Refuelling after workout for next day performance?

Ryokat

First of all, please don't kick me. I imagine this has been asked a multitude of times, but my search skills coupled with my laziness haven't gotten me far.

I'll try to be brief. I run at the end of my day for anywhere between 30-90 mins. I then go to bed afterwards and get roughly 8 hours of sleep. I like to repeat this on a daily basis, giving myself a rest day or 2 per week as needed.

What I want to know is if I should be refueling after these runs (and before sleeping) in order to be primed for the next day's run? Not speaking in terms of weight loss but rather performance for the next day, assuming I am eating at maintenance, does it matter when I consume my calories?

feisty_bucket

The general idea you're talking about is called Carb Back-Loading (CBL). There are several books and a lot on the web; check it out.

MeanderingMammal

Personally I fairly regularly drink a bottle of SIS Rego after a run of 60 minute or more, just as a refuelling mechanism.

Not sure whether it really makes much of a difference but it helps me to recover calories in an easily digestible form.

jrline

It is best to eat some protein and carb less than an hour after your workout. Peanut butter on whole wheat is one of my favorites.

WalkingAlong

I'd say if you're happy with your eating times now, carry on. The thought of running an hour then immediately eating then going to bed sounds awful to me. I would rather run slower the following day, even if there was some connection. And I'd be surprised if there was. Why would what you ate or didn't eat at say 10pm Wed. affect your run at 8pm Thurs., all else equal?

chunkytfg

If you were running the next morning then I would say yes probably best to eat something but if you will only be running in the evenings then the food you eat through the day should be plenty.

Answer this though, if you are currently not eating post run and feel no ill effects from it is there really any need to change?

Just make sure you rehydrate properly as you will naturally dehydrate slightly during the sleep period so going to bed already dehydrated isn't that good an idea really even if it does work well for those morning weigh ins! haha

Sam_I_Am77

What kind of running? If it's marathon type running then you'll need some carbs for that otherwise your performance will likely suffer over time.

BenjaminMFP88

Um, it's not really that necessary. If you wanted to though, I'd recommend some Chocolate Casein protein with some milk.

Sam_I_Am77

Protein will help reduce amino acid breakdown but protein is not really an energy source for anaerobic or aerobic based running. It really depends on how the OP is running.

No_Finish_Line

for weight loss it shouldn't matter, but for performance of course when you eat will matter. with the most important thing simply to be adequately fueled for a work out. A light breakfast (like a small apple or banana) before your run might actually do more for performance.

But there have been a lot of not so empirical studies done that suggest that a beverage with a carb to protein ratio of 4:1 within an hour after exercise will promote recovery. Typically they measure 'recovery' with how well they performed in a subsequent exercise session the same day (usually timed miles on a stationary bike or something like that). Those drinking the drink (first study i read was chocolate milk with a 3:1 carb to protein ratio) is apparently statistically significant higher performance... or at least higher performance vs the control group.

The best thing to do is to try it out for yourself. Have some chocolate milk when your done with your run and actually time your runs and record your perceived effort.

i think the apple pre run would benefit performance more tho, especially if you typically have nothing



Failed to notice you run at the end of the day. i still say if you don't typically eat within 3 hrs prior to your run, or even 2, a very little meal or drink in that window would help performance the most.

Ryokat

When I say performance I don't mean I'm going for a new PR for a 10K or even doing harder training like running hills or intervals. I just want to be able to run the next day without my legs feeling like I've attached 20 lb ankle weights
I get that feeling every once in a while, but I know it could be due to a ton of different things (like not enough sleep, not enough nutrition, too many miles too soon, needing a rest day, crappy energy sucking day at work, Captain Morgan made me drink too much, witches potion didn't take, etc).
Just trying to figure out if refuelling right after running is truly beneficial or if it can be skipped. I will look into this Carb Back-Loading.

No_Finish_Line

trail and error is still the best way to see if it works for you, especially when the desired out come is pretty subjective, like how you feel during a work out.

Interestingly enough, that was what i got the most out of a 4:1 drink (there are many pre/post exercise blends with a ratio close to that), the perception that things were a little easier or that i had a little more energy.

of course that can be placebo, but if its just he subjective experience your after, who cares.

Sam_I_Am77

Ryokat wrote: »

I just want to be able to run the next day without my legs feeling like I've attached 20 lb ankle weights

And there's where you pretty much find your own answer. If you feel this way then it's somewhere along the lines of...
- Training frequency
- Training intensity
- Recovery (sleep & nutrition)

You'll have to do some trial and error like was mentioned above to figure out which variable(s) applies.