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Introduces the main fueling questions runners face and lays out simple pre-run nutrition advice. Covers what to eat before different run lengths, hydration, and a transition into carb loading.
When it comes to fueling and running nutrition in 2025, the options are absolutely endless out there.Gels, chews, drink mixes, electrolytes, it can really be very overwhelming.What should you eat before you head out on your run?Do you need to take gels in races?How many gels do you need?Is carb loading the right thing we should be doing?And do we really need all of these electrolytes?There are so many questions and it's difficult to know what is really going to make the difference with your running or what is just clever marketing to try and get you to spend more.So, in this video, we're going to keep things super simple.I'm going to take you through the rough basics in a chronological order, plus loads of tips and tricks I've picked up over my 20 years of running.And I'm also going to touch on some of the new different types of fuel on the scene that have popped off in the last few years.
First, we're going to chat about everything we should be doing before heading out on our run.For slower runs or runs less than an hour, it's really good idea to have something around about 30 to 60 minutes before heading out.Something like a banana, a granola bar, or a slice of toast with some jam on it.If it's particularly early, some people do like to head out without having anything to fuel their run, which is what we'd call a fasted run.For runs up to around about two hours or runs where you're going to have a little bit more intensity in them.So maybe you're heading out to do a speed session, you're going to want to have something a little bit more substantial.Something like a bagel with some jam and peanut butter on the top or some porridge.And give yourself a little bit more time to digest this before heading out on your run.
So really, we're talking about 60 minutes to 90 minutes before heading out on your run.For longer runs and efforts over two hours, your pre-run fueling may even start the night before by having a meal that's going to be particularly high in carbohydrates.So, here we're thinking of things like pasta, rice, potatoes, but not overloading on them, just trying to have the same size meal you would always have, but increasing the proportion of carbohydrates on your plate.And then for breakfast, very similar to what we've just talked about there.something like that bagel with some peanut butter and jam on couple of pieces of toast.And finally, making sure we are getting nice and hydrated before our run.Some of you might be asking about a lot of the newer products out on the market at the moment.Your by carbs, your ketones, electrolytes.We're going to discuss those a little bit later on in the video, but now we're going to move on to chat about carb loading.
Explains carb loading for longer races and then moves into fueling during runs and races. Reviews gels, drink mixes, chews, timing, and how to test products in training.
Carb loading is a nutrition strategy to try and increase the amount of carbohydrates consumed usually in the round about that 2 to 3 days before an event in order to really increase the amount of glycogen stored in ourmuscles which is what our body is going to use to fuel our race.It's a very common practice particularly in marathon running where the length of the activity is of course going to be for many people 3 four 5 hours of running.We need to start that race with as much food as we can stored in our body to help us avoid hitting the wall.So, if you're going to be running your marathon race on the Sunday, you're going to want to start thinking about increasing that carbohydrate load on the Thursday, the Friday, and the Saturday as well.Not necessarily going to be eating a load more food.
We're just adjusting that ratio of proteins and carbohydrates and fats to get it more weighted in favor of the carbohydrates.During this phase, the rough guide is around about 10 grams of carbohydrates per kilo of body weight.So for a 70 kilogram runner, you're going to want to look to be consuming around about 700 g of carbs.I'm going to put up on the screen now what a typical day of eating might look like.I say for a lot of people, you should be aiming for around three main meals during these days and potentially three different snacks in there as well.My top tip here is to try and get some of those carbs in in the form of drinks as well.Otherwise, you're going to end up feeling particularly bloated and also potentially a little bit lethargic as well.So, sports drinks, really good idea to add in here.
So, now we've got our pre-run fueling out the way.It's going to be a good chance to have a chat about everything we should be doing during our runs and races as well.For 5k races and 10k races, it's unlikely you're going to need to fuel during the event itself.They're really just too short to warrant worrying about it.Some runners do like to take a gel on a start line.It's something I've done myself a few times in some 10k races, but that's just a bit of a personal preference.If you're training for a longer race, so a half marathon, marathon, or ultra distance race, then you're going to need to fuel up during the race to keep those energy levels topped up.It's also super important to practice our fueling during our longer training runs as well.So, when it comes to race day, it's all going to be absolutely second nature.
We're not going to get any nasty surprises in our gut with things that don't agree with us.So, what should we fuel with?So, the first option to chat about here is one of the good old classics energy gels.This is definitely one of the most popular options really due to their convenience and the sort of easy and quick absorption once we've got them into our body.They're basically little packets of goo that you consume while running and it will give you a little energy boost for around about the next 30 minutes or so.They come in so many different textures and flavors.The downsides of energy gels, they can sometimes cause some stomach issues as we just touched on.So, it's really important to try lots of different types out in your training to find the products that are going to work with you.
