🏃‍♂️ The Secret Science of Ultra-Marathoners’ Diets: Why They Eat Candy, Pizza, and Pure Fat 🍕🍬🥓

 

Overview

Clean meals with grilled chicken, steamed broccoli, quinoa, and perhaps a green smoothie or two are what most people picture when they think of an athlete's diet. 🥦🥤 However, in the realm of ultra-endurance, particularly among ultra-marathoners, that perception is entirely reversed.

Consider yourself halfway through a 100-mile race. You're worn out. Your muscles are yelling. What fuel do you use? Not kale. Not salmon that has been grilled. Instead—a shot of olive oil, a handful of gummy bears, and a slice of pepperoni pizza.

Although it may sound strange, this "dirty" diet is a survival tactic and a scientific need for these extreme endurance athletes. Let's examine the intriguing science behind it and learn why great ultra-runners might use junk food as a covert weapon.

🧪 What Fuels an Ultra-Marathoner? It’s Not What You Think! ⚡

Ultra-marathoners engage in races that are far longer than the standard 26.2-mile marathon; they can be 50, 100, or even 250 miles long, and they sometimes take place over several days, across mountains, and through deserts. 🏔️⏳ With competitors standing for almost a whole day (or longer!), these races can go anywhere from 12 to 36 hours or longer.

Their bodies burn between 8,000 and 14,000+ calories during this time, which is far more than they would normally consume each day. When there is little availability to actual food on a route, the food needs to be:

✅ High-Calorie – for maximum energy return
✅ Easily Digestible – to avoid stomach issues on the move
✅ Fast-Absorbing – to refuel muscles immediately

That’s why ultra-runners pack food most of us would call junk: chips, cookies, soda, even candy bars. It’s not indulgence—it’s efficient energy delivery.

They need to feed the machine constantly. If they don’t, they risk bonking—a sudden, energy-depleting crash that can end their race in minutes.

🍬 Candy & Cola: Quick Energy When You Need It Most 🚀

on daily diets, candy and soda may be vilified, but on a 100-mile run, they are invaluable. 🍫🍭 Ultra-runners burn carbohydrates at a startling pace, and often run into problems when their muscle glycogen runs out.
Here come simple sweets, such as energy gels, Skittles, and jelly beans, which are high in fructose and glucose. These instantly raise blood sugar levels, which fuel muscles and maintain mental clarity.

🥤 Flat Coca-Cola is legendary in the ultra-running community. Why?

• Caffeine + sugar combo = sharp mental focus
• Carbonation-free = easy on the stomach
• Quick energy = no digestion lag

🏁 In races like the Western States 100 or UTMB, you’ll find entire aid stations stocked with candy, cookies, soda, and chocolate. It’s not a cheat—it’s calculated, tested, and essential.

🍕 Why Pizza and Burgers Are More Than Just Cravings 🍔🔥

Not only does a 24-hour run exhaust your legs, but it also damages your stomach, taste receptors, and mind. Sugary foods get stale. Savory comfort foods can help with that.
Ultra-marathoners use the following:

• Pizza slices 🍕 (carbs, fat, protein in one package)
• Grilled cheese sandwiches 🧀 (warm, salty, satisfying)
• Burgers or quesadillas 🍔 (heavy fuel with sodium and fats)

These aren’t “treats”—they’re tools.

👉 Salty, fatty foods help balance electrolytes and prevent muscle cramping
👉 Heavier meals slow digestion, giving long-term energy boosts
👉 Familiar comfort food can provide a huge psychological lift, which is often more important than the physical one

In many cases, these foods literally keep runners moving when they’re emotionally drained. It’s fuel for the body and soul.

🥓 Fat as Fuel: The Rise of Keto-Runners and Butter Shots 💣

Although carbohydrates are important, many ultra-marathoners are experimenting with fat-adapted running, which involves teaching the body to use fat as its main energy source.

💡 Why fat?

• 9 calories per gram vs. 4 in carbs or protein
• Slow-burning, sustaining fuel for long hours
• Reduces dependence on constant sugar intake
• Avoids sugar crashes or gastrointestinal overload

You’ll see athletes snacking on:

🥄 Coconut butter packets
🥓 Bacon or jerky
🧈 Almond butter or spoonfuls of ghee
🫒 Sips of olive oil!

Some even follow a keto-style diet in training to shift their metabolic engine toward fat burning. This way, their bodies tap into internal fat stores, making them more efficient in long events.

🧠 It’s Also About Gut Training, Not Just Fueling 🏋️‍♂️

This is a secret that even some runners are unaware of: your gut needs to be trained just as much as your legs.
It is difficult for the digestive system to run vast distances when eating. Many runners experience GI irritation, nausea, or vomiting. Top athletes practice eating during lengthy runs in order to strengthen their stomachs.

Gut training consists of:

🍽️ Learning to eat while in motion
💧 Balancing hydration with sodium and calories
🥣 Introducing a wide range of food types gradually
🤢 Testing what your body tolerates under stress

Ultra-marathoners often experiment for months to find the perfect fueling combo. For some, it’s gels every 45 minutes. For others, it’s a mini-meal every hour. Success means understanding how your body processes food at mile 70—not mile 7.

🧪 Science Agrees: Performance Needs Personalization 🧬

These unconventional fueling techniques are supported by recent sports research.
📚 According to a 2022 study in the Journal of Sports Sciences, ultra-endurance athletes who combined macronutrients—proteins, fats, and carbohydrates—performed better over the long term and experienced fewer bonks than those who only used carbohydrates.

Other findings show:

• Fat-adapted runners have enhanced metabolic flexibility
• Palatable foods reduce perceived effort
• Electrolyte-rich snacks reduce cramping and dehydration risks

Translation? There's no universal rulebook. What works best is highly personal—built through trial, science, and miles.

🌍 A Culture of Food, Fun, and Endurance 🍻

Ultra-running honors its culinary culture nearly as much as the race itself, in contrast to typical sports. There are crazy aid stations, food tables that resemble birthday parties, and a lot of community at races.

Anticipate:

• Pancakes, bacon, and syrup at mile 20 🥞
• Nachos and ramen at mile 60 🍜
• Popsicles and beer at the finish 🍦🍺

Resilience is fostered by this joyous culture. A common endurance tribe is created by sharing food, making jokes with volunteers, and consuming actual meals in between races. It serves as a reminder to runners that they are human beings and that food is the bridge that connects suffering and happiness.

🏁 Concluding Remarks: Eat Strange, Run Far 🚀

Ultra-marathoners are the stunning outlaws of sports nutrition in a society that is fixated on diet control and clean eating. They demonstrate that sometimes sacrificing perfection is necessary for performance.

🍕 Pizza fuels perseverance.
🍭 Candy fuels courage.
🥓 Bacon fuels boldness.

Their eating habits are deliberate rather than careless. created by years of science, experimentation, and pure determination.
Encourage them the next time you see someone running up a mountain while holding a pepperoni slice. The rules aren't being broken by them. They are demonstrating that the regulations are completely different in the ultra-endurance arena.

💬 Participate in the Discussion: Which Crazy Fuel Have You Tried While Trailing?

When you were running, have you ever eaten a burrito? Or, while hiking, shattered a candy bar? Which trail snack is your favorite? 🥪🥤 Leave a comment below or tag a buddy who enjoys strange cuisine and lengthy runs.
👉 Remember to tell your fellow athletes and inquisitive foodie friends about this post if you enjoyed it!