Fuelling Your Morning Runs: Nutrition Tips

Running in the morning can be a great way to get your day off to a productive start, with a range of physical and psychological benefits such as:

• Boosts Metabolism: Running in the morning can kickstart your metabolism, helping your body burn calories more efficiently throughout the day.
• Increases Energy Levels: Running in the morning can make you feel more awake and alert.
• Improved focus: A morning run can help clear your mind, improve focus and reduce stress.
• Improved sleep: Regular morning running can help regulate your sleep patterns.
• Boosts Mood: Exercise in general releases endorphins which reduce stress hormones and improve our moods. We've mentioned before how Running Improves Your Mental Health.

Should I Eat Before a Morning Run?

You’ve probably heard a million times that ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’. While there is some truth in this saying, it isn’t always the case.

If you’re considering adding a morning run to your routine but you’re not a breakfast person, or maybe you just don’t want to get up that little bit earlier- that’s okay. Not everybody needs to eat before a morning run. Most people can actually run for up to an hour on an empty stomach.

Whether or not you eat before a morning run is usually up to the following:

• Time: Do you have time to eat before you run in the morning? You will need to eat at least half an hour before running to give your food time to digest, is this possible for you?
• Duration: How long will you be running for? If you’re only running for an hour or less then you don’t necessarily need to eat before-hand. If you plan to run for over an hour then we would advise you to have at least a snack before heading out.
• Personal Preference: At the end of the day, it’s your run so it’s up to you when you decide to eat, whether that be before or after.

Eating Before:

Some people will prefer to eat before they go for their run in the morning. Maybe you’re a super early riser, or you just can’t focus if your stomach is rumbling.

Not eating before a run just isn’t an option for some people, no mater what time of day.

If you decide to eat before your morning run then you may opt for just a snack or a full meal. Either way, we recommend something with a good amount of easily digestible carbohydrates, and if possible, a small amount of protein.

Snacks:

• Small piece of fresh fruit/or dried fruit.
• Granola bar.
• Half a Bagel with peanut butter.

Meals:

• Porridge or overnight oats with fruit.
• Bagel with Scrambled eggs
• Yoghurt with granola and berries.

Avoid: High fibre foods like beans, greasy or fatty foods like bacon.

Make sure to pair your breakfast or snack with some form of hydration. Starting a run or workout well hydrated will always benefit performance and can reduce injuries.

It is especially important to hydrate in the morning as you can often wake up dehydrated, especially if you sleep in a warm room, consume lot of caffeine, or if you drank alcohol the night before.

Consider taking hydration tablets in the mornings to replenish electrolytes lost overnight and start your day off well hydrated.

Eating After/The Night before:

If you chose to eat breakfast after your morning run, you will want to make sure that you’ve gotten enough carbohydrates and lean protein from your evening meal the night before. Most of the meals you usually make will be sufficient but just be mindful of this.

Meal suggestions for the night before a run:

• Spaghetti Bolognese
• Salmon and veg.
• Baked sweet potato with chili.
• Grilled chicken, rice and veg.

Things to avoid:

• Raw vegetables.
• High fibre options like beans, lentils, and some whole grains that take longer to digest.
• Artificial sweeteners and sugars- these can cause digestive upset.
• Greasy or fatty foods- these take longer to digest.
• Spicy foods-sorry!

What to eat after your morning run:

You can really eat any breakfast you want after your morning run. Include carbohydrates as always and if possible, don’t be afraid to incorporate slightly more protein this time as your body will be in recovery.

• Omelette
• Protein Pancakes
• Porridge with fruit & nut butter
• Poached eggs on wholegrain toast

As well as your post-run meal you should also make sure to rehydrate, especially if you were running for an hour or longer.

Checkout our other articles to learn more about What To Eat After Your Run.

In conclusion, it doesn’t really matter if you eat before or after your run, as long as you are getting the correct nutrition at some point.

All the foods listed are suggestions, you can still eat the foods you would usually eat just remember to include carbohydrates and a small amount of protein where appropriate.