How much does your diet affect your running performance

Bump

100%. Proof? If you stopped eating, you wouldn't be able to run.

Honestly, the jury is still out on this since I haven't raced yet, but this year I vowed to eat exactly one dessert per week and 4 servings of fruits and veg per day minimum. My workouts have been going really well lately- I have set PRs in the 200, 300, 10k and HM in practice (NOT that I seriously race any of those distances). My coach has noticed how well I am running also. I have to wonder if the cleaner diet has helped. (I lost like 3 lbs from this but I don't think that's enough to explain my improvement ).

I was a decent high school runner (junior year 53, 800: 1:58, 1000 2:34, mile 4:29, 2 mile 10:01), but drank every weekend since freshman year. Trained my ass off but went out drinking in the woods with my friends on the weekends.

Senior spring I decided to quit drinking to see if I could reach my potential running and ate very healthy.

I pr'd in the 400 (52.3) and 2mile (9:41), but didn't bring down my 800 and mile times repeated a 1:58 and 4:29. I just remember feeling very healthy and not as tired after races and training. I didn't get much faster, but just felt better.

As long as you are getting energy and repairing yourself it makes no difference.

The body is very good at extracting what it needs and crapping and sweating out the rest.

Big Macs or Kale wrote:

As long as you are getting energy and repairing yourself it makes no difference.

The body is very good at extracting what it needs and crapping and sweating out the rest.

Best diet is high carb/protein & low fat. Fat will just weigh you down if you're a middle distance runner & up! Carbs will keep your energy going to get through practice everyday. Then protein helps you recover your muscles in intense sessions. Diet is underestimated.. peep the elites they eat CLEAN. Hardly any junk, drink proper fluids, and are super lean.

Rudisha800 wrote:

Big Macs or Kale wrote:

As long as you are getting energy and repairing yourself it makes no difference.

The body is very good at extracting what it needs and crapping and sweating out the rest.

Best diet is high carb/protein & low fat. Fat will just weigh you down if you're a middle distance runner & up! Carbs will keep your energy going to get through practice everyday. Then protein helps you recover your muscles in intense sessions. Diet is underestimated.. peep the elites they eat CLEAN. Hardly any junk, drink proper fluids, and are super lean.

+1

I agree with protein and carbs, plenty of fat in there easily unless you try to avoid it. Go on some other diet if you want, probably won't matter too much.

Also, main thing, chill, depending on how hard you are working out 200-400 calories of junk on average per day is meaningless as long as total calories are good/not excessive and the rest of food is reasonable most of the time.

Also, the occasional binge is a blip on the radar , don't worry about it , you probably needed it if you are on the edge. The other day I ate a whole bag of raisin bread, binged on it, doesn't matter. You can go to a party now and then and eat "normal" .

For sedentary people things are different of course.

If you are getting paid to run and the additional very small percentage of possible improvement matters, go cleaner, no brainer. It won't be the difference between a scholarship,or not.

Rudisha800 wrote:

Big Macs or Kale wrote:

As long as you are getting energy and repairing yourself it makes no difference.

The body is very good at extracting what it needs and crapping and sweating out the rest.

Best diet is high carb/protein & low fat. Fat will just weigh you down if you're a middle distance runner & up! Carbs will keep your energy going to get through practice everyday. Then protein helps you recover your muscles in intense sessions. Diet is underestimated.. peep the elites they eat CLEAN. Hardly any junk, drink proper fluids, and are super lean.

No. Fat makes you eat less of everything else. You're weighed down equally by excess anything.

Fat is underestimated for stopping you from loading up on bulk with no nutritive value.