New runner question about food before and after running

KeriA

I am starting week 2 of C25K and am wondering what I should know about eating before or after running assuming I get that far. I continue with my usual 2.8 mile walk after my C25k sessions.

MrsRobertson1005

Good question! I would like to know too, I'm starting C25K Monday

alanmonks

depending on how hard you work will depend on what you need before hand. some easily digestable carbs such as banana or oatmeal is good beforehand and then having good qualty proteoin afterwards is teh way forward. to be hoinest it would be trail and error for what works for you. Hydrate properly throughout also.

inchik

I'm a new runner, carbs before, protein after, is what I've been hearing.

mynameisnutz

For C25K distances, it really doesn't matter. Eat whatever you're comfortable with, when you are comfortable with it. You definitely don't need anything mid run, and most people don't even need to hydrate mid run.

Mrs_TrimWaistFatWallet

Runners that are properly FUELED for a workout perform better than those who are running on an empty stomach. Proved, tested, confirmed. Try a pre-workout snack before you workout that has protein and carbs. i.e. piece of chicken and some whole wheat penne... or a banana and peanut butter w/ veggies. Personally, I like a Fiber One bar, some protein, and gatorade. Have protein and carbs after your workout.

nigelballer

Hi

I have been running for a few years now and am up to half marathon distance, I tell you that so you know I have some experience.

With regard to food, I run in the morning after I get up, if I plan to run longer than 4 miles then I have a banana. If its shorter then I just have a cup of coffee. ( My mate also follows this strategy)

Stuff I have read (Body for life.com) says that you should run on empty stomach to lose weight and only eat 20mins after you finish.

I would say try both, if you feel like you are not getting the results without food, have a little something light. I have done up to 10 miles with only a few cups of coffee, however, you can't run a car with out filling up with petrol

Make sure you have a protein shake after to help recovery

Listen to your body

GaveUp

Choose something high in carbohydrates and lower in fat, fiber, and protein. Some examples of good pre-workout fuel include: a bagel with peanut butter; a banana and an energy bar; or a bowl of cold cereal with a cup of milk. Stay away from rich, very fatty, or high-fiber foods, as they may cause gastrointestinal problems

MarshallLuke

With regard to food, I run in the morning after I get up, if I plan to run longer than 4 miles then I have a banana.

That's funny, because I usually run in the morning BEFORE I get up. :-P

Anyway, to answer your question, I always run between breakfast and lunch. I make sure I have a breakfast that has both carbs and protein. After the run, I have a lunch that leans less towards the carbs and more towards protein.

There are many more factors to figure out what to eat (time, distance, the temperature where you run the amount of sleep you got the night before), but that is a good place to start.

Mrs_TrimWaistFatWallet

Stuff I have read (Body for life.com) says that you should run on empty stomach to lose weight and only eat 20mins after you finish.

Overall diet and net caloric amounts determines whether you lose weight or not. Eating a snack or even a meal before you run doesn't mean you won't lose weight. Listen to your body, and if you think you don't need any food, you'll be fine.

Exerpt from Alan Aragon, trainer for several Los Angeles' sports teams, one of the most well respected nutritionists and reviewers of actual scientific research..

"PREWORKOUT- OBJECTIVE

the objective here is to promote sustained carbohydrate & amino acid availability, minimize muscle catabolism, and spare glygogen as much as possible. it's important to note here that research is quite conflicting on the issue of GI & exercise performance. much of the latest studies show no real difference. the actual amount & physical nature of the meal depends on how soon your schedule allows you to eat or drink before training. there are at least 2 acceptable scenarios..

COMPOSITION

scenario one: a solid, full-sized balanced meal finished 60-90 minutes preworkout consisting of 30-60g protein (0.2-0.25g/lb target BW) + 40-80g carb (0.33g/lb target BW). there are endless examples of how this can be constructed, & heres just one:
---- 5-8oz of any type of land or sea animal flesh
---- 1-2 cups of whole grain product or starchy vegetable or legume /or/ fistsize sweet potato, etc. Have your preference, focus on total amount rather than food subtype.
---- 1 or more cups fibrous vegetable like salad greens, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, spinach, kale, cabbage, onions, even carrots, etc, etc

[or]

scenario two: a liquid meal or shake finished 30-0 min preworkout:
---- 20-50g protein (0.15-0.2g/lb target BW). Whey is preferred for its BCAA content & gastric tolerability for most.
---- 40-80g (0.33g/lb target BW). Any fruit works well here, so does old fashioned oats. a solid case can be built for a combination of both. whether you include water/milk is a matter of digestive tolerance. milk just gets the anabolic/anticatabolic cascades rolling for those in a severe hurry to gain muscle. adding fat to this shake can slow the release of nutrients & benefit those who train for significantly more than 90 min, offering extra protection against energy dips - especially if you don't consume a dilute carb solution during your workout. note that most people will do fine without the fat.

to reiterate the factor of individual differences, don't be afraid to go outside of the listed guidelines & exceed the upper limit of listed carb intake as needed to power you through your training. conversely, don't be afraid to dip below it given your gastrointestinal tolerance for exogenous substrate during or pretraining.


DURING WORKOUT- OBJECTIVE

the same objectives as the preworkout meal apply here (to promote sustained carbohydrate availability & to a lesser degree amino acid availability, minimize muscle catabolism, and spare glygogen) - with the added objective of maximizing water availability & minimizing gastrointestinal upset.

COMPOSITION
i am an advocate of keeping it simple and watering yourself down thoughout the workout with.. you guessed it, pure water. if you did your homework with the right construction & timing of the preworkout meal (& of course if you're sipping your preworkout shake during training which is fine too),

now granted, if you were a boxer, triathlete, soccer player, basketball player, or marathoner at risk for catabolizing a lean mass and jeopardizing your liver glycogen status by trudging away for far past 90 minutes continuously in an endurance event, definitely sip the gatorade-type 4-8% carb solution throughout the workout, and shoot for 40-60g carbs/hr. there's a huge body of research that shows the benefit of that tactic."

KeriA

Thanks everyone. I am not probably yet at the stage of running enough to worry but I want to be ready for when I get there. Great information.

MrsRobertson1005

How long between your pre-run food and running? I'm afraid if i eat too close it won't end up pretty lol

mynameisnutz

Thanks everyone. I am not probably yet at the stage of running enough to worry but I want to be ready for when I get there. Great information.

Yes, for now, just worry about hydrating with water before your run (and during, if it's super hot) and just enjoy yourself. Remember that running/walking 3 miles only burns ~300 calories, but if you are not used to it, it can make you ravenous. Keep that in mind when planning your nutrition.

RisOnTheRun

How long between your pre-run food and running? I'm afraid if i eat too close it won't end up pretty lol

No it's not pretty if you eat too close to running :-) It's different for everyone, for me I like to wait two hours between a meal and running. But I've found that if I just have something small and easy to digest like a single piece of bread with a little peanut butter I'm ok to run right after.