Nutrition for runners

Supplements for runners is a very specific topic, for a lot of newbies entering a nutrition store without proper research can lead to wasting a lot of money. You could spend huge amounts of money on supplements and vitamins for runners but at the end of the day you really don’t need them all. This article will help you to understand the correct supplementation for runners and will also give you recommendations on concrete supplements for runners from my personal experience.

What supplements are athletes taking?

Before I start narrowing down the essential supplements for runners let me tell you that these supplements help, but they do not do the work for you. It all goes down with your training effort and diet. With that being said no supplement for runners will make you run the 6 miles overnight. They will support your recovery, give you energy here and there when needed and give your body some extra nutrients. There are no magic pills out there only you are the master of your training game.

Find out in this article what supplements to take to run faster and also for us ladies what supplements should female runners take?

Side note: every supplement for runners I recommend in this article is being used by myself. I’m not recommending anything for commission purposes. These products are just examples, you may find different options online or at your local pharmacy. If you have any questions feel free to send me an email. 

Key Supplements For Runners

#1 Pre workout: Caffeine

I’ve tried so many pre workouts and nothing really helped me. It made me feel dizzy, I couldn’t sleep at night or the pre workout gave me stomach discomfort. Energy supplements for runners aren’t my favorite. So I went back to basic and started drinking coffee as the best pre workout supplement for running. I don’t add milk or sugar. Before my workouts at night after work I have a cup of black coffee. In the morning a simple cup of green tea, or also coffee gives me energy for my run.

#2 BCAA (Branched Chain Amino Acids)

A friend of mine introduced me to this supplement for runners and athletes and I haven’t stopped taking it daily ever since. When we run a lot we could end up in a calorie deficit. The leaner we become it can take a chunk of our muscle mass. This is exactly what happened to me before. I lost a lot of muscles because I was running a lot and always ended up with a calorie deficit. How BCAA helps with that?

It’s important to know that you are in a catabolic state, when you are cutting calories, no matter if it’s because you are on a diet, or you are training for a marathon. Even regular running training can make you end up in a calorie deficit. BCAA’s help you to maintain as much muscle as possible while doing so. Your body will be breaking down fat, some muscles – basically tissue – rather than making it (which is called anabolic state). You will end up losing muscles because your body is using the amino acids which normally been utilized for protein synthesis to build more muscles as a source of energy. If you want to keep your hard gained muscles go for BCAA’s. From my own experience I can tell you that this helps perfectly. I’m running and lifting and my BCAA’s maintain those muscles while I’m running.

When it comes to running it does make sense to take BCAA’s during or before your run. This has two great effects I could recognized within my training: the amino acids will provide you with extra energy to your muscle cells and is reducing fatigue. Also the amino acids will stimulate your muscle grow and your recovery after your run. I’m using MusclePharm BCAA’s (Blue Raspberry) – They sell it as a powder or capsules. This product:

• Supports Lean Mass Growth
• Reduces Muscle Breakdown
• Increases Protein Synthesis

#3 Glutamine

Benefit from this supplement for runners: Glutamin is found in your blood plasma and muscles and it serves as fuel for your immun cells. Glutamin is a nonessential amino acid. Due to physical stress and intense exercising glutamine depletes from your plasma and it has to be replaced because if our glutamine level gets too low we risk illness. I take my glutamine in the morning right after my workout which is the best time to take it after exhaustive exercise. Glutamine is a great supplement for jogging. 

To prevent our muscles from being catabolized an amount of 20mg is recommended. It will also help with maintain cell volume and hydration and gives a huge plus for recovery. Although this is a huge benefit rest and proper recovery can’t be replaced with glutamine. I’m using  MusclePharm’s Glutamine product and  drink it mixed into a glas of water. This product:

• Aids in muscle growth, recovery time and digestion
• Promotes a healthy digestive system
• Enhances rehydration and endurance

#4 Probiotics

Because of how everything in our bodies is interconnected, gut health can positively or negatively affect our immune system, nervous system, and hormones. Poor levels of gut flora (bacteria) can also increase inflammation in our bodies.

Adding a daily probiotic supplement like Ultimate Probiotic from Silver Fern™ Brand (also known as “good bacteria,” or live bacteria and yeasts that help with digestion, absorption of nutrients and fighting off bad bacteria) to your daily regimen could be the secret to staying healthy. I’m using probiotics since I was struggling with bloating and stomach issues and my doc recommended me Silver Fern™ Brand. As an athlete I benefit a lot from taking probiotics, but first let me tell you why Silver Fern™ Brand is the right choice when you’re looking for a probiotic supplement.

#5 L-Carnitin

L-carnitine is popular for its ability to burn fat. So of course most people use it to lose weight. Also if you’re interested in a clean bulk during bodybuilding L-Carnitin will help. L-Carnitin helps to build muscles but breaks down body fats for ATP at the same time. It will also transport long chain fatty acids into the mitochondria of cells for energy.

As a jogging supplement L-Carnitin improves athletic performance. It basically delivers additional energy by turning your own body fats into ATP. This way, L-Carnitine helps your body to produce maximal oxygen consumption by creating more red blood cells that is made available in your body. With L-Carnitin I’m having 1500 mg every morning on empty stomach. The one that works best for me is this product from bodybuilding.com.

#6 Calcium

Another key supplement for runners is calcium. Bone health is an important topic for runners which is why you want to make sure to take calcium. We deal with stress fractures, knee issues and so many more injuries caused of our bones so that calcium consumption is a must for runners. As a storage system for calcium the human skeleton needs enough calcium to prevent pulling from bone calcium stores to fulfill its metabolic purpose.

If this happens it can leave your body in a negative state of calcium balance which can lead to bone loss. I had so many stress fractures already and I’m convinced that they happened because I didn’t take my calcium supplementation serious enough. Since I’m taking 1300 mg of calcium/day I never had issues with stress fractures again. You can find calcium in every pharmacy.

#7 Fish Oil

Another very useful supplement for endurance athletes is fish oil. The reason why is that absorbing the omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil will help a runner ward off the damaging effects of inflammation. Humans are not able to produce Omega–3 fatty acids which is why they must be obtain through your diet or through supplements.

For runners the performance-enhancing effects, such as increasing muscle growth, improving strength and physical performance are reasons enough to take advantage of the fish oil. It also reduces exercise-induced muscle damage and delayed-onset muscle soreness which makes it to one of the main supplements for runners.

I was suffering from negative immune effects of intensive training for a long time and fish oil has helped me a lot. Optimum Nutrition has great fish oil capsules that don’t give you that weird fish taste in your mouth after taking them. I’m taking up to 3 capsules daily.

#8 Vitamins C and E

These two vitamins C and E are great antioxidants that offer amazing support especially for long distance runners. Vitamin C always gives a great immune system boost and helps fighting the oxidative damage that is caused by exercising and environmental toxins. Vitamine E on the other hand supports your body to fight free radical damage caused by exercising for a long time and supports your heart and the general cardiovascular system.

The next top supplement for runners is a two-for-one. Vitamins C and E are both great antioxidants that offer support for long distance runners. We all know that vitamin C gives the immune system a boost, but it also fights oxidative damage caused by exercise and environmental toxins. Like vitamin C, vitamin E fights free radical damage caused by exercising for a long time. It also supports the heart and cardiovascular system. I also use multivitamins, but which ones are the best multivitamins for runners? I’ve been using Nature Made Multi Complex and find it very well working for my body. 

#8 Magnesium 

To run a marathon you’ll need endurance. A very important supplement for runners is magnesium, because it is one of the most important minerals in our diet and it plays a huge role when it comes to endurance. But what does magnesium to you? It assists with energy and muscle contraction, it promotes strong bones and muscles and is a big supporter of cardiovascular health and nervous function. 

Supplements for runners: Whey Protein?

For those of you who are missing Whey Protein in this article: I stopped taking it just recently because it gave me bloating after years of taking it. But for those of you who need a recommendation: I used to take Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein as you can find here. Whey Protein should also be on your diet every once in a while. It’s definitively a key supplement for runners. Nutritionists are convinced though that no shake ever will replace a real meal.

3 Best Supplements for Recovery 

Especially during marathon training I needed very fast recovery which is why I want to share my top 3 supplements for runners for recovery. They may even listed above already, but as an understatement for those of you who need specific support for recovery, here you go:

• Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) 

  BCAAs serve as an effective recovery agent, helping to reduce post-exercise muscle soreness and the recovery time needed between workouts

• Fish Oil

  EPA and DHA, two essential fatty acids found in fish oil, have anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce muscle soreness after exercise. Fish Oil is a must-have supplement in your kitchen for faster recovery as an athlete

• L-Carnitine

  While during exercising L-Carnitine decreases the accumulation of ammonia and increases blood flow, after your workout  L-Carnitine can help optimize the post-workout tissue repair process. It’s basically reducing your soreness which can be super helpful when your training schedule is busy. 

Read also: Grocery List Essentials For Runners

Thanksgiving for runners – a very special day, right? Every year on Thanksgiving I lace up and go for a smooth 13 mile run. A pre “Turkey Burn Run” basically. This year though I will be watching the Thanksgiving Parade in the city (yay) which is why I will skip the run and enjoy the holiday in full affect.

Thanksgiving for runners – what should we eat? It’s not a secret that I’m eating pretty healthy and clean and pay attention on my macros every day. First off: Thanksgiving dieting is a terrible idea. It is a holiday and we should be able to enjoy it without paying too much attention on our diet, but there are some tricks & tips how to eat healthy and beneficial as a runner. 

Best Foods To Eat On Thanksgiving

#1 Beets: Rich in nitrates beets is the perfect side for a amazing Thanksgiving for runners.  Our body converts nitrates to nitrites a precursor for nitric oxide. Pretty awesome because beet dilates blood vessels and therefore aids in the delivery of blood and oxygen to working muscles. As an important role in a lot of intracellular processes such as muscle contraction beet does only good for you on Thanksgiving. I take beet capsules all year long as part of my supplementation by the way. It helps my running economy because it is altering the energy cost of running.

#2 Cranberry: Make sure that this super fruit is part of your Thanksgiving dish. With only 50 calories per cup this fiber-rich side for your Turkey will fill you up without making you feel that you have eaten too much. Eating healthy on Thanksgiving will be so much fun. You will see how amazing you’ll feel after eating only healthy food.

#3 Broccoli and brussel sprouts: Greens, Greens, Greens. I love both of them and they have a very special place on my diet plan every week not only on Thanksgiving. Broccoli and brussel sprouts have a lot of benefits: They contain a host of valuable metabolites, which are effective in chemoprevention of cancer; contain disease-fighting and immune-boosting phytonutrients; and are rich in essential nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, and folic acid. Roast some brussel sprouts and serve them alongside the Turkey. Broccoli goes very well as a regular side or in a soup. 

#4 Kale: Are you ready for some calcium? Kale is one of my favorites Thanksgiving dishes because it offers a lot of calcium, iron and potassium. All pretty important nutrients for runners. With only 33 calories per cup Kale should definitively be on your shopping list for your Thanksgiving meal for runners.

#5 Sweet potatoes: Leave the butter in the fridge, don’t add sugar or marshmallows and enjoy one of the best carbohydrates for runners on Thanksgiving. It’s a great side dish for your turkey and goes well with everything listed so far. 

#6 The Turkey: You may know that as a runner your protein intake has to be much higher than the rest of the people you are surrounded with on Thanksgiving. So don’t feel bad eating an extra portion of the delicious meat. Actually the protein helps you with muscle recovery, bone-boosting phosphorus, and all-important zinc (it’s hard to find a body process or body structure that isn’t impacted in some way by zinc). Your Thanksgiving turkey will be amazing when it comes to your protein intake for the day. Just make sure not to eat the high in calorie skin of the bird. 

