Tips for Fueling Long Runs

A few important notes from athletes who have transitioned to natural running fuel, aka whole foods:

• Eat more frequently, but less volume {every 30-45 min}
• Consider a mix of whole foods and processed carbs for endurance events to ensure adequate calories and quick carbs to the muscles
• Always test on training runs before race day
• Aim for low fiber whole foods
• Consider using more homemade gels and drinks during higher intensity
• Start with carbs before the race {i.e. toast, banana, oatmeal}

In addition to what you do during the run, most runners focused on a whole food way of fueling will tell you that what you eat before and after the run are equally important.

These meals are either going to top off your glycogen stores or help to prevent muscle wasting, all going towards quicker recovery.

How Much Fuel Do You Need on Long Runs?

We know there’s a clear benefit to taking in calories, specifically carbohydrates, during endurance events to prevent our body from heating the dreaded wall. However, you may not need quite as much as you think during training runs, which is a great way to reduce stomach issues!

This is due to two things:

Burn More Fat

We need to train our body to utilize more fat than carbohydrates, which is a step in training that most runners skip. You can read all about how this base building part of training should work here. This lowers your calorie and carb need during long runs.

Quick Carbs

On race day, when our heart rate passes the low heart trate max when begin to rely on carbohydrates for fuel. The body can only store so many carbs in the muscles, which means our job is to supply it with quick and easy to use sources of energy.

The second point is what lead to the creation of gels.

High sugar packets that dump immediately in to the body…except they have to go through your gut before it gets in to your blood stream and muscles.

That’s where many runners have issues with major stomach problems, not to mention the mass amounts of blood sugar spikes.

Let’s look at alternatives to energy gels for running that won’t mess with your stomach or contain additional stimulants. BUT if you do like those quick sources, I created a tested list of the one’s that seem to work for most runners!

Download my eat before the run guide to help keep your energy high, and stomach feeling good and reduce the need for gels >>

How Many Calories Do You Need During a Run?

First question I often get is how many calories do I really need to be consuming?

It’s time to stop thinking in calories and focus on the kind of fuel you’re burning and how you handle sustained energy.

1. Check out the LHR method for increasing your fat burning. This reduces the total amount of calories needed during the training session and race. (no this doesn’t mean you burn fewer calories)
2. Shorter workouts usually will not require any food during the session. Short could mean up to 13 miles depending upon your intensity and again HR. Most runners can do up to 7-9 miles without consuming calories during the run (see the drink section though). Understand the drawbacks to fasted runs though
3. Test for yourself: Do you feel grumpy late in your run? Probably out of carbohydrates. Do you get a lot of stomach issues? Probably too many sugars or hard-to-digest foods.
4. Which is all to say stop paying attention to the amount you are burning as a guide to what you take in. Most traditional estimates are based on males, so they are way overestimated for female runners!

Here are a few Whole Food Fuel Ideas

1. Bananas

Freeze-dried bananas make this food much more portable. It’s one of the foods that doctors often recommend for sensitive stomachs, so it can make for great running fuel.

I like the Barnana bites, which no are not cheap. But are still cheaper than gels! They also pack in a good amount for a small serving: 115 calories and 27 grams of carbs.

2. Dried Pineapple

Another option that I have long recommended is dried pineapple. Bromelain found in the fruit is a natural digestive enzyme, which means it can help again to stop potential stomach issues.

This is one of the biggest winners from our athletes. They say it always feels good and has gotten them through a lot runs.

Dried pineapple chunks will require almost a 1/3 of a cup to get 140 calories and 35grams of carbs.

So it’s good to combine with other option

3. Dates

Registered Dietitian Serena Marie often recommends dates to those who want to find a whole food running fuel option. The best way to utilize them is to fill the dates in advance with nut butter or coconut oil.

Both are going to turn it in to a longer lasting fuel source and lower the amount you need to eat.

Choose Medjool dates and you’ll need a smaller serving as just two contain 133 calories and 36 grams of carbs.

