Nutrition Intake & Training Demands
By Special Guest Contributor Jill Merkel, MS, RD, CSSD
Nutrition for runners is a very individualized and personal topic. What works for one person may not work for another. It’s important to test out your fueling and hydration strategy during training so you have a plan solidly in place going into race day. Also, it’s important to have a fueling plan so you can feel your best leading up to and during the race and to not let inadequate fueling be a reason for a bad race outcome.
General Fueling Guidelines
To start, approach each meal and snack from a point of balance. Balancing carbs, protein, fat, and produce at each meal is a good way to leave those meals feel comfortably full, satisfied, and will keep you feeling full for a while.
Snacks
I recommend aiming for at least two food groups such as pairing a carb (such as an apple or slice of bread) with a fat (such as peanut butter) or a protein (such as Greek yogurt). Again, this will help to manage blood sugar levels and keep you feeling full for longer than having only one food group. As training increases, it’s important to pay attention to how you feel. You may begin to feel more hungry throughout the day and it’s important to listen to your body and fuel adequately.
Fueling for Workouts & Long Runs
It’s also important to consider what you eat before, during, and after a workout, especially once your runs start to get over one hour. Having some carbohydrates (such as toast or a banana) plus a little bit of protein (such as milk) or fat (such as peanut butter) will provide your body with the fuel it needs for the workout and will help you not to feel physically hungry during a workout.
During a long run, again, once we are over 45 minutes or one hour, we want to pay attention to hydration, electrolytes, and fueling. Lots of sports products out there such as gels, chews, and sports beverages contain an ideal amount of carbohydrates (for fuel) as well as providing some electrolytes (such as sodium and potassium).
It’s Individual!
Everyone’s hydration and fueling strategies will be different based on body size, environment of training, sweat rates, etc. One way to know if you are hydrating adequately during exercise is to weigh yourself before and after. Any change in body weight after a workout is a result of a change in fluid (hydration) status.
Hydration Needs
Weighing yourself before & after a long run or workout can help determine if you are hydrating adequately.
Finally, we want to pay special attention to our recovery post-workout. This is again most important for a workout that is of high intensity or that lasts more than one hour. Getting a combination of carbs, protein, and fluids is ideal for recovery. An example could be chocolate milk or a fruit smoothie with protein. It’s really the combination of training AND nutrition where you will see the benefits of training.
Weight Maintenance
If you notice that your weight is going up or down while training, check in with yourself – are you eating enough? Are you listening to your body’s hunger and fullness cues?
Are you “treating” yourself to large portions of high-calorie foods because you feel you’ve “earned” it? (P.S. you never have to earn your food – all bodies are good bodies and deserve adequate nutrition).
It’s important to match your energy intake to your training demands to avoid any significant changes in body weight over a short period of time. If your weight fluctuates a couple of pounds up or down, this is totally normal.
As a sports dietitian and runner myself, I work with a lot of endurance athletes helping them to fuel properly without restriction for optimal performance. It is my goal to help you increase your energy, optimize your recovery, and have confidence in your fueling strategy going into race day. To learn more about my services, visit my website www.JillMerkelRD.com.
Nutrition For Runners Workshop
And I have an exciting announcement. I have held my Nutrition for Runners Workshop multiple times in person and have gotten great feedback. I am excited to announce that I will be holding a Virtual Nutrition for Runners Workshop coming up on Tuesday, June 2. The workshop will be recorded and sent out to registered participants if you are unable to attend live. For more information and to register, visit: https://www.jillmerkelrd.com/runners-workshop
About Jill Merkel, MS, RD, CSSD
Jill is a Registered Dietitian specializing in sports nutrition, body image, and disordered eating. She is the team dietitian for the NFL Tennessee Titans and has been for the last three seasons. In her free time, you’ll find her running, reading or traveling.