What to Eat Before Running

Ultra marathon running was once described as “an eating and drinking contest with running mixed in between.” This is one of the most accurate and universal statements about running that’s ever been made. For those of us that have gone the distance on long runs (which can vary based on the person) you’re probably familiar with the stomach turmoil that kicks in late in a training run/race. The experience can range from mild discomfort and nausea to full on puke fests. Either way, it’s not fun. In another article we talked about what to eat after a run but in this article we’ll tackle recommendations on what to eat and drink shortly before you go on your run.

What you should eat before running

There are a couple of golden rules pertaining to meals before a run. I’ll list a few of the favorites below:

1. Eat plenty of complex carbohydrates. For those of you worried about your shape…. don’t. Carbs are the primary source of energy that you burn during a run. They provide a high amount of readily available fuel that you can’t run long distances without. When I say complex carbohydrates think of foods such as oatmeal, bananas, whole wheat breads with honey and peanut butter spread on it. Check out this list of complex carbohydrates from natural sources.

2. Allow plenty of time for digestion before you start the long run/race. 3-4 hours should be plenty of time since it typically takes about 2 hours to digest the average meal. The last thing you want to do is hit the course with a belly full of the Lumberjack Slam that you just got from Denny’s. Bad idea.

3. Get in plenty of fluids (water). You’ll bonk during a race much faster when you’re dehydrated than you will if you just have an empty stomach. If during the race you have to choose between food and fluids, most runners would recommend fluids (unless your food option is fruit, which is comprised mostly of water).

What you should not eat before running

1. Do not try anything new on race day! This is one of the most commonly broken rules of race preparation by beginning runners. They get psyched out before a race and start thinking “I need some kind of super food or those high performance gels to get me through this!” They forget, however, that they didn’t need any of that crap during their training and completed those runs just fine. Nonetheless they parade over to the nearest starting line tent and gulp down Hammer Gels and rich electrolyte drinks. A few minutes into the race and they already have stomach issues, pulling them off the course to the nearest port-a-potty or bush.

2. Foods high in processed sugars. Not only do they lack the “quality” energy that complex carbohydrates offer, but they are much more likely to upset your stomach. Hey, I like candy corns and cookies just like everyone else. But save those for after the race when you can eat anything you want and not feel guilty about it!

3. Foods high in fat. Fat is great as a long term energy source, i.e. after your carbohydrate stores have been burnt. Once the glycogen stores are gone you’re body switches to starvation mode and you begin catabolyzing fat deposits and using that as energy. Fatty foods do not digest as easily as well. So not only are they more likely to upset your stomach during a race (for most people) but they also don’t “burn” as nicely as an immediate fuel source for your body.

What you ABSOLUTELY should not eat during a run

Redbull Energy Drink may sound like a brilliant solution to turbo charge your race efforts. But to put it bluntly, it’s actually the best way to turbo charge your bowel movements. Since it contains a bunch of caffeine it also acts like an extreme diarhetic and you’ll lose more precious fluids.

Alcohol is also a very bad idea. There are always exceptions, such as with the Hash House Harriers who are commonly known as “a beer-drinking club with a running problem”. But I don’t think they are smashing any records or running terribly long distances. Deep in a race a nice cold cocktail can sometimes sound enticing because you just want to numb the pain. Drinking alcohol during a long run or race however is a sure bet way of bonking and dropping out before the finish.

Lastly, your mother-in-law’s prized “meatloaf surprise”. Okay, that’s just a joke. But all kidding aside, don’t eat anything you typically wouldn’t enjoy when not running.

Specialty foods to consider eating before, during or after a run

For those of us that wish to dabble in the man made performance enhancers I suggest you do your homework and sample things a little bit at a time. To make things easier I’ve offered a brief review of your options in supplements below.

Try energy gel before a run

Energy gel’s or gu’s – these little gel packs pack a serious punch. The majority of them are pure carbohydrate with a dash of caffeine on the top. There are plenty of manufacturers and you will likely recognize a few of their names such as Clif Shots Energy Gel, Hammer Gel, Carb-BOOM Energy Gel, and PowerBar Gel.

My only caution about using gels is it can be a lot to handle during the run since they are VERY sweet and sugary. I find that most people enjoy the first 1 or 2 packs, but after that they get hard to keep down. However, they are well worth the energy they provide. Each pack usually has between 100 and 200 calories and 25-35 milligrams of caffeine. For the average runner, 3-4 of these packs would provide enough fuel for a half marathon. Again, I recommend trying one pack out 15 minutes before a training run. If all goes well then try another pack every 30-45 minutes during a training run. If you stomach them fine then bring a few gels with you to a race and break some personal records.

If you prefer something with a chewy texture, since the gels above can be like eating frosting on a cake, then you can also try out Shot Blocks or Sports Beans by Jelly Belly. Personally I find the Sports Beans to be the most palatable and easy on my stomach. Perhaps it’s because they so closely resemble regular Jelly Belly jelly beans. However they don’t come packed with caffeine like the gels and chewy blocks do. They have plenty of carbohydrates and vitamins B and C though.

But if you’re looking for an all-star list of the best foods to eat as a runner then look no further than the below list. It’s a compilation of the top foods recommended by serious runners and exercise nutritionists:

Almonds (excellent source of vitamin E)
Eggs (one egg contains about 10 percent of your daily protein needs and nearly 30% of Daily Value of Vitamin K)
Whole grains (one cup is usually good enough for 40% of your daily protein needs and includes a healthy mix of carbs)
Oranges (tons of vitamin C and packed with water to keep you hydrated)
Black beans (packed with protein, fiber and a lot of folate)
Mixed greens (too many phytonutrients and antioxidants to count)
Bananas (this super food is loaded with Potassium and helps prevent cramping)
Salmon and turkey (both are extremely lean sources of protein and salmon contains high levels of omega 3 fatty acids)
Walnuts (even more omega 3)
Fruit (each fruit has an assortment of vitamins and phytonutrients so mix and match at will)

Have you had an experience with different foods before or during a race? What have you found that works for you? Share it with the rest of the runners who visit this site!

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