Eating before and after running. The general rules.
Eating before and after running. The general rules.
1. The golden rule is to try not to eat up to one hour before running as this is a very common source of sickness, stitches and stomach cramps. Allow adequate time for digestion – three to four hours for a large meal, two to three hours for a smaller meal and less than an hour for a small snack.
Pre run food
For evening runs like above try not to eat an hour before, good foods before then which give off energy are snack-able foods like Peanut butter or Jam sandwiches/Bagels, energy bars and nuts and dried fruit as they are packed with proteins and give off slow energy. Eat high-carbohydrate meals through the day to keep your muscles fueled such as pasta and rice, this will give off slow energy and good for endurance runs. Coffe is a good source of caffine and can give you a boost, but can also dehydrate you, so drink some water and on the subject of water drink upto half an hour before you run, then sip for the last half hour if needed. ( you also may find pee pee problems aswell if you drink too much)
Avoid sugary foods, such as candy and soda, within an hour before hard exercise.
For morning runs, Muesli, cereals and porridge are great slow releasing foods as well as Jam, Honey and bagels.
During a run
ts gels or sports drinks during your workout or race if you’re running 90 minutes or more. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids throughout.
Check with liquid foods if digestion is a problem.
Eat familiar foods before a race and don’t try anything new on the day.
Post run.
Bananas are better after a run as they are high in potassium and with Water to re-hydrate and build back up your energy levels in your muscles.
Replenish immediately after exercise with a glass of juice/electrolytes or other high-carbohydrate foods. Follow up with a high-carbohydrate meal, especially after a race or hard workout.
Good eating!
