Macros for Running

Eating the right food, rather than mindless consumption will the difference between whether you top your high score or depleat your energy reserves and struggle.

Getting all the macros and micros, in the right quantity will help you run longer and faster. It will also help in replenishing the spent muscles.

Lifesum’s experts are hear to explain the macros and micros sufficient for your running. 

Energize with Carbohydrates

Carbs are the basic and primary source for energy. The glycogen in carbohydrates when digested convert to energy. However, the burn quickly and need constant refuelling. 

They are two types of carbs: simple and complex. Simple carbs digest quickly and supply fast. Therefore they are ideal as a pre and post food source. 

Banana, dry fruits, potatoes, white pasta and rice are some of the examples.

Complex carbs, on the other hand provide you with smoother and long-lasting energy. This is because of the fibre and wholegrain in them, which make them more nutrient dense that simple carbs.

Brown rice, berries, oats, legumes, wholegrain bread and pasta are examples.

Loading with the right amount of carbs will help you to fuel the muscles to crush your future training. Loading your meals with 50-60% carbs will make sure your glycogen stores are full. 

Protein for Muscle Recovery

A runner’s goal is to maintain his muscles rather than build and bulk them. It’s commonly known that protein is muscle food. Apart from bulking it can also aid in recovery. This is very important for a runner since one can have muscle loss from not eating enough protein.

Eating atleast 15-20% of protein in each meal can help feed the muscles to prevent muscle loss and aid faster recovery.

Examples of protein are tofu, legumes, chicken, eggs, cottage cheese, qourn, and quinoa.

Eat Good Fat

What are good and bad fats? These are unsaturated and saturated fat found in in your everyday food. The difference in these types are how the fatty acids are structured. Inorder to have positive impact on running try to increase the unsaturated and reduce the saturated fats.

Benefits for consuming fats are numerous. Firstly, these are slow release energy sources and can provide you with energy for longer durations. Secondly, they are essential for absorbing fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K. Thirdly, fats delays gastric emptying, therefore it’s recommended to each these in meals between workouts. Consuming around 20-25% healthy fat will give you an edge in your races.

Examples of healthy fats are avocado, nuts, salmon, seeds olives, nut butter.

With the help of our food dairy, Lifesum can help to peak your running performances.