Nutrition Tips Before A Run

So you've eaten your pre-run snack, got your shoes and kit on, ready to head out of the door and ready for a great run. But you get going and start to feel some of that, oh-so-familiar discomfort in your tummy, that sloshing sensation as you clock some kilometres. Turns out your run wasn't quite as enjoyable as you hoped.

We've all been there and had some sort of abdominal upset from running. So below are 6 top tips to reduce the likelihood of stomach upset, stitches and give you some clarity about how much you actually need to eat before you run.

Want to watch the video on this instead?

Low fibre

Fibre is actually a carbohydrate but it’s a part that we can’t really digest that well. Some fibre breaks down into a gel-like substance and others breaks down into a bulky substance, which adds some solidity to our stool.

Normally fibre is great for us and helps to keep us healthy and regular, but because it doesn't get absorbed properly it just sits in our gut - and when we run that means we’re much more likely to get that sensation of something bouncing around.

So having low fibre foods before you run will help to reduce the chance of you getting that.

Low protein and low fat foods

Both protein and fat generally take longer to break down and digest than carbohydrates, and they can cause a delay in the time it takes for your food to actually leave your stomach. Your stomach is trying to keep the food there a little bit longer so it can break it down further - so high protein and high fat foods are much more likely to still be there when you start running and contribute to abdominal discomfort when you run

But if you've said go for low fibre food, and you've also said low protein and low fat… So what can I eat? Great question! The foods which are least likely to cause stomach upset are low fibre carbohydrates. So this is things like white breads or pastas, jams, honey, fruit juices without bits in them, sports drinks or gels. These foods are going to be the ones which are easiest for your body to digest and absorb.

Consider the timeframe before you run

The closer you eat to your run, the more likely you are to get stomach upset. So if you know that you’re running soon after your food go for as light and low fibre as possible. If you can’t do that then give yourself adequate time after a meal, anywhere upwards of 2 hours. Personal preference here but I usually leave at least 3 hours, often 4, before I run and find that works much better.

How much food do I need to eat before a run?

If your run is under 90 minutes and you haven’t done exhaustive exercise in the previous 24 hours it’s very unlikely that you’ll run out of fuel for it. So don’t worry about mountains of pasta because you think you need it for your run. If it’s over 90 minutes then it’ll be worth taking some carby snacks - but that's a topic for another time!

If it is a hard, intense session or you have done one of those recently then you’re more likely to need the food… in which case? Eat well and consider the timeframe before you run!

Could caffeine be causing you problems when when you run?

You might know this already but caffeine is a stimulant and, as the name suggests, will stimulate your bowels. So be aware of this and plan accordingly - give yourself a bit of time after having caffeine before you run so that you don't get caught short in public.

If you are going to do a hard run then caffeine is a good one for that as it’ll help fight fatigue and will make the session feel that little bit less painful.

The importance of practicing your nutrition

Everyone’s ability to digest food is different. Some people will be fine with eating an hour before they run, for other people it will be 4 hours. Don’t be afraid to experiment with food and drink timing before you run - if you have issues there will be a way around it so that you can run without discomfort and still feel full of energy.

Try different types of food - solids, liquids, gels, and try and build things up. We can train our gut to get better at accepting food around exercise so it’s worth working on this if you have trouble.

You can watch the video below on training your gut if you're interested in this!

Hopefully these tips will give you some things to work on for pre-run nutrition - any questions then let me know in the comments!