When it comes to performing at your best, getting your nutrition right before, during and after your daily runs can make a big difference. Having enough fuel onboard as well as being well hydrated can prevent fatigue and help ensure you’re able to run at the intensity you want for as long as you need to.
How much and what you eat or drink depends on the length of your training or event. There's no one-size-fits-all approach, so use your training to test different nutrition strategies. That way, by race day, you’ll have a plan that works for you, tried and tested, and ready to go.
Pre-Run Food Tips
- When planning to run for 90 minutes or more, aim for a carb-rich meal 2 to 4 hours beforehand. Try options like eggs on toast with beans, pasta with chicken and veg, or rice with tuna and salad. Also, check your hydration by looking at your pee before you run. A pale straw colour means you're well hydrated.
- If your run is anywhere between 60 to 90 minutes, eating beforehand is optional. If it helps, go for it — just time it well. Have a full meal at least 3 to 4 hours before, or a light snack like a banana, smoothie or sandwich no less than 30 minutes before, ideally 1 hour out.
- If running for less than 60 minutes, there’s no need to eat anything beforehand if you don’t want to.
Practising for Race Day
- For early morning runs or events, have a carb-rich meal the night before. In the morning, try low-fibre, easy-to-digest snacks 1 to 2 hours before running. Good options include white bread with honey, peanut butter on toast, a breakfast milk drink, a muesli bar or creamed rice.
- If your race is later in the day: In addition to a larger meal 3-4 hours before (as outlined above) you may also want to have a small carb-rich snack 1-2 hours before the race. It’s important to practice this during your training to see what foods work for you.
Nutrition During Your Run
- On a run over 120 minutes, you’ll likely need close to 60-75g of carbs per hour. However, as you increase the number of carbs during your training, an element of 'training the gut' will be involved to up your tolerance to carbs over time which can take practice. If you struggle to tolerate carbohydrates during exercise talk to a qualified sports dietitian for techniques that can help.
- For runs anywhere between 60 to 120 minutes, aim to have 30-60g of carbs per hour. These can be in the form of gels, sports drinks, or if you can tolerate it real food such as bananas, muesli bars or sandwiches. Sports drinks can be a helpful way to get the carbohydrates you need as well as fluid at the same time making them a great first choice for many people.
- If running for less than 60 minutes, you won’t need any additional carbohydrates unless you personally find them helpful for your running.
- Dehydration caused by sweating negatively affects performance. Offset this by drinking plenty of fluid during exercise. The temperature, humidity, wind, and intensity of the run will affect your sweat rate, so there are no hard and fast rules for how you should drink during a run. However, if running for 90 minutes or more, a baseline consumption of about 600ml/hr is a good start, and more on hotter, humid, and windier days.
Post-Run Recovery
- How much you need to eat after a run depends on how long you were running for. Aim to refuel with a mix of carbs and at least 20 to 25 grams of high-quality protein to support muscle repair. A fruit smoothie with milk and yoghurt is a great option, as it covers carbs, protein and fluid. Other good choices include a tuna and avocado sandwich, yoghurt with muesli and fruit, or poached eggs on toast with mushrooms, spinach or tomato.
- Rehydration is a key priority after a run, particularly if it has been very hot, or you’ve completed a long run. Aim to replace 150% of the fluid you lost within 4-6 hours of the run. You can work this out by weighing yourself pre and post-run. If you lose 500g (0.5kg) over your run, you will need 750mls (1.5 x 500) of fluid for recovery.
Common Mistakes We See
- Long-distance runners often fail to train with adequate carbohydrate loading and as a result, aren’t able to tolerate as much as they should on the event day.
- Or the runners who do trial carbohydrate loading during training but find they’re not tolerating it and give up on trying without seeking advice.
- Having a restrictive mindset - not fuelling adequately and limiting the ability to improve training performance.
- Not eating soon after completion of exercise, or not eating enough, getting hungry later in the day and making poor decisions based on easily available, nutrient-poor foods.
We hope this guide to running nutrition assists in tackling the course strong, feeling fuelled, and full of energy. As with anything, finding what’s right for you can be a process. Be sure to try an assortment of foods and give your body the time to get accustomed to new energy sources. The best way to dial in on what works best is to keep a training diary, logging notes for each run with how you fueled and felt. Over time you’ll find the recipe to your best run.
Authored by NZ Registered Nutritionist, Claire Turnbull and NZ Registered Dietitian, Tom Shand
For personalised nutrition advice head tomissionnutrition.co.nz
To find more inspiration on eating well, keeping active and supporting your mental wellbeing, check out Claire’s website, her Facebook and Instagram.