So, let’s say I have a limited time in which to go for a jog. I haven’t had breakfast yet. I can eat something now, but I absolutely have to start my run within the next hour. What should I eat?
Last week, I did a little experimenting. One day, I had two hot dogs and a papaya drink one hour before running. I had a lot of energy and ran five miles (which is exceedingly good for me at the moment), but not without a fair amount of indigestion.
Another day, I had a granola bar. My stomach was fine, but I was absolutely sapped of all energy after two miles.
So, obviously, I should be going for something inbetween. But what? Should I try to ingest a certain number of calories, or just go for lots of a certain element, like protein or carbs? Stock up on Cliff Bars, maybe?
Something light. Don’t go for Pepsi and Snickerdoodles either. A small bowl of oatmeal works alright for me sometimes, tho not for everyone. Cliff Bars seems like it might be the right idea. Make sure you’re hydrated, too.
I usually have a Fiber One bar shortly before I run. If I eat too much I get sick. I have an extremely sensitive stomach though. I totally avoid fruit and try to stick with really complex carbs, like whole wheat.
If you just got up (so you haven’t eaten in around 8+ hours) and you’re doing 3-5 miles I’d definitely go for a light snack; a small bowl of oatmeal made with skim or lowfat milk, a few chopped nuts, some sugar, for example. Or a slice or two of whole-wheat toast with a little jam and a cup of tea. Go easy on the fat - a little peanut butter on your toast is one thing, a couple of sausages is another. Your example of hot dogs and papaya drink made me feel ill. Have some water - not so your belly feels full though.
Personally I don’t care for Clif Bars before/during/after a run; they’re just too hard to digest. Those inexpensive Quaker Oats soft granola bars, however, have been perfect for me. They’re about $15 for a box of 60 at CostCo. I find it’s the right amount of calories (about 100 or so), there’s a little fat and protein in addition to the carbohydrates and it’s a great if I need something right before I go, or for my periodic snacks when I’m running (I have a bit to eat every 45-50 minutes; one of those granola bars or a packet of Gu is perfect).
Earlier today I did a 15 mile trail run. I ate a lot and drank plenty yesterday. Breakfast was ~ 2 hours before I ran and it was a big bowl of the aforementioned oatmeal & mug o’ tea. I also had a slice of bread before I headed out the door.
Whatever you eat I’d recommend that most of the calories come from some complex carbohydrates, like whole grains, as opposed to simple sugars, fats or proteins (those things are OK, just small amounts). Fats and proteins take some work to digest and your body will probably be diverting some blood from your digestive system to your muscles, so too much of those foods can make you sick (I have learned this the hard way). You’ll process sugars quickly but then your stomach won’t have anything to work on and you may get an upset tum.
Remember, running burns around 125 calories per mile. A 5 mile run is thus about 625 calories over, say, an hour if you’re jogging. After about 20 minutes your body is burning stored fat to get those calories. You don’t need to fuel the whole run off your breakfast, you just want something simple that will keep your stomach pleasantly occupied.
There’s some interesting math about how quickly your body can absorb calories from the food you eat, IIRC what it works out to is that at a decent running speed you are burning calories twice as fast as you can digest them. For long-distance runners with very low body fat this means that they are fighting a losing battle in regards to energy - they don’t have a massive store of fat (although one pound of fat is around 3500 calories which should get you nearly 30 miles!) and they can’t process food quickly enough to fuel the whole run, it’s just helping take the edge off the fat needed.
How long are you running? In other words, is it just a few miles or a long run (i.e., 10 miles or more)? Also, how sensitive is your stomach (obviously not too sensitive if you can eat hotdogs first)?
When I was running a lot, I was unfortunate enough to get what’s called “runner’s trots” before running in the early morning, so unless I planned to run over 10 miles, I usually avoided eating at all, instead preferring to drink a glass of water and bring some Gatorade and a Gu shot with me.
If you don’t have a sensitive stomach, I’d suggest making sure you get some protein in the morning. If you find that a granola bar is making you loggy, maybe try a handful of nuts or the aforementioned oatmeal. Or you could sprinkle the nuts on the oatmeal, but that may be too much food.
I’d try not to go too heavy on the carbs/protein that close to the activity. You start getting the energy from fruits within 30 minutes of ingestion (if my HS wrestling coach was accurate about that). I’m pretty sure the carbs and protein take longer than that. Of course, if it’s a long run, and it’s not in competition, you might start getting energy from carbs and such in the middle of it.
I know for wrestling, I was pretty well straining myself to the utmost during a match, so anything in my stomach was a detriment to me. I’d do fruits within the hour before a match, but for anything else I’d need at least 2, and even then eat only lightly.
Different stomach, different sport, but just consider how long it’s going to be before you’re getting extra energy rather than carrying extra weight.
The fettucine alfredo thing happened on The Office. Micheal decided to “carb load” and decided a huge plate of cheesy pasta was a good idea before a charity run. It was not.
Like overlyverbose, I’ve been experimenting with not eating at all before running. Typically I’ll work 7-12 (usually skip breakfast), then run for 30 minutes (ca. 4 miles), taking in only water. I don’t seem to lack energy to run, but boy do I have an appetite afterwards. I find it really pleasant, but I doubt it’s for everyone.
I’m like overlyverbose. For me, the answer is “nothing” or “Immodium.”
I have to take in clif shots or gu and water along the run - anything more solid than that and my stomach will strongly object and I’ll be desperately searching for a bathroom or bathroom-equivalent.
Oranges (not a lot. but a slice or two) don’t bother me that much.