Runner's diet
pkdragok
Posts: 181 Member
I was reading up on runners diets and according to the article penut butter and banana' s and also coffee are on there.. my question is peanuts are high in fat and coffee dehydrates can anybody point me in the right direction
0
Replies
-
Peanuts are high in fat, but runners (like all other humans) need fat. Coffee doesn't dehydrate you, there's no problem with having a reasonable amount of coffee.
But those foods are optional -- you can skip them if you don't like them or you'd rather eat or drink something else. There is no one food that every single runner eats, just some common trends in the diets of successful endurance athletes. If you'd like to learn more about that, "The Endurance Diet" by Matt Fitzgerald is a good resource.4 -
I was reading up on runners diets and according to the article penut butter and banana' s and also coffee are on there.. my question is peanuts are high in fat and coffee dehydrates can anybody point me in the right direction
Whats wrong with fat?
Peanut butter and banana is a great post run snack IMO6 -
There's nothing wrong with peanut butter, bananas, or coffee. Also, runners don't all just follow one diet; it's a pretty diverse group...4
-
As a marathoner and a triathlete myself, I can attest to peanut butter and bananas being a-ok in my book. I do some of my best runs fueled on foods that are calorie dense, carb rich and easy on the stomach like pb and bananas. In fact, I regularly make a nice cauliflower oatmeal using those ingredients to make it a hearty meal before my weekly long, endurance day. I can't speak for the coffee bit though as I don't drink it - cuppa tea with cashew milk and maple syrup does the job there
As others state, diet is really individual preference. For example, many sites say carb load on pasta before a big run - being gluten free, I opt to get my carbs from stuff like bananas, black beans or sweet potato instead. Figure out what works for you by tracking how you feel during and after a run. Won't take long to figure it out. Good luck!3 -
My goto food before a long run is a peanut butter sandwich with some honey on it. I get carbs, fat, and protein and it doesn't upset my stomach. I also down 20 ounces of Irish Breakfast Tea because my body doesn't work without caffeine. So I eat and drink all the things you think are bad and I run marathons.
If you really want to learn about proper nutritional for runners I suggest a couple books by Matt Fitzgerald - Diet Cults and Racing Weight. The first one is great because it dispels many of the crazy fad diets and other nonsense (like being afraid of fat and/or sugar). The latter because it gives you ideas on how to eat to get the best performance.
Good luck.4 -
My goto food before a long run is a peanut butter sandwich with some honey on it. I get carbs, fat, and protein and it doesn't upset my stomach. I also down 20 ounces of Irish Breakfast Tea because my body doesn't work without caffeine. So I eat and drink all the things you think are bad and I run marathons.
If you really want to learn about proper nutritional for runners I suggest a couple books by Matt Fitzgerald - Diet Cults and Racing Weight. The first one is great because it dispels many of the crazy fad diets and other nonsense (like being afraid of fat and/or sugar). The latter because it gives you ideas on how to eat to get the best performance.
Good luck.
Thanks this was very helpful I have just started and I was unsure about the pb and bananas I want to do short distances working up to long i was worried if i loaded up on this stuff and didn't run enough i would gain weight0 -
I was reading up on runners diets and according to the article penut butter and banana' s and also coffee are on there.. my question is peanuts are high in fat and coffee dehydrates can anybody point me in the right direction
Both are great.
Fat are supposed to be bad?
Try drinking water in between the sips of coffee0 -
I really notice a positive difference if I have a coffee before a run - definitely more energy. Others don't like it as running can make you *go* and adding coffee just makes it worse.
As for peanut butter and bananas, I'm not a big fan so rarely eat either - although I'll usually take a free banana post race as they're a quick and easy refuelling option. My go-to pre-run breakfast is avocado and eggs on toast. Filling, nutritious and delicious!1 -
Eggs on toast sounds good, I just don't want to over do the carbs and not be able to burn them off.. can you recommend a good balance, this app is fine and all but it shouts at me whem i.write in my diary about carbs lol.0
-
Eggs on toast sounds good, I just don't want to over do the carbs and not be able to burn them off.. can you recommend a good balance, this app is fine and all but it shouts at me whem i.write in my diary about carbs lol.
Carbs are good if you don't overeat it. As I am still a beginner at this counting calories thing, I like to put all meals before I eat them. It helps me to see how much of carbs, fat and other nutrients I'm having and how much I still need to hit my daily goal. Also, I try to scan everything I can to get as close as possible to the real nutricional information of each food!1 -
I have exactly that (skim milk coffee, tbsp peanut butter & banana) before my morning run! I used to be fine with just coffee, but these days I am just too hungry if I don't eat pre-run. Don't be scared of any foods really, just work out what suits you & enjoy your running!0
-
Eggs on toast sounds good, I just don't want to over do the carbs and not be able to burn them off.. can you recommend a good balance, this app is fine and all but it shouts at me whem i.write in my diary about carbs lol.
