Nutrition Advice

1. What do Eat During Your Run

If you’re going on a run that’s an hour or less, you shouldn’t need anything more than water. If you’re going on a longer training run or running a half marathon or marathon, you’ll want to plan ahead. Energy gels and sports drinks are great simple carbs that your body can digest quickly and use instantly.

2. Eat little and often

Frequent snacking throughout the day is a sure way to avoid low blood sugar levels and tiredness by the time you get home for your run. Research shows that eating little and often is best for runners… as long as you’re eating the right things. Make a point of taking healthy snacks to work with you so that you aren’t caught out. Avoid high-fat snacks such as crisps and chocolate, opting instead for snacks combining a healthy dose of protein and carbohydrate, which make the best fuel. Fruit, especially bananas with nut butters, a handful of nuts, plain popcorn, low-fat crispbreads and natural yoghurt are all excellent choices.

3. Don’t ignore the main meals

Regular sensible snacking is important, but proper meals are where good runner nutrition really counts. Pasta is the runner’s classic favourite, but there are plenty of other excellent high-carbohydrate foods, such as brown rice, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans and pulses and quinoa. Still, beware, some high-carbohydrate foods are also high in fat. Lasagne, thin-crust pizza, croissants and granola are some of the worst culprits.

4. Supplement those supplements

It’s a big mistake to think that a supplement will completely satisfy your nutritional needs. Taking a pill might give you the recommended daily amount of a particular vitamin, but you also need protein, minerals, fibre and energy in the form of calories, which no pill will provide.