Nutrition

10 Rules of Nutrition for Runners

Published on April 29, 2020 By Thomas Watson

We’ve devised our top rules of nutrition for runners, to help guide you through how best to fuel your running!

As runners, our nutrition can really influence a whole bunch of factors – our performance, our recovery, our mood, our energy levels – it’s a core part of your non-running lifestyle.

Knowing what to eat, when to eat it, and how much to eat is also important – all of these play an important role in our nutrition game!

So let’s jump in with our 10 Rules of Nutrition for Runners!

P.S. you can grab our FREE marathon training meal plans at the end!

Rule #1: Eat Real Food 80% of the Time

As a runner, it’s sometimes a thought that you can survive on anything.

Since you are running so much and burning so many calories, it really doesn’t matter what you are eating. However, this is a fast track to DECREASING your running performance.

You may be thinking that it’s just food.

However, that food is what carries nutrients to your body – which affects how you feel, how you run, and your energy levels.

It’s important that you work to have 80% of the food you eat come from something real.

Now, when saying real, this means food that is minimally processed.

It’s important that we get back to eating vegetables, lean meats, fruits, and unprocessed grains.

You know, how it used to be done!

This will help you to improve your performance in running by actually providing your body with the vitamins and minerals you need to operate well.

And hey, there is the 20% left in there for those other foods you enjoy!

Life is about fun as well.

Rule #2: Understand the Fuel that Running Needs

The human body can use various things for energy.

However, it prefers glycogen when running.

Glycogen is just stored glucose that came from some source of carbohydrate that you have consumed.

This type of fuel can go quickly though. It’s also important that you have enough for your run, otherwise, you are going to be very low on energy and not be able to perform at a high level.

Or worse, you could even become intensely fatigued, leading to injury.

So, it is obvious that your fuel needs are high.

You need to make sure that you are consuming the right amount of carbohydrates so that you can get those glycogen stores elevated.

Around 2-2.3g of carbohydrate per pound of body weight would be plenty to sustain a long run.

If this sounds like a lot to you, then you probably haven’t been fueling enough!

Get those carbs in and make sure you are fueling the machine properly.

Rule #3: Eat for Recovery

We just talked about eating for fuel – but we also need to eat for recovery!

We know that any sort of physical activity can put some strain on the body.

Therefore, we have to make sure to be putting food in that is going to help heal the damage.

Your priority, along with the carbs, is going to be protein.

Depending on your level of intensity, protein needs may vary.

The best time to eat for recovery is the 45-60 minute window after you finish a run.

This is an opportune time to get in some high-quality protein such as whey, lean meats, or fish.

In addition, the entire day should have some meals based around a protein source.

This will ensure that you are eating to recover.

Rule #4: Intra-Workout Nutrition

You may have used gel packets that contain carbohydrates in the gel form.

These are great for a quick dose of easy to digest carbs. They become ready to use very quickly and can aid in running performance. This is referred to as Intra-Workout Nutrition.

It’s simple – you are just making sure to get some fuel for the body during your activity. This is beneficial in the sense that the body is burning up fuel QUICKLY. When we take time to get in some extra energy, the body can pull from that source and keep going.

Rule #5: Keep Hydration in Check

This one may vary depending on what climate you live in. Obviously, if you live in a more humid or tropical place, you are going to sweat more. This is going to make hydration even more important.

Regardless, it is important that runners keep their hydration levels in check.

This means making sure that the body has enough water, but also electrolytes. These are nutrients such as sodium, potassium, and calcium. They help to control some processes in the body and even to hydrate the body.

You can get them from your food, or you can take an electrolyte supplement. Something such as Gatorade would work but is higher in sugars. There are plenty of other options on the market that work just as well, if not better.

Keep in mind that your sweat lost, is fluid and electrolytes that you have to replace.

Runner’s performance will dramatically drop if hydration becomes an issue.

Rule #6: Don’t Eat Right Before a Run

Often, we can get caught up in our busy lives.

This leads us to rush around and really just get food when we can. Behavior like this can lead to a meal getting scarfed down right before a run.

Running with a full stomach is not fun, and your performance may suffer.

The food sits on your stomach and feels like it may come back up.

It doesn’t feel good, but it also isn’t good for your digestion.