I'm not a big bread eater so I always have one slice with two eggs - better egg to bread ratio - and lashings of butter. If you're worried about overdoing carbs, just run further... but seriously, if you're concerned about carbs, what I'm eating currently, as avocados are out of season here, is poached eggs on roasted butternut squash - more lunch than breakfast but seriously yummy.0 -
My goto food before a long run is a peanut butter sandwich with some honey on it. I get carbs, fat, and protein and it doesn't upset my stomach. I also down 20 ounces of Irish Breakfast Tea because my body doesn't work without caffeine. So I eat and drink all the things you think are bad and I run marathons.
If you really want to learn about proper nutritional for runners I suggest a couple books by Matt Fitzgerald - Diet Cults and Racing Weight. The first one is great because it dispels many of the crazy fad diets and other nonsense (like being afraid of fat and/or sugar). The latter because it gives you ideas on how to eat to get the best performance.
Good luck.
Thanks this was very helpful I have just started and I was unsure about the pb and bananas I want to do short distances working up to long i was worried if i loaded up on this stuff and didn't run enough i would gain weight
eating too much of anything will make you gain weight.4 -
@pkdragok most of us when first starting off with the site, focus more on calories in/calories out than our macros and types of food. Honestly for weight loss the calories are all that count, however that being said finding the right combination for you that works to keep you both full and energized within those calories is the key to success.
Also you can set your macros to whatever you want, based on your goals, if you are running a lot it may even be beneficial to take in more carbs than the average joe.
Personally I don't even bother to notice any macros or the reminders about going over macros, just calories... as long as I'm feeling satisfied and eating a balanced diet.
I recently started running again, and I have ran in the past. I drink coffee if I want a boost, I love eating a banana with pb post run bc it's easy (and I hate the taste of protein powder drinks). But mostly I just eat whatever makes me feel good! I almost always eat 2-3 eggs for breakfast, sometimes on toast (I'm not a huge bread person but if I crave it I eat), and usually with yogurt and a piece of fruit.
Whatever you do don't overthink it too much, and do what feels good for your body and your runs! Nice work on getting after it, sounds like you are determined which is the biggest part! Feel free to add me if you want.0 -
I have just started and I was unsure about the pb and bananas I want to do short distances working up to long i was worried if i loaded up on this stuff and didn't run enough i would gain weight
If you're just starting, and running short distances, I wouldn't worry too much about eating to fuel your runs. I'm only up to about 2.5 miles of running (and walking to finish the rest of my 4.2 mile route) every other day, and I do it fasting, with my normal breakfast after.
As a beginner, I'd suggest focusing more on running form, good shoes, and not increasing your distance or speed too much.
Also, you can go into your MFP settings and turn off diary insights, and then it won't yell at you.
2 -
I'm a recreational runner working on upping my distance while we have good weather. I have an uphill battle since I have two forms of arthritis, but I like a challenge.
Anyway, I run fasted because running on a full stomach doesn't agree with me.
My first meal post run once I'm hungry is usually either eggs or cottage cheese with butternut squash or potatoes and some other veggies like cauliflower or broccoli.
Running tends to suppress my appetite for a while, so usually all I want for a while is some tea with half and half.1 -
Eggs on toast sounds good, I just don't want to over do the carbs and not be able to burn them off.. can you recommend a good balance, this app is fine and all but it shouts at me whem i.write in my diary about carbs lol.
Don't worry about carbs. If you want to run long distances carbs will be your number one source of energy (by a long shot). Focus your daily macros like this: First, make sure you get enough protein. This is important for recovery and for building and maintaining muscle. Next, get enough fat. This is important to keep your body functioning optimally. And lastly, fill in the rest with whatever you like. As your distances increase, that will no doubt be carbs. Distance runners even carry gels with them that are made of nearly pure sugar. And when it is really hot and humid, I carry Gatorade Endurance with me instead of water.
For general weight loss the breakdown isn't as important. And for short runs fueling isn't really that important. Don't overthink this (and ignore the confusing and conflicting nonsense pushed by the diet and exercise industry - they just want to sell you something). Just go out and have fun.
Good luck.2 -
Runner here.
I love peanut butter but just like everyone else here I don't eat too much of it.
And I drink 2 cups of coffee everyday but I also drink 8-10 cups of water on top of it.1 -
TavistockToad wrote: »I was reading up on runners diets and according to the article penut butter and banana' s and also coffee are on there.. my question is peanuts are high in fat and coffee dehydrates can anybody point me in the right direction
Whats wrong with fat?
Peanut butter and banana is a great post run snack IMO
carbs + fat = ideal for runners... don't see a problem here???2 -
Ok ill take all this advice into account thank you so much guys I really appreciate the help. I feel a lot better now reading all this info 0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393K Introduce Yourself
- 43.7K Getting Started
- 260.1K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.8K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 415 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.9K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.6K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.5K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions