What to eat and drink before a run?

[Daroo]

Just wondering what is suitable to eat before a run in the morning or after night shift? I had an egg and some water before my last run but felt like I had no energy and felt slightly bokey..

[Buddy34 Graduate]

I eat weetabix but thats 2 hours before a run. You could try water and a banana 😊

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate]

Banana or some kind of oat type bar. Eggs can have that effect 🤣

[Daroo Graduate in reply to GoGo_JoJo]

It was scrambling in my stomach 🤢

[Buddy34 Graduate in reply to GoGo_JoJo]

See Quaker have brought out quaker oats porridge to go bars. They are lovely

groceries.morrisons.com/web...

[Joanney69 Graduate]

When I run in the morning, I only have a glass of orange juice and a glass of water before I go out - no food. But that's just me, I guess different things work for different people ☺

[Daroo Graduate]

I’ll stick to a banana and maybe a low cal cereal bar. I think I need to drink more water before and after as I had a bad headache after a run last week..

[Buddy34 Graduate in reply to Daroo]

If you can try your best to stick to the recommended 2-3 litres per day 7 days a week it should help😊

[Hidden in reply to Buddy34]

No way! Impossible. I drink a couple of glasses of water a day and couple of teas and coffees.

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Not enough 👎🏼

[Granspeed Graduate in reply to Hidden]

As your distances increase, you are likely to get “heavy legs” and/or headaches unless you drink more. Flavour the water with a splash of juice if that helps....

[Hidden in reply to Granspeed]

I'll try. Some days i don't try any. My whole life. Runs in the family.

[Leosmit Graduate]

Well, I can say this with confidence.... Not a prawn open sandwich!! I learned the hard way a few weeks ago that you need to think about what you eat before going for a run. You’re wise for asking the question!!

[Daroo Graduate in reply to Leosmit]

Oh dear!!!!

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate]

Before a parkrun on a Saturday morning for my breakfast I have a small drink of apple juice, cereal, varies from Weetabix, Frosties, Alpine, sometimes a roll or toast, not both, if it's cold, Hot Chocolate, if not a small glass of milk, all that is finished by 7.15 am, so I don't have anything to eat for over two hours before parkrun, I think it's really good to go a run after a night shift and before you go to bed.

I hated night shifts when I did a few of them in the 1980s, you woke up at 11 am thinking it was the middle of the night, luckily I only worked a few at that time.

Would it not be better for you after a night shift to have a sleep and when you wake up in the afternoon go for your run?

[Speedy60 Graduate]

I've never worked shifts so I can't help you there, but I find complex carbs (wholegrain cereals, bread, banana etc) work better for me than protein. Having said that, if I run first thing in the morning, I tend to have breakfast when I get back.

[Anniecycle Graduate]

I run after two cups of tea and glass water first thing in morning... I’m on low carb diet due to type 2 diabetes...and used to have banana but my son who runs a lot told me that actually as I was only running for half hour that I probably didn’t need anything... and after initial ‘worry’ I now run without eating pre run and have more water and breakfast on my return.... all good!

It works for me at that early time!

[Saxart Graduate]

I usually have banana, natural yoghurt and handful of seeds

[Hidden]

Up to now I ran after a cup of herbal tea. Yesterday I did week 4 run 2. Hsrd hard hard. But then straight after, had 2 coffees and egg on toast, realised I had dropped my bank card and ended up jogging 3k looking for it. Loads of energy. So I am not sure what to do next time.

[Hidden]

I always run early and only have my morning coffee and water. Can't run after eating the old stomach won't take it!

[Moonglow42]

As I run early, I have a glass of water (with a drop of lemon juice in it) before I go out and when I get back I have another glass of water and a banana. I then have a bowl of weetabix and yogurt about 1/2 hour to an hour later.