Here is an overview of what Turkey offers for you nutrition wise:

3 oz turkey light meat, skinless, roasted:

134 calories, 25 g protein, 3 g fat (0.9 g saturated), 259 mg potassium, 1 mg iron, 1.7 mg zinc, 59 mg cholesterol

What about alcohol on Thanksgiving?

Do everything in moderation. That is what I always recommend. I wrote an article about how alcohol affects your performance earlier this year and basically it is all about the right amount. I may have one or two glasses of white wine for dinner. I’m not a huge drinker anyways. But even if you feel like drinking on Thanksgiving – you work hard all year long. Do whatever makes you feel happy and comfortable. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

It’s super easy to learn to love your scale. Most of us do not really know how many calories we should eat and how many calories our meals include. A good way to get a feeling of our calorie intake is to simply track our food. Just track everything from breakfast, lunch, dinner and all your snacks and learn how to traget your weight with a food diary.

My tip for a great food tracking app

I’ve been using Runtastic Balance for a while now and it is pretty simple to use. Tracking your food can be annoying if you want to be accurate so this was a plus for me. Runtastic Balance includes everything from food measurements like grams, milliliters, tablespoons, etc. Prepping your food at home gives you a good feeling for serving sizes of your food. This makes it super easy for you to estimate the food you are eating later without reaching for the scale again.

Of course, when you are eating out and you have to estimate the serving sizes it helps a lot if you prepared your food at home before and are aware of how a cup of rice, or 6 oz of chicken breast may look so that you can be as accurate as you can with your food tracking app even when your not eating at home.

Lose weight with your food tracking app

After spending some time with your food tracking app you will realize how good or bad your food is for you that you are eating every day. You may recognize too much carbs or less protein and now you will be able to adjust the serving sizes to your specific needs. Make sure not to forget a single meal on your food tracking app and don’t lie to yourself.

Every single almond counts, also everything you are drinking. The habit of entering everything you are eating in the app will follow automatically. Stick to it. It will lead to awareness of healthy eating and great results on your scale eventually. You can download Runtastic Balance here. Let me know how you like it.

How alcohol affects your running performance.

It’s pretty obvious that alcohol and running don’t get along quite well. I’m not a huge drinker but I enjoy a glass of wine (or two) once in a while. You won’t find me in clubs drinking excessive though. For me personally the balance is key here because I don’t think you should give up on alcohol completely. Alcohol before running is nothing you should try. Before races, or even important training runs I recommend skipping the drink and go with a glass of water or juice instead.

Alcohol and running: A glass is fine.

I’m an occasionally drinker and I only drink small amounts of alcohol. For example at dinner I would order a glass of white wine, but that’s it. Alcohol and running is not the best idea. However, I know people who train a lot, but also drink a lot. Large amounts of alcohol on a regular basis will likely impact your adaption, your general health and also your recovery. Alcohol is a toxic substance and pretty unhealthy for your system. Even a glass here and there every other day will affect your training progress.

Try to eliminate the consumption of high amounts of alcohol from your diet if you take your training serious. Alcohol upsets your normal hormonal balance, your metabolism and your immunity. If you drink alcohol have at least 3 glasses of water per glass of alcohol you are consuming. Alcohol also lowers your blood sugar levels, which can make you feel extremely weak while you are running.

Alcohol Can Affect Your Weight

Running and alcohol is not the best combination and you should know that consuming alcohol affects your weight and body fat. If you are trying to lose weight alcohol isn’t the best bet. You body is busy metabolizing the alcohol ahead  of other fuels (fat for example) and of course this affects your fat burn. You will end up burning less. Over time the mix of extra energy from alcohol and disruption to the normal metabolic process will lead to increase in fat over time.

