Eating Before a Run



K

Karl Hungus

Guest
I've been reading how many of the more serious runners here
like to "carb up" before a particularly taxing event. Can
anyone here explain what exactly that entails, how it's
properly done, and what the benefits are?

Also, I'm wondering if there's something I can be
eating during the day that will provide me with a
noticeable increase in energy during my little 6-mile
runs 4 nights a week.
 
"Karl Hungus" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:mdu3c.223793$uV3.891961@attbi_s51...
> I've been reading how many of the more serious runners
> here like to "carb up" before a particularly taxing event.
> Can anyone here explain what exactly that entails, how
> it's properly done, and what the benefits are?
>
> Also, I'm wondering if there's something I can be eating
> during the day
that
> will provide me with a noticeable increase in energy
> during my little
6-mile
> runs 4 nights a week.
>
>

There is carb loading, usually done before a long (say
anything over 1 hour in duration) race. This involves
reducing training volume for a few days and increasing
carb intake over that time period to optimize muscle
glycogen stores.

For everyday folks who are exercising, the recommended range
of carb intake is 6 to 10 g of carb per kg body weight (~2.5
to 4.5 g per pound). Where your eating falls on that
spectrum depends on training volume/intensity. For something
like routine running, I would suggest 7 to 8 g/kg.

Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. Consider having a bit of a
snack a couple of hours before running. perhaps a sport
drink and something with carbs 2 hours pre-run. Then make
sure you eat within an hour or so of eating (although if you
are not going to run the next day, this is less important).

The benefits of carbs (and muscle/liver glycogen) is that
glycogen is the preferred energy source for exercise. It is
more efficient in terms of energy production per liter of
oxygen than say fat oxidation. THis means that you can run
at a higher intensity which means more energy is expended.
If one is training, running faster gives you a better
training stimulus (however, one does need to vary the
intensity and duration in a proper training program).

If you neglect to take in carbs, over time the muscle
glycogen stores will get reduced and that will impact the
runs. So it might not happen the first day or even the
second day, but several days it will catch up with you.
 
In article <mdu3c.223793$uV3.891961@attbi_s51>,
"Karl Hungus" <[email protected]> wrote:

> I've been reading how many of the more serious runners
> here like to "carb up" before a particularly taxing event.
> Can anyone here explain what exactly that entails, how
> it's properly done, and what the benefits are?
>
> Also, I'm wondering if there's something I can be
> eating during the day that will provide me with a
> noticeable increase in energy during my little 6-mile
> runs 4 nights a week.
>
>

if i'm starving (haven't eaten since noon, and will run at
5 or 6), i'll eat a Mars or Snickers bar around 3pm. if
that can't happen, then i'll eat half a banana or a slice
of wheat bread with a bit of honey on it directly before
the run. i can do that and have no stomach troubles at all
in the run.

i tend to eat larger lunches than dinners these days since i
am now running around my (former) dinner hour. so i eat a
carb and protein-laden lunch of stew or heavy soup, or a big
sandwich. stuff that'll digest during the afternoon and then
fuel a hard or slightly longish run later on.

Cam
 
Here is a decent and brief description of carb loading and
generally how to do it.

http://www.brianmac.demon.co.uk/carbload.htm

Keep in mind that unless you are exercising for 1-2 hours
or more you don't really need this. I have also read of
others arguing that even on long runs most people stay well
way from the aerobic to anaerobic threshold (known as the
Lactic Threshold) and therefore do not deplete glycogen
quite as fast
(i.e. you use more fat for energy). Therefore, carb loading
(AKA glycogen loading) is not necessary even for
marathoners. Unless you are an elite runner pushing
the envelope during the whole race, I wouldn't worry
about it too much.

As far as you 6 mile runs, probably the best way to keep
energy up is to be well hydrated all day before the run and
drink during the run. If you can a sports drink mixed with
water is a good choice, a 50/50 mix should be fine. Sleep
well at night, and don't over/or under eat before the run.
Basically use your common sense. Oh!, you can drink a Red
Bull or similar high caffeine drink just before running (15-
20 minutes or so)...the caffeine should be somewhat helpful
for shorter runs (i.e. runs less than 1 hour).

That's all I know of that may be helpful. Good luck.

Seeeeeeeeee ya, Rick

"Karl Hungus" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:mdu3c.223793$uV3.891961@attbi_s51...
> I've been reading how many of the more serious runners
> here like to "carb up" before a particularly taxing event.
> Can anyone here explain what exactly that entails, how
> it's properly done, and what the benefits are?
>
> Also, I'm wondering if there's something I can be eating
> during the day
that
> will provide me with a noticeable increase in energy
> during my little
6-mile
> runs 4 nights a week.
>
>

---
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. Can anyone here explain what
> > exactly that entails, how it's properly done, and what
> > the benefits are?

Others have given you the technical on carb loading so I
will not repeat all of that.

Carb loading has other benefits not yet mentioned.

The proper way: Gather a bunch of your running friends and
agree on a middle of the road Italian restaurant. Gather
there in the early evening prior to the race and eat pasta,
tell stories, drink lots of water and eat more pasta.
Running can be very solitary...Use carb loading as an excuse
to have fun!

jojo ;-)
 
On the evenings I plan to run, I generally have a large
lunch (usually pasta or bean wrap), a snack about 3pm, and
often a small snack (like a few nuts) right before I leave.
I have a fairly iron stomach, I can eat a full bowl of Grape-
Nuts and start a run 15 minutes later, as long as it's not a
race or a speed workout. I always run better if I have eaten
a good lunch.

