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Running Nutrition

When runners contact FIRST, asking for assistance with their running, they are asked to list an area of their running that needs improvement. Most also cite a need to improve dietary habits. Before attending a running workshop, participants complete a three-day dietary journal. We analyze their food consumption and provide detailed information about their macro- and micronutrients, as well as their daily caloric intake. What we observe is that runners, like most Americans, fail to eat a balanced diet that is composed primarily of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It is not uncommon for runners to report a disproportionate number of calories derived from alcohol.

Runners who train vigorously and assiduously often are not as willing to be as disciplined with their eating. We are convinced that they fail to reach their performance potential because they are swayed by misleading information, do not understand how nutrition affects performance, and are not properly fueled for their training. We have seen runners in our training studies improve dramatically as a result of improved nutrition, just as much as they improve from dedicated and smart training. Most of the runners attending our lectures and participating in our training studies indicate that they are confused about dietary guidelines or they have difficulty adhering to them. That’s certainly understandable because nutrition is a complex topic. Unfortunately, the avalanche of books touting unsound dietary regimens has not made it easier for runners to be well-informed about proper nutrition.

This chapter does not provide a comprehensive look at nutrition. Over the last 40 years, sport and exercise scientists have conducted numerous nutritional studies in an effort to determine how to best enhance human performance through food and drink consumption. In this chapter, the focus is on fueling the body for performance, both in training and in racing.

Nutrition: Q & A

 

Q.Does the training diet for a runner differ from that of the general population?

A.In general, it does not. A nutritious and healthy dietary plan is based on a selection of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains that have complex carbohydrates as a major component. The runner’s diet differs from the general population’s in its need for additional fluids to cover sweat losses and additional energy to fuel physical activity. Much of that additional energy should be supplied by complex carbohydrates. By selecting primarily unrefined carbohydrate products, runners also decrease their risk of contracting several chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Q.Why should I consume so many carbohydrates?

A.Keep in mind that when exercising at a low intensity (~30% of aerobic capacity), the fuel used by muscles is mainly from stored fat; at 40–60% intensity, fats and carbohydrates are used evenly by muscles; at 75% intensity, carbohydrates are mainly used by muscles for energy; and at 85% intensity, muscles rely exclusively on carbohydrates. You can see why runners, whose training is almost always at 70% and greater intensity, need to have a readily available store of carbohydrates in the muscles. The contributions of fat and carbohydrates during exercise change with intensity; this is commonly referred to as the “crossover concept” and the point where the contribution of fat shifts with carbohydrates is influenced by the amount and intensity of exercise.

Carbohydrates supply the immediate energy needs of the body and are the major source for glycogen, which is the stored form of carbohydrates in the body. A high-carbohydrate diet ensures the runner a full glycogen load for training and competition.

Minimizing the consumption of simple sugars will help a runner avoid a roller-coaster effect in blood glucose levels. Adding fruits as a dessert choice is a healthier option than refined-sugar desserts. Fruits, like other unrefined carbohydrates, add lots of important vitamins and minerals, and, in some cases, fiber.

Intense training requires that carbohydrates be replaced daily. Since the FIRST training approach is based on high-quality running, it is important that your daily diet be based predominantly on complex (that is, unrefined) carbohydrates.

Q.Will consuming more protein increase my running performance?

A.Protein does not provide a significant amount of energy when you run or work out. Protein is the major building material of the body and is essential for tissue growth and repair. A diet based on 15–20% protein will meet both of these needs. The body cannot store protein; any extra is stored as fat, with little being used for your immediate energy needs.

Q.How much fluid does a runner need to consume prior to training and racing?

A.Hydration needs are affected by environmental conditions, intensity, duration, body size, fitness, acclimatization, altitude, and genetics. Because of all those variables, it is difficult to prescribe precise levels of fluid consumption. In particular, sweat rates vary from runner to runner and with weather conditions.

It is important to stay adequately hydrated. Two hours before a workout, drink 16 ounces of your preferred sports drink or water. Two hours is ample time for the fluid to be cleared from the stomach and for the kidneys to remove the excess. Hyperhydration increases the risk of a runner’s need to urinate during training and racing, with no performance advantage over normal hydration.

In general, thirst is a reliable protective mechanism for determining your hydration needs.

You need to practice drinking during your training, both to train your body to handle fluids during exercise and to learn while working out what is a comfortable amount for you to drink. The longer the event, the more important it is to follow a predetermined hydration schedule, especially when fluid loss from sweating is exceeding the ability of your system to process added fluids.

Q.How much fluid consumption do you need during exercise?

