Good Eating Habits for Runners
Marathon training involves good nutrition and diet. Eating right is not something people begin immediately before a marathon because it is part of ongoing training. Simply stated: a healthy diet is a way of life.
When training, runners burn approximately 100 calories for every one-mile they run. It is important that low-mileage runners maintain a diet similar to non-runners. However, for runners that are marathon training, it is important to eat right and tailor a diet that is nutrition specific for fitness. This includes eating:
- 60-70 percent of calories from carbohydrates
- 20-30 percent of calories from good fat sources, such as avocados, oils and nuts
- 10-15 percent of calories from protein
Dieticians recommend eating a snack within 30 minutes to one-hour after finishing running. This helps to replenish the body’s glucose levels. Additionally, dieticians suggest drinking a lot of water to help avoid dehydration.
