What to eat before your run

To eat or not to eat? What are good snacks to have? What food should I avoid? These are all questions that have many runners confused when it comes to knowing what to eat before your run. This blog post is aimed at clearing things up and to give some tips on what to eat and when!

When deciding what to eat before your run, it is important to understand that there is no perfect answer. Every runner is different. What works well for one runner might not work well for the next one. It is therefore important to experiment with what to eat and when to eat, to really understand what works best for you.

WHAT to eat

The intention of eating before your run is aimed at enhancing your workout and your recovery. Eating a good quality snack can increase exercise performance, but eating a bad snack can result in cramping, energy drops (due to sugar spikes and drops) and of course, stomach problems.

A good quality snack is something that is easy to digest. Therefore, avoid fatty and high fiber foods as this takes longer to digest. Eat snacks with a blend of simple and complex carbohydrates (and if there is some protein included, that is a bonus).

WHAT TO EAT FOR RUNS OF 90 MINUTES OR LESS

• 2-3dates (you can enjoy them as is or you can open the dates and enjoy with some nut butter in the middle)

• 1 banana (medium size) or ½ a banana with 1 tbsp. nut butter

• Handful of trail mix (nuts, raisins, pretzels, but no chocolate)

• Handful of nuts

• Any type of energy bar that is low in sugar (try to avoid chocolate bars)

• Rice cake with nut butter

• A piece of fruit (you can include a few nuts for some additional carbs and fats if the fruit alone does not satisfy you fully)

• Low fiber cereal (I would eat this without milk). I love to eat 2-3 tbsp. of my homemade muesli with a piece of fruit as an afternoon snack

• Banana flapjacks (you can make a batch and enjoy them over a few runs)

Why a snack is important

Small pre-run snacks will help to stabilize blood sugar if you haven’t eaten in a while (especially if you running in the morning). It is perfect for giving you that desired energy boost.

WHAT TO EAT FOR RUNS OF 90 MINUTES OR LONGER

• Bowl of oatmeal with/without 1 tsp nut butter. You can also consider adding a small fruit to the oatmeal if you need it

• 2 slices of bread with avocado or nut butter You can add 1 tbsp. honey to the nut butter bread if you want to sweeten it a bit

• Bowl of brown rice. You can add eggs if you need extra energy

• Boiled potatoes with eggs

• Greek yogurt with maple syrup and granola. TIP – for anyone who is sensitive to dairy, steer clear of this option or use a dairy alternative yogurt.

Why a snack is important

For a longer run, you will need a snack that has more fuel.

Your long run snack should help you to feel energized (not sluggish because you overate) but, at the same time, it should help you to keep going. You don’t want to become hungry on your run.

Some runners prefer to have their snack in a liquid form – smoothies, pre-workouts, or protein shakes. These are all perfectly acceptable options bearing in mind that you should consider the duration of your run and what your nutritional needs are for your workout.

Whether you are eating solids or liquids for your pre-run snack, overeating before a run is never a good idea.

WHEN to eat

I think I speak for every runner in the world – nothing is worse than being a few kilometers away from home and suddenly your digestive system lets you down. Therefore, the timing of what you eat is equally important to the quality of your snack.

I find that eating a snack 2 to 2,5 hours before a run is what works best for me. My husband can eat 30 minutes before a run and experience no complaints. My suggestion would be to start somewhere in the middle. Eat a snack one hour before your run. If you experience no complaints, then try to move the snack time 15 minutes earlier or later to experiment and to find your optimal timing window.

On the other hand, if you experienced any digestive issues on the run, move your snacking time back with increments of 15 minutes.  If you feel extremely tired or hungry before/during the run, try moving the timing forward with increments of 15 minutes. Move the timing window with the 15 minute increments until you reach the timing that works best for you.