Teresa in AZ

> "Karl Hungus" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>I've been reading how many of the more serious runners here
>like to "carb up" before a particularly taxing event. Can
>anyone here explain what exactly that entails, how it's
>properly done, and what the benefits are?
>
>Also, I'm wondering if there's something I can be
>eating during the day that will provide me with a
>noticeable increase in energy during my little 6-mile
>runs 4 nights a week.
 
"bikeme" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:mAI3c.52938$TT5.25102@lakeread06...
>
> "Open piper" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> : "Sam" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:<UOv3c.12399$%[email protected]
> .net>...
> : > Then make sure you eat within an hour or so of eating
> : >
> :
> : ?????????????
>
> Umm...yeah, umm...I'm thinking this type of behavior
> belongs in the post
on
> obesity...
>
>

not at all, the muscles seem to be especially receptive to
storing glycogen within a short time after exercise so there
is a rationale for this suggestion.
 
"Sam" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
:
: "bikeme" <[email protected]> wrote in message
: news:mAI3c.52938$TT5.25102@lakeread06...
: >
: > "Open piper" <[email protected]> wrote in message
: > news:[email protected]...
: > : "Sam" <[email protected]> wrote in message
: > news:<UOv3c.12399$%[email protected]
: > .net>...
: > : > Then make sure you eat within an hour or so of
: > : > eating
: > : >
: > :
: > : ?????????????
: >
: > Umm...yeah, umm...I'm thinking this type of behavior
: > belongs in the post
: on
: > obesity...
: >
: >
:
: not at all, the muscles seem to be especially receptive
: to storing
glycogen
: within a short time after exercise so there is a rationale
: for this suggestion.
:
:
You might want to re-read it: "EAT within an hour or so
of EATING"

That's the kind of thing I used to do when I was fat...
 
"bikeme" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:_X_3c.54616$TT5.32242@lakeread06...
>
> "Sam" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:-
> [email protected]...
> :
> : "bikeme" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> : news:mAI3c.52938$TT5.25102@lakeread06...
> : >
> : > "Open piper" <[email protected]> wrote in
> : > message news:[email protected]
> : > gle.com...
> : > : "Sam" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> : > news:<UOv3c.12399$%[email protected]
> : > nk.net>...
> : > : > Then make sure you eat within an hour or so of
> : > : > eating
> : > : >
> : > :
> : > : ?????????????
> : >
> : > Umm...yeah, umm...I'm thinking this type of behavior
> : > belongs in the
post
> : on
> : > obesity...
> : >
> : >
> :
> : not at all, the muscles seem to be especially receptive
> : to storing
> glycogen
> : within a short time after exercise so there is a
> : rationale for this suggestion.
> :
> :
> You might want to re-read it: "EAT within an hour or so
> of EATING"
>
> That's the kind of thing I used to do when I was fat...
>
>

Oops....although in my triathlon training days (a good 16-20
hours per week) that was about what I was doing. Ah, those
were the days, eat, exercise, eat, work, eat, exercise, eat,
eat again and still weigh about 135 lbs (at 5-10)
 
"Sam" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
:
: "bikeme" <[email protected]> wrote in message
: news:_X_3c.54616$TT5.32242@lakeread06...
: >
: > "Sam" <[email protected]> wrote in message
: > news:[email protected]
: > k.net...
: > :
: > : "bikeme" <[email protected]> wrote in message
: > : news:mAI3c.52938$TT5.25102@lakeread06...
: > : >
: > : > "Open piper" <[email protected]> wrote in
: > : > message news:[email protected]
: > : > oogle.com...
: > : > : "Sam" <[email protected]> wrote in
: > : > : message
: > : > news:<UOv3c.12399$%[email protected]
: > : > link.net>...
: > : > : > Then make sure you eat within an hour or so of
: > : > : > eating
: > : > : >
: > : > :
: > : > : ?????????????
: > : >
: > : > Umm...yeah, umm...I'm thinking this type of behavior
: > : > belongs in the
: post
: > : on
: > : > obesity...
: > : >
: > : >
: > :
: > : not at all, the muscles seem to be especially
: > : receptive to storing
: > glycogen
: > : within a short time after exercise so there is a
: > : rationale for this suggestion.
: > :
: > :
: > You might want to re-read it: "EAT within an hour or so
: > of EATING"
: >
: > That's the kind of thing I used to do when I was fat...
: >
: >
:
: Oops....although in my triathlon training days (a good 16-
: 20 hours per
week)
: that was about what I was doing. Ah, those were the days,
: eat, exercise, eat, work, eat, exercise, eat, eat again
: and still weigh about 135 lbs (at 5-10)
:

Same here, though I never weighed quite that low. But yeah,
I remember continual training. And eating like a cow. But
looking like bean pole with muscles. I even took to riding
my Trek everywhere instead of driving. So even when I wasn't
training, I was training. I miss those days. But a young
son, busier life and arthritis in the knees have taken their
toll. I don't expect to be able to run much longer- I'm
wearing out my knees.
 
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