Running a marathon places huge demands on your body, making your post-race nutrition just as important as your race-day fueling. From the first 30 minutes after you finish through to the following day, the right recovery strategy can help replenish glycogen, restore hydration, support muscle repair and reduce soreness. Follow this simple post-marathon recovery guide to refuel effectively and get back to feeling your best.
First 30 Mins Post-Race:
Before you get caught up in the post-race celebrations, focus on your recovery. During the first 30 minutes after finishing, your nutrition should prioritise three key areas:
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Replenishing lost water and electrolytes
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Muscle recovery
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Replace glycogen
After hours of running, your body will have lost significant amounts of fluid and electrolytes. To kick-start recovery, rehydrate as soon as possible. Rhise™ Hydration helps replenish essential electrolytes and supports rapid rehydration after the finish. Mix one sachet with 500 ml–1 litre of water, then continue sipping fluids throughout the day, aiming for an additional 1.5–2 litres of water after the race.
Muscle recovery starts as soon as you finish, and nutrition is key. Aim for 20–30g of high-quality protein to support muscle repair.
Usually your body won't feel ready for a full meal, so Rhise™ Whey Protein Isolate is a perfect option, providing over 25g of protein with a complete amino acid profile.
Pair your shake with a banana, sandwich or granola to add extra carbohydrates, helping replenish glycogen stores.
Wind-Down & Next Day Refuel
2-6 hours post-race
Once you've rehydrated, refueled and kick-started muscle recovery, it's time to relax and enjoy the celebrations. Just make sure you balance the celebratory beers and cake with a nutritious meal to support your recovery.
Eat to Recover
Choose a meal rich in protein and anti-inflammatory foods, such as:
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Salmon or oily fish
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Berries
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Leafy greens
These foods provide key nutrients to support muscle repair and recovery.
Wind-Down Protocol
Recovery doesn't stop when the race ends, quality sleep is one of the most important parts of the process. Aim for at least 8 hours of sleep after your marathon.
To help you unwind, Rhise™ ReCharge is a pre-bed hot chocolate formulated with ingredients to promote relaxation, support sleep onset and reduce stress, while Hydrolysed Collagen Peptides help support joint and connective tissue recovery overnight.
Next Day Recovery
Your recovery isn't over. Continue eating balanced meals with plenty of protein, carbohydrates, colourful fruit and vegetables, and stay on top of your hydration to support muscle repair and replenish energy stores.
Our top 3 supplements for next-day recovery are:
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Rhise™ WPI - mix into a smoothie or oats for breakfast to kick-start day 2 recovery. You should be aiming for around 1.8kg-2kg protein per kg of your bodyweight for the entire day. For example, if you weigh 70kg, you should be consuming at least 126g-140g of protein.
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Rhise™ Hydration - Continue replacing lost electrolytes and fluids to support hydration and recovery.
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Rhise™ ReCharge - Quality sleep remains one of your most powerful recovery tools. Stay consistent with your pre-bed routine to support relaxation, overnight recovery and recovery in the days ahead.
