Why is it essential?
It’s essential to intra-run fuel on longer or more strenuous runs (or even during longer or more difficult workouts!). Why? When we train for long periods or very intensely, we dip into our glycogen reserves until they’re almost gone. This causes us to “hit a wall” or begin to feel fatigued. This can also be impactful on our hormone health.
What happens when we don’t?
When we continue to train past that point, this causes fatigue, the breakdown of muscle fiber, poorer performance, prolonged recovery, increased risk of injury, hormone irregularities and more. Women are especially susceptible to “hitting the way” or bonking because fluctuations in estrogen impact our ability to store glucose (glycogen). We also experience elevated cortisol when we run out of glycogen, further hampering hormone production (cortisol inhibits reproductive hormone production).
Best intra-run fuel types?
Some of my favorite methods of intra-run fueling are gels (there are literally SO MANY brands and varieties: Gu, BPN Go Gel, Honey Stinger, Maurten and more), apple sauce, gummies (branded or random), Rice Krispies, candy, granola and more. It’s best to experiment with what works best for your stomach and find a rhythm with a version that has the carbs you need to run and feel your best!
How to?
Every 30-45 minutes of running (if running over an hour) or every 35-45 minutes during a hard workout (think—speed days) have ~20-40 grams of simple carbs (gels, fruit snacks, apple sauce, etc). Try different methods brands! The goal is 30-60 grams of carbs/hour (work upwards from 30!); some even shoot for 60-90. Experiment with this!
