Fuelling for Endurance: How to Plan Your Nutrition for Long Rides and Runs
- Rebecca
- Nov 16, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 14
Fasted running, Rawdogging, Low carbs, Keto are all trends that endurance athletes should avoid if they want to perform at their best.
Why are carbs essential for endurance athletes?
Although your body can use fat and protein as fuel, it has to use more energy to access energy from fat and protein than it does from carbohydrates. As an endurance athlete you want your energy quickly and that means it needs to come from carbohydrates.
Unfortunately, your body has limited ability to store them, which is why it’s important to keep topping them up if you want to perform well!
How to fuel for endurance
So, what should you be eating and when? Our sports nutritionist put together this basic guide to endurance fuelling strategies to help you Perform Better!
Pre-run or ride
You need to make sure that you have 1-4g/kg of bodyweight of carbohydrates before your run (i.e. if you weigh 60kg, you’ll need to eat between 60g and 240g of carbohydrates). This doesn’t need to be complicated. If you eat a balanced meal regularly throughout the day you’re likely to be getting enough carbohydrates to fuel your workouts. But if you’re an early morning runner, swimmer or cyclist you really need to top up on your glycogen stores.
Eat between one and two hours before your run, and focus on food that has a high carbohydrate content but is low in fibre to minimise any stomach issues. One pre-run meal idea is a toasted bagel and a glass of orange juice, which delivers about 60g of carbohydrates. Need more? Add another bagel or toppings like honey and jam for a real carbohydrate boost!
Carbohydrate needs during exercise
If you have topped up before your training session, you won’t need any extra nutrition if your session is less than 75 minutes. That means that you can get out of the door quickly and get your training in without worrying about nutrition or hydration.
If you're doing a longer session of between one and two hours, you’ll need to start planning on what to take with you. Ideally, you’ll need about 30g of carbohydrates an hour. Gels and chews are a very convenient way to get this amount of energy. There are lots of options on the market - buy a few and see what works for you.
Post-workout nutrition
You should rehydrate and refuel after training so you can recover. If you aren’t going to be able to eat a balanced meal within an hour or so, hot chocolate is a good option because it has a good balance of carbohydrates and protein.
By fuelling effectively before, during, and after training sessions, you can improve your performance, reduce injury risks, and improve recovery times. Remember: personalisation is vital in sports nutrition. Experiment with timing, portions, and types of carbs to find what works best for you.
Get in touch to find out how we can help you fuel your training.
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