4. Dried Apricots

For those of us who tend to be low in iron or ferritin, dried apricots are going to give us an added boost! Sports nutrition manager Lindsey Cotter shared this tip with me many years ago and it’s one I haven’t forgotten.

5 apricots is 110 calories and 25 grams of carbs.

Again, love to combine these with some kind of fat from a nut or nut butter.

5. Raisins or Dried Fruit

Another recommended snack for runners low in iron, this childhood treat is now your long run fuel! The downside here is going to be the volume needed to take in enough calories, so I love going with more of a trail mix option (or with the cereal noted below).

You’ll need to eat 1 small box to get 34 grams of carbs and 110 calories.

6. Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars

You can absolutely grab any fig newton, but Nature’s Bakery is one recommended by my Sports Dietitian friends and I’ve found I like the taste much better.

The bars come pre-packaged and are larger than a newton, so I just break it down and eat it slowly over the course of a few miles.

1 package is 200 calories and 38 grams of carbohydrates from a few different sugar sources, which is part of what can make it easier on the gut to digest.

7. Pretzels

Who doesn’t love something salty after those hot sweaty runs? Why wait until after, just start using them during the running food.

You could bump things up and use nut butter filled pretzels to get that great fat balance. But if you’re like me, that’s not the kind of nut butter I particularly enjoy.

A serving of pretzels is usually about 17 pretzels, which is 110 calories and 27 grams of carbs.

8. Larabar

For those like me who won’t always take the time to make your own energy bars, Larbar is whole foods and a ready to go high carb choice.

They contain things like cashews, dates, apples, and sea salt, depending on the flavor you choose. They really do have it all from Lemon to Chocolate Chip, so you can test out different options to see what keeps you excited to fuel.

One bar is 200 calories with 24 grams of carbs.

9. Applesauce

Serena Marie, RD has recommended this option to our Virtual Run Clubbers non-stop when they say “I just can’t eat during the run.”

It’s a great no chew option during the run that’s going to be low in fiber and really easy on the stomach. So if you swear you’ve tried everything, make sure this is on your list!

A single pouch is 70 calories and 16 grams of carbs.

10. Squeeze Packet of Fruits/Veggies

Similar in nature to applesauce are the tons of baby food or veggie food pouches now available. In fact, this is one that I’ve come to really enjoy on my long trail run days.

I like that I’m getting some nutrients and not just a shot of sugar. Plum Organics makes some good ones that are going to be both fruit and veggies, but of course taste a lot like applesauce.

These small pouches are 60 calories and 16 grams of carbs.

11. Juices

Cherry juice in particular can be a fun option as it is also a good anti-inflammatory food. In just a couple of ounces you’ll be getting 70 calories and 15 grams of carbohydrates.

Unlike other juices, the sugar in cherry juice is less likely to cause a quick spike and then drop off.

One runner recommended a combination of cherry juice, pomegrante juice and a Nuun electrolyte tablet! A fun combo to test out.

12. Cereal

Cereal might be one of my favorite foods, so I’m happy for any excuse to eat even more!

Big fan of dumping it in a Ziploc bag with some dried fruit and nuts, so I’m getting a full mix of things while on the go. Because we are looking to pack in quality and more calories this is a key time to look to things like granola.

However, you’ll want to pay attention to the total fiber content in whatever you choose. While many of us aren’t bothered by that fiber, others are going to have some tough times later in the run.

13. Packets of Nut Butter

This became one of my favorite long run fuels over the last few years. I would eat part of a packet along with some dried pineapple and felt amazing! However, you need to know your stomach as some runners don’t feel as great with all the fat.

I believe it works well for me because of the LHR training and utilizing more fat for fuel during those long runs.

Once Again Nut Butter is my preference based on the quality, taste and no added ingredients.

14. Energy Balls

One of my favorite recommendations! I’ve got over 27 energy ball recipe ideas to get you started, but this one option is combining many of the foods on this list.

That makes it a great way to get in just enough fat, carbs and protein to fuel and endurance event. While we absolutely need sugars, on these long easy days we may also find that we feel better with more fat because that is a primary fuel source.

15. Rice Balls

A favorite of ultra running legend, Scott Jurek, onigri, is a stellar way to get in some non-sugary sweet fuel.

