Plan Your Meals:
The right meal plan fuels you up for your run!
On the foods that are in the right macronutrient combinations. There’s no particular runner’s diet plan. It’s better to always personalize the workouts according to your goals and body needs. This ensures optimal performance and health while making sure your performance-related goals are met.
Here are some tips on how you can design one for yourself.
In a marathon runners’ diet plan, it usually shouldn’t include a heavy meal. Plan your meals in small portions spaced out evenly during the day. This will keep you fueled every three to four hours and give you a steady input of energy. You feel less hungry and your blood sugar levels are kept in control too.
In a jogging diet plan, make sure you get enough protein as it helps stabilize your blood sugar and helps you feel fuller for longer. A protein-rich diet is the perfect one for joggers who don’t need to focus much on endurance. Add more dairy foods, eggs, quinoa, soy and barley to your diets. Protein helps ease the catabolic process that occurs when you sleep.
A typical breakfast for runners can include oatmeal, whey protein drinks or smoothies. Here, the proportion of carbs needs to go up to power you for the run. For long-distance running, add peanut butter on whole-wheat toast but at least 20 minutes before you begin your training.
For your post-recovery meals, you can have yogurt, granola or muesli to bring up your energy. Because harder runs and workouts use up all the energy you take in the morning, you should fuel up on carbs along with muscle-building protein. Aim to get a four-to-one ratio of carbohydrates to protein within 30-45 minutes after the workout. Take a recovery drink that supports and refuels them. For lunch, you can add some grilled chicken or some light vegetable sandwiches. Make sure to pack a nutrient-dense lunch for yourself. It’s also a good time to take in fiber and complex carbohydrates to restore some glycogen to last through the day.
Dinner should be the lightest meal of the day if you aim to run like a pro. A bowl of veggies, brown rice or a whey/casein protein drink before bed should be good to go. When training for a long-distance marathon, you need to bump up your mileage. Only in those cases, you can have a moderate to heavy dinner.
It so happens that you end up including high-fiber foods like fruits, veggies, and grains in your meals, which is great, but they may not be the best to have before your runs. They tend to cause some gastrointestinal discomfort and may hamper your performance. Opt for an easily digestible source of carbs to avoid this.
Did we miss saying that water is your magic elixir? All the runners out there, if you don’t hydrate, then who will! Make sure to keep sipping on some H20 throughout the day.
A diet rich in carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals is all that a runner needs to ace every step. We don’t recommend experimenting with all sorts of foods and fad diets. There’s no point eating foods you don’t enjoy and might leave in a week or so. Keep your diet simple and practice cooking your own meals. Plan your meals for the week ahead so you can always stay on top of the game and live and run healthily!
