Fine blend is a runner's friend

Dietitian Sally Poon is gearing up for her first Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon this Sunday. Of the 70,000 runners, 37,000, including Poon, will participate in the 10 kilometre event.

Knowing the importance of preparing for such a race early, she embarked on a training programme three months ago, first running for 20 minutes three times a week, and gradually increasing each session by five to 10 minutes each week until she could run for an hour straight.

Her diet has also come under scrutiny. In order to make the most of each training session, Poon has a healthy high-carbohydrate meal beforehand, and replenishes with a carb-rich snack afterwards.

However, Poon, who regularly appears on local television with nutritional advice, knows not everyone pays as much attention to preparation. 'This is why you see so many accidents. You see pictures [in the newspapers] of people fainting on the road,' she says.

Many participants, especially in the 10 kilometre event, are new to running and may not know how to prepare for the race, Poon says. This is why she jumped at an invitation from the organisers to create some nutritional recipes to help runners boost their performance - or simply avoid passing out.

Smoothies were a natural choice. 'They are easy to ingest and are full of nutrients,' says Poon. She concocted four tempting varieties: mixed berry, tropical, green tea soy and chocolate soy (see below).

Each smoothie packs between 33 and 42 grams of carbohydrates per serving. For the sedentary person, this could be a diet-wrecker, but for runners, carbs are invaluable. Stored in the body as glycogen, it's the first source of energy during exercise. When it runs out, the body begins to use protein or fats, which can have a negative impact on the runner.