For people who run, food is not just simple nutrition. For runners, food is fuel. Depending on their goals, they should choose an athletic diet for runners that will help them achieve them.
Being a runner involves the incorporation of training, physical therapy, and a good night`s sleep into your daily life. There are many factors to consider, but, the most important of them is fueling.
Even though it can feel impossible to follow all the demands of your body when you run, rest, or recover, it can get easier when you know what food is right for you. That way you can ensure excellent athletic performance on and off the track.
In this text, we will talk about what to consider when you are making an athletic diet plan for runners. Additionally, we will provide some tips on what to do before, during, and after a run.
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Things to consider when making an athletic diet for runners
As an athlete, you know that knowing what to eat and drink before, or during a training session is very important. However, runners(and other athletes, too) sometimes just focus on that and overlook the importance of day-to-day nutrition.
Fueling is important not just for performance but for recovery, too. If you don`t provide your body with enough energy it needs, you will compromise your immune system, put yourself at a higher risk of injury, experience fatigue, or not reach your goal in general.
Therefore, it is important to keep your body in peak shape and bursting with energy. There are some things that you should consider that can help you achieve your goal by choosing food that is good for you.
1. Daily Hydration
Everyone needs to be hydrated, but as a runner, you expel more fluid than other people, so it is more significant for you to hydrate. Runners need to drink around two to two and a half liters of fluid daily.
You don`t have to drink just water and it can include other drinks like tea, soda, juice, or any other liquid. But, keep in mind to watch the sugar content and do not overdo it. However, water and drinks without caffeine are safe for healthy hydration. Even though, sometimes, now and then, coffee will not hurt.
During sweating, besides fluid, we expel some amounts of chloride, sodium, and potassium. We can consume hydration that contains electrolytes during the run, but it might not be enough to replenish what we lost.
Using drinks or tablets that can replenish your losses of electrolytes can be a good choice to stay on track. They can help you make sure that your electrolytes are still at a good level. If you lose electrolytes, you might feel dizzy or fatigued.
2. What food to choose
Every athlete trains differently, some run a hundred miles per week, others run ten miles, and some might run some length in between. Different factors will have an effect on how many calories you need to consume each day.
You can see a sports nutritionist to help you figure out the exact amount of calories you burn daily and add your specific training load for the total. The most important part is that your fuel your body enough. Therefore, if you don`t do that you will feel heavy and fatigued during training and you will not be able to perform the right way.
If you don`t have allergies or sensitivities, and you are not restricted by any food, a simple athletic balanced diet is a great choice. You need to keep in mind that everything in balance does miracles to our body.
A runner should not deprive themselves of any food group, because all of them have a specific function in regards to performance during training and then recovery after it.
Here is how they contribute to our bodies:
1. Protein
It is used for muscle recovery and to help increase muscle mass. Therefore, it is a good idea for runners to consume recovery or protein shakes soon after a workout, race, or long run added to their everyday diet.
Poultry, meat, fish, and eggs include protein. However, quinoa, beans, and legumes also have protein, but, contain a percentage of carbohydrates, too.
2. Carbohydrates
When consumed, they are converted into glycogen and stored in the liver and muscles. After that, we use them as energy to fuel our bodies when we work out. Altogether, a pretty solid percentage of a runner`s diet includes carbohydrates.
There are a lot of diets that limit or even eliminate carbs entirely. However, speedwork and performance might not be optimal because energy from sugars is something that a runner needs. Carbohydrates are in starchy vegetables, fruits, pasta, bread, rice, legumes, and cereal.
3. Healthy fats
Same as diets that exclude carbohydrates, there are diets that are no-fat. However, eating healthy fats is vital and it has to be part of your balanced diet. It is the second energy source your body uses. They are important for our joint and cardiovascular health, and brain function. Food that includes healthy fats is avocadoes, seeds, nut butter, nuts, and olive oil.
Before, during, and after a run
Before a run
If you are going to have a short run, under an hour, you don`t have to worry too much about what you are going to eat before it. Likewise, it is the same if you are running at a moderate pace. For long runs, eating easily digestible carbohydrates, an hour before your exercise, will help you work out longer.
If foods that are high in fiber cause you gastrointestinal distress, limit them and don`t consume them 24 hours or longer before a run that is longer than an hour. Running can make worse any digestive problems you might have, so if that is the case, consult with a doctor.
If you are training for running a marathon, have at least one long training run at the same time as the marathon starts. That way, you will have time to figure out what and when to eat on race day.
During a run
Bringing a bottle of water is all you need if you are planning to run shorter than forty-five minutes. Therefore, for this length of the run, your body should have enough glycogen to sustain you, and you won`t need to bring any food.
However, if you are going to have a longer run, bring some nutrition like fluids and carbohydrates. There are some sports drinks that have both. But, you can bring pre-packaged sports energy chews or gels that can help you with your long-run carbohydrate intake.
These products are easy to digest, almost all simple carbohydrates, and they are designed to be easily carried in a pocket or pouch. On a more natural note, eat a banana as a great fuel source. Drink a lot of water when you use solid food as fuel to help your body absorb it quickly.
After a run
What you eat after a short run doesn’t matter much, but after a long or intense run, you should eat right away. Eating carbohydrates right away after a workout will help you restore the glycogen that you have burned and it will help your muscles recover.
If you wait even a few hours your ability to replenish that fuel will drop by half. Therefore, it is crucial to eat immediately after a workout and that you take in some protein, too. That way you will keep your insulin levels high and your muscles will have more time to recover.
One of the best snacks after working out is chocolate milk. However, you will not make a mistake if you try a smoothie, whole-fat yogurt, and fruit or a peanut butter and banana sandwich. After a snack, hop into the shower to cool off while your body is still working to recover itself. Eat a real meal within two hours after a workout according to a well-devised athletic diet for runners.
Conclusion
Each one of us is unique and we have different goals, needs, and diet preferences. To clarify, the most important thing to consider while choosing an athletic diet for runners is to choose the one that works for you.
Nutrition and hydration vary depending on metabolism, training load, weight, physiological differences, sweat rate, etc. Everyone will burn a different number of calories and need different times to recover.
You should consider our ideas from this text, but if you feel like you need more help, consult with a sports nutrition so you can get the most personalized help possible. We are here for you, too, for all your questions and advice about your diet plan. Good luck with the extra mile, you can do it!
