Run fuelling: Within-run carbohydrate intake


Dr Breanne Kunstler (BBiomedSci, BHealthSci, MPhysio, PhD).

Physiotherapist, behaviour change scientist and run coach.

Many people have enjoyed my 'The sweet series' Instagram posts. Some have liked the relevance of the information to their within-run fuelling, but most have really just enjoyed the comparisons. I compared the amount of carbohydrate between gels (e.g. Gu) and common snacks (lolly snakes [Image 1], muesli bars, glucogel jellybeans, jellybelly jelly beans, skittles, dates and red frogs). I also outlined how much of each snack you need to consume to meet the equivalent amount of carbohydrate found in one gel.

Image 1: Lolly snakes were yummy but really impractical!


Each of my posts included a pros and cons list related to the consumption of each snack during a one hour high intensity run, ending in a rating out of 5 stars. I didn't include any comments on how the consumption of each lolly impacted my performance because performance is influenced by much more than just within-run fuelling (e.g. regular diet, effective recovery and the menstrual cycle).

Why should I eat during a run?

I had many people ask why I needed to eat during a run that lasts for just one hour. This is a great question and the answer comes down to context.

If you don't eat before your run, then you are relying on the carbohydrate stored in your muscle (muscle glycogen) and floating through your blood, as well as some fats, to get you through your run. If you do eat before your run, you give your body new sugars (i.e. those from your pre-run food) to use in addition to what you have stored. So, those who eat before a run have the best of both worlds - new sugar and stored sugar - to help them get the most out of their running.

Those who run early in the morning and don't tend to eat beforehand, or eat very little, might prefer to fuel within their run instead. This is where fast release carbohydrates, like those found in lollies and gels, can be super handy, especially if that run is an interval session or an important training run where speed is your goal. This is my context. I'm an early morning runner, which means I am often running about 9 hours after my last meal.

Those who run later in the day after eating regularly throughout the day, or are just heading out for a cruisy jog at any time, will unlikely need or want any within-run fuelling.

So, context is key when deciding what works for you and your body.

How much carbohydrate should I eat before my run?

Again, context is key here. The amount of carbohydrate you can benefit from before your run depends on the length and intensity of your run.

A run of less than 60-90min in duration might not need a special fuelling strategy (i.e. just follow the dietary guidelines each day [Image 2]), but if you are going to make that run a really intense one (e.g. intervals or threshold run) or a long one (>60-90min) then you might benefit from having more carbohydrate on board.

See if this strategy will work for you during your next run:

Consume 30g/kg of carbohydrate (e.g. a medium banana) in the hour before your run and every hour during your run (for runs longer than 60-90min, or really intense 45-60min runs)(Kerksick et al., 2017).

Image 2: The foods that should be in a normal, healthy diet.

Fuelling can be simple, if you listen to your body.

If you feel like you run out of energy during your runs then you probably need to increase the amount of carbohydrate in your diet, regardless of the type of run you are doing. Listening to your body is always a better strategy than following the advice designed that's not tailored to your individual needs, regardless of how trustworthy it is.

Only focusing on carbohydrate intake before and during runs ignores the important role carbohydrates have in repairing our body to prepare for our next run, as well as giving it the energy it needs to operate effectively (e.g. study for exams or cope with work-related stress) around sessions. So, make sure you are taking care of your overall nutrition to put you in the best position to achieve your goals.

Keep well, fellow runners!

Resources:

Check out this great infographic from the Australian Institute of Sport on sports confectionary
 
Kerksick, C. M., Arent, S., Schoenfeld, B. J., Stout, J. R., Campbell, B., Wilborn, C. D., ... & Antonio, J. (2017). International society of sports nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14(1), 1-21.


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