You might feel bloated as well. Alcohol contains seven calories per gram, second only to fat itself, which contains 9 calories per gram. Dry white wine is probably the best choice if you want to keep the calories low. All kind of cocktails, hard liquor mixed with juices or beer has high amounts of calories. Drinking alcohol also causes water loss and dehydration, which leads to both water retention and fatigue.

Since I do both bodybuilding and running I would like to highlight the affect on muscle growth as well: Drinking too much alcohol or even every other day can interfere with protein synthesis – this is the process where the muscle cells generate new proteins, essential for recovery and growth.

Running after drinking?

I honestly never tried to run when I was feeling hangover, but I can assure you that your body still can perform the same as it would if weren’t drinking the night before. You may experience an increased strain on the cardiovascular system, which is why your run will feel much harder than normal, but you would still be able to run your training. The bigger problem is feeling sick from being hangover. This is a pretty common reaction after consuming a lot of alcohol for most of us.

Hydration is super important at this point and if you can run through that – awesome! Remember drinking a lot of water before bed and also when you wake up. I stop drinking alcohol completely 4 weeks before a race. I want my body to be on point and make the most of my training.

But let’s keep it real: if you’re not competing for an Olympic bid why not enjoying a glass of wine with a steak once in a while? I’m convinced that being an athlete requires a lot of dedication and also self-awareness of what is good or bad for us. Alcohol and running will never become best friends, that’s for sure. We train hard though and we know about our own limits, too, so if a beer after work makes you happy once in a while, cheers!

You might know your macros and I’m sure you have heard the word before. If so, you know how much carbs you are going to eat before your run and how much protein will follow after your workout, right? Awesome. But what about macronutrients for runners?

Macronutrients for runners: Boost your running performance

Macros are definitely important, but don’t get too focused on them. There is something out there that needs as much time focussing on. Macronutrients! Now you may think: “What exactly are macronutrients and what am I supposed to do with them?” Read this article and you will learn how to benefit from the right macronutrients for runners:

Vitamin D

Especially female runners know about the vitamin D too well. So I would say that this micronutrient gets a lot of attention already but lets show the vitamin D a little bit more love. As an important part of the key macronutrients for runners vitamin D aids in calcium absorption and helps with maintaining bone strength, both of which are particularly important for women. Adequate Vitamin D intake is also associated with preventing diseases, like cancer, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Known as our sunshine vitamin for people who live in colder areas of the country or just have darker skin tones don’t absorb enough of this essential vitamin. For a diet filled with vitamin D nutrients like mushrooms and eggs should provide you enough of this macronutrient for runners.

Choline

Honestly most of the people have no idea what choline really is. 550 milligrams per day is required for us per day and more than 65 percent of the people haven’t heard of this macronutrient called choline ever before. What does choline do for us? It is sending signals from the brain to working muscles, which makes it a vital nutrient for muscle function in runners.

A well-balanced diet rich in lean meats, whole eggs, and green vegetables can help people get enough of this micronutrient. If your diet is lacking leafy greens or eggs, consider choline supplements or look for foods fortified with choline.

Calcium

Sure, runners know about the importance of calcium in our diet. Regardless of age we should think about of our calcium intake on a daily basis. Inside the body, calcium is most commonly found in bones and in the blood and it’s a very important part of the key macronutrient for runners. Why it is so important to have an eye on the calcium level in our system?

Well, the blood draws calcium out from the bones, weakens them in the process, if we don’t eat enough calcium. Especially running beginners don’t know that this leads to osteoporosis or stress fractures. According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), stress fractures account for 0.7 to 15.6 percent of all athletic injuries. I’ve been taking 1,000 mg per day since I started running from good calcium sources such as kale, broccoli, spinach or soy products.

Potassium

Runners tend to have a good heart. Those with a family history of heart disease should be very mindful with their intake of potassium on a regular basis. This macronutrient for runners is known for two things: lowering blood pressure and maintaining fluid balance. If you’re looking for the right amount of potassium per day 3,500 mg per day is enough for you.

