What to eat to boost your running

Got a big race planned this autumn? Here’s what to eat to boost your running according to Nigel Mitchell, a top sports nutritionist who has previously worked with Team Sky, Mark Cavendish and British Sailing.

Want to know what to eat pre-race? Perhaps you’d like to find out what the perfect runners’ snack is? (Spoiler: pistachios). And what about that celebratory pint post-race – is that allowed? Keep on reading to find out.

Why is it so important to eat healthily pre-race?

The aim of a pre-race meal is about topping up energy stores, so it should be easy to digest and provide good quality carbohydrate and protein. Ideally it should be about three hours before the race. An ideal pre-race meal can be porridge and an omelette. This can be practiced in training.

What would you advise runners to eat in the run-up to a race?

This will depend on the distances that they are running and the event, but…

Two weeks before: we are looking at maximising recovery and fuel for training. This would really be focusing on the meals around training. Again focusing on quality carbohydrates and proteins. Often runners avoid fats, but fats are really important for the body, especially the omega-3 fats. Pistachio nuts are an ideal snack because they contain healthy fats and protein, additionally the green and purple pigment provides powerful antioxidants, which can help with recovery. If the runner is watching their body weight again pistachio nuts can help control appetite and prevent over eating.

Three to four days before: as the training volume reduces, portions should reduce by about one fifth. With the reduced volume of training the body will naturally increase muscle stores of carbohydrate.

The day before: if the race is a half marathon or shorter, the runner does not need to really push the carbohydrate but focus on normal foods and portions.

What should runners be eating and drinking along the way, if anything?

This depends on distance, climate and intensity of the race. If the race is less than one hour and the temperature is less than 20°C, runners do not really need anything, but having a drink at an aid station can make the race more comfortable. For longer races, taking a drink like a sports drink with some carbohydrate can help to maintain hydration and energy. Again this should be practiced in training.

How much should runners be aiming to drink pre- and post-race?

This depends on the individual, the climate and the race. I normally advise runners to ensure a good fluid intake on the days leading to the race, aiming to keep urine a light straw colour (urine colour can be a good indicator of hydration). On the day of the race, take about a litre of fluid pre-race spread out, including the pre-race meal. Post-race: if it has been hot then drinking a couple of litres over a couple of hours should ensure adequate hydration. To be more precise, people can check pre- and post-body weight – any weight lost will be fluid and can be replaced.

What would you advise a runner to eat post-race? Is a celebratory pint allowed?

Post-race is about putting some carbohydrate, protein and fluid back in the body. Many people find that they feel sick if they eat soon after a race, so a recovery drink can be useful, which may supply about 20g of protein and 40g of carbohydrate. Real food is always a good option, so something like chicken and rice is great, but often it is difficult to get that at race venues. Again pistachio nuts can be a great post-race snack to start giving the body some protein. Once you have got a good recovery meal and are well hydrated, a celebratory pint will not hurt but do not overdo it, as alcohol as it will slow down the body’s ability to recover.

What are your top three foods to aid endurance?

If we are talking about actual endurance to keep the body going during long runs then topping up with carbohydrate foods are a good idea. Like with strength training, we do not get fitter while we are exercising – it happens when we are recovering. Protein helps the muscle adapt to the endurance training and supports the body to make more mitochondria – the power stations of the muscle.

For those who can’t quite lose their sweet tooth while training, what would you advise for alternatives?

Often if people have a real craving for sweet foods it can be because they have fluctuating blood glucose levels, which could be because they are not eating regularly. However, some people have real cravings for chocolate and I find that if they include a few squares of a dark chocolate (70 per cent or higher), this satisfies the sweet and chocolate craving.

How can people stay in shape while dealing with time off through injury? How should their diet change?

This is really about reducing portions. The mistake many people make is to skip meals and this can make you crave more food later.

How can people beat the bulge this autumn/winter, when food becomes typically less healthy?

It can be useful for people to weigh themselves regularly and set a limit of weight gain in the winter. I normally say no more than 2kg for competitive athletes and there is no major secret: it is about keeping an eye on the calories and maintaining exercise.

What’s your view on sports drinks?

Sports drinks can be really useful but they are often over used. If the exercise is less than one hour they are probably not necessary, but if someone is doing really intense gym-based exercise they can help maintain hydration and carbohydrate levels. People can also make their own. A simple recipe is equal parts of fruit juice to water and a small pinch of salt.

For longer runs, is there anything that can be done to beat cramp, nutrition-wise?

People mainly cramp because of biomechanical or fitness reasons but often think it is nutritional. Nutrition can play a part and it is mainly maintaining adequate hydration and electrolytes. This is where some people will find sports drinks useful.

What are your tips for striking the right balance between eating carbs for fuel without over-eating?

This is simple but people often get it wrong. The harder you run, the more your muscle uses carbohydrates, plus your brain can only use carbohydrate for fuel. However, your body only has a limited store of carbohydrate so if you over consume, your body will store the extra carbohydrate as fat. One other consideration is the type of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates with a low glycemic index (slowly absorbed) will not push up the blood sugar levels as quickly and therefore can reduce some fat storage. The general rule of thumb is to base your meals around low GI carbs such as oatmeal (porridge oats), quinoa, basmati rice and sweet potato. If you have done a really hard training session then some quick absorbed carbohydrate can replete muscle glycogen more quickly, which could be important if training again later that day or the next. Pistachio nuts have a very low GI and high in healthy fats and have been shown to help control people’s appetite. The recommended snack size is about 1oz (30g).

Is it ok to run on an empty stomach?

This is what I would call a metabolic run. Running on an empty stomach first thing in the morning for up to 90 minutes at a low intensity can help to improve the body’s overall aerobic work. However, this should be built up to. Also, when we say empty stomach, there is nothing wrong with having a tea or a coffee before. When I do these runs I would normally have a double espresso beforehand.

For the average runner training for a race, how should meals be broken down into fats, carbs and protein?

This is difficult to say because everyone is individual, but roughly speaking a running in hard training would require about 1.6g-2g of protein per kg of body weight a day, and depending on the volume and intensity of work, 5-10g of carbohydrate/kg per day. From a fat point of view, the runner should aim to be getting healthy fats with foods particularly high in omega-3, such as oily fish, seeds and nuts, especially pistachio nuts. The meals should be decided in three main meals and three snacks.