{"id":15374,"date":"2025-06-12T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scienceinsport.com\/sports-nutrition\/?p=15374"},"modified":"2026-02-19T16:27:39","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T16:27:39","slug":"running-nutrition-101","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scienceinsport.com\/sports-nutrition\/running-nutrition-101\/","title":{"rendered":"Running Nutrition 101"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Performance Solutions Team<\/h3>\n

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Running Nutrition 101<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Running is the purest and simplest form of exercise. All you really need is a pair of comfortable running shoes, some light clothes, and then you\u2019re off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you are a seasoned runner or just finding your feet, you\u2019ll know that timing is essential. Putting your pedal to the metal from the get-go is going to lead to a quick burnout. It\u2019s all about timing, and when it comes to running nutrition, timing is also vital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nutrition for running is as much about when you eat as what you eat. Of course, what you consume will play a huge part in how effective you are when running, and striking that balance is key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need food and water for fuel in our day-to-day lives, but when it comes to exercise like running, a sharper focus on nutrition can lead to the best results. Here\u2019s what you need to consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hydration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Staying well-hydrated is an important part of everyday life, even when you are not exercising. The advice is usually to drink between 2 and 3 litres of water a day, but this increases with running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Running, whether for training or in competition, will see you expend a lot of sweat and, with it, electrolytes that help keep your energy levels up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you consider that, running can produce a sweat rate that is almost double our recommended daily intake of water, we can see that it\u2019s necessary to replace those fluids fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, hydration isn\u2019t something we need to think about when your running vest is saturated, and you’re bent over, clutching your knees. You need to think about hydration before you\u2019ve even set one foot on the road or treadmill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It is important to begin exercise in a well-hydrated state; however, guzzling a litre of water right before running isn\u2019t a clever idea because then you\u2019ll have that liquid swirling around as you pound the pavement. Therefore, around 2 hours before exercise, you should aim to drink 6 to 8 ml of fluid per kg of body weight. This will allow time for absorption and removal of any excess. Supplementing water with a serving of\u00a0 GO Electrolyte<\/a> or a Hydro tablet<\/a> can help retain the fluids and electrolytes you lose through sweating, with\u00a0GO Electrolyte<\/a> also providing some carbohydrates for extra energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

While running, your body will sweat to control your body temperature, and as such, you will lose fluids and key electrolytes. You should therefore aim to drink often to prevent dehydration as you are exercising, ideally trying to avoid reductions in baseline body weight greater than 2%. However, how much to drink will depend on your individual sweat rate, the intensity of your exercise, and the temperature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mixing a serving of\u00a0GO Electrolyte<\/a> or a Hydro tablet<\/a> with water and consuming during exercise can provide an optimal way to replenish lost electrolytes during exercise, with GO Electrolyte<\/a> also providing additional carbohydrates to promote energy stores during running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Running with a water bottle may prove difficult for some people, but you can get vessels that are specially designed to be clipped to waistbands or gripped in hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Replacing those lost fluids after a run is vital to stop you from dehydrating. You will continue to sweat for a while after a long run. A good rule of thumb is to drink 1500ml for every kilo of bodyweight you lose. If you are a regular runner, you can work this out by weighing yourself before and after a run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dehydration is common, but you need to get fluids on board quickly, not to suffer its effects, such as headaches and nausea. If you notice that your urine is bright yellow, that means you aren\u2019t getting enough water and so need to keep drinking for up to an hour after a run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Food for fuel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Carb-loading has become a common phrase in exercising, especially when it comes to running. Your body will indeed need fuel for energy while on a run, and foods like pasta, bread, and cereals often fit the bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, timing is important here again. If you are running a big race or even doing a hard running session, you should aim to increase your carbohydrate intake the day before the race or session to fill your muscles with energy and how much carbohydrates you will need will depend on the length of the race and the intensity of the training session, with more carbohydrates being required for longer races and high intensity sessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before a race or training session, you should also aim to consume a high-carbohydrate meal 2-3 hours before it to further top up your energy stores. For example, porridge oats, cereals, pasta, rice, breads, etc., are all good carbohydrate sources to consume before running sessions or races.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For that little extra boost of energy shortly before a run, try a\u00a0\u00a0GO Energy Bake<\/strong><\/a> or\u00a0<\/strong>BETA Fuel Chews<\/a> <\/strong>about 20-30 minutes before setting off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Carbohydrates provide us with energy in the form of glucose, and maintaining our glucose levels is important, particularly for longer-distance runs and races. To keep you going over longer distances and during high-intensity races, you should aim to consume approximately 60 grams per hour of carbohydrate,s and this can be easily achieved using the likes of Go Isotonic Energy Gel<\/strong><\/a> or the\u00a0BETA Fuel Range<\/a> <\/strong>as they provide an easy and convenient way of achieving this target and getting in extra energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During those long runs or high-intensity races, you may also wish to use a GO Energy + Caffeine Gel<\/a> <\/strong>or BETA Fuel Nootropics Gel<\/a>,<\/strong> which has been designed to provide fast-absorbing and easily digestible carbohydrate along with caffeine and nootropics. Combined, these ingredients give you physical and mental focus when you need it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A long run will put a lot of pressure on your muscles and deplete your stocks of carbohydrates. While burning carbs is often a welcome result of running, you still need to maintain a healthy glucose level in your body to replace what your body has lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Little and often is an excellent system to work by when seeking to replace lost carbs after a run. Aim to consume a form of carbohydrates as soon as possible after sessions to help with the recovery process, then continue to consume carbohydrates every 1-2 hours thereafter to continue this process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You will also need to get some protein on board, which will help repair your muscle damage. Foods like fish, meat, eggs, or pulses are great sources of protein that will help rebuild your body after a run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, using\u00a0 REGO Rapid Recovery<\/strong><\/a> immediately after running can provide an easy-to-consume carbohydrate and protein source to help with recovery and start to replenish and rebuild muscle. Then, following this, when it is more convenient, you may wish to have something more substantial, like pasta with grilled chicken and some mixed beans and greens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, just like running itself, nutrition owes a lot to timing. Whether it\u2019s loading up with carbs beforehand or rehydrating afterwards, what you eat and when you eat it will have a significant impact on the times you clock and how you feel.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Written By<\/div>\n
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The Performance Solutions Team<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
The Performance Solutions Team<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Supplying world-class knowledge, elite insights, and product recommendations to provide optimal performance solutions for all athletes across a wide variety of endurance sports.<\/div>\n
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