Running is a popular recreational sport that can be implemented in a relatively simple way by each of us. Running does not require the purchase of a sports club membership card, fancy equipment and outfits, and we can run at any time of the day. All you need is good shoes with a soft sole, a tracksuit and willingness to exercise, which after a month can bring a lot of joy.
What to eat before running
Despite the growing popularity of running, knowledge about proper nutrition before exercise is insufficient. Many women and men do not meet their energy needs related to physical exercise. Beginners and intermediate people may quickly develop fatigue, weariness and a sense of exhaustion, which poses a barrier to covering longer and longer distances in a better time.
The fault lies with the body’s improper preparation for long-term effort. So, what should a runner eat before training? The base of the pre-workout meal should be complex carbohydrates eaten up to 2 hours before exercise. Their amount should be from 1-4 g per kilogram of body weight, depending on the planned length of the run.
This means for a woman weighing 60 kg to eat, for example:
- Half a bag of buckwheat groats (50 g) with a cup of natural yogurt (180 g) and a small banana (100 g), which provides about 60 g of carbohydrates or a cocktail
- Consisting of a large glass of 2% milk (300 ml), 100 g of oatmeal, banana (120 g) and pear (150 g), which provides approx.
- 120 g of carbohydrates or muesli (120 g oats + 50 g corn flakes + 20 g raisins + 20 g dried cranberries) with banana (120 g) and 350 ml milk, which provides approx. 180 g of carbohydrates.
Diet Plan for Runners to Lose Weight
The pre-workout meal should also provide protein and fat, and the amount of these components should decrease in favor of carbohydrates along with the reduction of the time planned for physical activity. Up to 4 hours before exercise, the meal should be a complete meal, i.e. it should contain both protein, carbohydrates and fats.
A meal for about 2-3 hours should contain much less fat and more carbohydrates as well as easily digestible protein, e.g. nutrient, dairy products, eggs, lean meat. In a meal up to an hour before exercise, let’s focus on complex carbohydrates only, e.g. porridge with fruit, whole meal sandwiches with jam.
It is necessary to consider not only the time remaining to the planned activity, but also its duration. In endurance efforts lasting up to an hour, water is enough to drink, if you plan to run longer, it is worth getting an isotonic drink or a banana.
Long distance Runners Diet Plan
It is assumed that the consumption of simple carbohydrates (fruits, isotonic drinks, diluted fruit juice, energy gels) during exercise increases the efficiency of the body during intensive exercises lasting more than 2 hours, but also lasting up to an hour. The carbohydrates supplied during the run save the sugar stored in the muscles, and also raise the level of glucose in the blood, which becomes available to the working muscles.
The second important aspect for a runner, after supplying the body with carbohydrates, is proper hydration of body tissues. During the day when we are going to run, you should often drink water or herbal teas in small portions in order to hydrate the whole body.
Hydration is very important because dehydration, which can occur during running due to sweat production, makes you feel very tired and weak. In warm weather, a dehydrated runner can pass out during a training session or get sunstroke. During the run, it is recommended to drink water or an isotonic drink, and to replenish fluid losses right after exercise.
What to Eat Before a Running Competition?
Among amateur and recreational runners, long-distance runs lasting several hours, such as half-marathons, marathons and ultra-marathons, are becoming more and more popular. Proper preparation for a huge effort is very important and should be taken care of even a few days before the start.
It is worth considering the method of carbohydrate loading, which was invented in the 1960s. The aim of this method is to accumulate the maximum amount of glycogen (reserve carbohydrates) in the muscle tissue according to the principle “the more glycogen you have, the longer you can exercise before fatigue appears.
Benefits of Loading Carbohydrates
The benefits of loading carbohydrates will be felt by people running over 90 minutes, because in shorter runs, carbohydrate resources are not the limiting factor, but fitness is. The most beneficial version of carbohydrate loading proposed by researchers from the University of Western Australia.
Be sure to drink plenty of fluids while loading, as glycogen binds water, and a lack of it can prevent you from effectively accumulating muscle stores. What’s more, due to charging, body weight may temporarily increase by 1-2 kg, which can help or hurt.
Therefore, it is better to test the described method on your body during the training period and not just before the competition. Finally, it is worth emphasizing that regular jogging reduces the risk of overweight and obesity, hypertension, and also improves glycemia and lipid parameters, i.e. prevents cardiovascular diseases, e.g. strokes, atherosclerosis or heart failure.