To fuel or not to fuel long training runs

gorple76

I'm training for a marathon in October and since my training runs have reached 9 miles or more for my long slow runs I've been using gels ever 3-4 miles, with a banana and electrolyte drink before heading out (first thing in the morning). I'm now reading about how you shouldn't fuel your long training runs as you should train your body not to depend on sugar/carbs to that degree, and then when you use them in a race you're more likely to avoid bonking. Apart from the odd practise gel, they should be avoided until race day. What do more experienced runners think?

WhatMeRunning

You should practice your nutrition strategy meaning you should use your gels.

There is some benefit to occasional fasted long runs as they help your body to learn to depend on fat for fuel over glycogen. But that benefit is only realized if that is done occasionally and not every run. Some good advice I have heard is to alternate between fasted long runs and non-fasted.

Keep in mind that "fasted" does not mean a run that you simply don't take gels. It means literally fasted, as in you have not eaten for 8+ hours, like you do when having to fast ahead of blood work.

MNLittleFinn

out to 7 miles I don't normally fuel, these are fasted runs, first thing in the morning. I might pop a Jolly Rancher or 2, but thats more to keep my mouth from feeling dry. On my runs that have been 8-10, I've used my gels a couple times. Not really because I needed the fuel to do the run, but because I want practice eating on the go, and also to see how I react to the gels. It's my way of doing some planning for when/how often to fuel for my HM that's coming up.

Elise4270

I have been using fuel. Personally, I think that's the way to go. I hit a wall at 6 miles if I don't.

gorple76

Thanks everyone. I do my 7mile ones fasted so will keep that as is. Not sure if I can go much longer but might try tomorrow (14m) with gels on me in case and see how far I get

Elise4270

And congratulations on the marathon goal. Good luck!

WhatMeRunning

I was nervous at first to try it, but I have found I can do 2 hours at long run pace fasted without fuel, but that's the limit, a 2.5 hour attempt was too much. So for any runs that will be over 2 hours I take fuel, and I like to refuel every hour. I generally hear people going 90 minutes max before planning to refuel.

MobyCarp

The best argument I've heard for fueling during training runs comes from a pace leader who is into iron man triathlons. He tells me you need to train your body to digest on the run so you benefit from the gels on race day.

That having been said, the question of how soon you need a gel is subject to debate, and different runners will arrive at different conclusions for that one.

STrooper

I used to train and practice fueling on all my runs of 8 miles or longer. After reading Fitzgerald's books (where he does advocate training on the slow runs without the dependence on fuel up to a certain point), I tried it. It wasn't easy at first, but I don't do any fueling for most runs of 16 miles or less. I will do an occasional medium-long run at a fast pace where I may try something out (I want to know how my system reacts to it under load). But to be honest, I don't notice any lack of energy any longer in the training runs AND when in the course of a race, I feel so much more energized by fueling the machine every couple of miles. There is only so many calories you can take in and handle when you are running at your personal high level.

Djproulx

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gorple76 wrote: »

I'm now reading about how you shouldn't fuel your long training runs as you should train your body not to depend on sugar/carbs to that degree, and then when you use them in a race you're more likely to avoid bonking. Apart from the odd practise gel, they should be avoided until race day. What do more experienced runners think?

My running coach would generally have us consume fuel on runs that lasted longer than about 75 minutes. So for a 9 or 10 mile run, we'd typically bring gels and consume one at about the 45 min mark(with water), then again every 30-45 minutes (or as needed) once we knew how our bodies reacted at a given distance and level of effort. We also did some long runs without fuel occasionally, to help our bodies get used to burning fat for fuel.

As I've shifted focus to longer duration events(triathlon), I've become much more attuned to hydration and fueling, since there are more variables and the race times are longer.
Few thoughts on fueling: the average athlete has approximately 1,400-2,000 calories stored in their body in the form of glycogen (carbohydrate) as well as a virtually unlimited number of calories stored in body fat. Our bodies can generally absorb 150-300 calories per hour. However, and here is the catch, what we absorb and what we process are likely two very different numbers. More importantly, what we absorb is VERY dependent upon the intensity level and what you are doing. It is far easier to absorb and process calories while riding a bike than it is during a run. It becomes increasingly difficult to absorb calories as your exertion level goes up. The generally recommended guidelines are take in 60-80 grams of carbohydrate per hour - meaning 240-320 calories per hour. Conveniently, most gels come in 130-150 calorie gel packs - two per hour and you are good. Taking in MORE than you need is a waste. Your body won't absorb it and it may lead to GI distress which will likely cause your body to absorb even less.

Finally, if the race duration is long enough, we start out at a deficit since we can only store up to about 2000 calories as glycogen. If the race requires 4000 calories to finish, that difference must be made up through fueling and fat utilization. Fat burns in a carbohydrate fire - if you run out of carbohydrate, you run out of energy; PERIOD. Utilizing fat on race day begins with those aerobic endurance training sessions that we all enjoy so much. Increasing your fat utilization reduces the complexity of your nutrition plan because you will need less carbohydrate. Hope that helps.