Digestion works best when we are at rest.

It can take time to get the most from your food and really break things down. When we start off on a high-intensity run right after eating, the body is going to be more focused on the act of running. This can lead to some gastro-intestinal issues, and a lot of discomfort.

To avoid this, try keeping big meals at least two hours away from your runs.

Rule #7: Don’t Run on an Empty Stomach

In the previous rule we stated that you shouldn’t eat right before your run. However, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t eat prior.

Running on an empty stomach, especially if it is an intense run, won’t hold over well.

It will lower your performance, make you fatigued, and could even make you sick. We have to make sure that there is fuel in the tank for the runs.

Here’s our guidelines for What To Eat Before Running !

Rule #8: Use Branched-Chain Amino Acids

This may be a supplement that you are familiar with. If not, it’ll be a great addition.

Branched Chain Amino Acids – or BCAAs – are the building blocks of protein. When we consume whole protein, it gets broken down into BCAAs in the body, and they are used to heal tissues along with a ton of other things.

They can be very beneficial for your recovery and maintaining muscle mass. As a runner, you can pull from muscle stores for energy, especially if you are going on very long runs (marathons, ultra-distance).

This may lead to you losing some of that lean muscle mass.

Now, as a runner it is probably not your goal to be very muscular.

However, you want to maintain some of it to increase your strength as you run.

BCAA’s can help the body maintain that muscle, while still performing at that same level.

So, give them a try and add them in.

They are best used as an intra-workout supplement and can be taken mixed into your water.

Rule #9: Make a Plan

Failure to plan, is often failure to succeed.

This is a quote that holds a ton of truth. We have to plan for our day if we hope to properly fuel the body and be primed for our runs.

This doesn’t have to be anything crazy or over the top, yet you should put some priority to it.

It can be as simple as planning out a couple of your meals for the day, or even your pre-run nutrition.

By doing so, there will be less ambiguity going into your day. You will know that you have a routine or plan to follow, thus leading to some controlled performance increases.

We can’t control everything, but we can exercise control over the things we are allowed to.

If you need to, work with a dietitian or nutritionist to come up with the best plan of action for you.

Rule #10: Keep Things Constant

Let’s say you have a big race coming up. You’ve followed everything to a “T”, but all of the sudden you decide that you are going to switch things up for this race. Not a good idea.

You see, if you change the variables that have been leading to your current performance, there is no telling what may happen.

It could go without any issue; however, you could mess up your stomach or change the conditions just enough to not have enough energy.

So, as a STRONG rule, make sure that if you follow a plan you don’t change it on a whim. You wouldn’t change your cat’s food all in one day. They may get sick. You would gradually implement those changes and see what happens. You should treat your nutrition the same when running.

Get Our Free Marathon Training Meal Plans

Looking for some recipe inspiration, and a meal plan to guide you through your run training?

Grab a copy of our meal plans below!

Protein For Runners, Explained (+ 5 Protein Powder Recommendations)

Published on April 21, 2020 By Thomas Watson

Let’s look at the role of protein for runners, in terms of performance, nutrition, and recovery.

Runners, like the rest of society, should aim for a balanced diet.

There is the obvious source of protein which would be meat, yet there are other ways in which you can get it in your diet.

Protein can come from meat, plant, and dairy sources.

Protein for runners is important for the body as a recovery source, along with many other functions.

When you consume protein, it gets broken down into amino acids, which are then used to recover any damage that has been done to your muscles.

As we work out, whether it’s running or using weights, we are causing many micro-tears in our muscles. We need protein to help recover from this damage. Luckily for us, when we recover from the damage, we actually get stronger. In a sense we take a slight step back to take two steps forward.

Ready to learn more about protein for runners?

Let’s jump in!

The Importance of Protein for Runners

Protein is important for runners.

Runners are causing damage to the muscles whenever in training.

The muscles are being used in a way that produces pretty strong forces, therefore causing those tiny micro-tears across the muscle tissue – especially in the legs.

Now, protein is NOT as important to a runner as it would be to a bodybuilder. A bodybuilder is working to put on as much muscle as possible and is directly hitting his muscles in a way to do this.

Runners, more often than not, are not going to be trying for more muscle mass. They actually want to be a little lighter for the run.

The main priority for a runner to have protein is basic function, and recovery.

