What to eat and when to improve ultra marathon recovery.

After running an ultra marathon, your body needs rest and recovery.

Your muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments need time to repair, while your glycogen stores are depleted, leaving you feeling exhausted.

Additionally, your immune system is weakened, and inflammation is elevated. Muscle soreness is also about to kick in.

Your body needs proper recovery nutrition and hydration to help it repair and rebuild correctly, enabling you to return to training with less risk of injury.

What you will learn:

  • What to eat to improve ultra marathon recovery 

  • How long to rest after an ultramarathon

  • When to return to training and running 

How long does it take to recover from an ultra marathon?

Recovery from an ultra marathon varies from runner to runner.

One athlete may need a few days, while another would benefit from weeks of no running.

If it’s your first ultra marathon, you will likely need more time to rest and recover. An ultra marathon is very taxing on the body, and it’s essential to take recovery seriously.

Treat your recovery with the same intensity you would with your training, and you’ll be back running in no time.

Additionally, take into account the climate (was it very hot or humid, for example), course profile, intensity, and other factors into your recovery. You might need to add extra electrolytes or take more days off to account for increased physiological demands on the body.

There is no perfect guide on how long it takes to recover - the best way to recover properly is to listen to your body.

What happens to your body after an ultra marathon?

An ultramarathon pushes the body to extremes - the effects can last weeks.

There’s a lot more going on than “sore legs” and general fatigue. 

By understanding what’s happening physiologically, you can give your body plenty of time to recover properly:

  • Muscle damage: Hours of running cause micro tears in the muscle fibres, leaving your legs sore. This damage can take weeks to fully repair.

  • Glycogen depletion: Energy reserves are low, and you will likely feel tired and exhausted.

  • Weakened immune function: Intense and prolonged exercise can weaken the immune system. You will be more susceptible to coughs and colds.

  • Hydration and electrolyte imbalance: Hours of sweating can leave you with an electrolyte imbalance (e.g., a sodium deficiency may contribute to muscle cramps). Your body needs water and fluids to ensure proper hydration and to transport oxygen and nutrients to the muscles for recovery.

  • Mental fatigue: Ultra endurance races tax the mind - this may affect your mood, focus, attention, and mental energy.

Your hormones are also likely out of balance. If you’re experiencing poor sleep, this is a possible explanation why.

What to eat to recover from an ultra marathon 

In the days and weeks after an ultra marathon, nutrition plays a major role in how quickly you recover (and how you feel).

It also helps limit muscle soreness, reduce fatigue, and supports your immune system during this vulnerable period. 

Continue reading and find out what to eat and drink after running an ultra marathon to improve your recovery.

Immediately after running 

During an ultra, you accumulate a huge calorie deficit (even if you got your mid-run nutrition perfect). In some cases, you can be in a deficit of upwards of 7,000 calories [3].

In the immediate recovery window, prioritise co-ingesting carbohydrates and protein. Carbs provide glucose to restock glycogen stores and protein supplies essential amino acids to support muscle repair and adaptation.

When co-ingested, a stronger insulin response is stimulated, driving more glucose into muscle cells to aid recovery.

Research suggests a 3:1 ratio of carbs to protein in the first few hours after running to improve recovery [2]. 

BAR+ contains 45g of carbohydrates and 15g of protein, and meets the 3:1 ratio of carbs-protein to contribute to muscle glycogen replenishment. 

If you’re really struggling to get calories and can’t stomach any food, consider chocolate milk. The simple carbs and protein kick-start glycogen replenishment, and the fluid also helps with rehydration. 

Eat a meal as soon as you feel able to give your body the nutrients it needs for proper nourishment and recovery.

First 24 hours 

In the first 24 hours, prioritise carbohydrates to restock glycogen stores and protein to kick-start muscle repair and recovery. Your body has been pushed to its limits and needs proper nutrition to recover, rebuild, and repair.

Eat a balanced diet that covers all the essential nutrients:

  • Carbohydrates: rice, pasta, potatoes, to help rebuild energy stores.

  • Protein: fish, eggs, dairy, or plant-based alternatives, like lentils, to repair damaged muscle tissue. 

  • Fruits and vegetables: eat a variety of colours to provide antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, to support weakened immune function.

  • Healthy fats: nuts, oily fish, avocado, to reduce inflammation.

If possible, spread your protein intake evenly throughout the day by eating 20-30g of protein every 3-4 hours.

This increases protein synthesis and provides a constant stream of amino acids to the muscles to support recovery [1]. 

The following weeks

In the days and weeks after running an ultra marathon, focus on eating a balanced diet with plenty of carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats, and fruits and vegetables.

You don’t need to force-feed yourself protein or carbohydrates.

Instead, focus on eating high-quality food sources, ideally including a protein source every few hours, as previously mentioned.

Hydration 

Drink plenty of water and add electrolytes for proper fluid balance. 

SLT07 contains all the essential electrolytes lost in sweat and ensures proper rehydration, which can help with muscle cramping. Use a tablet (or half) and add 500ml of water.

Adding electrolytes is even more important the day of and the following days to help replenish electrolytes.

Drinking fluids and water often increases blood volume and supports recovery by helping transport oxygen and essential nutrients needed for recovery.

How long should you rest after an ultra marathon?

There’s no right or wrong answer on how long you should rest and recover after an ultra marathon.

However, it’s a good idea to take a few days completely off from training (no running or other activities).

Let your body rest and recover.

I suggest three to seven days off from running and all exercise.

After a minimum of three days of no exercise, you can add active recovery, like swimming, walking, and cycling.

These workouts should be very easy. By exercising at a low intensity, you send oxygen-generated blood and nutrients to the muscles, removing waste products and improving recovery.

How to manage fatigue after ultra marathon

Fatigue after an ultra marathon is normal and can last days or even weeks. It’s not uncommon to feel exhausted. 

Listen to your body and don’t run before you feel ready.

Add gentle aerobic activities like walking, swimming, or cycling, and add stretching to your routine. 

Do your best to get plenty of sleep, keep stress to a minimum, and eat a balanced diet.

Take it slow and ease back into training over weeks, not days, to better manage fatigue. It will also help you avoid burnout and overtraining syndrome. 

Key takeaways

  • Your muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments all need time to repair after an ultra marathon 

  • Proper nutrition and hydration improves recovery and reduces injury risk

  • Prioritise co-ingesting carbs and protein immediately after running to improve recovery and glycogen resynthesis 

  • Add electrolytes to replenish lost electrolytes over hours of running 

  • Eat a balanced diet with a source of protein, carbs, fruit and vegetables, and healthy fats with each meal

  • Take 3 to 7 days off completely from training to allow your body time to recover

  • Add light aerobic exercise like walking or swimming after a few days (if you feel able) to support recovery 

  • Listen to your body, take it slow, and don’t rush the recovery process 

References 

  1. Mamerow, M.M., Mettler, J.A., English, K.L., Casperson, S.L., Arentson-Lantz, E., Sheffield-Moore, M., Layman, D.K. and Paddon-Jones, D., 2014. Dietary protein distribution positively influences 24-h muscle protein synthesis in healthy adults. The Journal of nutrition, 144(6), pp.876-880.

  2. Moore, D.R., 2015. Nutrition to support recovery from endurance exercise: optimal carbohydrate and protein replacement. Current sports medicine reports, 14(4), pp.294-300.

  3. Nikolaidis, P.T., Veniamakis, E., Rosemann, T. and Knechtle, B., 2018. Nutrition in ultra-endurance: State of the art. Nutrients, 10(12), p.1995.