If you’re a runner, you probably know what it’s like to not being able to run because of an injury. You almost definitely know the sort of muscle pain that delays your next run for a few days.

But what if I told you this doesn’t have to happen?

What if I told you if you eat the right foods at the right time you could recover from your runs in record speed - and you’ll never have to miss that next run?

What if I told you what you eat before, during as well as after your run is just as important for recovery as stretching?

Vegan running habits

This isn’t your usual vegan runners’ diet plan. I’m not telling you exactly what to eat at every moment of the day because - quite frankly - everyone is different. And when have you ever followed a strict diet plan to the tee?

But I am giving you six easy habits you should get into doing every day with meal and snack ideas along the way. You wouldn’t run without your routine stretching right? Not stretching would lead to reduced recovery and probably a lot of pain the next day. Your eating habits are just as important.

If you follow this diet plan, you will reduce your injury rate, recovery faster and perform better.

1. Eat complex carbs a few hours before you run

Don’t get me wrong - fasted running is great training for shorter runs. But if you’re planning a longer or more intense run, you could end up injured if you didn’t fuel up properly beforehand.

If your car were very low in fuel you’d take it slow and steady to preserve the fuel you have, right? You wouldn’t rev it up any hills or speed down the motorway anytime soon. You’d end up on the side of the road pretty quickly.

For longer runs - and especially races - eat a meal rich in complex carbohydrates 3-6 hours beforehand. It takes 3-4 hours for carbohydrate to be digested and ready to use for energy (1).

Great pre-run breakfasts include:

2. Eat a light snack 30-60 minutes before you run

If you’re an early morning runner you’re not going to be able to eat a full breakfast a few hours before. I get that.

But studies show eating a light snack of carbohydrate 30-60 minutes before training increases energy availability towards the end of your run and can significantly reduce muscle damage.

Try small easily digested snacks like:

  • Fresh fruit
  • Dried fruit
  • Banana nice cream
  • A slice of toast

3. Eat simple whole food carbs while you run

If you’re planning to run for longer than one hour, you should consider refuelling during your run. Not refuelling could be detrimental to your performance. And leave you with sore, tired muscles for long afterwards.

You should eat simple carbs at a rate of 0.6 g carbs per kg of body mass per hour during your run (2). See the examples below to see what this means in food terms.

A lot of runners use gels, but whole foods are a great alternative. But refined sugar is not going to do your body good in the long run - even if you’re an athlete.

I find fruits, oats and potatoes are great whole food options to eat during exercise to provide energy. Many whole foods like fruits take longer to digest compared to gels but offer more sustainable energy. You won’t get the sugar crashes like you probably do with gels.

Examples: I’m 57 kg, so that’s 34 g carbs per hour for me.

  • One dried date is around 5 g carbs - so I’d eat seven dates an hour—one date every 10 minutes or so.
  • A banana< is about 25 g carbs so I’d need to eat one banana and two dates.
  • A small box of raisins provides 10 g carbs so I’d need to eat three boxes in an hour.
  • A medium peeled apple is just under 20 g carbs so I’d eat 1.5 apples (dried).
  • A small new potato provides 10 g - so I’d eat at 3.5 new potatoes per hour.

Top tip: Start refuelling earlier rather than later (before low blood sugar) and eating smaller amounts more frequently than you would with gels.

4. Eat within 30 minutes after your run

I hear this from runners all the time - the last thing you want to do straight after a long run is eating. But eating properly after your run is probably the most important thing you can do in your training to avoid injury.

Here’s why: running depletes your glycogen stores. Glycogen is how your body stores sugar to use for energy. If you don’t top up those stores after running your body could start breaking down your muscle to use for energy instead. This hinders muscle recovery and could lead to injury.

So it’s essential to consume a snack of carbohydrate with some protein within a 30-minute window after training (1).

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5. Eat a combination of carbs and protein straight after

But what exactly should you eat as this immediate post-run snack? You probably don’t have time to prep a whole meal.

Research shows that a 3:1 carb to protein ratio is best for glycogen re-synthesis (2). Don’t worry too much about the numbers. Go for whole food healthy carbs with a bit of protein.

Here are some examples:

  • Peanut butter on whole-grain toast
  • A banana and almond butter sandwich
  • A smoothie:
    • Banana, chia seeds and cashew nuts
    • Frozen cherries, cocoa powder and chia seeds
    • Pineapple, coconut milk and kale
    • Apple, dates and soya milk

Don’t be afraid to use a bit of protein powder - especially after a long hard run. Some people will say you don’t need extra protein as a powder. Depending on how much running you do - that may be right. But it’s an easy, quick way to get that bit of protein you need straight after a run - especially if you have a busy schedule. Do what works for you.

6. Eat a combination of carbs, protein and fats 2-3 hours after

vegan diet tips lentils

By this point, you may have forgotten you’re in recovery mode. But a few hours after running is still very much inside your recovery window. What you eat for your main meal 2-3 hours after running is critical to how well your body adapts to your training.

Depending on when you run, this will be lunch or dinner. It doesn’t matter. What does matter is getting a balance between carbohydrates, fats and protein?

Whole foods are always the best option. So ditch the processed meats and go for whole foods like beans, lentils, whole grains and fresh veggies. Eat a range of different coloured fruits and veggies to reduce exercise-induced inflammation and improve recovery rates.

7. Water, water, water

Last but not least - drinking enough water is the most important thing you can do to boost recovery and performance. Studies show dehydration significantly hinders endurance performance (3).

Drinking adequate water could actually improve your speed, time to exhaustion and recovery time (4,5)

You need to drink at least 2 litres of water every day to ensure optimal hydration for running. Consume throughout the day:

  • Before bed
  • As soon as you wake up
  • 30-60 minutes before exercise
  • When exercising for more than 2 hours, drink 0.14-0.27 ml/kg body weight

Conclusion

Eating right for recovery is as much about when you eat it as what you eat. What are your favourite running snacks and meals? Let us know in the comments!

NEXT: Make sure you’re getting enough of the five macronutrients vegan runners need and you know the 11 easy vegan tricks to run faster and further.

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Science
  1. Kerksick CM, Wilborn CD, Roberts MD, Smith-Ryan A, Kleiner SM, Jäger R, et al. ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review update: research & recommendations. J Int Soc Sports Nutr [Internet]. 2018 Aug 1 [cited 2018 Dec 3];15. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6090881/
  2. Kerksick C, Harvey T, Stout J, Campbell B, Wilborn C, Kreider R, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2008 Oct 3;5:17. https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0189-4
  3. Goulet EDB. Dehydration and endurance performance in competitive athletes. Nutr Rev. 2012 Nov;70 Suppl 2:S132-136. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23121348/
  4. Holland JJ, Skinner TL, Irwin CG, Leveritt MD, Goulet EDB. The Influence of Drinking Fluid on Endurance Cycling Performance: A Meta-Analysis. Sports Med. 2017 Nov;47(11):2269–84. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28497286/
  5. Goulet EDB. Effect of exercise-induced dehydration on time-trial exercise performance: a meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2011 Nov;45(14):1149–56. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21454440/