A.During exercise the goal is to prevent a significant water deficit. Fluids with sodium and potassium help replace sweat losses. Sodium stimulates thirst and fluid retention, and carbohydrates provide energy. Beverages containing 6–8% carbohydrates are recommended for events longer than 60 to 90 minutes. Consuming eight ounces every 30 to 40 minutes, depending on thirst, is adequate under normal climatic conditions. Most runners prefer cool, flavored beverages.

Q.What fluid is best to drink while training for a race?

A.Well before race day, contact the event promoters to find out what types of fluid replacement will be available or out on the racecourse. During your long runs, practice with the race-day drink to get used to it. You do not want to find out on race day that your stomach can’t handle the event drink.

Q.Can I drink too much water?

A.Yes, especially during prolonged exercise. For the last several years, runners have heard the mantra “Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.” Hydration is good and important, but during long runs some runners drink too much fluid. This results in a dilution of the body’s sodium stores, leading to hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is a potentially dangerous state and can be a life-threatening condition; in fact, hyponatremia has been responsible for several marathoners’ deaths over the past years. Use your weight loss during exercise as a guide for fluid replacement.

The popularity of the marathon has resulted in the participation of runners with a vast range of talent. Marathon times have increased to an average of over four hours, with many runners still on the road five to six hours after the start. Many of these runners have trained with groups that stress the importance of fluid intake throughout the course of the race. Due to the low workload related to their pace, these runners actually gain water weight as a result of consuming more water than they have lost by sweating. This results in lower sodium concentrations in their blood and has the potential to lead to hyponatremia. Because the symptoms may resemble those of dehydration, hyponatremia victims are often given liquids, only worsening their condition.

Q.How should I determine my post-workout and -race fluid replacement?

A.Weigh yourself before a race or a long run and then weigh yourself afterward; during the rest of the day, consume 16 ounces of fluid for every pound lost.

Q.What should I eat before racing?

A.Eating before exercise, as opposed to fasting, has been shown to improve performance. General guidelines include consuming food relatively low in fat and fiber, high in carbohydrates, moderate in protein, and, importantly, foods familiar to the runner. The size and timing of meals are interrelated.

Individuals must determine the type and quantity of food to eat before a race, as well as when they will consume the meal. To work out your personal plan, begin with the information below and, through trial and error on long-distance training days, vary the type, quantity, and timing of meals. Maintain an accurate log of these variables and your long-run performances to determine your most effective and agreeable pre-race meal plan.

For a simple way of estimating your caloric needs on race morning, use this formula:

(Hours before race) X (body weight in pounds) = (number of calories to consume)

(Hours before race) X (body weight in kilograms x 2.2) = (number of calories to consume)

For example, if you wake up at 6:00 a.m. and your race is at 8:00 a.m., that’s two hours. So, for a 150-pound runner, that’s 2 x 150 = 300 calories. Four hours before the event, a 120-pound runner would consume 480 calories; a 150-pound runner 600 calories.

Typically, consuming 300 to 500 calories three hours before a half-marathon or a marathon, followed by 100–150 calories of sports drink an hour prior to the race, should supply adequate pre-race fuel.

For shorter races lasting less than an hour (5K and 10K), fewer, if any, pre-race calories are necessary.

Your pre-race plan should not include any new food or drink. Your experimentation with what best fuels your long runs adequately without causing GI issues should occur during your training. You’ve heard the phrase “Nothing new on race day”; this applies to nutrition and hydration as well. Your pre-race fueling should be routine by the time of the race.

Individuals vary widely in how much food and drink they need and in what concentrations they can tolerate. Your experimentation is more important than what any textbook recommends.

Common pre-marathon fueling foods include oatmeal, bananas, bagels, toast, peanut butter, and sport bars. Some runners prefer to consume mostly liquid calories. I have found that an eight-ounce can of a meal supplement (such as Ensure or Boost) provides 220 calories and 32 grams of carbohydrates. If you are worried about too much bulk in the stomach, the meal supplement can give you 440 calories with only 16 ounces of liquid. The calorie-dense supplemental meal does not inhibit gastric emptying, so you won’t have a heavy feeling in your stomach.

I prefer eating three to four hours before a marathon. I want to make sure I have consumed enough calories to be prepared for the multihour event. I also want to make sure that I have eaten early enough to ensure elimination, so I won’t need to interrupt my race for a pit stop.

Q.What should I consume during exercise?

A.In general, for races and workouts that are less than 60 to 90 minutes, your pre-run caloric intake and hydration should be adequate, and nothing will be needed during your activity. For races and workouts longer than 90 minutes, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends that you consume 30 to 60 grams, or 120 to 240 calories, of carbohydrate every hour. If you drink eight ounces of 6% sports drink, which provides 14 grams of carbohydrate, every 20 minutes, you will consume 42 grams per hour, or 168 calories. Depending on temperature, humidity, and individual sweat rate, consuming eight ounces every 30 minutes may be adequate, which still provides 28 grams of carbohydrate, or 112 calories. Depending on the race distance, that may be sufficient.

