Fuel your running body with the colors of the rainbow and and all the vitamins to match.
In this article, I’ll share the 9 best juicing recipes for runners, collected from reputable juice experts, and adapted for runners.
Very few adults eat as many fruits and vegetables as they need in a day. The CDC reported a survey that found only 1 in 10 adults are eating the recommended portions on a daily basis.
As a runner, you need even more vitamins and nutrients to sustain your long distance running. When you run, you sweat. When you sweat, you lose hydration and nutrients, which need to be replaced if you want to stay vigilant with your training.
The Benefits of Juicing for Runners
The go-to for runners nutrition is often carbohydrates and protein. These are both critical for a strong runner, but fruits and vegetables are the underrated nutrition source.
With just one 8-ounce glass of orange juice, you get your entire Vitamin-C fix for the whole day. That’s impressive. Once you combine oranges with other natural vitamin sources, you’ve just downed a significant portion of your daily vitamin intake in one glass.
You should be eating 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit and 2-4 cups of vegetables every day. For most people, it’s hard to physically chew and swallow that many food items in a day. When you blend and mix them into a juice, you concentrate the levels of nutrients in one manageable daily portion.
Running takes a serious time commitment.
Eating healthy requires another time budget. For someone who’s busy with a career and a family, saving time is priceless. The two greatest benefits of juicing for runners are:
- Efficiency
- Maximizing nutrition
Essential Juice Nutrition Guidelines
Just because it’s juice recipes doesn’t mean it’s actually good for you. Here are some guidelines to follow so you can be sure you’re really getting all the benefits you need from juicing.
Don’t Add Sugar
You’re probably used to buying juices from the store that add a lot of sugar or unnatural flavorings. But all that processed sugar is hard for your body to break down, so it’s best to drink your juice with natural sugars.
Sweet fruits like bananas, mangoes, and pineapples are the best sweeteners for juicing recipes for runners because they are easy for your body to digest, while still adding important vitamins.
One Glass a Day is Enough
Here’s another common myth: just because juice is juice doesn’t mean it’s low in calories.
In fact, many juices are so concentrated in high-sugar fruits that just one glass can have a high-calorie count. If you’re running to lose weight, be careful of what ingredients make up your juice.
Even if you’re not trying to lose weight, one glass is still enough. Why? Health professionals advise to continue eating fruit and vegetables whole and uncut.
A lot of produce carries vital nutrients in the peels and skin. If you discard those, you’re missing out on vitamins your body needed.
While juice is a great way to get daily nutrition, it’s still important to eat plenty of fresh, whole vegetables and fruits.
The 9 Best Juicing Recipes for Runners
I’ve compiled the 9 best juicing recipes for runners from well-known juicing bloggers below. Since these juicers are not focused on runners, I’ve adapted some of the recipes to give you, as a runner, the right nutrition boost you need.
Each recipe has the same preparation instructions: remove any peels or seeds, then pop them into the blender until juiced.
1. Hydration Boost
Ingredients
- 1/2 pineapple
- 1/4 watermelon
- 1 cucumber
- 1 lemon
- 1 inch (2.5 cm) piece of fresh ginger
- 5 strawberries
This juicing recipe from Reboot With Joe is an excellent recovery drink after a run. It has some of the most hydrating fruits (two types of melons). The pineapple adds natural sweetness, while the ginger and strawberries provide a unique dynamic to the milder fruits.
If you prefer a lighter taste, leave out the ginger, and enjoy a fresh splash of 100% fruits after a hot run.
I added strawberries to the recipe to add a healthy dose of Vitamin-C, boosting your nutrient level up a notch.
2. Immunity Juice
Ingredients
- 2 green apples
- 1 cucumber
- 4 stalks of celery
- 1 handful of kale or spinach
- ½ lemon
- 1 thumb tip ginger
You probably think of oranges when you need a boost of Vitamin-C. But leafy greens have an abundance of the vitamin and should never go overlooked.
Celery is a powerful digestive aid, while ginger and lemon are always the right combination to avoid cases of the flu and bugs.
You can boost your immune system through running, but you still need health supplements. That’s why a classic green juice is crucial to drink regularly.
3. Cardiovascular Health: Beet Juice
Ingredients
- 4 green apples
- ½ raw beetroot
- ⅓ lemon
This simple recipe from The Edgy Veg is one of the best juicing recipes for runners because beets may make you run faster. There are many studies showing runners who regularly eat (or drink) beets can run faster than those who don’t.
