Fueling for endurance sports with healthy foods.
The need to fuel for endurance sports with healthy foods.
Fueling For Endurance Sports with Healthy Foods |Organic Runner Mom
I absolutely love going out for a long run. It can be alone or with a group of friends, on the trails, on the road or in the mountains. If you are like me as the miles add up your energy level plummets if you are not properly nourished before you lace up your running shoes. I am typically good for about 45-50 minutes and then if I don’t start thinking about refueling I am headed for the dreaded bonk. I can specifically remember a long trail run in the rain with my friends where I bonked and it was miserable. I knew I was doomed to crash even before the run started because I hadn’t eaten enough prior to my run, the run lasted longer than we had plan and I did not bring any nourishment with me on the trail. It was a recipe for disaster.
What I have learned as I have became a more seasoned (and yes, that’s a better way of saying older.) athlete is that not only does fueling matter during a workout but fueling your body with healthy foods to give you energy during endurance sports is necessary too. Healthy balanced nutrition for athletes from REAL food is becoming more of the norm in endurance sports racing. Athletes are demanding healthier options for fueling and more information is becoming readily available about the healthy foods that are best for keeping your body running like a well-oiled machine during endurance sports.
Healthy Foods For Fueling Endurance Sports
Is there a way to keep your energy up by doing a better job of pre-fueling before a workout? What foods are ideal giving you great sustained energy for your long run?
Here are some ideas to try:
- Brown Rice–Brown rice is high in manganese. Manganese helps your body produce energy from carbohydrates and protein.
- Almonds–Almonds are full of magnesium which also converts carbohydrates to energy.
- Honey–Add this to oatmeal or on your bagel. Honey is low on the glycemic index which means it will not cause a sugar “crash.” Many endurance athletes use honey as a natural energy “gel” as well during hard exercise and long runs.
- Sweet Potatoes–Sweet Potatoes are a high carbohydrate option that also contain beneficial Vitamins A and C.
- Chia Seeds–Chia Seeds are high in protein, fiber, carbohydrates as well as anti-oxidants. This is often considered to be a Superfood.
- Bananas–Present at every race, you may never want to eat another banana again but bananas are a great option because they are,” Loaded with potassium and vitamin B6, bananas help maintain low blood sugar, regulate digestion and re-stock your body with lost electrolytes after any sort of physical exertion. (SOURCE)”
- Organic Eggs–(You knew I would suggest eggs, right?) The best protein around! Eggs are a great source of essential amino acids and Omega-3’s. Eggs are easy to digest and provide sustained energy.
What REAL, healthy foods do you fuel with before you head out for training? Do you have any favorite recipes that you’d like to share?
*Disclaimer: I am not a Registered Dietician or Sports Nutritionist. I am a Certified Holistic Health Coach through the Integrative Institute of Nutrition. Please consult a physician for specific dietary recommendations due to health concerns.
More ways to connect with Organic Runner Mom
- Twitter–> @organicrunmom
- Instagram–> @organicrunnermom
- Facebook–> Organic Runner Mom
- Pinterest–> Organic Runner Mom
- Bloglovin’–> Organic Runner Mom
- Email–> sandra@organicrunnermom.com
20 responses
Comments are closed.
I LOVE bananas before a workout, not sure why or what it is but 100 grams of banana just makes me have a great workout! Thanks for sharing, never thought of eggs before! xo C
Courtney Bentley recently posted…Booty Workout in the Park
You listed all my favorites. I love a fried egg sandwich (sunny side up) with sliced avocado on whole wheat bread and a spritz on Sriracha sauce to refuel after a long run.
When training for longer races, instead of buy commercial gels, I make my own. I fill a travel size plastic bottle half way with local honey, 1/3 of the way with molasses, 1/8 top sea salt, and the rest with filtered water. I used to always have digestive issues post run until I started making my own nutrition. For the marathon I carry at least 2 bottles but prefer to take three. One in my hand, one in my Spi belt, and one in a zippered sleeve on my wrist.
Great post! I love to roast a sweet potato and keep it in the fridge to eat post run.
Weird, but I always fuel my run with a mango!
I love oatmeal with a banana and almond butter before a long run if I have the time to digest it. If I’m crunched for time, I usually just grab a few dates!
Nicole @ Fitful Focus recently posted…Fun Fitness Tanks
My go to pre race or long run meal is a peanut butter sandwich and banana.
Kathryn @ Dancing to Running recently posted…Comment on Friday Five – March 27th – Florida, Here We Come! by Sara @ lifebetweenthemiles
Those are some of my faves too I also really like yogurt before a workout.
Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner recently posted…5 Spring Veggies To Love
Almonds are one of my go-to snacks for when I’m hungry in the middle of the day. A handful, and I’m good for a while. On the run, I use Tailwind Nutrition for my long runs. It’s amazing.
Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home recently posted…Dreaming, running, and fish
i love some oatmeal and peanut or almond butter before a run. I am also a fan of every other option you posted 😉
AJ @ NutriFitMama recently posted…Crazy Easy Paleo Italian Stuffed Peppers & Garlic Cauliflower “Rice”
Oh I love this post, this is what my blog is a lllllll about! I have so many recipes to share, I do not know where to start. Fueling is so important, especially when I am at the level where every second counts. Thanks for the post, I enjoyed it 🙂
Great post! I make my own gel/nutrition for long runs. I use a travel size bottle and fill it half way with local honey, 1/3 with molasses, 1/8 tsp of sea salt and top it off with filtered water. For the marathon I carry three of them and just toss the bottles when they are empty. I used to always have digestive issues post long runs from using commercial gels. i don’t have that problem anymore since I began making my own!
Sweet potatoes are one of my recent favorites! You can never go wrong with a banana though!! Thanks for sharing!
Sam @ PancakeWarriors recently posted…Ultimate Butt Workout
I definitely need more brown rice in my life. But one of my favorite ways to fuel is with Larabars – I love almost every flavor!
Chicago Jogger recently posted…Speedy Treadmill Workout + Shamrock Shuffle Updates.
Bananas and sweet potatoes are two of my go-tos for pre-workout fuel. Never thought of having brown rice so thanks for the tip!
GiselleR @ Diary of an ExSloth recently posted…5 types of fitness apps to help you rock your workout
I am by no means an endurance athlete, but I love all of those foods! 😀
Thanks for this! I eat all of those foods on a daily basis 🙂 I just made muffins with all of those ingredients minus the sweet potato and rice.
Lara recently posted…Anti-Inflammatory Diet
I use everything on your list especially during ultra training. My tummy prefers foods that are on your list as opposed to most of the prepackaged stuff.
I like making my own energy bars with dates, chia, coconut, hemp, protein powder and oats and almond butter. Definitely gives me the kick I need to survive high energy workouts.
Stephanie (@FitMomTraining) recently posted…Fukumoto Friday: Week 19
These are all good! The reason why I like to make my own preworkout breakfast is that I have ridiculously sweet teeth! I like to throw in natural sweeteners in there.
<3