What to Eat Before You Run

Have you ever wondered what to eat before you run? Whether pre-race or pre-workout, making sure you get calories is key. What about carb loading? What should you do before a race? What shouldn’t you do?

Carbohydrates are Key

Calories are not created equal. When we eat food, there is primarily a mix of Carbohydrates, Protein, and Fat. Each one of these are very important, and serve a role in our body. However, when it comes to doing activity such as endurance workouts or races, your body needs one a little more than the others. Enter the Carbohydrate.

Carbohydrates are the easiest of the macro-nutrients for your body to break down and convert to glucose, the primary fuel source for our body. When we eat foods containing primarily carbohydrates before a run, we become fueled up and ready to go. This can lead to great workouts and races.

That said, we don’t need all carbohydrates. Here are some commonly agreed on tips when deciding what to eat before a workout or a race:

• Aim for 60%-70% of your calories from Carbohydrates with the remaining 30%-40% from Protein and Fat
• Focus on quality sources – nutrient packed foods will give your cells what they need
• Avoid foods high in insoluble fiber before a workout or race – too much can cause GI distress
• Practice what you eat during your training so you know what will work on Race Day

Examples of Pre-run meals:

• Yogurt with an assortment of berries
• Cottage Cheese with fruit (more fruit than cottage cheese, though)
• Toast with a nut butter and banana
• Steel cut oatmeal with skim milk and berries
• Smoothie (e.g. 1 cup baby spinach, 1 kiwi, 1 pear, 1/2 cup strawberries (frozen), 1/2-1 cup water + some ice, 1 Tbsp chia seed or nut butter)

Eating Before You Train – What to Eat Before A Workout

Doing a workout takes energy, and fueling up before hand can make the most of it. Here are some suggestions to get you started on fueling it:

• Eat within 1-2 hours before your workout
• Take in ~0.5 to 1.0 grams of Carbohydrates per kg of body weight
• Use this time, especially on long runs or runs that simulate your race, to tweak what works for you
• Adjust this recommendation based on your needs – everyone is different

Here is how you can calculate your needs:

Review the chart below to understand how you can determine how many calories you may need to take in. The example below is based off of a 150 lb/68 kg person.

First convert your weight in pounds to kilograms by dividing it by 2.2:

Example: 150 lbs/2.2 = 68 kg

Next, follow the steps below:

Pre-Race Nutrition – The Week Prior to Race Day

You’re all trained up, and going through your taper. You have just one week to go. What should you be doing to prepare? There are some things you should be considering as you approach the big day. Below are a few tips:

Carb Loading

Almost everyone has heard of it and most have done it. The theory is eating foods high in carbohydrates prior to a race will top off your glycogen stores and give you every bit of fuel you can have for race day. It’s common to see all-you-can-eat pasta bars the night before a big race, and many people stuff themselves silly thinking they are doing the right thing. However, although carb loading may be beneficial, many if not most people do it incorrectly. Eating piles of pasta the night before a race is bound to give you GI upset during the night and make you feel bloated the next day. So, take consideration of the tips below on making carb loading actually work for you:

• Increase your carb intake over the last 5-7 days prior to the race (not just the night before)
• Keep your meals normal size, just increase the percentage of calories from carbohydrates (don’t stuff yourself)
• Consider foods low on the glycemic index so as not to spike your blood sugar
• Quality is key – nutrient rich vegetables and fruits are the best source of carbohydrates. Fill your plate with these first.

Hydration Needs 1 Week Out

There may be nothing more important during a race than your hydration. There is a fine balance between too much and not enough, so the last thing you want to do is focus on it last minute. The key to being hydrated on race day is actually to focus on hydration the days leading up to the race (not to say it shouldn’t always be a focus). Here are some tips to accomplishing this:

• Start a real focus 4-5 days out
• Keep a water bottle with you (on your desk at work, during your commute, while you’re watching TV, etc)
• Don’t chug – drink normally. Sip on it all day long.
• Keep your urine clear with a pale yellow color

Fueling Up For Race Day – What to Eat and Drink Before A Race

You made it! It’s finally race day morning and you are preparing to go! What should you be doing to be ready? Below are some tips and below that are some calculations you can consider to understand how much to take in. First the tips:

Food

• Don’t try anything new! You should have practiced several food options and know exactly what to eat.
• Avoid foods high in insoluble fiber (they can cause the GI upset we talked about before)
• Eat within 1-3 hours before your race. Everyone’s digestion is different, so determine for yourself how much time you need to take in the calories, and be sure you have practiced the scenario before. Keep in mind that your nerves may affect this as well.
• Consider taking in ~1.5 to 2.5 grams of Carbohydrates per kg of body weight (for long endurance races). Again, see what works best for you. You may find you can’t do that much or that you need more.

Drink

• Hydration is unique to all of us – test out multiple scenarios before race day (temps, humidities, time of day, etc) so you know what to do on race day for YOU
• Consider hydrating with 8-16 oz of water 2-3 hours before start time
• Again, don’t chug it – drink it like you normally would
• Consider taking in an additional 8-16 oz of water just before the start
• If you are a heavy sweater or if the day requires it, consider drinking something that contains electrolytes (like sports drink)

Calculating how many calories you might need:

Review the chart below to understand how you can determine how many calories you may need to take in. The example below is based off of a 150 lb/68 kg person.

First convert your weight in pounds to kilograms by dividing it by 2.2:

Example: 150 lbs/2.2 = 68 kg

Next, follow the steps below:

Good luck and Happy Training!

Dan Cuson

USAT Level 1 Coach