How to follow a runner's diet

Watch this video tutorial to learn how to follow a runner's diet. Runners have special nutritional needs; fulfill them for maximum performance.

You Will Need

* A balanced diet
* Complex carbs
* Lean protein
* Good fats
* High-fiber, water-rich foods
* Sports drinks

Step 1. Divide your calories

Get 50 to 60 percent of your calories from carbohydrates, 20 to 25 percent from fat, and 15 to 25 percent from protein. If you eat 1,800 calories a day, 900 to 1,000 would come from carbs, which include fruits, vegetables, and grains; about 400 would come from fat, preferably good fats like nuts and olive oil; and another 400 or so would come from protein, such as beef, chicken, or fish.

Step 2. Choose the right foods

Eat mainly complex carbohydrates, which means vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Stick with lean protein, like chicken and fish, and unsaturated fats, like those in nuts and olive oil.

Step 3. Time your eating

Eat most of your daily carbohydrate calories an hour or two before running, to provide fuel for your run, and within two hours of finishing, to replenish your energy stores. Pick ones that are rich in fiber and have high water content, like spinach and grapefruit.

Step 4. Stay within your range

If you’re trying to lose weight, don’t eat more calories than you are burning, or you’ll gain weight no matter how much you’re running.

Step 5. Stay hydrated

Drink water an hour or two before you run. If you’re planning to run for more than an hour, have a sports drink instead of water. It will help replace the electrolytes your body loses during a long run and the sodium will help you retain water.

Step 6. Don’t carbo-load

Forget the old advice about severely limiting your carbs several days before a long-distance race and then gorging on them right before it.

FACT: Contrary to popular belief, runners have fewer knee problems and musculoskeletal pain in their later years than nonrun