Most of us have no problem spending time thinking about what we’re going to eat after a run: it’s pretty much the only thing on our mind in those final stages. However, it is arguably more important to consider what to eat before a run because proper nutrition is the key to a successful run.
You can use sports supplements such as the best running gels, energy bars and sports drinks for fuel before and during your run and these can be convenient options for long runs and hard workouts, but for most runs you can take ,what you need regular diet if you do some planning.
For expert advice on what to eat before a run, I spoke to Dr. Samuel Impey, chief scientific officer and co-founder of Hexis, an app that creates personalized nutrition plans for athletes.
Dr Samuel Impey is the co-founder and chief scientific officer at Hexis, an app that creates personalized nutrition plans to support your training. Impey has a PhD in human nutrition from Liverpool John Moores University and prior to founding Hexis was the lead nutritionist at British Cycling.
What does your body need to fuel a run?
Most of our runs are carb fueled. Even at low volume—in zone two [for heart rate]—you’ll still get about 50% of your energy needs from carbohydrates and 50% from fat. As the intensity increases, the contribution of carbohydrates to energy production increases significantly. When you reach your threshold pace, that’s where you’re fueling almost exclusively from carbs.
This applies from short distances to marathons. The longer you run, eventually, the contribution of fat starts to increase as well, but most of our energy for running comes from our body’s store of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are stored mainly in the liver and muscles as glycogen. The average person has about 100g of carbohydrates stored as glycogen in the liver. Then it depends on how big they are and how much muscle mass they have, but anywhere between 400g and 600g of carbs are stored as glycogen in the muscles.
Should you eat carbs to fuel your run, but not fat?
Right. Even the leanest person will have enough body fat to release thousands of calories of energy if required. From a digestive standpoint, often from a gut comfort standpoint, as well as a nutritional standpoint, the best way to go is to carb-feed.
What are the best foods to eat before a run?
Any good sources of carbohydrates. This can be breakfast cereal or porridge. If it’s later in the day, it can be pasta, rice, potatoes. It is eaten as part of a balanced meal with some protein and some fruit or vegetables.
Specifically, what it actually is probably depends on the individual. The best pre-run snack or meal for you may differ from what’s best for me. I think everyone should try to find what their body responds well to.
An example would be something like a banana smoothie. A couple of bananas with honey, some yogurt and some milk were mixed. For someone else, it could be a bowl of porridge. It is individual. As long as there are carbs in there, you’re off to the races.
How long before running should you eat?
The rule of thumb is two hours, but different types of food will have different rates of digestion and some will keep you full for longer. If you drink porridge, for example, you probably want to have that 2-2.5 hours, maybe even three hours before your run. If you’re consuming something that digests much faster, like a smoothie, you could probably have it an hour and a half to two hours before.
Are sports supplements absorbed faster?
You could have a carb sports meal just 15 minutes before your run. It depends on how much you have. I would say try to have it at least 30 minutes early. Just to make sure there is enough time for the carbohydrate and glucose to enter your body. Carb drinks and gels are absorbed slightly faster than carb chews or baking. There isn’t much of a difference, but for the most part drinks and gels are absorbed faster.
What foods should you avoid before running?
Foods that are too high in fat are not going to help you run, mainly because of the effect on the gastrointestinal tract. Too much fat slows down the rate of digestion and is often associated with a lack of comfort in the gut when you go for a run. I would avoid meals that are too high in fat, unless of course you’re on a keto diet, in which case there’s not much you can do about it.
Avoid huge amounts of fiber. Try to get a mixture of carbohydrate sources that are not extremely fibrous. Broccoli, celery and carrots, for example, have carbohydrates, but to get a significant amount you would have to eat a lot.
Having some boiled white potatoes, for example, is an easier way to get a significant amount of carbs without that extra bulk and fiber. This helps, in terms of bowel comfort.
Need to do quick runs?
That depends on what you’re trying to do. Many people use fasted training because it is practical. It fits their work and day. Personally, I have no problem with this as long as you meet your energy requirements throughout the day.
Low energy availability can increase the risk of reduced testosterone production in men and reduced sex hormone production in women, which can have harmful effects on bone health.
I wouldn’t do long runs on an empty stomach because of the risk [reduced] quality of education. Runners who are more experienced could probably go longer because they are better able to balance energy demands.
For people who have less of a training history, I would stick to shorter fasted runs.
Should you eat more before certain types of runs?
If you’re training for a marathon, you don’t go out and do the same run every day. Do some faster, some slower, some longer, some shorter, because this improves your fitness. What we see with many people is that despite doing a different workout every day, they still eat the same amount or the same foods every day.
For long rides, it’s a good idea to pre-fuel with a good amount of carbs and also take in some fuel during it. If you’re running for more than 60 minutes, we’d advise you to carb before—and take some with you. This can come from gels, drinks, sports foods or, if you’re okay with eating whole foods, flapjacks, rice cakes.
For shorter, higher-intensity runs, you don’t need to eat more, but aim to increase the percentage of carbohydrate-based foods on your plate. If a plate on a normal day is one-third carbohydrate, one-third protein, and one-third fruit and vegetables, change that plate to maybe half carbs and then one-quarter protein and one-quarter vegetables—so you’re eating the same amount of calories. but the proportion derived from carbohydrates is greater.
It’s about matching requirements. If you have a recovery route or a shorter route, you don’t need to fuel specifically for them. Eating some food will be fine before this, and this is covered in most people’s daily diet.
