Fueling The Run

What to eat before, during and after

It's no secret that in order to perform at your best, you need to have proper fuel. Your car won't operate well if it's out of gas, and neither will you!

Before The Run

If you're running first thing in the morning and it's a light effort like an easy run, you may be able to run without eating anything, especially if your body is used to it. Other people will feel better and recover faster if they have a small snack 30 minutes before heading out. Yup, that may mean that you need to get up even earlier 😏. Here carbs are key.

Examples:

🍞 Slice of toast with some jam, a banana with a little bit of nut butter

🍌 Banana with a half or full spoonful of nut butter

🍇 Dates, grapes, or even a gel

If you are running in the afternoon and lunch was a while ago, go for a light snack 60–90 minutes before running. Something with mostly carbohydrates and a bit of protein.

Examples:

🍌 Banana with a spoon of peanut butter

🥯 Half a bagel or a slice of toast with cream cheese

🥨 Crackers, pretzels, or a granola bar

Then have your main dinner after your run to refuel and recover properly.

After the Run

Right after your run, your body is primed to absorb nutrients and replenish glycogen (fuel) stores. Therefore the nutritional goal is to replace carbohydrates, protein, fluids and electrolytes.

If you're not going to be eating a meal right after, then plan on eating a small snack, especially if it was a hard or long effort. 🍫🥛 Chocolate milk is actually a perfect recovery drink because of its 3:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio.

A balanced meal for fuller recovery will include:

• Carbohydrates to refill glycogen (rice, quinoa, pasta, sweet potatoes, whole-grain bread)

• Protein to repair muscle (chicken, fish, eggs, tofu, lentils)

• Healthy fats (avocado, olive oil, nuts)

• Vegetables for micronutrients

Examples:

Grilled salmon + rice + roasted vegetables + olive oil

Chicken stir-fry with quinoa and veggies

Omelet + toast + salad

💧 Don’t forget to hydrate!

Replace fluids and electrolytes, especially if you sweat a lot or it’s hot — water, electrolyte tabs, or even saltier foods (like soup or pretzels) help.

During the Run

For most folks, there is no need to supplement with electrolyte beverages or gels unless the workout is over 90 minutes long or its extremely hot out. If you're stressing with system with either (or both!) factors, then you will benefit from some supplementation.

Electrolyte (or isotonic) beverages help your body replace the minerals lost through sweat — mainly sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium — and maintain your fluid balance, muscle function, and nerve signaling. When you sweat, you release more than just water. So when its significant, you need to make sure that you replace with more than just water.

The market is inundated with a variety of electrolyte beverages. Choosing what is best for you is a matter of trial and error. Some runners instead swallow a tablet such as "Salt Stick" and pass on the sweet and salty beverages. Lately I've been using ZNA electrolyte drink mix. I like it because it's not overly sweet and its locally produced here in the Jerusalem region. I find the powder a lot more convenient than needing to carry around and resupply full bottles of ready made drinks.

Gels are often used by running training for longer efforts like the half marathon, marathon and ultra events. For most people there is no need to top off glycogen stores for efforts under 90 minutes. Once you go longer than that, your body starts to run out of the glycogen it needs to keep going and you risk "bonking" or slowing down as your body runs out of fuel.

The trick with fueling is to start before your system needs it. Once you start slowing down due to low energy availability, your body won't "catch up" fast enough from the refueling. So plan ahead! If you know that you have a long run, start fueling at 30 minutes into your run and continue to fuel every 30-45 minutes. Most endurance sports nutritionists advise ingesting 50-100 grams of carbohydrates per hour. Many athletes need to train their gut to digest this fuel while working hard, so this is something that takes practice just like the running part of the workout!

Gels are popular because they are compact, lightweight, often include a balance of electrolytes and types of sugars, alongside additives such as caffeine, and convenient because they are pre-packaged and don't require chewing. But you don't NEED to use gels. Many runners use dates, gummies, candies, or dried fruit. I will say from experience that using more "real food" requires even more practice. You're breathing faster and heavier than usual on the move and you do NOT want to risk choking.

Some runners tolerate certain brands or mixes of gels over others. No matter what you try, be aware that most are tolerated better when you ingest water as well at the same time. A gel is working well if it keeps your energy levels stable or even provides a small "boost". It's not a great match if it causes an upset stomach.

Summary

Running nutrition requires a delicate balance, especially for those looking to lose weight. Running can easily make you "rungry", and while it burns loads of calories, you can easily eat back when you burned off, plus more. At the same time, if you're too conservative and underfuel you will not reap maximum performance rewards and even worse, increase your injury risk.

Being aware of what you eat before, after and even during a run is a really important element of any training program.

Anyone serious about their nutrition to maximize their success should consult with a registered sports nutritionist for a custom plan that meets their lifestyle and training needs.