Our guide to

Beginner runner nutrition

Whether you’re training for a 5k, 10k or simply running to get fit, fuelling your body with healthy, nutritious food and drink will ensure you perform to your full potential.

Our guide has been created with Anita Bean, sports nutrition expert

Good nutrition is also key to your overall health, keeping you free from illness and injury. Food provides you with the building blocks needed for muscle recovery after running, making you fitter and stronger, all the way through your training. Get to know the importance of running nutrition with this guide.

What we'll cover:

  1. What nutrition runners need
  2. How to build a balanced plate
  3. What to eat before a run
  4. What to eat during a run
  5. What to eat after a run

Running nutrition: the basics

To get the most out of your running, focus on nourishing your body with nutrient-packed foods that will support your training plan. 

Understanding your nutrition needs

There are three macronutrients that provide energy for your body: protein, carbohydrate and fat. 

  1. Protein: Protein isn’t used as a fuel source for exercise, unless glycogen stores are depleted. Instead, it helps your muscles repair and adapt to training and is therefore very important in terms of recovery. It’s found in meat, fish, legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas and peas), dairy products, eggs, nuts and seeds.

  2. Carbohydrate: Carbohydrate from potatoes, pasta, rice, oats and fruit is your muscles’ preferred fuel source and is essential for high-intensity exercise. As a rule of thumb, the longer and harder you train the more carbohydrate your body burns. It is stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles, but stores are limited, approximately 500g or enough to fuel 90 – 120 minutes of high-intensity exercise. When glycogen depletes during exercise, fatigue develops.

  3. Fat: Fat is crucial for energy, brain function, the production of sex hormones and for absorbing vitamins A, D, E and K. The healthiest types are unsaturated fats, found in nuts, seeds, oily fish, avocados and olive oil. Our bodies rely more on fat for energy during longer events.

Building a balanced plate

As a general rule fill your plate with:

  • One half colourful vegetables
  • A quarter with healthy carbohydrate-rich foods
  • A quarter with lean protein foods
  • And a smaller serving of healthy fats.

Throughout the day, snack on fruit, nuts or plain yoghurt and sip on mostly water. When you approach each meal with this mindset then you will be able to build a healthy, balanced meal. 

Made for park runs

Perple Endurance Mix is for sport and exercise, lasting for multiple hours.

Our unique combination of fast and slow-release carbs, balanced electrolytes, and vegan BCAAs work together to sustain endurance, enhance hydration, boost cognitive performance, metabolise fats faster, and reduce muscle damage.

Endorsed by 4x F1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel, developed at the University of Oxford, tested by Informed Sport. Vegan friendly & gluten free.

Discover Perple Endurance Mixes

What to eat before you run

It’s generally beneficial to eat before a run – this will provide you with energy to help sustain your running. Your pre-run meal should be easy to digest, high in carbohydrate and low in fat and fibre. 

Plan to have a meal 2 – 4 hours before you run: a combination of carbohydrate and protein produces sustained energy release. For example, if you’re planning to run at:

  • Midday - have porridge, milk and bananas for breakfast.
  • Evening - opt for a baked potato with hummus or chicken with veg for lunch. 

If the interval between your last meal and your run is longer than 4 hours, then have a healthy high-carbohydrate snack 30 – 60 minutes beforehand to maintain blood glucose and keep hunger at bay. One 500ml Perple sports drink is ideal to take before you head out.

If you prefer to run fasted
Then do so only for low-moderate intensity runs or higher-intensity runs less than one hour duration. Anything longer than this will likely deplete your glycogen stores and lead to a loss of muscle. 

What to eat during the run

If you’re running for less than an hour, you won’t need to consume additional fuel during exercise. Your energy needs can be supported by your glycogen stores.

If you’re running for longer than an hour, consuming carbohydrate during exercise will help maintain your blood glucose levels and running pace as glycogen stores get depleted. Aim to consume 30 – 60g carbs/ hour.

If you're running for 60 to 90 minutes, then a Perple Sports Drink, 30 to 45 minutes before you head out, will give you both hydration and energy to fuel your run.

Post-race nutrition: optimal recovery

Eating the right macronutrients along with replacing fluid losses is essential for building endurance and strength and helping you recover from running.

There are three goals of recovery nutrition:

  1. Rehydration – aim to replace each 1 kg of weight loss with 1.25 – 1.5 l fluid. This may include water, milk, sports drinks or recovery drinks.

  2. Refuelling – replenish glycogen stores by including carbohydrate in your meals. This will help you refuel and prepare for your next session. For rapid refuelling, for example when training twice a day, consume 1 – 1.2g carb per kg of body weight within 2 hours of your run.

  3. Repair – protein provides the building blocks to repair damaged muscle fibres and build stronger muscles. Include 0.25 – 0.4g protein per kg body weight, or approximately 20 - 30g protein per meal. Include protein in all your meals and snacks so it is distributed fairly evenly throughout the day.

Fuelling your body properly will ensure you have plenty of energy to progress in your running. A balance of carbohydrate; protein and healthy fats as well as colourful plant foods will keep your body heathy and in top running condition. Try to keep ultra-processed foods to a minimum as they are generally high in sugar, salt or fat and low in fibre. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and for longer runs consider sports drinks like Perple to sustain your performance. If you’re training for a race, rehearse your fuelling and hydration plan during training. You’ll need to practice drinking on the move and try different types of foods and drinks to find out what works for you.

Fuelling your body properly will ensure you have plenty of energy to progress in your running.

A balance of carbohydrate; protein and healthy fats as well as colourful plant foods will keep your body healthy and in top running condition. Try to keep ultra-processed foods to a minimum as they are generally high in sugar, salt or fat and low in fibre.

For your all your energy and hydration needs in one, consider sports drinks like Perple to sustain your performance. If you’re training for a race, rehearse your fuelling and hydration plan during training.

What are you putting in your body?

Why you should switch to Perple’s Endurance Mix

Perple was born out of a need for change. To offer an alternative to Sports Drinks, Energy Gels & Energy Drink Powders that are full of synthetic, ultra-processed & chemical ingredients. Much of which, it turns out, simply aren’t good for us and can lessen performance.

"By incorporating Perple into my daily routine, I have found a trusted ally in my quest for optimal fuelling." – Adelle Tracy, Team Jamaica middle distance record holder & World finalist,world finalist & 2024 Olympian.

Discover Perple Endurance Mixes

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    Whether you are training for a marathon or any other endurance event this season, you’ll need to have a well-rehearsed nutrition and hydration plan if you want to perform to your best ability.

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    Triathlon nutrition guide  
Running nutrition

Made for runners

Perple Endurance Mix is for sport and exercise, lasting for multiple hours.

Endorsed by 4x F1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel, developed at the University of Oxford, tested by Informed Sport. Vegan friendly & gluten free.

Discover Perple Endurance Mixes

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