Pre-and post workout meals for short distances runners

[lcs75]

Hi All,

 

I run in the morning - straight after I had a glass of water, a cup of coffee and did my physio mobility / strength exercises.

 

My exercises are low key, followed by one of the following runs - I am still not alowed to run continuously after an injury (plus warm-up 1k, cool down 1k):

 

15x100m technique

4x1600m

10min / 7min / 4min

30x1min

30min easy run

 

I trained for triathlons before I got injured, so I never feel like I really need to fuel for these short sessions, but I am happy to learn more. I feel fine during the runs and I have breakfast within the hour after.

 

If I need to eat - what are some options? I really don't feel like a hard boiled egg and was always more the banana + nut butter type.

 

Help would be uch appreciated

 

Happy running!

 

[kirkor]

If you feel/perform fine with nothing before, and you're eating after within the hour, keep doing what your're doing!

What day of Whole30 are you on?

[heyheynicolep]

There's a good guide here: http://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-meal-planning.pdf 

 

I was going to suggest an apple with almond butter, but it looks like they don't suggest fruit as a pre or post workout option. Maybe a handful of nuts and an avocado would be good?

[ladyshanny]

There's a good guide here: http://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-meal-planning.pdf 

 

I was going to suggest an apple with almond butter, but it looks like they don't suggest fruit as a pre or post workout option. Maybe a handful of nuts and an avocado would be good?

Careful with nuts pre-workout, they are hard on digestion to begin with for a lot of people never mind right before exercise.  

[beachchica]

In the past, I've fallen into the fruit-nut pre- and post-workout snack camp as well. But it never satisfied and sometimes increased my hunger. Now that I'm doing the protein-fat pre-workout and protein-starchy veg post workout, I'm recovering better and have eliminated snacking at other times of the day. Sometimes I am motivated to workout just so I can have my extra fuel. Ha ha. And sometimes I don't even eat a pre-workout snack, since my workout is about 2 hours after breakfast and I usually feel fueled enough to forgo it. Same with post-workout. If lunch is on the horizon (within an hour or 2) then I skip the post-workout snack. Snacking and grazing has been my nemesis, and eliminating those habits has been  a major goal of this Whole30 I'm currently doing.

[Derek`]

The pre-workout meal is recommended to signal to your body that it's about to do some work, not because you need immediate energy to do your workout Your body's fat stores provide ample energy for several hours of activity.  Protein and fat are recommended, with little to no carbohydrate.  Compliant jerky? Leftover meat with half an avocado?  

 

The workouts you mentioned are all short bursts of high-intensity workouts (except the 30 min easy run).  During those exercises, you would be blasting through muscle glycogen at a higher rate than you would be during - say, a slow 30 km run.  It's important that you replenish glycogen in your post-workout meal.  Definitely include some lean protein and starchy vegetable in your post-workout meal to help with the recovery.  Fat isn't recommended post-workout because it slows digestion.  Normally, that's a good thing because it keeps you satisfied longer!  But right after a workout, you want the protein and carbs to get to your muscles as soon as they can.

 

Best wishes to you!