It can be easy to cause what is called “overtraining” with really intense running.

So, it is important that you are getting in adequate protein so that you can fully recover from your runs.

This is especially true when you’re following an intense training plan, such as a marathon training plan.

When you’re running several times per week, you’ve got to prioritize your recovery so your legs are ready to go on each run!

How Much Protein do Runners Need?

Protein needs vary depending on the person.

It comes down to two things:

How intense your training is
Your body type and size (we’ll use bodyweight for simplicity)

These are two ways in which we can measure the amount of protein needed.

A general rule of thumb is that it should never be lower than .8g of protein per pound of body weight. For example, if you weigh 100lbs then you would consume 80g of protein each day.

Now, let’s start on the lower end of the spectrum. We can take someone who is just casually running for recreation and they weight 150lbs. That person isn’t going to have insanely high recovery needs, meaning that they don’t need as much protein. We can use .8g of protein per pound of body weight as a start. It’s appropriate for their intensity level, and also matches their size.

If we take it up a notch to someone who trains for a couple of competitions a year, they are going to be doing a lot more damage. Their protein intake can be increased to 1g of protein per pound of body weight. This would account for the increase in activity and the higher need of recovery.

Now, the more intense athlete. Someone who is following an intense training plan, or training year-round to be very competitive. This person can even consume upwards of 1.2g protein per pound of body weight. This would be in the most elite categories. The damage done is going to require a ton of protein to keep up with the needs of the body.

So, you have 3 levels of consumption for protein for runners.

Low activity, off-season -> .8g of protein per pound of BW each day
Regular runner -> 1g of protein per pound of BW each day
Intense training -> 1.2 g of protein per pound of BW each day

Using that as a reference you can ensure that you are getting enough protein as a runner.

How Should I Plan My Protein Intake?

When you take your protein is as important as how much you take.

If you have a lot of protein to eat during the day, it’s beneficial to just plan it out ahead of time.

Let’s say that you are to consume 100g of protein for runners, each day.

Well, you can say that you are going to break that up into 5 eating times.

Breakfast will have 20g, snack will have 20g, lunch will have 20g, snack will have 20g, and dinner will have 20g. That will equate to you have 100g of protein a day, and you’ve made it very manageable.

One issue that people run into when needing more protein is that it’s hard to eat a ton in one sitting.

Protein can be very satiating, thus making it hard to eat a lot of it at one time. So, breaking it into small portions can help!

Now, planning around time is really up to your training or running times.

One rule you are going to want to follow is the pre- and post-workout protein consumption times.

As you are running, you don’t want a ton of protein sitting on your stomach. So, it’s advised that you keep pre-run protein consumption to about 1-2 hours away from run time. This will ensure that everything has been broken down. It also helps to aid in you having protein ready for the run.

The most important time to consume protein is after you finish your workout.

The 45-60 minutes after your run are the ‘gold hour’ for feeding your muscles.

This is a crucial time in which the body is ready to take some nutrients in and start the recovery process. So, we want to make sure that we have it on deck and ready to go. You have time to get it done, so don’t think you need to do it immediately.

These are really the only times you NEED to plan for, if you are looking to optimize performance and recovery.

Is Protein Powder Necessary for Runners?

You do NOT have to use protein shakes.

Protein shakes are a supplement that helps you to meet your protein requirements.

They are easy and convenient in comparison to having to sit and have a meal.

Many people, especially athletes, use them to hit those higher protein numbers without having to spend much time on a meal.

They are not a magical muscle builder, and they will not make you bulky. They are essentially just a form of food with relatively high protein content.

Now, they are not necessary if you can get enough protein in with just your food.

In a perfect world, all of your protein would come from whole food sources, however, that’s just not realistic for some people. This is where a protein shake can help to supplement what you are missing.

If you find it hard to hit the number you need to recover, then try adding in a protein shake or two to your day!

They’re convenient and easy to consume.

Just watch out for hidden sweeteners and low quality ingredients.

Best Protein Shakes for Runners

There are a million different protein shakes on the market now. However, which one is going to be best for protein for runners?

A shake that contains both protein and carbs will be perfect for a runner. There are plenty of shakes that contain both a protein source, as well as a carb source. This helps for two reasons.

