Top 10 foods for runners

kiwi - high in vitamin c

Focusing on consuming the best foods to fuel your run training will not only help you to feel better, but it will help you to perform better as well - which is a good incentive to eat sensibly and healthily! However, as so many of us have busy lives and as there is a  wide variety of foods readily available, it's hard to follow the ideal diet plan to fuel your running.

In this article we've put together the top ten runners' foods. So, if your running diet needs an MOT, why not read on?

Which are the ideal foods for runners to eat?
If you ask a runner what the best food is to fuel their training, nine times out of ten the answer will be 'pasta'. Pasta is  many runners' preferred food and is ideal for fuelling your runs and races, as it will give you unprocessed, slow-release energy. This type of energy is especially suitable for when you plan to run in endurance events such as marathons.

Pasta on its own won't make for a balanced running diet, though. The most common error that runners tend to make is focus too much on fuel and consequently neglect rebuilding and repair, which protein can provide you with. As you run, each of your footsteps may damage blood cells and cause microscopic damage to your muscles. However, adhering to
a nutrition plan which includes good-quality low-fat protein - for example that found in fish and lean meat - is most likely to ensure that your muscles stay in great condition. In other words, protein is an essential part of your diet.

Additionally, your hydration needs as a runner are greater than those of a relatively inactive person and you are more likely to require food while you're 'on the go' - so snacks and fluids are essential as well.

kiwi - high in vitamin c

If you put all of the above elements - protein, pasta, snacks and fluids - together, you'll have the top ten foods for runners!

Top 10 runners' foods

• Pasta. We have already talked about pasta, but in terms of your running diet it is still a great place to start. Pasta parties before races are popular for a good reason: if you are planning to compete in an event such as a marathon, pasta may make all the difference between 'hitting the wall' and going straight through it! Easily digestible and very varied in form, pasta can provide slow-release energy - which is precisely what a marathon runner requires. Even if your preferred event isn't a marathon, pasta is still a very good, low-fat staple to eat - and put together with low-fat protein such as tuna or lean mince, it's an ideal runner's meal for refuelling.
• Bananas. An original snack food, bananas are readily available, require no preparation, and are a healthier equivalent of fast food. Bananas are ideal for refuelling rapidly and come in their own biodegradable wrappers! For slow-release energy, choose a greener banana, but if you want more of a speedy energy 'hit' then eat a browner, riper fruit, because the difference in colour means the banana will have more fruit sugar, which will make it better as a post-training snack.
• Porridge. The number one food for breakfast, porridge essentially contains unprocessed oats and virtually nothing else. If you make it with semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, it will give you the ideal mix of fibre, protein and slow-release energy. Whether you are consuming it before a race, before a training run or - even better - every day as your first meal, you won't do better than having the original breakfast food to help you get going every morning. Be wary of porridge look-alikes, however, such as instant varieties or oaty-type cereals, as although they're a much healthier choice than many cereals that are laden with sugar, they are still a less suitable option to go for in comparison to pure, simple porridge.
• Other breakfast cereals. Second best to porridge but still very good foods for runners are other cereals such as wheat biscuits and muesli. Provided you look at the ingredients list first and check for added fat and sugar, there are many cereals that can be eaten as great foods prior to an event. Avoid sugar-coated cereals and most of the types that are marketed primarily towards children, however, as in terms of nutrition they are very poor and won't prepare you well in the morning before a training run or race.

kiwi - high in vitamin c

• Water. Despite not technically being a 'food', water is an essential part of everyone's diet - and runners especially. As a runner, you will lose a lot of fluid via sweating and on your breath - so even in colder weather you'll still have to make sure you hydrate well. You must try to continually top up your fluid levels while you are running - and consuming water is the simplest way of doing this. Drinking at  least two litres a day needs to be your basic aim, or more than this in hotter weather and on days when you train.
• Glucose drinks. These are sometimes seen by runners as 'the enemy', but they should have a place in your running nutrition plan. As well as fuelling your running during long distance races, a glucose drink is an ideal food to have post training. The first 15 minutes after you finish your exercise is the 'golden window' in which to refuel, as this is when your body will be the most receptive to restocking your fuel stores and will be able to do so at a quicker rate than usual. If you have a glucose drink just after you finish running, you can optimise your refuelling in the golden window, and also start your re-hydration at the same time!
• Cereal bars. As easily portable, generally healthy snacks, cereal bars are very handy. A cereal bar will have a relatively long shelf life, and in comparison to many other foods (such as bananas) won't be affected too much by being squashed into your kitbag - so it's an excellent standby. Not all cereal bars are as good as each other, though - some can contain as much sugar and fat in them as a chocolate bar! So make sure you read the labels carefully and opt for a cereal bar that contains as few ingredients as possible, as this means it's less likely to contain unnecessary chemicals and additives.
• Rice. Similarly to pasta, rice is a fantastic food for long distance running which is both readily available and simple to prepare. Boil or steam rice instead of frying it, because otherwise you will add a lot of extra calories. Also, try to choose a wholegrain variety that will give you more fibre - which will further help the slow-release energy process.
• Fish and lean meat. By steering clear of fattier cuts of meat and focusing on low-fat, skinless varieties, or alternatively fish, you will provide your body with the needed building blocks for repair. If you're a runner who does a lot of training, you may need to eat up to 1.5g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day - which is a great deal to get through, so you will have to monitor your protein intake carefully and keep it at the right level. Aim to include some protein with every meal, and concentrate on meat or fish over vegetable proteins as animal proteins are complete - i.e. they contain all the amino acids needed by your body - whereas vegetable proteins are incomplete and don't contain some of the amino acids. Vegetable proteins consequently have to be consumed at the same time as other foods for your body to be able to use the protein effectively.
• Fruit and vegetables. Everybody should focus on getting a minimum of five portions of fruit and vegetables every day - but as a runner you should aim to eat even more than this, as your energy and overall nutritional requirements will be greater. Select darker varieties, because these contain more nutrients - e.g. broccoli has much more iron in it than lettuce. Also, monitor how much fibre you eat, as otherwise you may find yourself going to the toilet when you want to be out running!

Time to check your running larder...
There are a lot of similarities between a normal healthy diet and a nutrition plan for a runner. If you wish to get the most out of your training, though, try to concentrate on a healthy diet generally, but monitor how much protein you eat and increase how much water you drink. These extra elements mean you will be better prepared, be able to recover more quickly, and avoid becoming over-fatigued, ill or injured.