Some brands to have a look at that have worked well for me and my training over the years.Things like High Five, Science and Sport, Precision, Fuel and Hydration, and Morton as well.There are also some more natural options that usually use things like rice and fruit to make the gels.Check that out if you want a more of a natural fueling option.The second option for fueling our runs is a carbohydrate drink mix.Basically, these are very simple powders that you mix with water.There's so many of these different types of drink mixes on the market these days.The big ones being Tailwind, which I use in so much of my training.Morton drink mix, cis beta fuel, precision hydration.Again, the positives of these type of things, they're very easy to digest, really good for that carb loading as well.As we said in the previous part of the video, they're going to provide some good hydration alongside getting those carbohydrates into your body.
The negatives, just the weight.They are just going to be a little bit more bulky to carry that amount of liquid when you're out running and you do need to prepare them in advance.They're not very practical in a race setting either.But if you're the type of person that doesn't mind wearing a pack or a belt to carry some liquids when you're out on the run, this is a really great way of getting some extra carbs into your body.A third option to have a chat about here is getting some chew, some bars, or some solid food to take with you out on your runs.Lots of sports nutrition companies are now making these very easy to digestible gummies chews bars and waffles.Things like the Cliff Shop blocks, the precision chews, the Morton solid bars, knack waffles, or there are a lot of cheaper supermarket options out there.
You might want to explore things like Rice Krispy squares or some jelly babies.The positives of these types of products, they're generally going to feel a little bit more substantial than taking some gels on board.So, a lot of people that like to use these are people going out for a very long time.people that are going out on the trails for 3, four, 5, 6, 24 hours.Who knows?Very long days out on the trails where the pace is generally a little bit more relaxed because the negatives of products like this, they are going to be a little bit harder to consume while running particularly fast.Potential little choking hazard of some of these things as well and a little bit fiddly to get out of the packaging as you're running along.So, definitely more of a trail runner type product with these, but still absolutely no reason at all you can't be using these in your road marathon.
Just got to practice with them like everything in this video in your training.So, how often should we be fueling during our races and our longer runs?As a rough guide, we usually advise one gel, which tends to be around about 30 g of carbohydrates every 30 to 45 minutes.So, if you're running a marathon in 4 hours, that's going to mean taking on around about five, six, or potentially seven gels during the race.This is where the practicing, training, and experimenting is so important.Everyone is different.What works for someone might work well for you or it might not.So, it's all about finding the brands, the products, the timings that going to work for you so that by the time your race day comes around, there's going to be no nasty surprises.If you are struggling towards the end of your long runs or finishing your long runs, particularly wrecked and depleted, then definitely look at taking some more carbohydrates, some more gels out on your next run to be finishing those
runs strong.If you are getting some stomach cramps or some tummy troubles, maybe scale things back a little bit, try some different products out there.There will be something for you that is going to work.I guarantee it.Take some notes after your runs, see what's working, see what's not, tweaking things and adapting things.We always recommend a company here in the UK called XMars where you can purchase some single serve products rather than committing to a big bulk order.You don't want to go and buy 12 gels to know they're not going to work for you.So, you can get lots of single servings on the website, find out what works for you, and try a lot of different things out.
Covers practical ways to carry nutrition on long runs, including pockets, packs, waistbands, and improvised aid stations. Then shifts to post-run recovery, focusing on refueling, rehydration, and muscle repair.
Right, let's move on to how to carry all of this and the practicalities of fueling the long run.Sometimes figuring out how to carry all of your fuel on your long runs is even more complicated than choosing the type of fuel you're going to be taking out on the long runs.So, I'm just going to go through a few of the most common ways of carrying fuel on your long runs so you can fuel them really well.Starting out with clothing.The most common thing that people go out and purchase is a pair of two in one shorts.We're going to have pockets on the side which you can stuff full of gels.We sell them on the website benparks.com.So, feel free to check those out.Use code YouTube10 if you want 10% off your order.Some other people also like to pick up some leggings as well with similar pockets on the side or some arm sleeves where you can stuff some gels down inside there.
Another option out there that is coming particularly popular now especially in the road racing scene is a running pack which is a really fantastic option to carry loads of your fluids and some soft flasks up at the frontor you can even add the reservoir in the back of the pack as well.So that's going to be up to around about two potentially 3 lers of fluid you can carry with you.very common in ultras, but I say more and more road runners are using these now as well.So, you can check that out.You'll have more than enough space in that pack to carry all the gels and all the nutrition you're going to need on those long runs and also during your races as well.And it's super convenient and also really nice and reassuring to have everything on you that you're going to need for your run.