For one, it boosts the absorption of the protein.

The carbs will signal a small insulin response, which then leads the body to uptake nutrients in the blood, protein being one of them.

This can help to increase recovery rates in the muscles and is favorable for a runner trying to get the right amount of protein.

Secondly, the carbs are important for runners due to the need for this type of fuel.

Runners use a lot of carbs when they are running. You may see runners using energy gels or other supplements. This is an attempt at getting more into the blood stream to use for energy while running.

Using a protein shake that also contains carbs can help to boost the total intake of carbs as well. Thus, leading to more energy along with your boosted level of recovery.

Here are my recommendations of protein for runners!

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You can see that protein can be super beneficial for a runner. Whether it’s hitting a certain number of grams within your diet or adding in a few protein shakes; the benefits can be great.

Not only can you increase recovery, but you can improve your performance this way as well.

Use the above suggestions for your total protein and find a way to schedule the intake within your day.

If you find some gaps that you are having a hard time hitting, throw in some protein shakes here and there!

What To Eat Before a Long Run for Dynamite Results

Published on April 14, 2020 By Thomas Watson

Long runs are a staple of any good distance running training plan – but knowing how to fuel them, or what to eat before a long run, can be tricky.

It’s especially hard if your long run is first thing in the morning, right after rolling out of bed.

It’s common to perform shorter early morning runs on an empty stomach (though I recommend always having at least a banana). But when you’re heading out for more than an hour, you really need to prime your body with some fuel a while before you begin your exercise.

Being properly fuelled before a long run means your glycogen stores are topped up (those are basically your muscles’ source of energy as you run). Not having sufficient glycogen means you’re much more likely to bonk / hit the wall!

And your fueling can start the night before your long run – all those carbs can top up your stores, helping you run further.

Let’s look at how to eat before a long run!

Long Run Fuelling and Digestion Explained

During long runs, most of our energy comes from carbohydrates. Our bodies convert these to glycogen, which is stored in the muscles and liver – ready to power our workout.

The longer we run, the more we deplete these glycogen stores. That’s why it’s important to both . . .

i) load up on carbs before our run, and
ii) top up our carbs during our run.

It’s also important to understand the role digestion plays when planning our long run nutrition.

The problem is, digestion can be difficult during a long run. During prolonged exercise, blood is diverted away from the internal organs and is pushed to the large muscle groups.

The longer you run for, the longer your internal organs have diminished blood flow. That’s why it’s so common to suffer from GI problems on long races.

So it’s important that we consume the majority of our fuel at least 1-2 hours before our long run, and that anything we eat during the run is easy to digest. Having some food in the stomach promotes blood flow, reducing the probability of discomfrt and GI issues.

What To Eat The Night Before a Long Run

While it’s not essential to be fuelling the night before a long run, it can serve as an opportunity to top-up some of those carbohydrate reserves – so your fully fuelled the next morning.

I recommend eating a carb-rich dinner, though no need to eat a bigger-than-normal serving size.

Aim for 60% carbs, 20% protein, 20% fat.

An easy option is a pasta dish; I often opt for spaghetti in a home-cooked tomato sauce.

This way I’m getting a good loading of carbs, while keeping things healthy.

Other night-before meal ideas include;

Chicken casserole with potatoes
Stuffed bell peppers with rice
Quesadillas
Stir fry with meat
Thai curry

The key points for this meal are to:

Don’t over-eat.
Eat early (rather than later).
Choose something you know you’ll digest easily.
Stick to minimally-processed whole foods (as opposed to processed / ready meals).
Keep portion size normal, just choose a high-carb recipe.

You’ll also want to avoid alcohol and caffeine the evening before a long run.

What To Eat Before a Long Run in the Morning

The best way to fuel a long run is to eat a 200-300 calorie meal, 1-2 hours before you start running.

Unfortunately this stays true even if you’re going for a dawn session.

In other words, you should wake up 1-2 hours before your run to have a meal.

Although this might be more painful to schedule, your body will thank you for it during your run – and you’ll definitely notice the difference in your performance.

The best food to eat before a long run is typically anything carb-based which you know your body likes.

So…what to eat before a long run?

Popular ideas include things like:

Oatmeal
Peanut butter
Bananas
Bagels
Fruit
Breads
Honey packets

In other words, look for simple foods, high in carbs, that you enjoy eating.

