Hi! Thanks for all of your supportive comments regarding my training! It means the world to me. How’s your week? Mine has been a bit on the crazy side. I leave Friday for Boston, and I am trying to get organized before I leave. I have a to-do list a mile long but I have been doing a pretty good job crossing things off of it.
Since starting to train for the half marathon in December, I have been trying to brush up on my sports nutrition. I thought I would share with you some tips for runners. The most important thing that can make or break your runs is fueling properly.
Hydration:
- Before running, make sure to drink 7 to 10 ounces of fluid.
- During running you want to ensure you are drinking enough fluids to stay hydrated. It is ideal for longer runs to switch between water and sports drinks. 6 to 10 ounces every 15 minutes is recommended to supply fluids as well as essential electrolytes (especially sodium).
- After running, you want to drink about 3 cups (24 ounces) for every pound lost during exercise.
Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates are vital when running long distances. You want to make sure to take in an adequate amount of carbohydrates so you don’t “hit the wall” (deplete your muscle glycogen stores).
When running more than 90 minutes, refueling with carbohydrates during your runs is key.
- Generally 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate (about 100-250 calories) per hour is recommended. Training is the time to figure out what forms of carbohydrates work best. There are so many to choose from including dried fruit, sports drinks, gels, bars, etc.
- Sports drinks should provide 14 to 19 grams of carbohydrates per 8 ounces. Avoid higher carb drinks since they can cause stomach distress.
After running, it is important to fuel within the first 30 minutes to replenish muscle glycogen stores. The best fuel to aid muscle recovery is, you guessed it, carbohydrates (about a half gram for every pound of body weight). A small amount of protein (5 to 10 grams) is also important. Chocolate milk has been found to be a great recovery drink providing a great mix of carbohydrates and protein.
Hope these tips help those runners out there! The main thing I tend to struggle with is not drinking enough water during my runs. It simply comes down to not wanting to carry water with me. I showed you my water bottle I purchased. It definitely helps, but still only holds 12 ounces of fluid. Products that seem to work for me on my longer runs are Gatorade and Clif Shot Bloks.
Other Swanky Scoop:
- The winner for the Pampered Chef giveaway is Shannon!! Congratulations! I will send you an email your way to get your contact information. Thanks to all of you that entered!
What are your favorite ways to fuel? For those of you that aren’t runners, do you try to pay attention to what foods you eat before and after exercise?
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Yay, Shannon!
I haven’t thought much about fuelling, really. I know there’s a science, but since I run low mileages, I feel like it’s more than I need. Or am I wrong? At what distance (or number of minutes run) do you think sports nutrition begins to really make a difference?
Generally, if you do no more than an hour of exercise at a time you have enough stored glycogen. I would make sure to have a snack before and no more than 30 minutes after exercise if you don’t plan on fueling during your workout. A combination of protein and carbohydrate is key. I like a banana with pb in the am if I don’t feel like eating alot. Hope this helps!
Love this post! I’ve been brushing up on my sports nutrition knowledge too ever since the husband starting training for a marathon.
He bought a “fuel belt” for his long runs. It’s basically a belt that holds water bottles aroung his waist (kinda like a less dorky version of a fanny pack).
Oh great information. I’m wondering if maybe my nausea isn’t from too many carbs? I only have one water bottle that I carry (still trying to learn to use the stupid thing even) so I only take water with me. It just seems so complicated…
It is hard to say what the nausea is from. I would say pay attention next time to what you ate or drank. I know too much liquid doesn’t always sit well in my stomach.
I try my best to follow each sweat session with tons of water and a carb+protein snack…I don’t always get there but I try my best!
The Shot Bloks are the best. I use those a lot on my runs.
Congrats to the lucky winner!
I love G2 or Gatorade and the PowerBar gels are good…much better than Gu! I’m not a fan of bars during long races, they just sit too heavy for me with all the fluids.
Thanks for all the tips! They’ll definitely help me out during my half marathon training.
i love a little nut butter and bread or banana before a run! Have a great time in Boston – doing anything fun in the city?!
Ahh! I didn’t realize you were going to FNCE!! (How did I miss that??) I’ll be there, too! Let me know if you’ll have free time during this crazy weekend and we can say hi!
Love your running tips! I totally agree with staying hydrated and making sure you have a carb source, especially during those long runs. I’ve definitely forgotten both during 11-12 mile runs and really regretted it later when I felt like poo.
Oh yay! We should try and meet up! I will send you my number on fb.
I am running a half marathon in Jan (30, in marakesh) and these tips were VERY helpful. The longest I’ve run is 9 miles…so I am bit worried as I am ALREADY so thin and don’t want to lose weight.
DO you ever help people gain healthy weight?
I am going to up my carbs…would 40 G be a slice of toast?
If you are concerned about not losing weight, try to add in healthy fats like nuts and avocados into your meals. Also include protein and carbohydrates with every meal and snack.
Generally a slice of bread is about 15 grams of carbohydrates. If you have more questions, feel free to email me. I’d be happy to help.
i was addicted to shot bloks for a long time until i got hooked on ‘Sharkie’s’ … which all started with those damn sports jelly beans YUM! but i still love my shot bloks- theyre so convenient! especially since they tend to work really quickly the moment any fatigue and low energy creeps in on a long run! <3
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