Diet and running are linked. If you want to get the most out of your runs, make sure to eat the right foods and at the right time. But don’t worry, it is not as difficult as it sounds. There are no magical foods or foods you must avoid. The connection between diet and training is more about ensuring that you have enough energy for the run, without feeling heavy in your stomach and body.
Run before or after breakfast
Some people love to run in the morning, but do you have to get up even earlier to have breakfast before a run? Not necessarily.
Some can easily run on an empty stomach, e.g. before breakfast, while others need the energy and would rather run after breakfast. If you run for 30 minutes or less, you should easily be able to run before breakfast. If you are running longer than this, it may be a good idea to run after breakfast, so that the body has energy for the whole run.
If you want to run before breakfast, but cannot run on an empty stomach, you can have a light meal, such as a banana, before running.
If you run 10 k or more
- Get vitamins in the form of vegetables
- Go for light meat because it is not too fatty, like chicken or fish
- In the morning, you can eat oatmeal or porridge, white bread with honey, cheese, or jam or a banana, and possibly supplement with a glass of juice
- Make sure to eat your breakfast 1-2 hours before you run, so that the food has time to digest
- It’s a good idea to bring water or energy drinks (containing electrolytes) with you for your run
- Eat only a light morning meal. If you overfill your stomach, you get tired because your body has to spend extra time to digest
If you run 5 k or less
- Avoid eating immediately before you run. Eat a light meal about 2 hours before you run
- If you run in the morning, you can easily settle for 1 banana or 1 glass of milk if you don’t feel particularly hungry
- If you run later in the day, then alternatively eat a small snack 1 ½ hours before you run, like an energy gel or a banana or a glass of milk
- You do not need to bring drinks on your run
This is how you eat before, during and after a half marathon or marathon
The week before the race: Fill the depots in the week leading up to the race
If you are going to run a longer race such as a half marathon or marathon, it is a good idea to eat a little extra carbohydrate for each of the meals of the week leading up to the race itself, so that you have extra energy in store.
The day before the race, you return to normal meal sizes, so you don’t risk overeating the night before and on the day itself.
For example, you get a little extra carbohydrate from:
- 1 banana
- 1 slice of rye bread (50 g)
- 35 g pasta/rice (raw weight)
- 250 g fresh fruit
- 100 g potato
On the day of the race: Eat a stomach friendly breakfast
3 hours before the start of the race, you must eat a meal that is easy on the stomach, but which is solid enough to keep you full until the start.
Three popular meals are:
- An omelet of 2-3 eggs + 1 slice of rye bread with cheese + a glass of orange juice.
- Yogurt with banana, berries and chopped almonds
- A portion of oatmeal with sugar and almonds
During the race:
During the race, maintaining body’s fluid balance has first priority. Dehydration will affect your performance more than hitting the wall. It is therefore extremely important that you drink little all the way through the race.
When fatigue occurs during the run, it is because the body’s glycogen stores are depleted, a condition which in marathon races is referred to as “the wall”. When the wall occurs, the pace cannot be kept high, as the necessary energy stores are not present. It is therefore a very good idea to consume energy before the depots are emptied.
If you run a half marathon in less than an hour and a half, you don’t need much energy, but if you spend a longer time on it, your energy needs are greater, and you will likely need more than a single gel or two.
Some good advice is:
- Consume fluid and energy already early in the race, from the first depot, so that you do not start the intake until it is too late
- You can consume approx. 1 liter of liquid per hour – spread this liter over several smaller intakes, so you avoid the sloshing and discomfort in the stomach
- Avoid a carbohydrate concentration of more than 8%
- Aim for an intake of between 30 and 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour (a typical gel contains 20-22 grams of carbohydrates)
- Make a fluid and energy strategy and follow it
After the race:
After the race, you will at least be slightly dehydrated, and your glycogen stores will more or less be depleted. Therefore, it is about optimizing the body’s conditions for recovery. Make sure you get some quick energy and fluid, so that the body has something to work with. Preferably eat low-fat, as a high fat content impairs the absorption of carbohydrate in the body.
Some good advice is:
- Eat a light and carbohydrate-rich meal within 30 minutes after finishing
- Eat a main meal less than 2 hours after finishing
- Get plenty of carbohydrates and protein and avoid too much fat
- Be kind to yourself😊
All runners should remember the following
- Avoid drinks with fizz, this can provoke hiccups and stomach cramps, which can have a particularly disturbing effect on your breathing when you run.
- Avoid soda in particular. Soda gives stomach pain or, at worst cramps during running, as the sugar concentration means that it takes a long time to leave the stomach. However, it might be a good idea to drink something along the way if you run 10 km or more, that contains dextrose, which goes directly into the blood and provides energy.
- Avoid drinking coffee before a race. Some runners use coffee to get an extras kick before a race, but its best to steer clear.
- The best liquid to quench your thirst with before, after or during a race is ordinary tap water or energy drinks.
- Avoid drinking juice during a race. Use energy drinks which are isotonic, which means that it is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream.
- Listen to your body’s individual needs. Notice how it feels when you run in relation to what you eat or drink.
Sources
- Løberen.dk
- dk
- Femina
- dk