Runners lose this electrolyte in sweat also, which means if we fail in replacing it after an intense workout, we get dehydrated. Our superfood bananas is high in potassium by the way. But also: sweet potatoes, pomegranate juice, beets, tomatoes, oranges, avocados and brussels sprouts are all rich in potassium.

Sodium

My coach always has an eye on my sodium because it has been linked to high blood pressure and heart disease. While I’m training for longer races I know that sodium is part of a healthy fueling routine though. Runners lose the main electrolyte in sweat (almost one gram of sodium per liter of sweat) and our cells do rely on sodium to maintain our fluid balance.

Make sure that while hydrating, sodium is on your list as well. This can be through sports drinks or just a tip of salt in your water. Of course this doesn’t give you the go to eat an entire plate of french fries before each run though. With an average diet I recommend a sodium intake for runners with 2,300 mg per day.

Read also: Key Supplements for Runners

I’m not making a secret of how probiotics have helped me the past months to become more healthier and perform much better in my training. I’m faster, stronger and I don’t have to deal with digestive problems anymore. So to respond to the question if you need probiotics my answer is always yes. It is just important to find the right ones.

Probiotics for runners. Here is why:

Do you feel pain in your stomach while you are running sometimes? Are you dealing with chronic colds? Do you think that your recovery is sub-optimal? If you can answer one of these questions with a “yes”, probiotics are helpful for you. If you are not sure what probiotics really are, let me explain: Probiotics are healthy bacteria in our gut and can be found in raw and living food, or in supplements like Ultimate Probiotic from Silver Fern™ Brand.

Our overall wellness is as important as our training. Healthy bacteria in our system are crucial to optimal gut health. Probiotics for runners are important because we need to digest properly so that the food is broken down completely, absorbed efficiently, or eliminated correctly. If this isn’t the case we risk inflammation and immune-function reactions, because whole, harmful proteins may invade the blood stream.

Probiotics and how they have helped me

Ever since I’m taking Ultimate Probiotic from Silver Fern™ Brand my gut has been healthy. My digestions works just fine and my overall health and immune function is perfect. For runners it’s so important because, athletes have some of the highest nutrient needs of anyone, and these needs are best met when digestion is improved.

Since free radicals are abundant after running training, it’s important that athletes meet them head-on with high amounts of antioxidants in recovery and throughout each day. So during my recovery the probiotics increase antioxidant absorption and hooks up my system with a whole crew fighting the free radical just when I need it.

Studies have shown an increase in interferons in fatigued athletes with the supplementation of healthy bacteria, and thereby a decrease in illnesses such as mononucleosis which means we are getting less sick taking probiotics.

Another reason why probiotics for runners are good for you is when you are bloated very often. I had really bad issues with bloating and they are all gone now. This is actually the only thing I could see from the outside how probiotics benefit for runners. My bloating especially after training or eating is over now.

Finding the right ones

You’ll find tons of products in your drug store and it’s super difficult to find the right product. I love Silver Fern™ Brand because they have developed the best ancestral probiotic for natural survival without the enteric coating or “time-release” gimmicks. Simply said, this is nature’s probiotic. The Ultimate Probiotic’s amazing blend is what our ancestors consumed off the land for thousands of years.

This is the first formula to have three different classes of nature’s probiotics – spores, probiotic yeast, and acid stable pediococcus. While other probiotics test at a pH of 3 or higher, our Ultimate Probiotic has been proven by 3rd party lab tests to match the normal stomach pH and US Pharmacopeia standard of 1.2. Please read more about probiotics here.

Nutrition for runners: 4 secrets from the running elite

Let’s break some bad eating habits and let’s start to eat like a pro athlete. What’s the secret to a great diet that will keep you healthy and looking great? Obviously these athletes need to get their hard training done every single day. They need to fuel their bodies properly to perform 100%. Let’s eat like a pro: these are my 4 secrets for a great nutrition for runners.

