What should I eat before a run?

Knowing what to eat before a run is an art. You want to ensure your energy levels are good without overdoing it or eating the wrong thing.

It’s not an exact science, knowing what to eat before a run but if you stick to key points depending on how far and what time you’re running, you’re likely to save yourself any issues. Base your pre-run fuelling on 3 factors – time, dIstance and effort. You’re likely to need different fuelling if running at 6am to 6pm, going for a 5k or a marathon, and doing a session or an easy run.

What to Eat Before Running

It’s important to note that every runner is different, we each have different fuel requirements, process our food at different speeds, and have different tastes. So it’s all relative to you, but the main point remains, you want to start a run with energy and be able to sustain that during your run.

To avoid discomfort and sustain your energy, depending on the 3 variables, here are my top tips! 😎

What To Eat Before Running – In the Morning

Are you an early riser? Do you like to jump (or peel yourself) out of bed and get your run done? Getting out of bed early can be hard enough, so follow these principles which can help:

1. You don’t need to eat before a morning run. If you’re a seasoned runner, you can likely run for up to an hour on an empty stomach. This is more a general point but you’ll know yourself if you need something to get started.
2. Pay attention to what you eat the night before. Depending on the distance and type of run you’re doing, plan a dinner that is high in carbohydrates and protein. Pasta comes to mind! Try not to consumer too much though, as this can affect your sleep. That being said I find if I’m doing an easy hour run then it doesn’t really matter what I eat the night before. I do pay attention to this more though if I’m doing a long run or session.
3. If you’re going long eat something small and simple. If you’re running longer than an hour, look for a simple, easy to digest snack an hour before you start. Unless you’re running a marathon you could get away with a banana (for example). Avoid high fiber foods, which the body takes longer to process. Depending on your stomach you may find it easier to have an energy gel.
4. Coffee! My go to early morning fuel. A quick espresso, 30 minutes before you get out can make things a little easier. Caffeine has shown to decrease your perception of effort. That being said, it can also cause stomach issues so take care.

What To Eat Before Running – In the Evening

When planning for an afternoon or evening run, remember that your body has been fuelled throughout the day by your regular meals of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you’re running within 2-3 hours of a meal, you likely don’t need to eat anything else. Only if you’re running long or doing a session should you think about this. For example an energy gel or banana an hour before. If you’re going for a pre-dinner run and it’s been a few hours since lunch, it’s probably worthwhile having a small snack.

What To Eat Before a Long Run

Long runs have a different set of fuelling rules. Covered above to some extent, but for any run of over an hour, you may want to continue to fuel as you run to keep up those energy levels. This is specific to your fitness as I find I can run up to 2 hours without having to think much about fuelling on the go. These points may help you though:

1. Eating carb-rich meals the day before your long run.
2. Eat a decent sized snack 2-3 hours before your long run, or 1 hour before if you’re getting up early.
3. Take water or a sports drink, along with energy gels with you. This is dependent on how far you’re going so be wary. It may also help to run your long run on a looped circuit so you can stash any fuel to save carrying it.

What Not To Eat Before Running

Many have tried and found foods that just don’t agree with them. This is specific to your body but there is general advice which should help you though:

1. Beans and lentils. A great source of energy, but are also high fiber and can cause stomach distress when running.
2. Too much fat. Although fat is important, for a healthy balance and a great slow-burn fuel. It can however, sit in your stomach for longer, and is slower to digest, which can lead to stomach issues on your run.
3. Spicy Foods. This may sound obvious, and you may have experience this (I have!). Having a spicy meal the night before can be worsened by the movement of running.
4. Sugary stuff and too many carbs. Items like fizzy soft drinks and sweets, are often nutritionally limited and can cause blood sugar spikes. When your blood sugar rushes, then drops off dramatically, you may just want to rest and avoid a run.

What To Eat Before A Run Summary

Here are some rules to stick by when planning your pre-run fuel:

• Avoid being either starved or stuffed before starting any run.
• If you need to eat, based on distance, time or effort then aim for a snack 1 hour out from your run.
• Pre-run snacks, stick to digestible sources of carbs, things like bananas are ideal.
• Avoid foods that can take longer to process. High-fiber foods, spicy foods, sweet and highly processed foods.
• Early morning runs can be done on an empty stomach. If you’re looking to go long or do a hard session you may want to eat something beforehand.
• A carb-rich dinner can be good fuelling for an early morning run. Aim for things like pasta, rice, potatoes, whole grain foods

If you like this, please see my other post on the health benefits of running!