nutrition for running: what works for me
A quick caveat before we get into things: I’m currently studying for a Level 4 qualification in Sports Nutrition, so I am not fully qualified to give nutritional advice or prescription at an individual level. The athletes I work with will know and vouch for this. Please think of this post as a look at what actually works for me, as an experienced marathon and half marathon runner, rather than me preaching rigid nutritional advice without the right qualifications. If it inspires you to test a few new strategies or dig into the science yourself, then brilliant.
If you read up on this topic, you'll spot a recurring theme among the world's best endurance runners: they eat "everything." They don't get caught up in restrictive fads, and they certainly don't fear carbs.
When I say "everything," I mean exactly that, in relevance to their availability. Sometimes, a packet of McCoys, is exactly what you need to replenish your sodium and get some easy carbs down. A bar of chocolate? Dense calories and a mental boost. Don't let clean-eating guilt stop you from taking in the calories your body is screaming for when the mileage is creeping up. If you are someone that knows me at all, you'll know eating "clean" isn't my advice or practice with myself. Us runners, especially those who rack up the miles day on day, week on week, need energy first and foremost. Clean can be a bonus, but enough, is more important.
Over the years, I've tested a lot of strategies to see what actually moves the needle the right way, and wrong way for my own training and races. These strategies too, are usually all backed by how the body processes fuel, and they are what I rely on to run long, recover fast, and avoid a bad stomach, even though there are lots of different ways to achieve similar outcomes.
The Golden Rule: Fuel the Work
Before I talk about specific foods to aid training, or race-day routine, we need to talk about total energy availability. The biggest mistake I see runners make (and one I've made myself) is simply not eating enough to match their training volume.
If you are logging big miles, you need serious calories. I focus heavily on bookending my hard sessions and long runs, meaning I make absolutely sure I am taking in ample energy in the hours immediately before and immediately after the work. Under-fuelling doesn't make you faster, or stronger; it leads straight to injury, burnout, and suppressed hormones. Your body needs the energy to perform and rebuild, so do not skimp on total calories (especially) on your heavy days.
passing on the Pasta for Potatoes and Rice
Pasta seems to be the absolute go-to for most runners, but when I'm in a heavy training block, I almost exclusively lean on white rice and potatoes, including oven chips :-). It comes down to digestion and preference. When you're forcing down massive amounts of carbs week after week, you want to minimise the work your gut has to do. Researchers have extensively documented how high fermentable carbs trigger bloating and the runner's trots. Rice and potatoes are naturally gluten-free and super low in terms of fermentation. A baked potato with salt gives me a fantastic potassium hit, and white rice tops up the tanks incredibly fast without making me feel sluggish the next morning. I just also much prefer the taste and texture of spuds and rice to be honest! Also rice with honey on race morning, or pre long run or session, is a nice option for me. Low bulk, high carb and very easy to stomach.
The Carb Load: Pretzels and AI, a perfect match.
The night before a marathon, or half marathon, everyone seems to post pictures of their massive mountain of pasta at 8 PM. I've been there and had a couple of bad experiences. Trust me, it's a terrible idea, you'll sleep more poorly than usual and wake up feeling heavy. My approach? I get the vast majority of my race-day carbs in before dinner the day before. I'll eat a big carb-heavy breakfast and lunch and snack away through the afternoon on salted pretzels (which are ideal because they provide a good carb hit with basically zero fibre, hardly any fat, and plenty of salt). They also remind me to top up fluids as they bring on the thirst. Then, I'll have a much lighter, easily digestible evening meal so I wake up feeling light but fully fuelled.
Also, carb loading is basically a maths assignment in disguise (I aim in recent events for 8g per kilo bodyweight). Instead of messing around logging every gram in an app, I just use an AI assistant (gemini) on my phone and give it photos of my food, or short descriptions and let the AI do the maths, and tell me how many grams I have left to hit my daily target. It completely removes the mental stress of fuelling.
Pre-Race: Beet shots & The 1-Hour Cutoff
Three days out from a goal race, in the past 3/4 races, I have start loading with concentrated beetroot juice, and morning of a race. Research pioneered by Dr. Andy Jones at the University of Exeter shows that dietary nitrates improve blood flow and reduce the oxygen cost of exercise. From my experience, it probably does makes a small difference, but it is hard to substantiate to be honest with the carb load working. I rationalise it though by also remembering that its loaded with antoxidants, so if nothing else its bolstering my wellbeing and immune system. Just beware the red pee! At first I was a bit shocked to say the least.
If you're doing this, I save money and buy the 250ml bottles of Beet It Sport rather than dozens of tiny single-use shots. Just make sure you are buying the Sport version, as the standard beetroot juice out of the supermarket doesn't contain the highly concentrated nitrate levels required to actually change performance at all. Another tip is don't nail the shot on an empty stomach! I remember doing this before walking the dogs one morning, and genuinely thought I might pass out. It was just the blood pressure drop and nausea effect on an empty stomach and taking it undiluted. I've read and since tried adding to juice/water, to it and it works... as as long as you get the right nitrates in, the concentration of the shot glass isn't important when drinking.
