Coaches Corner: The Hazardous Diet for Running (What to Eat Instead)

This Coaches Corner is brought to you by Ann Edwards of Elite Sports. Ann Edwards is a fully qualified personal trainer. She has been helping people in the field of bodybuilding and fitness for more than a decade using her nutrition and physical therapy background. Learn how to avoid a hazardous diet for running in this article.

Running is an incredible exercise that helps you engage all of your muscles. It has some of the best mental and physical health benefits, and it is extremely cheap as well. Apart from some comfortable running shoes and comfy jogging pants, you don’t need anything extra. This is the reason most private trainers in expensive gyms do not like to recommend running.

Another very important thing to keep in mind is that running becomes very painful without proper diet and stretching. This is the reason most people like to mix and match running exercises with yoga and swimming. Both these exercises help in opening up the muscles and help with the range of muscle movement as well. Muscle cramps and tightness are pretty common in the case of running, especially if you overwork your muscles and the cramps get worse.

Runner's Trots

Separate from cramps, there are other major issues that runners have to go through, and that is runner's trots. Runner’s trots are digestion-based issues that make it hard for the runner to digest food properly. Medically, if we see these issues, it is running-induced diarrhea, and it is mainly common among marathon runners. There is no specific way to predict these issues, and they can happen at any time.

According to most physicians, runner’s trot is pretty common, and most runners have been through this issue at least once. According to recent research, there are different kinds of foods that induce the runner’s trot. In short, if you know about these foods and you can avoid the intake of these food items before the run, you will be able to avoid these issues altogether.

With the help of this article, you will be able to know why diet is such an important part of running. What are the food items that you need to avoid? Apart from this, you will also know about some of the best food items that you can incorporate into your diet to stay energized.

The Food Items You Need To Avoid

Most of the time, people only talk about the food items that you should add to your diet. However, it is also important to know about the food items that you should avoid. To help you know what a runner needs to avoid, here are some of the food items that you should not consume.

Cereals

Most people try high-fiber cereals when they want to stay healthy, and most of this high-fiber cereal also contains berries and raisins. When combined with milk this is a recipe for disaster. This triggers the bowel movement, and you will instantly feel cramps that will lead to diarrhea. 

Coffee

Coffee contains caffeine which is excellent for cleaning the GI tract and very good for bowel movements as well. Apart from coffee, you should also avoid caffeine-based sodas, chocolate, and gums.

Spicy Food

Even if you are not a runner, it will take you a pretty long time to build a tolerance for spicy food. The main issue is that spicy food contains Capsaicin which irritates the lining of the stomach. This can cause diarrhea as well.

Dairy Products

Dairy products are becoming one of the main reasons people have digestion issues. In recent research, Harvard health explained that most people are lactose intolerant, but they never know about it. With running, diary items promote bowel movements which can get worse.

Legumes and Pulses

High in protein and fiber, legumes and pulses promote bowel movements. This eventually triggers diarrhea, and you might even have digestive issues. It is better to have something that also has carbs so that the bowel movement is better.

The Food Items That Are Good For Runners

To help you focus on your diet, you need to know about some of the best food items that you can incorporate into your diet. To help you customize the diet, here are some of the best food items for runners:

Beetroot

Beetroot is known as a superfood because it is very rich in vitamin B, C, and beta-carotene, which will help you run faster. For runners, this is especially good because it has nitrates that improve heart health. It is also great for blood flow and helps the body to produce more nitric oxide.

Oats

Most people like oats for breakfast because they are rich in carbs. The best thing about oats is that they will help you speed up and stay energized. They also have a low glycemic index that helps in maintaining blood sugar levels.

Banana

Rich in carbs, potassium, minerals, vitamin B6, and antioxidants, you will be able to stay energized throughout the run. It also prevents dehydration and keeps your bones strong.

Salmon

Excellent performance booster, salmon is rich in protein and good fats. This will help you stay energized, and you will be able to repair all the torn muscles and recover the inflammation as well. It is incredible for cramps and helps you with muscle mass and bone strength.

Bottom Line

To sum it all up, your diet has a very important role to play in your life. This is your only source of energy which means all the food content that you eat has a use in your body. When it comes to running, most people do not focus on diet because we are told to alter our eating patterns only if we want to lose weight or gain muscle. This is usually perceived in a way that living healthy doesn’t mean you need to change your eating patterns.

According to researchers, the best way to start a healthy life is to mainly focus on a healthy food intake. With running, you also need to incorporate superfoods that will help you stay energized. Calcium, potassium, vitamins, and other minerals are equally important, so you also need to ensure that the food you use supplies all the necessary nutrition that your body requires to function properly.