Fueling and Hydrating for a Great Workout!

Fueling your new activity is very important. Timing is key. It’s a good rule of thumb to eat about 200-400 calories of mostly complex carbs and a little protein about 1.5 hours prior to your run/walk. This will give your body time to digest the food and provide your body with the needed energy for your activity. Not eating or not eating enough before your run can cause your running to feel labored or cause your muscles to feel fatigued. Eating too soon can sometimes cause stomach issues. Digestion usually stops or slows dramatically when you run/walk, so if you eat just before your activity, then all that food will just sit there and go nowhere and do little to provide you with the energy they would otherwise provide.

What works best for a pre-run snack will vary from runner to runner. Some good foods to try include, yogurt with granola, an English muffin with peanut butter, or half a peanut butter (or other nut butter) sandwich and a banana. Energy bars are fine, but be sure they’re not loaded with saturated fat and unnecessary calories. Post-run refueling is important too. Eating a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein within 30-45 mins after a run is optimal timing for providing your tired muscles with the fuel they need to rebuild quickly. Lowfat or skim chocolate milk actually has the needed 4:1 ratio. If you’re following your workout with lunch or dinner within 30 minutes of completing your run/walk, then that will be fine for your refueling.

Proper hydration is just as important as being well-fueled. Be sure to drink about 20oz. of water about 2 hrs prior to running. This will give it time to pass through your system and to be voided before your run. During your run, drinking water is fine. Once you’re running more than 45-60 minutes, you’ll need to switch to a sports drink like Gatorade to help replace vital electrolytes which are minerals (sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus) that play a major role in helping to maintain proper water balance in your body. After your run/walk, be sure to rehydrate with 20oz of water. On hot/humid days, you may need to drink more water post-run to replace fluids lost through perspiration.