You don't have to worry about going to the A stations or any of the fueling stations on the course.You just got everything with you and nothing to worry about.In a very similar way, you can get a waistband as well that goes around your waist and you can stuff softing here.You can stuff all of your gels in there as well.A few other options to have a think about during your training as well if you don't want to be carrying some of this stuff with you.Use your car, your house, your garden as an aid station, running a loop round and around your local area, grabbing that nutrition, grabbing those drinks or whatever, having them and then carrying back out on your run.Potentially get a friend to come out with you on a bike and they can have a backpack or a basket on the front and carry everything and hand it to you as you're running along.
Water fountains in parks, check them out.Stravidi normally have those on their map so you can see where they are.Check they're working as well.It's absolutely going to be okay to stop on those training runs just for a few minutes here and there just to get the fuel on board that you need.And then the final piece of the puzzle is how to fuel after our run or after our race is at this time we really need to focus on replenishing our now depleted fluids and glycogen stores as well ashelping those tired muscles to repair and come back stronger.ideally refueling, rehydrating within that first 30 minutes post-workout or run or race.For me, I've always tried to focus on that 3:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio.So, going for things like the chocolate milks, recovery shakes, protein smoothies with some fruit in there as well.
And then with your next main meal, whichever meal is coming along next, you don't have to bring that forward.Just whenever you next get to that main meal, be really intentional with the amount of protein and carbohydrates you're getting with that meal.Something that I've bought into my routine this year as well is having some magnesium before heading to bed.If I've had a particularly tough run that day or a race that day, having some magnesium before I head off to sleep.I don't know if it's particularly working, but I definitely feel I wake up the next day a little bit better than I would have done if I didn't have it.
Discusses newer fueling products like carb, ketone drinks, and electrolytes. Explains what they are, who might benefit, and why some of them are still niche or expensive.
So, that's the fueling basics pretty much covered.The other thing I wanted to have a chat about is the rise of some new types of fuel out there.Starting out with carb.This is a product that has really been popularized by one of the big sports nutrition companies out there, Morton.Not the only company that make it, but they're the main company that people go to when looking for this type of product.This type of thing is really for those short anorobic efforts really for 800 m up to around about 3,000 m, although there's plenty of people using this for 5k racing as well.It basically aims to counteract the buildup of lactic acid in the muscles, enabling you to sort of perform for even longer.At 15 pounds a serving, it is incredibly expensive.So, it's absolutely really not essential for an average runner out there, but for highlevel athletes, they are raving about this type of product so so much.
Next up, let's have a chat about ketone drinks, which again are getting a lot of attention at the moment.They're meant to provide you with a bit of an energy kick without that sort of sugar crash that can come from a lot of products out there.Big bold claims on improvements in your performance, but again, extremely expensive.Around about £6 a serving, they're advertising one to three a day.Absolutely mind-boggling.I've been using some of the Ketone IQ product recently for an upcoming video where we'll have a lot more of an in-depth chat about it.Let me know down in the comments if you have used any of the ketone drinks.It would be great to hear your feedback if you felt you have got a benefit or has it all just been really good marketing.Then finally, the other big one at the moment is the electrolytes.
So many electrolyte brands seem to be popping off everywhere I look at the moment.So what are these?What are they for?They're simply to replace the salt that is going to be lost from your body when you sweat.Some gels do have these in them.So it can be a very convenient way to get a gel with some electrolytes in when you are out on the run and then you don't have to carry around a drink mix with you.But the most common form that I see, the most common form of the products that I'm testing out at the moment, again for a upcoming video, are little sachets of like salt substance that you can add to somefluids and take before you head out or take during.So, if you're the type of runner that sweats a lot or finishes a run with salt crusted all over their face and all over their clothing, you could definitely benefit from taking some electrolytes on board.
Particularly if you're going to be running some hot weather, some humid weather, if you're going to be sweating more than usual, then taking some electrolytes is going to make your life a little bit easier.If you're the type of runner that has suffered with a lot of cramp over the years or you are liable to cramp when you're out on your run, that could be due to a lack of electrolytes.So again, it's something that you could introduce into your routine and see if that helps it go away.
Wraps up with a call for viewer questions and feedback on fueling products. Teases upcoming videos and ends with a brief closing message.
If you have any fueling questions, then let me know down in the comments.I'll do my very best to get back to you there.The next video coming up here will be our complete gel taste test video with all of the facts and figures.And if you don't like gels, then check out this video down here with some good gel alternatives.Let me know the products that you've been trying in your routine.What's been working well?What hasn't?It'd be great to catch up and share your knowledge with the running community as well.That's it, guys.Keep on working hard.Keep what you done.I see very seed in the next ROM.