For me, that’s a big bowl of porridge (just oats and water) and a huge spoon of peanut butter dunked in the middle.

Getting these carbs into your system 1-2 hours before your run is the best pre long run meal you could have.

It starts topping up those glycogen reserves and gets the digestive system going.

And don’t forget your sports nutrition too!

I recommend taking a gel or sports drink 15 minutes before you start your long run, then again for every 30-45 minutes of exercise.

These easy-to-digest snacks keep your fuel stores topped up!

Follow a Meal Plan For Success (Our’s is FREE)

Struggling with run training nutrition?

Need more ideas for what to eat before a long run?

Why not grab a copy of our FREE marathon training meal plan?

It includes 4 weeks of recipe ideas (with veggie options) and guides on how to eat well during run training.

Even if you’re not in marathon training mode, you can check out the meal ideas – all for free!

What To Eat Before a Half Marathon + FREE 4-week meal plan

Published on April 9, 2020 By Thomas Watson

Knowing how to fuel, or what to eat before a half marathon is an essential part of your race day performance.

Your body can store energy in the form of glycogen in your muscles and liver, so ensuring you’ve got these reserves topped up means you’re more likely to do well in your half marathon!

Carb-loading (stocking up on carbohydrates in the days before a race) isn’t necessary for shorter race distances like 5k or 10k; but once you’re running for over 90 minutes, you need to start thinking about that fuel.

In this post, I’m going to break down what you should be eating…

the week before your half marathon
the day before your half marathon
the night before your half marathon
the morning of your half marathon
during your half marathon
and after your half marathon!

Many runners give themselves a huge disadvantage by training hard for several months, only to not fuel properly in the weeks, days, and hours before their big race..

I remember my first half marathon well; I didn’t modify my diet prior to the race, instead, I just relied on the sports drink given out at the aid stations.

And boy, did I feel it. I bonked – hitting the wall – around the 11 mile mark, and wanted to quit right there.

For my next half marathon, I actually prepared.

I did some research on what to eat before a half marathon and began eating pasta and loading up on carbs in the days leading up to the race.

On race day I had a big smoothie for breakfast, then I chugged a couple of sports gels on the route.

My formula wasn’t perfect, but … what a difference – I felt good for the entire 13.1 miles, and finished strong.

I was actually able to enjoy the race.

Since then, I’ve gone on to research race nutrition and work with nutritionists – and have captured the best practices in this article!

Ready to learn how to fuel before a half marathon?

Let’s jump in!

The Role of Carbohydrates In Race Preparation

During exercise, our body pulls fuel from two macronutrient sources – carbohydrates and fat.

Typically, carbohydrates are more readily-available and quicker to convert to energy. Also the harder we’re exerting ourselves, the higher % of our energy comes from stored carbohydrates.

Carbs are stored in our muscles and liver before being converted to energy. Once those stores are completely depleted, the body is forced to turn to converting fat to supply all our energy needs.

This is often an inefficient process, and explains why so many runners ‘hit the wall’ or bonk – they’ve run out of readily-available carbs, and their bodies can’t convert fat to energy fast enough.

That’s why it’s important to both:

ensure your carb reserves are fully-stocked before your race
continuously top them up as you run.

Let’s look at how to do this effectively…

What To Eat The Week Before a Half Marathon

Your carbo-loading should begin around 3 days before your half marathon; this is enough time for you to properly fill up those reserve tanks to get you through your 13.1 miles.

As your half marathon approaches, you want to start to think about how you can be adding in extra carbs to your diet.

You can’t do all your carb-loading in a single sitting – it’s got to be spread out over a few days.

It’s recommended that you consume around 4 grams of carbs for every pound of body weight, each day. So if you’re a 150-pound runner, for example, you’d be aiming for 600 grams of carbohydrates every day.

But unless you’re willing to bust out a spreadsheet, you’re probably unlikely to track your exact carb consumption.

So what would this look like?

Here’s an example day:

Breakfast of porridge oats with forest fruits and a glass of OJ, or a loaded breakfast smoothie.

Mid-morning snack: bagel with salmon and cream cheese

Lunch: Pasta with vegetables in a light dressing (minimal oil)

Dinner: A sweet potato with guacamole and side salad.

