Should I eat this banana cake 30 minutes before my run?
That's the question in my mind as my head is stuck in the fridge, again!
No, I’m not trying to find that one final beer that I stuck at the back of the vegetable tray, but I’m looking for something to eat before I go out for a run!
30 - 60 minutes before a run you should aim to eat foods that are easy to digest and contain mainly carbs and some protein. These foods will give you energy and not cause stomach issues. A good rule of thumb is to have 200-300 calories and 30g of carbohydrates in the hour before you exercise.
Back in the good old days, I didn't really pay much attention to what I ate before a workout. Chocolate bars and candy were the order of the day, based on the notion that they had a lot of calories and were high in energy!
"It's got sugar, it will give you energy", the devil on my shoulder used to tell me...
Or sometimes I wouldn’t eat anything.
And then I began to wonder why I struggled on runs or bike sessions that were longer than an hour.
So I decided to ditch the good old days and do some research..
Today I'll share with you what I discovered!
What Do The Foods Need to Contain (and not contain)?
I didn't do particularly well in science at school, so I'll keep it simple...
We're basically looking for foods that are easy to digest and contain two nutrients; carbohydrates and protein.
Carbohydrates
Carbs are the body’s main source of energy, and they are essential when working out. Make sure what you eat is high enough in carbohydrates to keep you going until the end.
Protein
This helps repair muscles and stimulate the production of new muscle. Make sure what you eat has a moderate amount of proteins to help maintain muscle mass.
Avoid high-fibre foods or high-fat foods like the plague. They are hard to digest and are likely to lead to unscheduled toilet stop (if you can find one!) on route!
How Much to Eat & When?
The amount of food to eat really depends on when you will exercising.
Bear in mind, the more you eat, the longer it will take to digest.
You don't want to be going out for a run with a belly full of food sloshing around. That's only gonna end one way!
If you're eating 3-4 hours before you exercise, a substantial meal like baked potato or pasta with tomato sauce are good ideas.
What Foods to Eat 30 Minutes Before a Run?
It's not always possible for us to plan and eat a decent meal 3 hours before we exercise.
Maybe we're busy at work during the day and don't have time to eat 3-4 hours beforehand.
And for you morning runners, it's almost impossible to get a big meal in, unless you want to wake up in the middle of the night!
Quite often we need something quick, so what should we eat?
As with anything to do with training, it's nigh-on impossible to get a one-size fits all strategy.
What works for one person, might not work for the next. The best thing to do is experiment and find out what works best for you.
Over the years, I've found a few snacks that give me the energy boost I need 30 minutes before a run.
Remember we're aiming for around 200-300 calories and around 30g of carbs.
While these foods below may not all hit that exact number, they are close enough and work for me on runs for 60-90 minutes.
Pre-Workout Snack Ideas:
Small bowl of oatmeal
Greek yogurt and fruit or granola
Granola Bar
1-2 bananas
Toast with peanut butter
Saltine crackers or pretzels
Which one are you going to try?
Don't Forget to Hydrate!
Just as important as making sure you're energised before your run is to make sure you keep hydrated during exercise.
Again, the length of your workout determines how much and what you should drink.
For now, I'll point you in the direction of the blog post I wrote about how to make your own homemade sports drinks.
Final Thoughts
Let's finish off with a couple of final reminders...
Remember all the above info is simply some guidelines. I'm no pro! Everyone is different so you need to find out what works for you. Just remember to avoid those high-fibre foods!
Check the labels of the food you're eating and try to get something in the region of 200-300 calories and 30g of carbohydrates.
Workout Hard. Play Harder!
