HomeCelebDietRunner’s Diet – Nutrition Tips for Runners

Runner’s Diet – Nutrition Tips for Runners

Runner's Diet

Runner’s diet is an exclusive diet program designed specifically for runners. Being very physically active all the time, their bodies require more nutrition to meet high intensity exercises. Runner’s diet will make sure that your body doesn’t get deficient in vital nutrients.

Running inevitably keeps your body toned and trim. No matter whether you are a professional runner, or running is just a tool for you to provide exercise to your body, your diet has to be in complete sync with your exercises.

Four Essential Macronutrients

There are four basic macronutrients such as carbs, proteins, fats, and water. You need to include sufficient number of food items in your diet which can provide these four nutrients to your body. Let’s have a look at how you can provide these nutrients to your body and what’s their relevance.

Carbs

Carbs are the main energy providing foods. No other foods can replace carbs. When your body gets deficient of carbs, it starts utilizing stored sources of proteins and breaks them to gain energy. 60-65% of your food items should come from healthy carbs. With proper consumption of carbs, your body will stay energized, and you will be able to continue your running schedule without any hindrance.

You can eat starchy veggies, whole grain breads, boiled brown rice, whole grain pasta etc. to provide energy to your body. In addition to that, here are some highly nutritious sources of carbs which you should inculcate in your diet regime.

Whole grains and Seeds

Whole grains and seeds are highly nutritious food items. These nutrient dense foods will also act as safeguard for your body and will save it from several incurable diseases such as type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and even cancer.

Colored Fruits and Veggies

Colored fruits and veggies can also be included in diet regime. Color of fruits and vegetables have specific roles to play in your body. These foods obtain color from pigments, and these pigments have several beneficial impacts on your body. These pigments also have antioxidant properties, which enable them to combat against free radicals. Free radicals need to be removed because they are capable of causing great harm to your body. You can not only strengthen your body with consumption of these foods, but also can save it from various diseases.

Eat Fruits with Skin

If you are in habit of removing skin of fruits before eating them, then change your habit and start eating fruits while keeping their skin intact. Skin of fruits contains phytochemicals which provide them capability to strengthen your immune system and improve your digestion. Fruits with skin are more fibrous; they keep your appetite in control and don’t let you gain weight.

Proteins

Proteins are also vital for runners. Proteins are required by their bodies because their muscles are more prone to get injured while running. Proteins will not only heal your muscles, but will also enhance number of lean muscles in your body. More the number of lean muscles your body will have, faster would be the intensity of fat burning process in your body.

In addition to that, proteins also come under category of filling foods which will keep you satisfied for really long time. Fifteen to twenty percent of your foods should come from proteins. Just make sure that the sources of proteins you include in your diet should not have high content of fats. Here are some great sources of proteins.

Dairy Products

Dairy products are superb sources of proteins. You should inculcate plenty of dairy products such as milk, cheese, kefir, yogurt etc. in your daily diet regime. These foods will also enrich your body with calcium, which further will help in making your bones strong. Dairy products will enhance your immunity and will cut your chances of becoming victim of cardio diseases. Yogurt is one of the most beneficial dairy items which will reset health button in your body.

Meat, Poultry and Eggs

Meat, poultry and eggs can also be consumed to provide proteins to your body. Meats have high content of proteins, and minerals such as iron, zinc etc. To avoid harmful impact of these foods, prefer consuming them in lean form. For example, instead of including poultry and beef with skin prefer eating them in skinless or fat less form. Lean proteins will lower your risk of cardio diseases and will make your body become healthier.

Fats

Twenty to twenty five percent of your foods should come from fats. That being said, you should feed only healthy fats to your body. Foods prevalent in today’s time are mostly rich in fats, but they contain saturated fat which is not good for your body.

Refrain from saturated fats and include sources of fats having high content of monosatured and polysaturated fats. In addition to that, include omega 3 fatty acids in your diet because omega-3 fatty acids are crucial for maintaining good health of your body. Here are some of the sources of omega-3 fatty acids.

Fish

Cold fish such as salmon, sardines, merkel etc. are great sources of omega 3 fatty acids. They are not just rich in proteins and omega 3 fatty acids, but also contain various nutrients such as iron, zinc, chromium, copper etc. Omega 3 fatty acids are paramount requirement of your body because they are not produced by your body. You need to feed them from external sources. Study shows that people regularly eating fish are less likely to get heart strokes, and heart attacks.

Walnuts

Besides fish, walnuts are also great source of omega 3 fatty acids. If you are a vegan and want to enrich your body with omega 3 fatty acids, you certainly can go for walnuts. You can use walnuts in oatmeal, cereals, salad etc. and can enhance both flavor as well as nutrition of your diet.

Water

Water, which is the fourth macronutrient should not be overlooked. Runners’ bodies require more hydration than others. Their bodies tend to lose a lot of water in the form of sweat. To save themselves from becoming victim of dehydration, they need to fuel their body with adequate amount of water. You should drink water, even when you don’t feel thirsty. In addition to drinking water, inculcate several fruits and vegetables having high water content in your diet.

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1 COMMENT

  1. I’ve recently become quite interested in running and would like to eventually become a serious runner. I’m happy to see that much of what is recommended to eat as a runner is what I already eat. I imagine it would be good to change the portions of the things that I eat, but I think the transition to a runner’s lifestyle could be a smooth one for me.

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