I've got the motivation, discipline, a pair of running shoes, running shorts, but not the diet...yet. From what I can see and what I've been told the marathoners' diet is quite different that of a fitness or figure competitor.

Event Diet/Nutrition
As a marathoner the energy to perform during the training sessions comes primarily from the glycogen stores in your muscles and blood system. As a fitness/figure competitor we use the same theory to apply to intense weight lifting sessions and, sometimes, frequent or long cardio sessions. This is because the more glycogen you have stored, the better you will perform.



The definition of good performance for these sports, however, are not the same, so the pre-competition diet is different. The runners' goal is to have enough energy to finish the race; to have and maintain physical and mental endurance. Therefore, the runners' typical daily intake or meal is comprised of 25% proteins, 25% fats, and 50% carbohydrates. Whereas, the fitness/figure competitors' goal is to have muscle and be lean on the day of the competition, so the diet is more like 50% protein, 15% fats, and 25% carbohydrates.

As I get more involved in running I will have more to share about it because I'll be learning more, so if you are already a runner please share your thoughts and suggestions.

In the meantime, I'm a figure/fitness competitor that is working on my goal of inspiring you and others while I push myself to be in the best shape and condition of my life.

Let's all be fit & fabulous at whatever we do!