Fri. Oct 4th, 2024

The Runner’s Diet – How to Eat For Better Running Performance

The Runner’s Diet – How to Eat For Better Running Performance The best diet for runners is the same diet all people should follow. This diet should be low in fat and include a moderate quantity of protein, the majority of calories should come from carbs, especially in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains. The well balanced diet should include these essentials: carbohydrates, protein, and fats. If you nutritional balance is out of whack, you energy will fluctuate, as a results, you will experience mood swing, peaks and valleys in your energy, and a certain level of unpredictability in your life in general. You should aim at getting roughly 55 to 65 % of your calories from carbohydrates, 15 to 20% of you calories from protein, and 10 to 15% from fat. Your calorie intake will depend heavily on the intensity of your running and fitness level. Carbohydrates: When you run, your body burns a mixture of carbs and fat, but it relies heavily on carbs, because they provide a more readily source of fuel, easy to access and use. The more intense your workout, the higher proportion of carbs you use. Therefore, if your goal is to increase the intensity of your training, you should increase your daily carbs intake. Main sources of carbs: • Pasta • Brown rice • Potatoes • Fruits • Vegetables • Whole meal breads • Wholegrain cereals • High fiber breakfast cereal Protein: Protein is the main key to fast recovery, it is necessary for normal physiological functions, such as growth and repair of muscles tissues and energy metabolism. Beginner runners especially need a slightly higher protein in order to support increases in muscles mass, fast recovery for a body that is not that used to intense physical activity. Main sources of protein: • Beef • Chicken • Fish • Pork • Eggs and Dairy • Beans (including soy) • Nuts and Seeds… Fat: Fat has gained a very bad reputation during the last decades, but moderate intake of it, won’t cause much harm. In fact, fat provides a more concentrated energy source. While each gram of carbs has 4 Kcal, 1 gram of fat provides 9 Kcal of energy. The slower you run, the higher the amount of fats you use. Mean sources of fat: Consists of meat, fish, and should eat it regularly bur sparingly, have fish once a week, meat once a week etc. If you are a vegetarian, you will get fats form oils, nuts and nut butter. Work on eating well, But keep in mind is that a well balanced diet will enhance your performance, but won’t make you a better runner, don’t think that you will improve your running simply by improving your diet. No amount of dietary manipulation is going to make up for miles logged. You should follow a good diet and at the same time, increase the intensity your training if you want better results.

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