An early morning run is a great way to start your day. But for those of us who can rise early enough to hit the trail, road, or treadmill, the question often pops up about what to eat before a morning run.
It seems like that question should have a simple answer, but unfortunately there’s not a one-size-fits-all approach to your prerun meal. You have to consider multiple factors when deciding what to eat before a morning run. Below, Pamela Nisevich Bede, M.S., a registered dietitian who specializes in sports nutrition and author of Why Trust Us, outlines her recommendations for how to fuel prerun.
Do you need to eat before an early morning run?
Published: Sep 20, 2022 easy effort runs that last less than 60 minutes, you may not need to eat anything—your body has enough glycogen (its preferred fuel source) stored to power you through, but you should focus on refueling properly afterward.
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Get Expert Advice vigorous effort may require some extra fuel to keep you going. That said, everyone is different and multiple factors influence this so if you find you’re hitting the wall on most runs around mile four or 45 minutes in, then you’ll need to adjust your fuel plan accordingly.
If you choose to eat before the run, in order to get that food in and digested, one option is to see if you can go to bed a half-hour earlier and then drag yourself out of bed thirty minutes earlier, which would give you We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. But, of course sleep is precious and it can be so difficult to get in bed earlier, so here are some other ideas.
What should I eat before a short morning run?
The fuel needed to run a shorter run is quite different from the amount of fuel needed before running 12 or 13 miles.
If you’re hitting a wall during shorter runs (think: five to six miles), there are two ways you can fix this: You can either eat something small before the run, or add in some fuel when you are approximately three miles in, and then again a few miles later.
To fuel up before heading out, I recommend drinking eight ounces of To fuel up before heading out, I recommend drinking eight ounces of and eating half an energy bar. Most all sports nutrition-type items are designed to be easy to digest and are quickly absorbed into your system. This small snack should give you a noticeable energy boost.
oatmeal ~30 grams topped with one large banana ~30 grams and one tablespoon of Get Expert Advice or chew starting around mile three. Try to take in 30 to 60 calories (about half an energy gel or one to two energy chews) every two miles for the remainder of your run.
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This gel can be easier on the stomach.
whole grain or multi-grain bread?
For a longer run, don’t go out on an empty stomach and play “catch up” during the rest of the run. Instead, you’ll need to have some fuel in the tank before you set out. When trying to determine how much fuel to take in before a long run (longer than 75 minutes) begins, the general rule is to consume approximately 0.5 grams of carbohydrate for every pound of body weight and then multiply that number by the number of hours you have before you begin your run.
For example: Let’s say you weigh 180 pounds, and you have one hour before the run will begin.
180 hitting the wall
90 x 1 hour = You need to eat 90 grams of carbs to fuel your run.
So what does 90 grams of easy-to-digest carbohydrate even look like? “Refined” carbs, such as white bread, white rice, rolled oats, muffins, and even fruits and jams have less fiber than less-processed options (such as hitting the wall), and thus can be digested and absorbed quicker. Here are a few examples:
- A white bagel (~50 to 60 grams of carbs) and 16 ounces of sports drink (~30 grams)
- An English muffin (~25 grams) topped with two tablespoons jam (~30 grams) and an energy gel chased with water (~25 grams)
- One cup of cooked rolled oats oatmeal (~30 grams) topped with one large banana (~30 grams) and one tablespoon of honey (~20 grams)
We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article banana; either will supply you with approximately 15 more grams of easy-to-digest carbs. If you need less than 90 grams, you can simply halve or cut down the portion size of these foods.
Ultimately, carefully reading the labels of some of your favorite snacks and prerun foods will help you prepare. Then, test it each morning to figure out what works best for you and your stomach. Most runners (even the elites) stick to the one thing they find that works and rarely vary it, especially on race day.
The key is to choose meal items that are all easier to digest to put fuel in your tank. You’ll want to avoid foods that are high in fiber or fat, which could lead to GI distress. Remember to add in more fuel and fluids (i.e. gels, blocks, dried fruit, honey, etc.) while you are out on the road for a longer runs.