As Scott explains: I first saw these seaweed-wrapped rice packets when I asked a Japanese runner to show me what was in his race pack. I’m grateful I did, because white rice is a great food for cooling your body, especially in hot climates like Death Valley. It’s packed with carbohydrates, it’s not too sweet, and it’s soft and easy to digest. A great source for electrolytes and salt (via the seaweed), rice balls have always been a portable pick-me-up in Japan.

16. PB & J

I’m often recommending that runners try breaking energy bars up in to bite size pieces to carry, but this is the next level of effort and in keeping with more whole food options.

Grab a slice of sourdough bread which is easy to digest and even works for many with gluten issues! Pick your favorite nut butter and a jam, you’ve got the perfect fuel.

Of course the downside, is learning how to chew and swallow many of these options. Cut it in to smaller bites, so you can quickly pull it from your pack or decide that this is the option you will stop to walk and eat around the mid-way point.

17. Chia Seeds

Chia gels became a big deal after the release of the book Born to Run.  Particularly the homemade creation of a drink version called Chia Iskiate.

Just two tablespoons of chia seeds contain a massive amount of nutrients: 4g protein, 9g fat, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, magnanese, zinc, potassium, B Vitamins.

Here is the famous recipe:

1. Add lemon or lime juice with 1.5 cups water water to a small pan
2. Gently heat (no boiling)
3. Add 1 tbsp Chia seeds and stir
4. Add 1 tbsp maple syrup and stir continuously for a few minutes
5. Place in the fridge to cool

Please test this at home before the run! For all the amazing benefits of chia seeds, the texture is a no go for me when I’m at mile 18 of a long run.

18. Honey Sticks

One study showed that due to its carbohydrate composition (low glycemic index), honey has similar effects to other more standard glucose sources (gels).

If you’d like to make your own gel, consider one of these real foods. Ideally you’d want to mix up your own so that you can add in a little bit of salt to help with sweat loss.

But for ease of use look for honey sticks that are now readily available or checkout Muir energy gels which are a combo of fat and some honey.

19. Maple Syrup

Similar to honey, you won’t get that super fast sugar rush and drop off, which makes this another lasting fuel source. While you can indeed take it straight, I also recommend you look at it as part of a solution.

Which is what makes the energy ball option above so beneficial.

Added benefits to using maple syrup maple syrup is that it contains amino acids, calcium, riboflavin, manganese, zinc, and potassium. All of which could help to prevent muscle cramps along with being a good energy source.

20. Coconut Water

Over the last few years, I discovered that liquid nutrition has worked really well for me. Particularly Tailwind and Gnarly, but if you want to stick to real foods then you could use Coconut Water!

8 oz is 45 calories and 11 grams of carbohydrates, so try to sip it consistently every mile along with your other fuel.

21. Fruit Snacks

If you want to stick to as close to whole foods as possible, then look for something like Annie’s Organic Fruit Snacks. Otherwise the truth is jelly beans and swedish fish are going to give you the same result.

I know many BQ runners who love to fuel their long runs with Swedish fish!

A packet of Annie’s is 90 calories and 19 grams of carbs.

22. Pickles

All those myths about pickle juice helping with cramps are true. And for ultra runners, there’s often a desire to switch away from tons of sweet foods, so pickles or olives can make a great option.

Olives are going to give you that quick blast of fat, while pickles might just satisfy that salt craving.

23. Boiled Potatoes

Checkout this post for great ideas on how to carry and use potatoes as running fuel. I know it sounds crazy to road runners, but this power house food is packed with nutrients and is super easy to digest!

You’ll get 92 cal and 11g of carbs from a half cup.

And with a dash of Himalayan pink sea salt, you’ll get even more of the electrolytes you need to prevent muscle cramping.

24. Boiled Eggs

Admittedly this is not one I’ve been able to stomach, but my Ironman training friends swear by it. Again remember that when we’re doing these long runs, our body can utlize more than just straight sugar for fuel.

So if you’re not a sweet person and want to give this a go, let us all know what you think.