As for race morning hydration: I get my electrolytes, energy drink and fluid in early within 30 minutes of waking. But here is my golden rule, I completely stop drinking liquid, one hour before the gun goes. You want your bladder completely empty at the start line, and you don't want water sloshing about in your stomach during those early miles, or desperately needing a pee at mile 2. In training I almost always need a pee early (and that's okay) and then remember I did just drink 2 glasses of apple juice 30 minutes ago...
Pre-Run: Liquid Carbs Are King
On that note, if you run early, are short on time, or just can't stomach anything solid at 5 AM, liquid carbs are your best bet. I usually turn to them if I have a session before work or weekend early long run. Liquids empty from the stomach rapidly and get sugar into your bloodstream right when you need it. I'll make my SIS sports drink mix, grab an isotonic sports drink from the shop if driving to a park for a session, or just pour a large glass of apple juice. Apple juice is actually perfect for this actually, it has zero fibre, zero fat, and is incredibly easy to stomach.
In-Race Fuelling: Pay for the Premium Stuff
I know they aren't typically cheap, but the top-tier, high carb, dual-source gels are 100% worth it when you're pushing the pace. When you try to take in more than 60 grams of carbs an hour, your body's primary absorption pathway gets jammed if you use a cheaper glucose only gels. To hit my target of 80-85g an hour during a marathon, I always use dual source, to absorb the extra fuel. In my first couple of years of running I really didn't pay attention to the amount of carbs, or the format consumed vs the intensity of the race. I just thought gels were gels, and I definitely looking back, feel I was leaving time on the table.
I swear by the effectiveness of Maurten 160 gels and Science in Sport (SiS) Beta Fuel. The Maurten are a slight preference and hydrogel technology practically bypasses the stomach and absorbs straight into the intestines. Have never had one bad experience with the Maurten in my past few races. For a marathon though I do often train with Beta fuel, as they are also great and a bit less expensive, and have a nootropics version as the last gel of a marathon for a supercharged 200mg caffeine hit. Also what's great about these gels is that they have 40g of carbs per gel, which means fuelling at the right levels for the right time, doesn't involve more than 5/6 gels in a marathon. At the time of writing this, friend club mate and training partner Alan Ladd, coach @therunningrules has released a podcast where he trialed a wide range of gels and also broke down the science really well. I'd recommend you check it out.
How I Use Caffeine
Taking a caffeinated gel every 30-45 minutes during a race is a recipe for a spiked heart rate and the stomach cramps from hell. More is definitely not better here. I've taken a few too many in training, before working out why I needed to hit the bushes two weekend long runs in a row; before identifying the culprit
I use caffeine this way for a race:
Right before the gun: A dose at the start line, 15 mins before the gun to lower my perceived exertion when the adrenaline is pumping and the miles are chaotic.
The final stretch: I don't touch caffeine again until the very end, like the last 10k of a marathon. I'll take a massive hit from something like Beta Fuel Nootropics as mentioned or a Caffeine Bullet. Science shows caffeine's biggest benefit in endurance is neurological; tricking your brain into ignoring fatigue when your legs are screaming to stop. Save it for when you really need the mental lifeline.
Hydration Logistics
For long training runs, plan the logistics:
The Loop Strategy: I'll run a looped park route that means I can use a bench or a hedge to stash a bottle, lift and re-stash every couple of miles.
The Drop: For longer point-to-point runs, I'll sometimes drive the route the night before, or the morning on the way to the start, and stash a couple of bottles behind a bush or a road sign.
Fasted Runs can Work FOR ME (With One Catch)
While I'm obviously a massive advocate for carbs, I do believe fasted runs have a place in training. Running empty forces the body to activate an enzyme that acts as a metabolic master switch, making you more efficient at burning fat for fuel. But there is a hard rule I follow: fasted runs must be strictly easy and under 70 minutes. If you try to run fast or long without fuel, you aren't building fitness, you're just spiking cortisol, breaking down muscle, and digging yourself into a hole.
Recovery: Carbs First, Protein Second
The fitness industry is obsessed with protein, (to an annoying degree in advertising and packaging) but when I finish a long run or session, my immediate priority has to be carbs. Your muscles and liver are drained, and your brain craves glucose. Ever get that spacey "runner's brain fog" an hour after a hard effort? That's your nervous system begging for sugar.
Once the carbs are in, I look for protein that is easy to get down. I hate eating big heavy meals right away. I prefer to go for
Strained yogurt (like Greek or Skyr)
A glass of banana or strawberry milk
Eggs with toast
Cereal with milk
I think these give the muscles exactly what they need to kickstart muscle protein synthesis, without leaving me feeling bloated on the sofa for the rest of the afternoon.
Ultimately, in my fuelling for endurance running, I don't want it to be a stressor. There's enough of that with life and training. It’s simply about giving your body the right tools at the right times so I can run strong and recover faster. Maybe you can experiment with some of these tweaks during your next training block, or race keep what works for your stomach, toss what doesn’t, and remember that sometimes the best performance fuel is just whatever gets the job done, even if it's a packet of salty crisps and your favourite milkshake and chocolate bar, when your body craves the energy it needs to recover!
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