Nutrition is a critical part of your running. First, you need calories to sustain the additional challenge you add to your daily life - running. If you are about to lose weight, you may want to use your “storage” to fuel your runs. However, nutrition is so much more than calories in, calories out. Regardless of whether you are losing or gaining weight, the sources of your calories matter for both your body composition and your running goals. Thus, food becomes an essential part of your running journey. For this reason, we will give enough attention to the connection between eating and running, particularly when eating comes first.
Running after eating as a whole topic
Before you run, you want to load your body with energy to be able to feel good and run well. Even if you aim to lose weight, it doesn’t mean you should skip food before running; it simply means you want to pay attention to what and how much you eat.
You’ve probably heard a lot about eating on an empty stomach (for breakfast) and if that feels good to you, do it. However, many of us struggle to exercise without food in their body because we feel sluggish or dizzy. You may even refuse to run anymore because it feels unpleasant, or you may not see any gains from the work you put in.
So, in this case, what is better - to eat a bit and run, or not run at all? Of course, to eat and thrive!
Eating before running - what, when, and how much?
Here things become very individual. It’s important what you can tolerate, how much is enough and if it feels right. Moreover, it depends on the duration/ intensity of your run and what your personal goals are. I will try to get as specific as I can, giving you different scenarios.
First, stick to foods that you know you tolerate well before a run. Again, this will be very individual for everybody. An example of foods that runners usually feel good about before a run are: bananas, oatmeal, muesli/granola with milk/yogurt, bread/bagels/toast, nut butter, honey, jam, dates, granola bars, or other energy bars.
But you might be different and tolerate something else better, so don’t be afraid to try other foods. For example, I love protein bars, and I tolerate them ideally before ANY run, even a marathon, although protein is not the preferred fuel before a run ( but it makes me full and satisfied, and I am pretty hungry in the morning!:) ).
How much to eat depends on your activity. For example, I may eat only a protein bar before an easy run, but I will have more than that before an intense workout or race.
Let’s break it down:
Easy running between 20-60 minutes
You can totally do it without food, but if you’re somebody who can’t, go for some light snack up to 300kcal.
Easy running between 60 and 120 min
To have enough energy, aim to eat between 300-600kcal. The more you eat, the more you will have to wait before you do your run. Keep that in mind. Another option is to have a carbohydrate gel in your hands if you don’t tolerate eating much. You can take it after the 60min run.
It’s a good option to eat food that is higher in calories and smaller in volume.
Workout/ Race
You always want to feel strong for these days. Therefore, it’s essential to start fueling the day before to have enough glycogen to run fast. Consider also leaving more time for your body to digest the food to avoid any digestive issues.
Moreover, eating more food means that your body will concentrate its energy to digest the food, meaning that you’ll have less energy going to your working muscles. Thus, you have to plan your nutrition timing, quality, and quantity more carefully on these days.
For example, go for more complex carbohydrates and avoid foods too high in sugar or fats. How much you should eat depends on the duration of your race and how well you fueled the day(s) before. The longer the race, the more calories you will need but try to get those the day before rather than right before the race.
Long Run
You will need lots of calories to run long. Again, you should make sure you eat enough the days before and have something not too heavy hours before the run.
I suggest you practice getting calories during the run through gels or sports drinks because you want to avoid WC breaks or any digestive problems that can interfere with your long run. Moreover, the more you practice getting those during your run, the more you get used to it. On average, people fuel around every 30min or 5-7k of running during long runs. Since you can’t eat much right before the run, it’s essential you establish a fueling routine that sits well with your body.
When to eat before a run?
This is perhaps one of the most common questions regarding eating and running. You can figure out what is best for yourself by trying because we’re all different. Here are some general guidelines, but stick to what feels good with you and your stomach!
Small meals/snack (up to 400kcal) -> you can eat around 60 - 90 min before you start running, some people (like me) even less.
Larger meals (500kcal+) -> leave yourself at least 90 minutes but keep in mind that it may take between 3 to 4 hours for your body to digest the food. This means that the more you eat, the more time you need to give to your body to break down the nutrients.
The big deal (aka full meals)
What matters here is to remember that you want to eat food that you can digest quickly, and it feels good to your stomach. What works for you is something you should figure out for yourself. The more you eat, the more time you have to wait until you go for a run. You want your energy going to your working muscles, not to your stomach. Moreover, you don’t want a belly that causes cramps and discomfort. Thus, it’s essential you become a bit of a planner in terms of your running and nutrition. It may sound hard at first, but it’s totally worth it!
You might also be interested in:
- 3 Major Setbacks in Running and How to Overcome them
- 10 Key Marathon “Do’s” and “Don’ts”
- The Secret to Running a Successful Marathon
- 7 Best things to do after a run to recover faster
- 8 Undeniable Benefits of Long Runs
- 5 Big Mental Health Benefits of Running
- Top 9 High Knees Benefits for Runners
- Recommended Dynamic Pre-run Warmup Exercises from an Olympian
