Fun run nutrition

You’ve signed up for your event, got your shoes and some cute new gear but now the important question – what should your run nutrition be? What should you eat and drink before and after your run?

Start your run properly hydrated, a good sign is pale, straw-coloured pee. This doesn’t mean a big glass of water right before your run, instead try to drink throughout the day.

A popular myth is that exercising on an empty stomach means that your body burns more fat. It is true that a higher proportion of the energy burned will be from fat, however exercising on an empty stomach often means you burn fewer calories overall because working out with lower energy is likely to produce a less intense workout. So, for most sessions I recommend eating before you run.

The food you eat and drink before exercising helps you:

• Fuel and hydrate your body for the session
• Achieve the most out of your session by being able to train harder for longer
• Avoid getting hungry during the session!

Ideally you should aim to have a meal 3-4 hours before your workout or a small snack 1-2 hours beforehand. Everyone is different with what they like to eat and what agrees with their stomach. In general, your pre-exercise meal or snack should be:

• Rich in carbohydrate to top-up your fuel stores.
• Low in fibre, especially if you have a sensitive tummy.
• Easy to digest – avoid foods that are overly high in fats as these are slow to digest.

Some ideas are:

• Small bowl wholegrain cereal or oats with yoghurt and fruit
• Wholemeal toast with sliced banana and nut butter
• Raisin toast with honey
• Fruit smoothie

Caffeine is a AIS Group A supplement, which means it’s proven to work and safe to use. Taking caffeine decreases your rate of perceived effort. This means exercise ‘feels’ easier and as a result, you perform better. You can take a pre-workout such as VPA^® Pre-30 or have a cup of coffee.

It can be tricky to get your fuel in before a run at the crack of dawn. However, a small snack can make a big difference to your energy levels during the workout. Try to have something before you leave the house like a banana or 1/2 a fruit smoothie, or even just a couple of dates. Venom^® Pre workout can be really handy here!  

A lunch time workout is a great idea and will fire you up for the afternoon. Have a decent breakfast with carbohydrate and protein and then a small snack mid-morning to ensure that you’re fuelled up and ready to go at lunchtime.  

This is typically a time where energy levels drop off and all you can think about is dinner. Motivating yourself to go for a run is hard enough after a full day of work, but being hungry makes it much harder. Having a decent lunch and then a small snack before you head for your run after work is really important in making sure you don’t end up heading home to the couch instead!

If you’re exercising for less than an hour, you will have enough stored carbohydrates as glycogen in the muscles. You can just concentrate on hydration. Water is usually sufficient, however if you end up with a post exercise headache you could try to replace lost electrolytes.

If you are exercising for more than 75 minutes you will benefit from some additional carbohydrates. See my blog here if you’re training for a half marathon or marathon.  

Once you’re home from your run it’s important to pay attention to your post run nutrition and stop you needing to reach for the banana bread at 10am. Getting it right will really help if you get late in the day “runger” where you can’t stay away from the fridge/pantry at 3pm.  

The goals of recovery nutrition are to:
-Refuel and rehydrate the body
-Promote muscle repair and growth
-Boost adaptation from the training session
-Support immune function

Rehydrating should begin soon after finishing your run. The body is best at muscle repair and growth in the first hour after exercise.   However, repair will continue over the next 12-24 hours. Usually the best bet is to use your next regular meal after your run as your recovery nutrition. Or, have a small snack to kick-start the recovery process, then use your next main meal to complete your recovery.
 Post workout foods should be:
-Rich in quality carbohydrate to replenish muscle fuel stores
-Contain some lean protein to promote muscle repair (around 20gr of protein is ideal)
-Include a source of fluid and electrolytes to rehydrate effectively

There’s no “best” option for what to eat after exercise. The VPA^® Breakfast Shake is an ideal recovery shake. It combines a full serve of whey protein with carbohydrates from oats. Dairy foods such as flavoured milk, smoothies or fruit yoghurt can also be a great option as they can provide carbohydrate, protein, fluid and electrolytes ticking all of your recovery goals in one handy option. Some other options that you may like to choose include:

• Lean chicken and salad roll
• An egg with wholemeal toast soldiers
• Fruit smoothie – make this up the night before and have it on your way to work.
• Bowl of muesli with yoghurt and berries.  Here’s my muesli recipe, make up a batch today and have it for brekky tomorrow after your run!

Ultimately, it’s important to find a routine that works for you that you can stick to long term. This will depend on what time of day you exercise, where you do it and your own preferences regarding food. Once you find your routine – don’t think just go!

Source: Sports Dietitians Australia