Knowing what to eat before running, during training and after exercise is essential for performance and recovery.
This Run Army nutrition guide covers how to fuel your body with the right balance of carbohydrates, protein and fluids to support consistent training and long-term results.
How to Time Carbohydrates for Better Running Performance
Timing your carbohydrate intake around your cycling sessions is going to play a crucial role in optimising your training as well as your recovery.
Pre-training carbohydrates provide readily available fuel, allowing your muscles to perform better and run further without feeling flat and heavy.
Post-training carbohydrates are needed to replenish glycogen stores in your muscles, which can improve your recovery time, reduce muscle soreness, and support your next training session.
Pairing carbohydrates with protein in your post-training meal will optimise muscle repair and growth.
2-3 hours before training
If time permits, have a main meal 2-3 hours prior to training session. This meal should be carbohydrate-rich, moderate in protein and low-moderate in healthy fats and fibre. This is because fats and fibre take longer to digest, so being mindful of the amount you eat prior to training is important.
If you are training early in the morning, you do not have to get up earlier to eat a large meal. See below for some options to have within an hour of your session.
30-60 minutes before training
Have a carbohydrate-rich snack approximately 1 hour prior to training session. During exercise, blood is diverted from the digestive system to the working muscles and for this reason, it’s important to consume foods that can be digested and absorbed quickly by the body.
Focus on easily digestible (simple) carbohydrates that are low in fibre for your pre-training snack. The amount of carbohydrates you require will be dependent on the duration and intensity of your training.
A good starting point is to aim for 0.5 g of carbohydrates per kg of your bodyweight. Example, a person weighing 70kg should aim for approximately 35g of carbohydrates. If you are already conditioned to having a pre-training snack, you may tolerate up to 1 g of carbohydrate per kg of your bodyweight
Examples of fast-digesting carbohydrates are pikelets with jam/honey, fruit toast, hot cross buns, crumpets, bananas, apples, medjool dates, rice cakes with honey, LCM, muesli bar, or a glass of OJ.
15-30 minutes before training
If you miss the 30-60 minute window, you can have something just prior to training. However, it will need to be an even simpler form of carbohydrate such as a banana, a few lolly snakes or small glass of orange juice.
They are very easy to digest so will provide you with an instant energy source without any gut issues. For example, one medium sized banana provides between 20-27g carbohydrates depending on the size. 3 x lolly snakes provide approximately 30g carbohydrate.
30-60 minutes after training
Refuel within 30-60 minutes of training session with a focus on carbohydrates, protein and fluids. Carbohydrates top up glycogen stores; protein stimulates muscle protein synthesis and fluids will rehydrate and replace electrolytes.
Aim for ~1.2g carbohydrates per kg of your body weight. For example, a person weighing 70kg should aim for ~84g carbohydrates in their post-training meal.
Include a lean protein source and some healthy fats also.
If you are training again within the next 8 hours, it is important to eat as soon as possible post-training to replenish glycogen stores and optimise recovery. If you only train once a day, this recovery meal can be eaten a little later.
Intra-training nutrition (during the session)
For training sessions under 90 minutes in duration, you may not require anything during the session.
However, for training sessions 60-90 minutes duration, aim for 30-60 grams of carbohydrates per hour in the form of a sports gel / energy chew.
Hydration
As a base, you should aim to consume 30-35ml per kg of your body weight of fluid (mostly coming from plain water) per day. In addition, sipping water during training sessions at around 100-150ml every 15 minutes.
Electrolyte drinks may be useful when you are training twice a day, exercising in hot environments or you are sweating for long durations.
Getting your nutrition right doesn’t need to be complicated – but it does need to be consistent.
By paying attention to when and how you fuel your body, you can support better performance, improve recovery and stay consistent with your Run Army training. Small adjustments to your carbohydrate intake, hydration and recovery habits can make a noticeable difference over time.
If you’re unsure how to structure your nutrition around your training or you’re not recovering as well as you’d like, it may be worth getting some guidance.
next steps
At GO2 Health, our team works with runners and active individuals to support performance, recovery and long-term health through a multidisciplinary approach.
If you need support, you can:
- Book an appointment with our team
- Explore REFORGE rehabilitation programs
- Speak to a dietitian about fuelling your training and recovery.
Train well, recover properly, and keep moving forward.