Beets are a booster for cardiovascular health, which you need for running. If you run long distances or do sprints, your heart is working extra hard to keep you upright and moving. So the beet juice recipe is a critical one.
4. Purple Juice
Ingredients
- 2 celery stalks
- 1/2 carrot
- 1 cucumber
- 1 handful of spinach
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 beet
- 1 green apple
- 1/4 head of red cabbage
- 1″ fresh ginger root
The purple juice from Just On Juice is a powerhouse. It’s designed to pack a hefty portion of vitamins into your body in one punch.
With intense flavors like beets, cabbage, ginger, and carrots, they have to be complemented with milder flavors like apples, cucumbers, and celery.
For those of you who are always on the go and on your feet, this is a great recipe for a variety of fruits and vegetables, all in one gulp.
5. Carrot Apple Juice
Ingredients
- 2 carrots
- 1 green apple
- 1 orange or grapefruit
Carrots are a proven super vegetable. They’re known to promote eye health, immunity, and even low cholesterol. Apples are in most of the recipes listed here because they’re a great source of fiber. Runners need fiber because it regulates blood pressure and helps with a healthy digestive system.
Whether you use an orange or grapefruit depends on the level of sweetness you prefer. Both are a source of Vitamin-C, but the grapefruit is much more sour.
Incorporating this juice recipe into your weekly routine will give you an overall health boost in your main nutrition groups.
6. Ruby Tuesday
Ingredients
- ¼ medium pineapple
- 2 carrots
- 1 small beetroot
- 1 small chunk ginger
- 4 sprigs fresh basil
- ¼ lime
- 1 handful ice cubes
With the Ruby Tuesday by Juice Master, you’ve got sweet (pineapples and carrots), spicy (ginger and lime), and basil. anytime you’re craving a cocktail but want to be healthy, this juice recipe will satisfy your cravings with the spicy and sweet mixture.
And it’s a gorgeous color to boot.
Aside from the taste and color, the pineapples give your body a burst of antioxidants, while the beetroot jumpstarts your heart and the carrots provide Vitamin-A for a better mood.
7. Summer Pear Juice
Ingredients
- 3 pears
- 3 green apples
- 2 handfuls spinach
- 5 fresh mint sprigs
- 1 handful ice cubes
Speaking of light and refreshing, this pear juice from Taste.com.au is perfect after a run in hot weather. Even though it’s not a heavy drink by any means, you’re still getting potassium and calcium from the pears, fiber from the apples, and Vitamin-C from the spinach.
Mint is mainly a garnish, but it does offer some anti-inflammatory properties.
8. Healthy Skin Juice (Savory)
Ingredients
- 1 cup white grapes
- 1/10 cup white beans, boiled
- 1 bell pepper
- ½ cup cranberry
This savory juice from Hurom is ideal for you on a crosstraining day, after a weightlifting session or bodyweight workout.
From the beans, you’ll absorb protein and you’ll satisfy your hunger after a workout. Cranberries are one of the best superfoods – they’re chock-full of antioxidants. The grapes and bell pepper complement the flavor combination while adding electrolytes and vitamins to your diet.
9. Apple Pomegranate Juice
Ingredients
- 2 Pink Lady apples
- 1 pomegranate
Adding Pink Lady apples to the Apple Pomegranate Juice from The FeedFeed will add an extra level of tartness to a flavorful combination that only needs two ingredients!
If you don’t eat pomegranates on the regular, start incorporating them into your meal plan. They’re a miracle source of antioxidants that help with anti-inflammation.
After a long run, you need to get your circulation back to normal. Pomegranates are a great way to make that happen.
Many doctors believe pomegranates lower blood pressure. Patients often see a difference in as little as 2 weeks.
How to Keep Things Fresh in Your Juicing Diet
If you look closely at all 9 recipes, there are many repetitive ingredients that make up a convenient juicing base:
- Apples
- Ginger
- Lemon
- Carrots
- Leafy greens
By keeping all of these on hand in your refrigerator you can easily whip up a batch of juice with very little planning. I recommend drinking one glass of juice, every day in the week. If that seems difficult, work with 4 days a week.
Then, watch while your runs become more energetic. Your skin and mental health will improve from all the vitamins, and you’ll find your love for running renewed.
