RUNNING & RACING FUEL TIPS & RECIPES

Taking care of what and when you eat should be seen as part and parcel of your running, whether you’re training for an event or not.

Eating the right types of foods - a balance of unprocessed, unrefined carbohydrate-rich foods, quality protein and healthy fats - at the right times strengthens the immune system, keeps muscles healthy, helps you recover and maintains energy levels.

Timing your food intake around your running is very important. Eating a couple of hours in advance to your runs gives your body time to digest the nutrients needed to fuel your muscles.

Eating immediately after your runs optimises recovery so that you can continue training regularly and help prevent injury.

A good combination of carbohydrates and proteins (3:1 is a good ratio) about 30 minutes after training is the ‘magic window’ when your muscles are at their most receptive; risk of a running injury is increased when muscles are fatigued, so pay attention to fuelling strategies during long or intense training and racing.

If you are unfortunate anough to get injured, don't see this as a time to ditch your good running diet; good nutrition is key to recovery.

Foods with high quality protein and antioxidants, including Vitamin C, aid cell repair, while foods likr spices, garlic, ginger, oily fish, nuts, seeds and blueberries can act as anti-inflammatories.

Carbohydrate-rich foods are the optimum fuel for most runners. When you eat foods containing carbohydrates, they are digested, converted into blood glucose and used for energy (or stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles).

Glycogen stored in the liver is used to maintain steady blood glucose levels for the body and brain, while glycogen stored in the muscles provides fuel.

Carbohydrate-rich foods cause a rise in blood glucose. Some high GI (Glycaemic Index) foods are digested faster than others; pure glucose refined foods, like white bread, sugary drinks, sweets, sticky white rice, fried potatoes and highly processed cereals, are digested incredibly quickly, causing a spike in energy followed by a dramatic drop. Eating these consistently may cause weight gain and make it hard to maintain consistent energy levels for your runs.

Other foods (low to medium GI foods) release their sugars into the bloodstream more gradually, giving you steadier blood sugar levels. These slow-release foods can help reduce hunger pangs, keeping you fuller for longer to help you maintain a healthy weight. These foods also help stamina, endurance and focus.

These unrefined foods include whole grains, porridge oats, wholemeal bread, long-grain brown rice, whole wheat pasta, lentils, pulses and starchy fruit and vegetables, like bananas and butternut squash.

To sustain energy levels and to keep you feeling fuller for longer, combine unrefined carbohydrates with protein and healthy fats, such as eggs, sardines or mashed avocado on wholemeal toast; porridge with milk; toasted walnuts with chopped banana; or whole wheat pasta with chicken and pesto.