Regardless of how energized you feel at the start of your run, from carb-rich pancakes and bold coffee, you’ll still need to refuel if you are pushing the distance on your runs.
Dawn DiPonio Post-Marathon
1. Length of the workout
Are you running for more than an hour?
2. What sits well in your belly
What is your GI tolerance?
3. Ease of packing
As much as I love pizza, can’t find a place to put it when I run =)
4. Taste preferences
What tastes good on your couch, may not on your run.
5. Necessities
Cover your bases–carbohydrates, sodium, fluid.
Trial and error will help you figure out numbers 2, 3 and 4, but science can help with determining what you need depending on 1, your workout length, and 2, necessary nutrients. Let’s look at the numbers:
Length of run = under an hour
What you need
Not much if you’ve had a decent pre-workout snack. Have water on hand (especially if it’s warm) but a workout that lasts less than an hour won’t typically drain your fuel.
Length of run = 1-2 hours
What you need
Carbohydrates: 30-60 grams of carbohydrate per hour (or about 0.32 grams per LB of body weight)
Fluid: 13–26 fl oz (400–800 ml) every hour – to get a better estimate of your unique needs, do a sweat rate test. Weigh yourself before and after exercise to see whether you’ve met your fluid needs. Stay within your “hydration zone” — where you can perform at your best — by losing no more than 2% of your body weight due to fluid loss during exercise and by avoiding weight gain from consuming too much fluid.
Sodium: it varies from person-to-person, but the American College of Sports Medicine recommends that people who are active for more than one hour consume 500–700 mg of sodium for every 32 oz (~1L) of water they consume. However, there are some who recommend 500–1,000 mg of sodium per 32 oz of water, or per one hour of intense exercise.
Food & frequency
Carbohydrate: bite, gel, blast, bar, sports drink or sandwich –chew, sip or slurp your fuel every 20-45 minutes.
Fluid: don’t drink your fluid all in one big chug. Try 3–7 fl oz (100–200 ml) about every 15 minutes
Length of run = over 2-3 hours
What you need
Your fluid and sodium strategy is the same per hour.
For moderate- to high-intensity exercise of > 2 hours, a 2:1 ratio of glucose to fructose promotes a faster delivery of carbohydrate fuel to working muscles than glucose alone and improved performance. This dual blend of carbs can be consumed at 45–90 grams per hour during exercise — again, in smaller amounts taken frequently. Look for sports nutrition options that have this ratio of glucose to fructose.
The Key Messages:
1. Fuel and drink early, frequently and mindfully – don’t ignore your nutritional needs.
2. Practice your nutrition strategy during training when getting ready for a long distance race.
3. Fluid and fuel require trial and error – find what works best for YOU.
Stay tuned for more nutrition advice. In the meantime, love what you eat and eat like you run!
If you want to check out more nutrition advice by Jenna and other great tools for runners, go to PowerBar.com