Eat before or after the run? (Read 1398 times)

Hi, Kim! Welcome! I think it's a matter of preference and what you're training for whether you eat before or not. I think most runners eat something light like half a bagel with some cream cheese and a glass of OJ because food = fuel for your running. On the other hand, if you're running okay and are not interested in eating, why mess with perfection? I prefer not to eat before because I have this idea that someone put in my head that it helps my body burn fats if I don't give it extra glucose before the run. But that's just me, and I have no idea if it's true or not. (Big debate there, no good answers, lots of opinions.) One thing I would NOT reccommend is a heavy, greasy breakfast before running. Ugh! While I love McDonald's breakfast food, if I try to run after eating that I get sick to my stomach! 5K in 3 months is a great goal. Do you have your goal race picked out already? It's fun shopping for your first 5K... Once you pick it out, you may want to go ahead and sign up to give yourself some extra motivation! ("Hey, I've already paid the entry fee, I might as well keep running...") Janell

I agree with Wingz.. it's kind of a personal preference and depends a lot on what your goals are (Losing weight? Increasing mileage? Enhancing speed/performance?). I'd bet it depends a lot on body type too. I'm short and thin so I probably don't have a lot of space in my body to carry extra energy... I think muscle mass and liver mass are the main sources for this kind of (glycogen) storage. If I don't eat a little something in the morning (after essentially 'fasting' all night) then I have a really hard time going longer than 3-4 miles... That may be purely pyschological, but if I have a little fruit or half an energy bar, I feel much stronger.

Kim, It's got to be natures own energy bar, the Banana!! Packed with easy to get at energy (fructose) and accompanied by all sorts of nutrients which are good for you (a very good source of potassium I believe) and also with a dod of fibre thrown in to boot!! All for the cost of buttons!! Highly recommended whether it's been a couple of hours since you ate or you've just peeled yourself from bed and you need somehting before you go out. Lot's of Tennis pro's eat them on court for long matches to counter fatigue. Drink wise a bit of fruit juice made up with water to no more than 200ml max will get you some fluids and also a wee bit of energy also without having too much sloshing around in your stomach. Cheers and good luck, FC

Oh yeah!! And fire some carb rich (pasta, brown bread, potato etc.) food down you shortly after running as it helps with muscle fatigue/recovery/re-charging which means less aches and pains. FC

We may have talked about this in another forum (or is it my deja vu? ), but Fluffchubs right on about this. There's some really great evidence that eating (especially carbs, but also some protein) within 1 hour of exercise helps build muscle and repair damage. Even if I don't feel like it, I try to eat a little fruit or something after my runs too.

So far I'm still loving my beginner program and I'm really starting to look forward to morning runs! Never thought THAT would happen.

Know what'cha mean! It grows on ya, doesn't it?

Hi Kim! I can't eat before a run without feeling heavy. I always visualize my body attempting to digest something in my stomach while I am asking it to exert physical energy during my run. Maybe thats my own mind working overtime, but when I am only doing an hour or less of exercise, I can go off of what I have stored. The only exception I have ever made is for distances of more that 10 miles. Then as was noted earlier, the banana is indeed the perfect fuel.