You’re putting in the training: the easy miles, speed workouts, tempo runs, and long runs. You have a goal race on the calendar and a finish time you’re working toward.

If you’re investing that much time and effort into your training, it only makes sense to make sure your nutrition is supporting it.

For endurance athletes, the right balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fat can improve energy levels, recovery, and overall performance. Here’s how to optimize your macronutrients to help fuel your running.

What Are Macronutrients?

Macronutrients are the nutrients your body needs in the largest amounts. They include:

• Protein
• Carbohydrates
• Fats

Each plays a unique role in helping you train, recover, and perform at your best.

What Does Each Macronutrient Do?

Each macronutrient plays a role in helping your body fuel your training and repair and recover from training.

Protein

Protein helps repair and rebuild muscle tissue after training. It also provides the amino acids your body needs to recover and adapt to your workouts.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are your body’s primary fuel source for running. They replenish glycogen stores, which provide readily available energy during exercise. When glycogen stores become depleted, you’ll often experience the dreaded “bonk” or sudden drop in energy.

Fat

Fat supports hormone production, overall health, and serves as an energy source during lower-intensity exercise. However, because fat is broken down much more slowly than carbohydrates, it cannot provide energy quickly enough for higher-intensity running.

How Much of Each Macro Do Runners Need?

The amount of each macronutrient that you need as a runner depends on your body size and the amount of training you are doing. Keep in mind that everyone’s body will be different, therefore we provide a range of nutrients to help you find what works best for you.

Protein

1.6-2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day

Carbohydrates

Your carbohydrate needs increase as your training volume increases.

Daily Running	Carbohydrates
Rest day or up to 30 minutes	3-5 g/kg
Around 60 minutes	5-7 g/kg
Around 90 minutes	7-10 g/kg
2+ hours	10-12 g/kg

Fat

Aim for at least 20% of your total daily calories from fat.

Calculate Your Macros in Four Steps 

Let’s use a 150-pound runner as an example.

Step 1: Convert your weight to kilograms

Divide your weight in pounds by 2.2.

150 ÷ 2.2 = 68 kg

Step 2: Calculate your protein

68 kg × 1.6-2.2 g = 109-150 grams of protein per day

Step 3: Calculate your carbohydrates

Carbohydrate needs change depending on your training for the day.

Training Day	Daily Carbohydrates
Rest day / ≤30 minutes	204-340 g
Around 60 minutes	340-476 g
Around 90 minutes	476-680 g
2+ hour long run	680-816 g

Notice that protein stays relatively constant, while carbohydrates increase as your training volume increases.

Step 4: Make sure you’re getting enough fat

Rather than calculating fat first, it’s often easiest to build your diet around your protein and carbohydrate targets and then make sure at least 20% of your total calories come from fat.

For our 150-pound athlete, this works out to roughly 35-55 grams of fat per day at maintenance intake, though athletes with higher calorie needs will likely consume more than this.

Remember: Fat is a minimum target—not a maximum. Many runners perform well with fat intake above 20% of total calories.

Choosing Foods That Fuel Performance

Aim to get the majority of your nutrition from minimally processed, nutrient-dense foods such as:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Rice
• Potatoes
• Pasta
• Whole grains
• Beans
• Dairy
• Eggs
• Lean meats
• Nuts and seeds

For endurance athletes, eating three balanced meals plus one or two snacks throughout the day is often enough to maintain steady energy levels.

Carbohydrate timing is especially important. Try to include carbohydrates:

• Before your run
• During longer runs
• Immediately after training

This helps keep glycogen stores topped off and supports recovery between workouts.

Fast-digesting carbohydrates—such as sports drinks, energy gels, chews, granola bars, or other easily digested foods—can also be excellent choices before and during longer runs.

Don’t forget: The carbohydrates you consume during your run count toward your daily carbohydrate intake.

What Happens When You Fuel Properly?

One of the first things runners notice when they consistently fuel their training is simply feeling better.

When you’re eating enough carbohydrates, your body spends less time trying to replenish depleted glycogen stores, leaving you with more energy for quality workouts and long runs.

Adequate protein also supports muscle repair, helping you recover more effectively between training sessions so you’re ready for the next run.

Proper fueling won’t replace smart training, but it allows you to get the most from the training you’re already doing.

Make Your Nutrition Work For You

You spend hours each week training to become a stronger runner. Giving your body the nutrition it needs is one of the simplest ways to maximize those training gains.

Think of protein as your recovery nutrient, fat as your health-supporting nutrient, and carbohydrates as your performance fuel. Keep protein and fat relatively consistent from day to day, then adjust your carbohydrate intake based on your training volume.

When your nutrition matches your training, you’ll recover better, feel stronger, and be better prepared to perform on race day.