Some runners like to use energy gels during marathons. Consuming an energy gel with water every hour can also help maintain adequate blood glucose levels.

Whatever your preference is for consuming calories during a long endurance event, whether that is gels, sports drinks, or food, it is important for you to have practiced that consumption regimen during practice. Remember: Nothing new on race day.

Q.Do I need special nutrition for competition? How about carbohydrate loading?

A.Exercise increases the energy requirements of the body up to 25 times those of normal expenditure. The body converts all carbohydrates to glucose, which may be used immediately as fuel or stored for later use. Glycogen is the stored form of glucose in the body, mostly in the skeletal muscles and liver. The body has a limited storage capacity for glycogen, which may be rapidly depleted during strenuous exercise.

During exercise that feels easy, over half the calories used for energy are from stored body fat. As exercise intensity increases to moderate, the body begins to burn less fat and utilize more glycogen—that is, stored carbohydrates. Long runs tend to deplete glycogen. The term “hitting the wall” is used to describe the effect that glycogen depletion has on a runner.

Once your stored glycogen is depleted, your body shifts back to burning fat. Because converting fat to energy cannot be done as efficiently as using glycogen for energy, your pace decreases.

One aim of training is to increase the pace at which you can run while burning fat. In other words, your easy pace becomes a faster pace. By burning fat, rather than glycogen, you put off glycogen depletion; that is, you put off hitting the wall. Appropriate training increases the pace you can maintain before your crossover from fat burning to carbohydrate burning occurs, helping to save glycogen that will be needed further down the road.

If you maintain a diet that is high in complex carbohydrates, it is not necessary to carbohydrate-load. As you begin a taper, your activity level will decline; thus you will burn fewer of your carbohydrate stores. Your normal high carbohydrate diet (60–70% of total calories coming from carbohydrates), combined with a decrease in activity (for your taper), will result in carbohydrate-loading. The day before your race, your diet should also be high in carbohydrates, but refined carbohydrates may make a better choice because of their reduced fiber content.

The most efficient energy yield from stored glycogen occurs with an even running pace. A fast pace early in the race speeds the depletion of glycogen and leads to hitting the wall.

Perhaps the only dietary adjustment needed is a slight reduction in total caloric intake during race week, just as the volume of your exercise is reduced prior to a race.

Q.What should I consume after a workout or race?

A.The workout or race is over and you are feeling exhausted. Now is the time to start replenishing the glycogen and fluids lost during the effort. Sports drinks are a good option. The body is a carbohydrate sponge immediately after intense and exhausting exercise. Glycogen resynthesis from carbohydrates consumed after exercise takes place most rapidly during the first 30 minutes after exercise. Foods with a high glycemic index that are absorbed quickly into the bloodstream may speed up the replenishment of glycogen in skeletal muscle because they stimulate a rapid rise in glucose and insulin. During the first two hours following exercise, try to take in solid foods that are high in carbohydrates, such as bagels, bananas, pudding, etc. Recommended replacement includes 200–400 calories of carbohydrate and 40–50 calories of protein with sufficient fluid. The timing and composition depend on the duration and intensity of your exercise session and on when your next intense workout will occur. The sooner you refuel, the sooner your muscles will have the tools necessary to recover.

Final Comments

 

Running, as with all activities carried out by the body, requires energy. Sports nutrition is a complex issue, and this chapter provides basic guidelines for fueling your training and racing. It is not a sports nutrition manual. Only basic nutritional information for your training and racing is provided. For more specific dietary information, FIRST recommends consulting with a sports nutritionist.

REAL RUNNER REPORT

Hi,

I wanted to give you a positive email for a Monday morning. I’ve followed your RLRF programme over the past three years. I wrote after getting a BQ in my first marathon in 2014. I dropped my PR by 8 minutes in my second marathon in 2015 and ran Boston in 2016, making some tapering and diet mistakes, and running 3 h 45 as a result.

Today I ran the London Marathon in 3 h 14:48 at age 56, using the programme as the basis for some extra runs—I’ve still struggled with the cross-training. So good for age and guaranteed entry to London, and good for age for New York. I have just bought your new book after hearing you talk on marathon training and going to try to cross-train more.

Two big points for me.

1. I did my last 20-mile run two weeks before and tapered for two weeks, not three.

2. I forced myself to really rest yesterday and to eat 10 grams per kg carbs. No wall, almost even splits between two halves. 1:37:14 & 1:37:34.

Thank you. You are inspiring. As you can tell, I’m very happy this evening. I got the feeling back I had in the first marathon of being strong in the second half.

Andy Mellon

Paediatrician

Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom