Have you been struggling with runs where you just feel you have no energy? You might be nailing your running fueling, but what are you eating the other 20+ hours of the day? A good daily nutrition plan can be the missing piece in your running performance. Having a solid, basic daily nutrition plan will help you meet your energy needs, fuel your runs properly, and give your body the nutrients it needs to recover.

Eat Enough to Support Your Training

The most basic nutrition need you want to meet is eating enough to match your daily energy needs (including your running and other activities). You can do a rough calculation for endurance runners as a good place to start.

• Moderately active 3-7 hrs/week: your body weight in pounds times 14-16
• Very active more than 7 hrs/week: your body weight in pounds times 16 – 18

For example, a 150lb runner who runs about an hour most days with a long run on weekends needs 2400 – 2700 calories per day. Keep in mind that this is a starting point, and you may need to adjust your calories up or down accordingly.

If you’re often hungry, tired, or struggling to recover, you may not be eating enough.

Carbohydrates, Protein, and Fat: Why You Need All Three

Once you are meeting your daily energy needs with the right amount of calories, you want to ensure you get the right amount of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. All of these macronutrients are essential for feeling and performing your best. Not enough carbohydrate and you won’t feel fueled for your run. Yet, not enough protein and fats and you may struggle to recover and repair tissues after workouts.

There is no perfect split for these macronutrients, but as a general rule of thumb, for endurance athletes training more than 7 hours per week, a good ratio would be 60% of calories from carbohydrate, 20% of calories from protein, and 20% of calories from fat.

So, in our example of our 150lb runner, they would need:

• 1440-1620 calories from carbohydrate (360-405 grams)
• 480-540 calories from protein (120-135 grams)
• 480-540 calories from fat (53-75 grams)

Carbs fuel your runs, protein repairs muscles, fats support hormones and recovery.

Consistent Fueling Beats Big Gaps Between Meals

Your calories and macronutrients can be split up over your day however you prefer. However, by avoiding big gaps between meals, you will keep your energy levels consistent.  For athletes, we recommend 2 to 3 larger meals, and 2 to 3 small snacks. It’s also important to fuel before your runs (even if just a small snack), and have a meal shortly after. You don’t need to track calories and macros forever. This is about awareness, not perfection.

Try this: If you fade in afternoon workouts, add a carb + protein snack 60–90 minutes before.

Choosing Foods That Work for You

Now the big question is… what should you eat? First, there is no perfect diet, and everyone will have different food preferences and tolerances. So don’t go and copy your favorite runner influencer just because they posted their “What I Eat In A Day.” You will want to choose the foods that meet your energy and macronutrient needs AND that work for you and your lifestyle.

Calories and nutrients can come from anywhere, but eating mostly whole foods will provide many micronutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fiber that help fuel your body and repair and recover. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, fish, lean dairy and lean meats should make up the most of your diet.

Instead of frozen waffles and a banana after your run, try whole grain oats with berries and greek yogurt.

While most of your diet should be whole foods, it’s certainly okay to include some quicker digesting carbohydrates and/or processed foods to meet your calorie needs and fuel your runs. Most runners prefer to eat an easy to digest carb (like graham crackers, energy gels, or even a pop tart) before heading out for their run. Your body can digest these quickly and use them for fuel during your runs.

Don’t Forget In-Run Fueling

Daily nutrition sets the foundation, but what you eat during long runs matters too. We go over more details on fueling during a run here: How To Fuel Your Long Runs

Fuel Well, Run Better

As a runner, eating a healthy diet that fuels your body during your runs and beyond can make a difference in how you feel and perform. Making sure you are eating enough is key, and  centering your diet on mostly whole, unprocessed, foods will provide you with a lot of nutrients that your body needs to run and recover. Let us know what your favorite pre-run meal is!

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