Best foods to eat before a long run

couzy81
couzy81 Posts: 77 Member
edited November 22 in Food and Nutrition
i am eating healthy but once on a run. After about 6 miles I am done in. What are the best foods to eat before a run.

Replies

  • vikki2124
    vikki2124 Posts: 2 Member
    Oats would be the best fuel for running. Basically you need to carb load before a long run.
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  • isulo_kura
    isulo_kura Posts: 818 Member
    You should have enough glycogen stores for 90 minutes to 2 hours so in reality your normal diet should sufficiently fuel you for 6 miles. So I'd have a look at your overall diet. Are you eating enough overall calories daily? Are you getting a good balance of macros. Personally I would never eat any thing special for 6 miles and a lot would depend on the time of day I was going. If i'm going early morning I either don't eat or just grab a banana. Oats are good but you need to leave a couple of hours before you run otherwise you may feel heavy.
  • couzy81
    couzy81 Posts: 77 Member
    I'm going for 11-12 miles. Just changed my diet to a healthy one
  • mkakids
    mkakids Posts: 1,913 Member
    try to bring something with you on your long runs to eat around the 5 mile mark if you bonk at mile 6. There are specialty running items like GU and sports beans, but anything small and portable can be used. Sometimes I preload a water bottle with some protein powder, or grab a small bag of trail mix...basically anything that can be put in my running pouch and will be easy to eat as I run.
  • mkakids
    mkakids Posts: 1,913 Member
    Generally speaking if I run in the am, i MAY eat a banana on the way out the door and chug a glass of water, but usually I run fasted. I find that I can run for longer and run faster if I don't eat before I leave the house.

    I don't bring anything with me on runs less than 5 miles (no water or food), anything 6-8 miles I pack water and anything over 8 miles I generally bring some sort of food with quick release energy.

  • macgurlnet
    macgurlnet Posts: 1,946 Member
    I eat a piece of toast with almond butter (or today I did sunflower seed butter - yum!). For a longer distance, you'll probably want to bring fuel. Bananas are good but not very portable. You may be best off trying the specialty stuff like Gu to see if that does the job.

    Energy bites - oats, peanut butter, chocolate chips, coconut, maybe some honey or agave nectar, etc - might be worth making and trying out if you want to do something homemade. There's dozens of recipes out there so I'd say hit Google and see what you find!

    ~Lyssa
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    I don't think there's any "best" food for a run, however simple carbs are much more effective since glycogen is what the body utilizes during most of it. Complex carbs take longer to assimilate in that short a time (which is why they're better for the day before a run). So usually a simple carb.

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  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Try a chia pudding.
    http://www.fleetfeetstlouis.com/news/chia-seeds

    My marathon girlfriend takes a few gummy bears along on her run. It takes less food than you think to fuel your run.

    You might need to slow down your running to get faster later.
  • couzy81
    couzy81 Posts: 77 Member
    Cool. I can't eat too much pre run as I get a stitch. I will try the GU but also take a pocket full of gums to eat. Thanks guys
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I've just finished my first Tough Mudder, it's three days later and my muscles are SORE! My smart friend suggests taking vitamin C, and for next time, start taking a day before the race. The vitamin C will help carry away the lactic acid.
  • tatilove1988
    tatilove1988 Posts: 330 Member
    Newbie runner here! When I am going on a long run, which for me is anything over 10 kilometres right now (working up to 15 for upcoming weeks), my snack of choice is usually banana and spoonful of peanut butter. Apparently fast digesting cards are better to fuel your shorter runs.

    Sometimes also, if I know that I will be working out hard for three hours, I bring a banana to the gym as a mid workout snack.

    I go on this website called "runnersworld" and they have such useful information. I been running for only 3-4 months so I'm always lost about what to do, what to eat, preventing common injuries like shin splints, how to cross training to complement my running, etc.. This site helps a lot.

    Follow this link and it'll give you a list of the best pre run snacks and how long before the run to have it.

    http://www.runnersworld.com/run-longer/16-healthy-and-yummy-prerun-meals-and-snacks

    I hope this helps!

    Kind regards,
    Tati
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
    I don't eat a thing before a long run. If it's over 13 miles I'll bring a couple gels that I might use if I decide to do a fast finish. Your body has enough energy for 2 - 3 hours of running if you pace yourself and stay in your aerobic zone.

  • kristinegift
    kristinegift Posts: 2,406 Member
    Before my long runs on Sundays, I drink a cup of coffee and eat a piece of bread with peanut butter, and then I take dried fruit with me on my run (~140 cals worth gets me through 2.5 hours of running). There's no single best food, it will just take some experimentation on your part to figure out what works best for you.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    If I'm up early enough I might have oatmeal and berries. Otherwise yogurt or a banana or perhaps both, as neither of those will bother me if I eat them immediately before.
  • Vegankid192
    Vegankid192 Posts: 14 Member
    Carb up the day before always. Something you eat an hour before is not what you will be running on. Clif bars/ medjool dates are great on the run to help in case of bonking, but if you eat enough carbohydrates the day before this will not happen.
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