Diet Right To Run Faster

Today’s runners are faster than ever, and as young athletes continue to drive their performance forwards it’s likely that we’ll see even faster times in events like the sprint. A lot of different things can help you run faster, including solid training and conditioning that will help your body perform more effectively. 

But another thing that deserves to be looked at is your diet. For centuries, diet has played a major role in the lives of athletes, and the fact is that what you eat can directly impact your ability to run faster, jump higher, and achieve better things on the track or field. 

So what do you need to be eating? First, let’s bust a big myth about diet – carbs aren’t going to be the only answer. Carbo-loading has always been a big focus for runners, primarily because they provide fuel for an intense work out. But you don’t need to overload on carbs all the time. Try to increase your intake of pasta in the days you have a big training session or a long run ahead. 

On the rest of those days, you can adjust your diet accordingly to help avoid excess carbs turning into fat. Here are some foods worth eating if you want to run faster:

•    Proteins – Lean proteins like eggs, chicken, and fish are key in helping increase protein levels and improving the recovery time for your muscles. 

•    Alternate Carbs – Look at quinoa, oats, and couscous instead of just pasta when you’re eating carbs. These are healthier options that won’t sit as heavy on your stomach. 

•    Leafy Greens – Plenty of leafy green veggies are a must, and can help improve your overall health and help improve endurance. Kale, chard, cabbage, and spinach are excellent options here. 

•    Fruit – Fruit is a better choice than those sugary energy drinks. It will help you hydrate, load you up with vitamins and minerals, and is very easy to digest. Instead of Gatorade, think about fruit and water. 

•    Beetroot – A recent study actually found that beetroot could directly improve stamina and speed of runners by 0.3 MPH. That’s a big boost that makes it worth looking at. 

Obviously, avoiding greasy, fatty foods and sugary sweets is important here as well. But making sure that your diet consists primarily of the foods above can have a tremendous impact on your health and wellbeing, and can help you run faster than ever at the same time. Train hard, but be sure to eat right as well.