How To FUEL LONG RUNS | Don't Hit The Wall

RICK: Hi and welcome to the Running Channel.

I'm Rick and alongside Anna,

we're going to be giving you tips on how to fuel those long runs.

ANNA: That's right. We are going to go into the science behind what

your body needs to fuel it through runs longer than

an hour to give you all the advice that you need to

nail your nutrition and training so you can get ready to race half-marathons,

marathons, and even further.

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If you've been running for a while,

you're probably starting to think about taking on a half-marathon,

a marathon, or even further.

If you're thinking about these distances,

you're going to have to start increasing your training ahead of race day.

When it comes to your training,

if you're running for more than an hour or so,

you're going to have to be thinking about how to fuel

that training and get the fuel into your body efficiently enough.

ANNA: We've got some science incoming here, so bear with me.

When you run, your body uses energy from carbohydrates and fat,

and your body can store carbohydrates as glycogen in the liver and in the muscles.

Now, the fitter you are,

the more you can store,

and the harder you run, the more you use.

During periods of intense exercise,

glycogen particles are broken down freeing up glucose molecules,

and those glucose molecules are then oxidized by

the muscles during anaerobic and aerobic processes to free up ATP,

which is needed for muscle contractions.

MINION: What?

RICK: As your glycogen stores become progressively more depleted on your run,

your body conserves what's left by relying more on fat.

But as fat is about 15% less efficient compared to carbohydrates,

then we slow down.

Now, we can all improve our training and

our run by managing those glycogen stores more efficiently.

ANNA: During exercise at intensities of

greater than around 60% of maximal oxygen consumption or VO2 max,

blood glucose and muscle glycogen are the primary sources of fuel

that's being oxidized to produce the ATP required to sustain exercise at this intensity,

which then means that you require more carbohydrates as your predominant fuel source.

RICK: Glycogen depletion is a key limiting factor

in races that last longer than about 90 minutes.

Studies have shown that we can increase our glycogen stores by tapering our training

and building up our carbohydrates in the 3 days before a race, or carb loading.

In the same way that we carb load before a race,

we can also do the same thing in training or before that weekend long run.

ANNA: Let's look a little bit more in-depth at carb loading then.

This information is based on people who follow regular diets and doesn't

take into account those on keto diets or similar low-carbohydrate diets.

RICK: Generally speaking, it's recommended for the average adult that carbohydrates make

up between 45% and 65% of your calories in a day.

If you take in 2,000 calories in a day,

somewhere 900–1,300 will be for carbohydrates.

Of course, this does not take into account exercise.

How much extra you need to take on depends on

the duration and the intensity of that exercise.

ANNA: As an example, on days where you're only going to

be doing some light training for a short amount of time,

you're going to need considerably less carbohydrates to restore

that muscle glycogen level than if you were doing a heavier training day.

For that reason, typical carbohydrate recommendations will

vary from person to person depending on their training schedule.

RICK: However, athletes often don't consume enough dietary carbohydrates

to meet the recommendations for daily carbohydrate intake.

It's thought you need between 8 and 12 grams of carbohydrate

per kilogram of body weight to fully replenish your glycogen stores.

Those not making that, well,

it often happens because of busy lifestyles,

busy training regimes, and also essentially a poor knowledge of health nutrition.

ANNA: Now, it is to be expected that you'll gain some weight during carb loading,

and that's because the body hangs onto 2.6 grams of water for every gram of glycogen.

Extra weight is unavoidable,

but it can actually be helpful come race day to

avoid dehydration because of the extra water you're holding.

There are a lot of variables when it comes to how much fuel

your body needs during long runs and long races,

and those variables can include your pace, your weight,

and how your body metabolizes that fuel that you're taking on.

But as a general rule of thumb,

you should consider topping up those fuel reserves every

30–45 minutes after the first hour.

RICK: For runs longer than 60 minutes,

you can take in about 30 grams of carbs per 30–45 minutes.

Your stomach can absorb around 60 grams of carbs per hour when diluted with water,

so make sure that you hydrate along the way.

ANNA: While you're practicing fueling on your long runs,

pay attention to how you feel towards the end,

and after you finish as well.

If you end your long runs feeling all right and still pretty energized,

then you've probably got your nutrition spot on.

But if you're feeling a little bit ropy,

a little bit tired, then next time,

maybe try adding an additional 15 grams

of carbohydrates per hour and see how you go with that.

RICK: Keep track of answers to questions like:

Do I feel totally energized?

Do I feel able to keep a constant pace and only hit a wall at the end?

Does the fuel agree with my stomach?

It might be worth keeping a training diary to keep note of

this or putting it into a training app like STRAVA,

so you can refer back to it next time.

ANNA: Make sure you test out lots of different mid-run fuel options.

There are loads out there to try.

Also, keep a note of how much you had,

the timings of it as well,

and what works for you.

Like I said, there are loads of different options that you

can try from gels to sports drinks,

energy bars, homemade real food that you can make yourself,

or even just some sweets.

I love a bit of a Haribo personally.

If you want some inspiration of gels that you could try,

make sure you check out our video on the Running Channel,

where I taste tested a load of gels for you.