Never skip your breakfast

It’s not a rumor it’s absolutely true that the breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It prepares you for the daily craziness in our stressful lives. People who skip breakfast tend to eat more during the day. I always have my oatmeal with berries and a scoop of protein in the morning. It fills me up until lunch without any cravings.

Eat Small, Frequent Meals

A very important tip for a good nutrition for runners? Skipping meals is contra productive. Runners should fuel often and eat every four hours. By keeping a regular meal schedule, athletes can prevent fatigue and reduce injury risk. During competition, the most rapid use of fuel, regardless of intensity, occurs during the first 20 to 30 minutes. With a proper nutrition as a runner you’re preventing glycogen depletion. You also enhance your immune function, reduce muscle damage and speed muscle recovery. So, even if you’re not the breakfast person, go for it. Don’t save up all your calories for one meal at night.

Stay hydrated

It doesn’t matter, if you’re just running for fun or actually competing in races: Hydration is the key because you will perform better. The right nutrition for runners is important for great results. Fluid requirements vary from person to person, so the best way to stay adequately hydrated is to stick to a schedule. Most of us only require approximately 11 to 15 cups of water daily. Choose to drink filtered water, so that many of the dangerous contaminants have been removed.

Oh my diet!

I’ve heard so much about low carb diets and how good its working for so many people. To me it’s helpful to steam approximately 60 percent of my diet from “good” carbs with a mix of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and small amounts of low fat, organic dairy. 30 percent (sometimes more depending on the season I’m in) comes from lean protein such as fish, poultry, lean meats, beans and low fat, organic dairy.

Another 10 percent of a runners diet should come through quality fats, like olive and canola oils, nuts and nut butters, seeds and avocados. But this can vary. If you’re training for a marathon you’re going to eat a lot more and have a higher carb intake than if you’re training for a 5K, or not racing at all. A great source for more nutrition tips is this article from Runner’s World Magazine.

Hydration for runners is key. Especially now in the summer we have to drink even more. Water is essential for us and aids digestions and of course keeps our body temperature from rising to lethal levels during running. 55 to 65 percent of your weight accounts water. When we work out our muscles produce up to 100 times more heat than when you are on the couch doing nothing. So what happens is, that we start sweating during exercise.

Hydration for runners and why it is so important

Imagine a really hot day and you head outside for a run, you can lose more than 67 ounces of fluids per hour. This is where hydration for runners starts. If you don’t replace the water you just lost, your running out of gas. But of course hydration for runners also means drinking enough water throughout the day not just while we are running.

I’ve also trained my body to not “waste time” at fluid stations during my races. Hydration for runners is not just extremely important for our health it does make the difference when it comes to competing and pacing also.

Do you drink enough?

It’s common sense that we all have different needs when it comes to hydration depending on our fitness, gender, size and the climate we live in. For me 1 gallon of water or more works perfectly. On days where I work out twice I often drink almost 2 gallons of water. You want to find out how much water is the right amount for you? Monitor 5 simple markers:

• Do you have to urinate less than 3 times during a regular day?
• What color has your urine? Is it yellow?
• Do you drink less than one water bottle during exercise?
• Do you lose more than 2 pounds during your long runs?
• Do you feel thirsty sometimes?

If the answer to most of these questions is YES, it’s time for you to drink more water.

How I am able to drink so much

I’ve heard so many times that people are struggling with drinking enough water because it taste like nothing. So they make wrong decisions and go for a soda or an ice tea. I’ve been telling them that you can flavor your water. That’s what I do all the time as well. My favorite supplement / flavor is Vital Proteins Collagen Beauty Water which not only benefits when it comes to taste and hydration but also in terms of beauty. What is so special about the beauty water? It is comprised of:

• Collagen
• Hyaluronic acid
• Probiotics

These are all great ingredients we benefit from as a runner. In my previous articles about how collagen is good for you, you’ll find more about it. It’s basically hydration for runners from the inside out. I put one scoop into my water bottle once per day.

