Quick question...

[Little_lizzie]

what's everyone's thoughts on energy drinks such as lucozade sport for before run.

I don't drink them.. just a querie...

I'm not a fan of them, I'm guessing they're just full of rubbish...??

Lizzie x

[Roxdog Graduate]

I have a friend who runs half marathons who swears by a lot of 'energy' supplements and protein shakes. I suggest to him that he just eat healthily! I hate energy drinks and think they're full of suspect stuff. I think probably water and good fruit juice is probably best, but then I am a bit fierce about 'natural' food and drink and hate over-processed food and drink!

[Tasha99 Graduate in reply to Roxdog]

Protein drinks are important after a long race. Eating healthily isn’t going to see you through a marathon. You need something to keep you going during the run. I think gels are fab.

[Little_lizzie in reply to Roxdog]

May I just ask, when you say a good fruit juice, what you suggested?

Lizzie x

[Roxdog Graduate in reply to Little_lizzie]

I suppose I just meant nice juice which isn't the 'concentrate' version!

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate]

I was told and a lot of runner's swear by taking Jelly Babies on longer runs, normally like you I only take water and a fruit drink with me for longer runs.

One time I did take Jelly babies with me on a run, they were OK but just made me more thirsty, after that I went back to taking diluted fruit juice, usually orange, apple or blackcurrant juice, the longest I have ran is ten miles, however, it might be different if I ran half and full marathons on a regular basis.

[Roxdog Graduate in reply to AlMorr]

I take jelly beans with me. I like rummaging around for them in my waist belt. It distracts me in the middle of a tough run to suck a sweet. I never eat sweets at other times, but maybe I just get a little hit of sugar as I run before breakfast! Love my jelly beans!

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate in reply to Roxdog]

👍

[nowster Graduate]

Many sports drinks are just lots of sugar and salt, and a bit of flavouring.

[Whydothis Graduate]

I believe sports and energy drinks are just a way of selling very expensive sugar, which as far as I am concerned is a poison, whether expensive or cheap! C25k runs are all 30 minutes or less, so there is no need for extra energy in any form, just a normal healthy diet.

Until I was half way through C25k I was convinced that I couldn't run before breakfast, but I was persuaded to try, and I now know that I can run comfortably for 30 minutes, and walk home from a linear run, before eating - so nothing to gain from anything extra before running.

[Hidden in reply to Whydothis]

I run on empty and find it much better. I have breakfast when I get home.

If I was doing more than 30 mins then I'd consider a light snack but for 30 mins I just make sure I'm hydrated and leave the food

[Little_lizzie in reply to Hidden]

wow I'm hungry in a morning I dont think I could do anything without at least a banana! 🍌

Where do you get your energy from?

Lizzie x

[Hidden in reply to Little_lizzie]

I have a good feed the night before and just drink water or black coffee in the morning, sometimes I will have a few nuts lol. I'm a morning person for sure, always bouncy in the mornings!

[Little_lizzie]

Cool! Thanks for, just wanted to get a consensus on what people thought! The jelly beans are a great idea though! Might just try that! I've no intentions of having any energy drinks,I think you can get a bit hooked on them.. I don't need that!

Thanks again,

Lizzie x

[IannodaTruffe Mentor in reply to Little_lizzie]

You don't need jelly beans to do a C25k workout.......the former mention was for those undertaking runs of over an hours duration. If you have eaten a good balanced diet in the 24 hours before your run, then you don't need anything extra to provide energy. (See the guide to the plan healthunlocked.com/couchto5... )

Water is the best form of hydration and this post explains the crucial importance to runners healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

[Jnubster Graduate]

I have a glass of water but it is a small one as during C25K I took a water bottle and was quite sick 🤢 think I perhaps glugged it which didn’t help!

[chunkypie Graduate]

Smart water is the biggest marketing con ever, Fortified with electrolytes 😂😂 tap water is an electrolyte. As for energy drinks I wouldn't bother myself unless I'm hiking or doing a marathon and that ain't happening for a while 😉

[nowster Graduate]

When I go out for a run in the morning, I just have a glass of water (200ml) before going out. I have another one when I get back, then a third after I've done stretches. Then I have breakfast.

And "smart water" is just distilled water that's had the minerals added back.

[chunkypie Graduate in reply to nowster]

I have 222ml of water, it's an OCD thing 😄

[Little_lizzie]

So you don't eat anything before your run?

Where do you get your energy from? Lol

Lizzie x

[chunkypie Graduate in reply to Little_lizzie]

On an evening run day I dont eat after midday and if it's a morning run I have breakfast when i get back. Saturday is full English day lol treat after a week struggling to run👍

[Little_lizzie in reply to chunkypie]

Ah right oky doky..

I'm not sure I could do it with a snack before hand... but if it works for you, wicked!

Lizzie x

[nowster Graduate in reply to Little_lizzie]

Nothing before a run, no. For a half hour outing there's enough stored in the liver etc, to fuel the run without needing extra.

Also if you have few extra carbohydrates kicking around, the body will burn fats by preference.

[nowster Graduate in reply to Little_lizzie]

As long as you're eating enough and your body hasn't gone into starvation mode, you'll be fine without having a snack before you go running. You'll probably be ravenous afterwards. I usually am.

[Little_lizzie in reply to nowster]

That's really interesting actually!

Thanks

Lizzie x

[Yorki_Girl Graduate]

Because I live in Scotland I have a couple of pieces of Tablet before I run gives me all the energy I need... can’t drink a lot before I run makes me feel sick 🤢

[Little_lizzie in reply to Yorki_Girl]

Couple of pieces of Tablet??

[acountrycabbage Graduate in reply to Yorki_Girl]

Oh my days, talk about sugar rush! 😄😋

[Yorki_Girl Graduate]

Like fudge but much better and much sweeter.... only in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 if you get chance to try some, take the opportunity

[Little_lizzie]

Ah OK, I will! (and weirdly I read that in a Scottish accent! 😅🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Beautiful country!

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

Never had one before a run... during a long run I do like a sports drink, but that’s for runs over 90 minutes (I try to drink them about 70 minutes in). After a run I love a multivitamin drink (or real ale as the wife calls it) if it’s a later run... a good old cuppa for early ones.

[Little_lizzie]

Thanks hun x

Lizzie x

[nowster Graduate]

Too true! And all the "low fat" stuff that was marketed in the recent past was usually stuffed full of sugar and other carbs, which nowadays is considered a bad move.

Balance and moderation. And a little of what you fancy every now and then.