What to Eat Before You Run 🏃♂️
Are you about to start running? Getting ready to lace up your running trainers for your first 5k? Training to beat your 10km PR?
Whatever your goal for running, nutrition is something you might want to consider. This blog will hopefully give you a steer on the best way to boost your performance through nutrition.
Let’s get stuck in
Nutrition is so important to running well.
Let's start our nutrition chat with a question.. Have you ever tried going for a run after a meal?
Yep.. don't worry, we know that heavy stomach feeling too well...
Nutrition is an important, yet often overlooked aspect in running. Eating and drinking can have a huge impact on your energy and enjoyment for running. It also has a big impact on our performance. Get eating before running right and you can give yourself the best chance to feel good and have fun, while achieving your goals.
On episode 8 of the Lupa Sweat & Smile Podcast, we caught up with our friend, Freddie Greswold, Sports Nutritionist for Cell Nutrition Sport. Freddie shared some great insights on the right food to eat before running. Knowing what to eat before a run can help with your running performance. Most importantly, good nutrition before a run will help you feel great on your run. We wanted to share some of those nuggets of wisdom with you in this article.
Feeling great while running is what we are all about at Lupa. We invite you to try one of our mindful running experiences. Why not try our 5km body scan, which will allow you to reconnect with your body and mind as you run. Lupa is available from the App Store and the Google Play Store.
Before we get stuck in to Freddie’s tips, It's important to note that everyone is different. People run different distances, speeds and times each day. These are some guidelines that everyone, no matter your fitness level or experience, can follow.
Without further adieu, here are the best ways to maximise your energy before running:
6 hours before you run: no fats or spicy food
The purpose of eating before a run is to maximise your body's energy stores (glycogen) - there are ways to do this and ways not to do this. One thing that can help our body pre run, is within 6 hours from your run, try your best to avoid fatty foods.
The reason for this is that it takes fat a long time to digest. Ever had that weird feeling in your stomach while running? The chances are it was because you were still digesting some food. Foods like oils, peanut butter, nuts and avocados have high fat content so are best avoided in your pre run meal if you want to have an enjoyable run.
It's also important to avoid spicy food. We at Lupa love a spicy takeaway as much as the next person, but spicy food is tough on the stomach. This will give you that heavy stomach feeling that does not make for a fun run.
You want to make your pre workout meal or snack easy to digest and these are just some potential foods to avoid in the hours before running. Remember though, everyone is different so if spicy foods pre run leads to a successful training run or race day, then hey, we can't complain!
3 hours before you run: High carb meal
Fruits and Veg are a great source of carbohydrates.
Within 3 hours from your run then it's meal time.
Eat high, high fiber foods slow with release complex carbs and low sugar content. This will boost your energy stores. Pasta, bread, oats, quinoa and rice are all great options. It is good to have a small amount of protein at this stage, as this will help you recover from your run. Pasta and rice will have a small amount of protein. You could supplement this with a some lean meat or egg white.
1 hour before you run: Fruit snack
Less than an hour before you run is your opportunity for a small pre-run snack.
This is the final little bit to top up your energy stores and your blood sugar levels. Fruit is the best option as it releases energy quickly and is natural. The fructose within the fruit will convert quickly to glucose and give you that last little lift before you get out for your run. Try a banana, an apple, pineapple or some blueberries.
If you're a morning runner: Water and Electrolytes
Firstly, nice work - Up and at 'em!
Get your nutrition right and you can run happy.
If you are one of those inspiring people who runs first thing in the morning, a meal might not be the best option, if you need to eat, have a light snack or energy bar. Just remember the most important thing is hydration. You might be a bit dehydrated after your sleep, so be sure to stock up on water and electrolytes before your run.
Electrolytes help to hold water in your cells rather than just have it pass out of your body. Having them on board along with some water will clear your mind, give you more focus and a new source of energy.
It is these things that will help you to enjoy those early morning runs.
A final word
Nutrition is an important part of our running journeys. It can be confusing but we hope this content will help guide you towards a successful and enjoyable running experience. Just remember, we are all different so through trial and error you can find out what works for you as the awesome individual you are.
At Lupa, the world's smartest running partner, we are here to help you make running an enjoyable and mindful experience. Lupa is available to download from the Apple Store and the Google Play store for free today.
This blog was written by Rob Cahill based on a podcast between Conor Stone and Freddie Greswold.
Take these tips on board and use them to make the most of your running journey with Lupa!