The Collagen Beauty Water will not only hydrate you properly it will also moisture your skin (hyaluronic acid). Thanks to the probiotics your gut will love the beauty water as well. That is basically my secret how I make myself drink more water even if I feel like I don’t want to. The Beauty Water comes in three different flavors: Melon Mint (my favorite), Lavender Lemon and Cucumber Aloe. All of them are great and it will feel like a transport to a spa-like oasis for you.

Hydration for summer days

I am not the heat runner. Not at all. I could for miles in the snow, but when it’s hot outside I’m not the same runner anymore. I found out that before I’m heading outside for a hot run slushy made with crushed ice with my Vitale Proteins Beauty Water does wonder. Colder drinks lower the body temperature and perceive effort which makes me run longer. After the run it’s important to drink up to 24 ounces or more to hydrate. Proper hydration for runners is essential for great performance. Please share your hydration for runners tips in the comments.

I get a lot of questions about a vegan runners diet and what to eat as a vegan runner that I had to ask somebody who really knows how to fuel for running as a vegan: Anna is a New York City-based health and fitness blogger. She grew up in Tokyo and currently resides in Brooklyn.

She first started running in college as a way to lose weight, and it eventually evolved into a passion when she realized she loved how it challenged her to push her boundaries and get out of her comfort zone. Today she’s ran 5 half marathons, 1 full marathon, and many shorter-distance races.

When not running, you can find her blogging, podcasting, or scoping out the newest vegan spots in NYC and beyond. Anna told me that as a vegan runner, she gets a lot of questions about what to eat as well. And how she refuels without any meat, yogurt, or eggs in her diet. Especially for athletes like you and me it’s important to make sure we’re getting enough of the right nutrients and calories. I’m super excited that Anna will share a vegan runner meal plan with us today:

Meet Anna: check out her Vegan Runner Meal Plan

“My overall strategy is to incorporate at least one serving of carbs, proteins, and fats into each of my meals. I also add in various fruits and veggies to ensure I hit all my nutritional needs throughout the day. Below is an example of what I eat in a typical day.”

Vegan Runner Meal Plan

PRE-WORKOUT:

• ½ banana

POST-WORKOUT SNACK:

• 1 serving of cereal (usually Weetabix, Nature’s Path Organic Corn Flakes or Whole O’s, or Barbara’s Puffins)

BREAKFAST:

OVERNIGHT OATS

• ½ cup oats
• ½ cup almond milk (I like Califia Farms Original the best)
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• ½ banana
• Handful berries
• 1 tbsp. almond butter (I usually buy Trader Joe’s brand)

LUNCH:

LENTIL CURRY & FRUIT

• Lentils, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and bell peppers sautéed & simmered in curry sauce (Maya Kaimal makes some good vegan Indian sauces)
• ½ cup rice
• ¼ avocado
• 1 apple (on the side)

AFTERNOON SNACK:

• Handful almonds w/ pretzels

DINNER:

BUDDHA BOWL

• 3 cups spinach
• Chopped veggies (raw):
  • Tomato
  • Onion
  • Carrots
  • Celery
• ¼ avocado
• 1 roasted sweet potato
• ½ cup beans
• Tahini sauce
  • ½ tbsp tahini
  • 1 lemon wedge
  • Hot sauce (I love using 1 tsp. gochujang—a Korean chili paste)

SNACK:

• Piece of dark chocolate (Alter Eco, Endangered Species, and Theo are some of my favorite brands)
• Bowl of popcorn w/ nutritional yeast
• 1 cup frozen grapes

If you have any questions about a vegan runners diet or the vegan runner meal plan please feel free to leave them in the comments. Also Anna is posting on her blog a new podcast episode every Monday where she shares more information about vegan diet as well. Her new written posts go live every Thursday.

Check her IG: @runningvegannyc

Thanks Anna for all your support and helping us out to understand how to fuel right as a vegan runner.

Happy Running!