What is the best thing to eat before a long run, say 10 miles?

Question

I am planning on running a 10 mile run in June I would like to know what is the best thing to eat or drink the morning of and the night before.

Answer 1

Make sure to run on an empty stomach.
Don't eat at least 4-5 hours before running or drink water right before to avoid cramps.
Eat light and healthy meals prior to the run and run each night so the day of the run you don't get drained after 3 miles.
Good luck

Answer 2

I run just about 10 miles a day and i always have a big dinner and breakfast, thats high in carbs. But just before a run i like to make sure I've had a bottle or water or two (depending on how hot it is) and usually a power bar or something with a few carbs and protein When I first started running about year and a half ago i couldn't even do a mile without stopping, the hardest part is the stress on your knees and ankles, if your not use to the road, go back and fourth between it and the dirt till you build up to staying on the asphalt . GOOD LUCK!

Answer 3

The night before, eat a carbohydrate-rich meal such as spinach angelhair pasta with real butter and some grated montery jack cheese -- the sort of meal that will just about kill a diabetic. This will boost your triglcyceride levels in your blood which you will use as fuel the next day.

Before going to bed, set a whole grain called bulgar in water to soak. In the morning you can warm it up in the microwave.

Eat the bulgar in the morning, and nothing else. Drink water.

Then, 45 minutes to a half hour before the race, eat a Little Debbie's Peanut Butter Bar. Eat a pack of two. When you start running you won't know what got into you. Maybe smear the thing with just a little extra, all natural peanut butter but not much.

Answer 4

Probably you would want to eat light the night before and even lighter the morning of.

For the day before, try to avoid any food that's greasy or heavy like steak, burgers, pizza, fries, ice cream, chips, etc...

Around 1.5-2 hours before your run starts, eat a few fruits, like bananas (they're known to be rich in potassium which is good for preventing or cushioning against cramps). Drink a couple cups of Gatorade Endurance Formula as well.

If it's even permitted, you could ask a few friends to hold out a small cup of that Gatorade Endurance Formula each 2 miles or 15 minutes for you to grab 'n' gulp; I've seen they do something like that at some running events. Gatorade website recommended take a gulp every 15 minutes of workout.

BTW you'd definitely want to get your bladder and bowel emptied out before your run. You wouldn't want to end up feeling an uncomfortable urge to go to the bathroom right in the middle of your run, unless you have a tolerance for that in such a long run.

Answer 5

I suggest getting hammered the night before. Stay out until the bar closes. There are lots of carbs in beer.

The next morning you will probably be tempted by the hair of the dog. DO NOT drink more alcohol. Your best bet is a greasy breakfast sandwich.

But seriously... the day before a big run I always drink absurd amounts of water. Do the standard pee test and make sure your urine is clear colored. You can get water "poisoning" but that's only if you drink an insane amount of water. I eat things high in protein and carbs the night before (chicken and pasta with red sauce). That isn't going to affect you very much to be honest. The morning of, eat something carby and sugary. That's about the only time I'll drop $3 on a health foods bar. Some caffeine right before would be nice too. Don't drink a lot since it is a diuretic and you will have to stop and pee during the race with all that water in you. Try to move your bowels the morning of the race... ew, but it will make a difference.

Answer 6

Eat well the previous night .But eat less and eat fruits which will give you the required blood sugar ,and drink lime water with salt which will also help in maintaining the blood glucose ,to keep you going on the 10 mile run.Wishing you all the best in your run in June this year .

Answer 7

Lots of carbs the night or few days before. Bread, pasta etc. This stores up plenty of energy in your body for the race.

Pre-hydration is very important so make sure your drinking adequate WATER the day before as well as the morning of.

Have a good run!

Answer 8

The American academy of sports medicine found that a ratio of carbs to protein of 4:1 is generally ideal for sports performance. Carbohydrates are stored in the muscles, and will provide the energy when needed, if eaten at least 2 hrs before the race, sugars should already be in the blood stream at the start of the race, and then later will your muscles utilize their energy stores of complex carbs.

Milk and honey, yes that old saying, is what I've found to be ideal before physical activity. Milk helps maintain hydration, and the honey, and lactose combination is very potent for initial burn. This should be enough before the race that it has generally emptied from the stomach, at least a half hour, maybe a hr. is better, depending on previous meals.

A meal eaten too soon before heavy exertion can lead to intestinal bleeding, atrophy, systemic disease, and other things, so do not eat right before heavy labor, or exercise.

Enough honey should be added to maximize taste, and this will meet the American Academy of Sports Medicine's recommendation for carbs:proteins when the sugar content of the volume of milk has approx. doubled, if it's cows milk. There are various types of honey and milk, and what works best will depend upon your dietary needs. The honey should be ideally raw and from nectar - if clouded in appearance it still has its anti-bacterial properties too.

Never eat too much, especially before exercise.

If you don't like milk or honey (real maple syrup may be alternative, or brown sugar, molasses, stevia, licorice etc), then I'd go with one of the other recommendations, but test them out first, and always be safe. For example grapefruit, or apple, or a native desert fruit, as a single item (never mixed), an hour before is also good. Desert, and other watery fruits tend to help maintain hydration too, and fresh, raw foods add the benefits of enzyme aided metabolism.

For the the carbohydrates needed in the muscles, always go with the best tasting beans, or wholesome grain, such as breads you can find, with simple, or even single ingredients, and moderate-high fiber, but these take longer to assimilate, and until they are they won't help much. I'd go with beans the night before, and a wholesome bread the morning of the race, but only if there's time ti digest it (approx. 2-3 hrs.), and drink the milk/honey drink an hour before. Maybe a serving or two (approx. 100-500 calories, depending on size/metabolism) of each.

Immediately before and during refrain from food (calories) entirely, and only drink pure, unflavored, or altered, water. A sports drink, watery fruit, or milk etc. after the race can help replenish then. Avoid caffeine, and high carbs without other nutrients to stabilize uptake.

Strive for balance.

Answer 9

Id say the best thing to eat for your 10 mile run would be bananas.
Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose - combined with fiber. The fruit gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proved that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

Answer 10

I recommend juicing some vegetables for the mineral and electrolyte content. Then have a bowl of oatmeal with a big pat of butter.
The oatmeal is a carbohydrate with a low glycemic index meaning that energy will be released more slowly into your body to help you finish the race.
The butter keeps the oatmeal in your belly longer and also provides some energy near the end of the race.
The day before you want some fiber in your meal so that you empty out your bowels before the race. If necessary take a laxative three hours before the race.
The above advice is pure theory from a genuine amateur. Good luck.