By the way, for more meal plan ideas ,you can grab a free copy of our downloadable Marathon Meal Plans guide for more meal ideas!

You’ll notice that the portion sizes don’t necessarily increase; instead, we’re just focussing on increasing the ratio of carbs in your diet.

Likewise, the mid-morning snack might not be something you normally do – but it’s a great way to top up those carb levels without overeating.

Some more things to consider in the days leading up to your half marathon:

Prioritise sleep. Your energy levels on a given day are related to your sleep quality over the past several days, so to ensure you’re well-rested on race day hit the hay early!

Reduce or cut out caffeine. Related to sleep quality and energy levels, consider limiting your caffeine intake in the days leading up to your half marathon. As a minimum, cut out any post-lunch coffees. But feel free to take a coffee on race day, it can aid your performance!

What To Eat The Day Before a Half Marathon

If you’ve been carb-loading for a few days already, the day before your marathon should be no different.

Aim to have meals with high carbohydrate content such as pasta, rice, oatmeal, bread, yoghurt, and pancakes.

Just don’t overeat – the gastrointestinal stress it can cause won’t do you any favours.

Instead, stick to 4 reasonably-portioned meals per day (sneak in that mid-day snack).

Also, careful with your caffeine intake today; tonight you’ll likely have the pre-race jitters, no need to make them worse by adding some coffee brain to the mix!

Likewise, avoid alcohol completely today – it’s effects can have an impact on your half marathon performance. Save it for your post-race beer.

What To Eat The Night Before a Half Marathon

The pre-race evening meal is a key component in planning what to eat before a marathon.

By now, you should be well loaded with carbohydrates to fuel you through your 13.1 miles!

You still want to have a carb-rich meal, but on the night before your half marathon, you want to keep the portion size relatively small, and eat early.

This means you’ll digest the meal well and wake up slightly hungry; as opposed to over-eating and having your body process the food all night.

I normally opt for something like a medium-sized bowl of pasta with pesto and cheese. It’s something I know I can digest fairly easily and won’t sit in my stomach for hours on end.

Pasta parties used to be a thing the night before a race – the truth is that many runners simply ate too much pasta, overloading their body the night before their race.

Carb-loading needs to be spread out evenly over 3-4 days in order to fill those reserves in a sustainable way.

waking up what to eat before a half marathon

What To Eat The Morning Before a Half Marathon

You’ve made it to race day!

But wait – the carb-loading hasn’t quite finished yet!

You want to eat a light meal 3 hours before your half marathon begins, comprising of around 150 grams of carbs.

This might be some oatmeal with a nut butter mixed in, or a bagel and yoghurt.

If you have an early morning race, you still need to do this – set an alarm, eat breakfast, go and lie down again.

And at the start line? Another key point in what to eat before a half marathon.

You want to consume one more hit of carbs 30-45 minutes before the start time.

Keep this simple – stick to sports nutrition such as energy gels, sports drink, chews, or trail mix.

What To Eat During a Half Marathon

During your half marathon, your goal is to keep topping up your carb levels so they don’t bottom out – otherwise you’ll bonk, or hit the wall.

The best way to do this is with sports nutrition products such as energy gels, chews, and sports drinks – consume one every 30-45 minutes in order to add to those energy levels.

Remember it’s important that you don’t eat anything on race day that you haven’t trialed during training.

Everyone’s body reacts differently to sports nutrition, and some people simply can’t stomach gels so have to find an alternative product – like jelly beans or trail mix – that they can handle.

Good luck – and remember to keep topping up!

What To Eat After A Half Marathon

From the moment you cross the finish line, your body is actively seeking nutrition to kick-start the recovery process.

It may not be the first thing on your mind as you receive your medal, but you have a window of around 60 minutes in which to maximise your recovery by eating something.

Your muscles are primed to receive nutrients at this point – so consuming a mixture of carbohydrates and protein can really help kick-start the recovery process.

And while beer and burgers may be the obvious post-race meal option, remember to consume plenty of water and try to eat (relatively) healthily for a rapid recovery!

Looking for more guidance on what to eat before a half marathon?

Check out our meal plans- they’re free, and an INSTANT download!

