Back in college, I had a friend who got fit through running. He got in great shape, but I noticed he was eating meals sized for a linebacker. He wasn’t a big guy — and when asked, he’d bring up how great his metabolism was because he was a runner. That he could eat anything he wanted to and burn it off fast.
Don’t get me wrong, the guy looked great. I was proud of him. But looking back, I see how misguided that mentality was. As endurance runners, we don’t win “cheat calories” that we’ve burned. When it comes to weight loss and fitness, I’m more of a “moderation” kind of guy rather than an “I ran today so I can eat a Snicker bar guilt-free” kind of guy.
We do a lot of things to take care of ourselves as runners. We stretch, we hydrate, we replace our shoes every so many miles. But how often do we really think about what we’re using to fuel our bodies?
There’s a science of nutrition we must be cognizant of.
Food and sleep are the two things that most affect running performance. There’s a problem, though: a lot of us are running on the notion of carb-loading at Olive Garden or consuming all sorts of energy drinks, protein pastes, and various “health” bars.
Our information is outdated, antiquated, and flat-out ineffective. Here’s what you really need to know about endurance running and nutrition.
Effective Fuel for Endurance Runners
Adjust Your Caloric Needs with Your Intensity
When we start getting into intensive exercise, many of us make the mistake of going ham on our eating habits. When you burn calories, you get hungry. You’ve depleted some fuel stores that your body probably isn’t used to touching. This, unfortunately, can lead to binging. We far over-estimate how many calories we actually burn during exercise and we under-estimate the calories we consume.
It’s valuable for you to track your caloric intake. It’s true when you have an intensive run, you need to give your body fuel before and after, in the recovery window. But don’t overdo the fuel! You’ll “flood the tank,” so-to-speak. You’re not going to need a significant daily increase in caloric intake as a runner. Adjust for the intensity of your exercise!
Carbs Matter
I took a jab at carb-loading earlier. It’s not that carb-loading is bad, per se. It’s that we usually pick the wrong carbs. We spring for pasta and white bread and rice before we have lentils, nuts, or sweet potatoes. Carbs come in many forms — including in fruits and vegetables. Too many of us think of high-calorie pasta when we think about carbs. As a runner (and as a person), the type of carbs you consume is very important.
Eat fruit, vegetables, and whole grains for your carbs rather than loading your plate full of refined sugars and grains. They offer more for you nutritionally.
Eat Fresh(er)
I harp on this a lot, but eating fresh food is so important. We all can use more fruits and vegetables in our diets. If there’s room for it, add it in. You can always benefit from more fresh produce in your diet. This is where you’ll find dense, rich macro and micronutrients. Skip the pre-packaged and processed foods as much as possible. If we care about our bodies, our performance, and our long-term health, we’ve got to focus on fresh.
Stop Worrying About Electrolytes
I like a good sports drink. I do. That said, not only are they chock-full of sugar, but they’ve perpetuated the idea that you need to “replenish your electrolytes” if you sweat at all in the course of working out. This need is hugely overblown and is the culprit for stunted results. Even long-distance endurance runners do not typically need to load up on salt tablets and sports drinks. Your body can only process so much, and we often consume more than that! This throws our balance off — extra sodium causes bloat, and can result in weight gain.
Just like any other need, your body will crave salt if you really need it. Listen to your body. Opt primarily for water and don’t drink an entire sports drink in one sitting. Think about how much you sweat versus how much salt you try to ingest. There’s often an imbalance there!
Electrolytes do matter in performance, but don’t fall into the trap of overcompensation.
What nutrition myths do you want to see busted? Share your thoughts in the comments.