Nutrition Tips for Runners

By DR. Ashiq Hussain

Nutrition is one of the most important components of being healthy. Good nutrition is especially important for athletes and runners whose energy is constantly depleted from training, whether it's long distance, tempo or intervals. It is hard to know exactly what constitutes proper nutrition for a runner, or any athlete for that matter. A ton of information is available online. The hard part is separating the good info from the bad. Some of the information is simply common sense. Below you will find a few pointers about nutrition for runners:
Eat a Balanced Diet
Fuelling for any type of endurance race - whether a 100k, a marathon or even a half-marathon - is not just about carbo-loading before a race; eating a healthy training diet needs to form an integral part of your training. When you are doing any kind of serious mileage you will be burning thousands of extra calories each week. Your body not only needs additional fuel but it needs the correct type of fuel to keep energy levels consistent, to recover positively from runs and most importantly, to enjoy your training. The better you eat, the better you will train and this will inevitably lead to better race performance. An ideal training diet is around 60% carbohydrate, with a good mix of protein (around 15%), and less than 30% from fats. As an athlete, you also need to increase your intake of vitamins and minerals.
Include more carbs!
Carbohydrate-rich foods are the optimum fuel for energy and an essential part of the athlete's diet. Once digested, carbohydrate is converted into blood glucose and used for energy, or stored as glycogen in the muscle and liver. Base your meals and snacks on slow-burning (low-medium Glycemic Index or GI) carbohydrates; that's wholegrain bread, unprocessed cereals such as oats, pasta, pulses, long grain rice, fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds etc, which will gradually release energy to your muscles. Refined carbohydrates (high GI) such as white bread, short grain white rice, confectionery etc should be limited to immediately after exercise as these will act quickly to replenish depleted glycogen levels.
Consume quality calories
Quality comes from fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts and whole grains, lean protein from chicken, turkey, fish and egg whites. By consuming these types of food 90% of the time, your running performance will continue to improve, you will have energy for longer duration, experience quicker recovery compared to runners who eat less quality food like white processed bread, sweets, chips and high fat.
Multivitamins are Essential
Multivitamins are also essential to ensure that you are getting enough of the proper vitamins and minerals in your diet without eating in excess.
Keep yourself hydrated
Don't just drink before, during and after a training session. It is best to keep your hydration levels topped up all the time. If you wait until you feel thirsty you will be slightly dehydrated already. Keep bottles of water with you, at your desk, in the car, on your bedside table. Try to ensure that your urine is a light straw colour as this will mean that you are adequately hydrated. Make sure you're prepared for your long runs. You will need plenty of fluid and a sports drink to replace sodium lost through sweat for runs over 90 minutes.
Don't train on empty stomach
Try to plan your training sessions so that you can eat 1-2 hours before setting off, especially if you are planning an intense or longer workout. You will train stronger and feel better. Eat something which is low in fat, easy to digest and high in slow-burning carbohydrate; a bowl of unrefined porridge with blueberries, a wholemeal sandwich with a handful of nuts and raisins and a banana. However, avoid eating immediately before a run. If you must eat, have a banana a handful of nuts, half an hour before you head out to train and fill up on protein within half an hour of returning from your run.
Eat a little regularly
Eat small meals every 3 hours to maintain a fast metabolism and avoid overeating. Small portions will provide you with a stable amount of energy throughout the entire day.
Be a good listener
The most important thing is to listen to your body. Learn what makes what works well for your body and running, and what works against it. Write down what you consume and how it makes you feel afterwards to understand what your body needs and how it's going to react to certain foods.
Recovery is key
Eat and drink to refuel within the 15 minute magic window to speed recovery. Carbohydrate is stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen. Glycogen levels become depleted after a workout and the quicker they are topped up again, the quicker your recovery will be and the better you will feel for your next session. You also need water and electrolytes to replace fluid loss, and protein to repair your muscle cells. Grab something as soon as you finish your workout like a honey sandwich, a bowl of rice pudding, a slice of toast with scrambled egg, an energy bar, a piece of fruit (melon is good) or a refreshing home-made smoothie made with skimmed milk or yoghurt.
Eat well on rest days
Rest days are highly important for recovery as this is the time when your muscles are at their most receptiveness. It can take up to 20 hours for muscle glycogen stores to be fully replenished and it is often when the hunger starts to kick in with a vengeance. Make the most of it, replenish your depleted energy stores and feed your muscles by eating well and give your legs a well-earned rest.
The day before the big race, eat a carbohydrate rich diet to increase your glycogen stores and get plenty of water. Avoid alcohol as this will dehydrate you as well as drive your blood sugars into a roller coaster ride. The right nutrition will make all the difference in your workouts, providing your body with the right tools to perform at its best!