Should You Drink Beer After Running? Heres How To Do It Properly

Published on March 25, 2020 By Thomas Watson

Runners love a good finish-line beer – but did you know that post-run beer can actually have some tangible benefits to your overall health?

While mixing alcohol with exercise – such as when performing a beer run – can be questionable, what about drinking beer after running?

If you’ve ever been tempted by the thought of drinking beer after a run to quench your thirst, you’ve probably wondered if it’s the right thing to do.

Aren’t you just sacrificing some of those gains you’ve made by drinking a bunch of calories?

Not quite.

Let’s jump into what happens to your body after a post-run beer, and look at some of the positive effects of combining beer and running!

Beer and Running and Health – What You Should Know

It’s All About Moderation

Before we jump in and start rolling the kegs out, it’s important to note that alcohol is best enjoyed in moderation.

In fact, there is a host of widely-accepted health and nutritional benefits related to moderate alcohol consumption, reported in studies on healthy lifestyles.

It has been shown to improve longevity by lowering the risks of diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

Most scientific studies define moderate alcohol consumption as one drink per day for women, and two drinks per day for men.

Drinking more than this can cause a decrease in the body’s energy supplies and recovery functions, it’s been shown.

Good For Your Heart

Moderate drinking can lead to lower rates of cardiovascular disease.

Traditionally, this advice has been associated with wine – but this study shows that any type of alcohol can have this effect.

Make Beer Your Tipple of Choice

Beer has often been overlooked by health nuts due to its perception of being a boozy drink that leaves you with a beer belly.

It used to be that wine was the alcoholic drink with a health halo due to its varied lipid profile – but many of the same benefits are available from your favorite pale ale, and with less sugar content.

Likewise, some drinkers favor strong spirits due to their purer alcohol content – and feel it can help dodge hangovers. The only problem is that it’s not so easy to practice moderation when you’re drinking spirits.

Hard seltzers are gaining in popularity, but be aware that they’re often loaded with sugar.

So, why beer?

Beer includes:

around 90% water, good for rehydration

Some carbs, good for re-fuelling and recovery

A small amount of protein, good for recovery

Additionally, included in that malted barley and hops is a bunch of often-overlooked B vitamins – like folate, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, niacin, riboflavin, and vitamin B12.

Beer also has higher silicon content – which could lead to greater bone strength.

Beer Can Help a Runner’s Immune System

In 2009, Dr. Johannes Scherr led the ‘Be-MAGIC’ study (beer, marathons, genetics, inflammation and the cardiovascular system) which looked at the role of polyphenol in beer, and how it affects the immune system of marathon runners.

The study split some Munich Marathon runners into two groups; the first group was given a non-alcohol wheat beer every day, and the second group a similar drink but without the polyphenol profile found in beer.

It was found that the polyphenol profile helped reduce inflammation response – which can overwhelm the body’s immune system.

As a result, the beer-drinking group recovered faster and suffered less colds, viruses and bugs in the weeks following the marathon.

Beer After Running – Here’s How To Do It Properly

Drink Water and Beer

Beer is a diuretic, meaning it has dehydrating properties.

This is one of the primary reasons for only drinking beer after running – we all know the importance of maintaining good hydration levels as you exercise.

So a good rule of thumb is to match your beer serving with a serving of water to counteract the diuretic effects.

And kick things off with 200ml of water before cracking open your first tinnie.

Stick To Lighter Beers

In general, the higher the ABV, the more calories.

To get a rough estimate of the calories in your beer, multiply the ABV by the serving size (in ounces) by 2.5.

So when you’re looking for your post-run beer, stick to something relatively light and sessionable.

I keep it below 5% ABV when I can.

Don’t Forget To Eat Too

After any run, you should look to munch on something for recovery – your body is primed to receive carbs and protein.

And although you find both of these in beer, unfortunately, the quantities are fairly low – so supplement your beer with some food.

While that beer after running pairs excellently with burgers or pizza, it’s recommended to seek out minimally-processed, whole food snacks and meals for your recovery.

Beer After Running: The Bottom Line

Beer, unfortunately, is not a performance enhancer.

Drinking too much too often will likely have negative effects on your running performance.

But drinking a beer or two after a hard run is an awesome way to reward yourself, and has a few health benefits – so don’t feel too guilty!