Nutrition is not simply about what you eat – when you eat has an impact on your running as well. You can maximise your training and nutrition by timing some of your meals and snacks around your runs. Here is a basic guideline:
BEFORE
Eating before a workout will provide you with energy to run as far or as fast as you need to, especially if you will be running for longer than 30 minutes. Opt for a small, easily carb-based digestible snack 1-2 hours before your run. Banana, dried fruit such as raisins, and toast are all good options for a pre-run snack. Protein can be difficult to digest before a run, so save that for after your workout. Some runners find a bit of fat adds satiety to their pre-run snack, while others find it causes GI distress, so base whether you add peanut butter to your pre-run banana off of your individual needs.
DURING
If you are running for longer than 90 minutes, you will need to eat during the run as well. Your body can only store enough carbs for approximately 2 hours of running and burning through all of your glycogen stores can suppress your post-run recovery and immune system. You can choose sports nutrition products such as gels or chews, or you can eat easily digestible whole foods such as dried fruit, applesauce, or boiled potatoes.
AFTER
Your body needs carbohydrates after a run to replenish glycogen stores (how your body stores carbs for energy) and protein to begin muscle repair. In the hour after exercises, your body is primed to synthesise carbs and protein, so aim to eat at least a small snack, if not a meal, during this key window.
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