But yeah, we're going to take a look now at

some of the different options that are out there for you to try.

RICK: With a mixture of water and carbohydrates,

sports drinks are a quick and easy fuel that boost your energy and keep you hydrated.

To perform your best, you'll generally need

between 30 and 60 grams of carbs per hour of exercise.

Sports drinks generally have a blend of carbs,

including maltodextrin, glucose,

water, and sodium to help prevent dehydration.

As well as preventing dehydration,

the sodium can also help you retain fluids while you're running.

You may also consider a sports drink with added protein.

University of Texas researchers found that when people

took on a sports drink with the added protein during endurance test

compared to people who did it without the added protein,

they managed to perform better.

If you do go for this route,

then consider a 4-1 carbohydrate to protein ratio.

ANNA: Energy gels are a super convenient energy source for runners.

They're in single-serve packets,

and they provide a punch of energy.

If you want some suggestions of gels,

do check out that video of me trying a lot of them.

Don't worry, I wasn't sick after.

But when you're looking for a gel,

the things to look out for are ones that will provide you with

25–30 grams of carbohydrates,

and that's from sources like honey or brown rice syrup or maltodextrin.

Also worth looking for gels that contain sodium as well,

around the 50 milligram mark.

Look out for gels that have additional extra benefits in them, too.

For example, branch chain amino acids or BCAAs.

What they are is essential amino acids,

meaning that they're not actually made by the body,

but they make up more than a third of the protein found in human muscle tissue.

What BCAAs do is they're used as an additional energy source,

meaning that they delay the onset of fatigue,

so you can go faster and harder for longer.

It's also been shown that taking on BCAAs before, during,

and after exercise can even reduce

the severity and the duration of delayed onset muscle soreness.

Some energy gel brands will also have caffeine options, too.

Now, caffeine is shown to stimulate the central nervous system and the brain,

which means that it can make exercise feel a bit easier,

so between 3 and 6 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram

of body weight can help reduce that perceived rate of exertion,

meaning six-minute mile feels more like a seven-minute mile.

Maybe. Not quite.

Caffeine does affect us all in different ways, though,

especially if you're not used to it,

so it can cause the jitters in some people,

or it can also cause GI issues.

Do make sure you try it out and work out what's best for you.

With all these different energy gels,

just have a good try of loads of them and find the one that is perfect for you.

RICK: Energy bars are great as a pre-run or post-run snack,

and are also good to take on during a run depending on if you get on with them or not.

They are also jam-packed with carbohydrates and

are better than drinks and gels at satisfying hunger,

especially during long runs and especially really long runs.

Try to choose a bar with a high carbohydrate value such as oats, dates,

or brown rice syrup compared to bars that have high levels of fat,

protein, or fiber.

That's because bars with too high a level of fat,

protein, and fiber can actually slow down our digestion.

ANNA: Energy chews can give you an instant hit of energy like a shot of espresso.

They're small, they're compact,

and they contain the same relative amount of

carbohydrates as you'd get in a gel or a sports drink.

But because they're smaller,

it means that you'll have to take them more regularly.

Most energy chews, you're looking at around five grams of carbohydrate per chew.

You can also get pure caffeine versions.

Things like Revvies strips or Caffeine Bullets.

Now, they're obviously not going to help your carbohydrate stores,

but they are going to give you an instant hit of caffeine.

Now, we say this a lot on the Running Channel,

but nothing new on race day.

We mean it. Practicing your fueling on your long runs is so important.

Treat them like a dress rehearsal,

not just for your kit and your pacing strategy,

but for your nutrition strategy, as well.

It's really important that you find out what

works best for you before you go into race day.

RICK: Do your research as well.

Check out what they provide on the aid stations on the race and see if it works for you.

But if it doesn't, make sure you bring your own along.

Glycogen reloading is greatly enhanced after exercise and remains moderately enhanced for

about 6 hours after. Take advantage of that window by taking

in lots of food and drink in the form of carbs in that short space of time.

ANNA: Consume between 50 and 100 grams of

carbohydrates in the first 30 minutes after your run.

Then aim to top that up with another 50–100 grams of

carbohydrates an hour after to really kick start the replenishment process.

RICK: Glycogen replenishment and overall recovery is

also enhanced by taking in a moderate amount of protein,

roughly 15–20 grams with the carbohydrates.

Things with a high glycemic index are best taken in the first hour after exercise,

and a high carbohydrate meal should be taken within 5–6 hours of finishing your run.

ANNA: By the end of your training cycle and heading into race day,

you should be able to answer the following questions about your fueling strategy.

What are you going to have for breakfast on the morning of your race,

and how long before the race do you need to eat it?

What kind of fuel works best for you?

How often are you going to need to take it on?

How are you going to carry it around the race as well?

Hopefully, that's given you some tips on how to

fuel those long runs and long races as well.

What's your go-to fuel for racing?

Is it something that maybe we've mentioned here

today or maybe we've given you a few tips that you didn't know?

Either way, let us know in the comments below,

and we'll see you next time on the Running Channel.

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