Zeeshan Hoodbhoy discusses how you should refuel your body after an intense run.

1. Refueling
Your Body
After A Run
Zeeshan Hoodbhoy

2. Maintaining a consistent jogging
schedule while you train for a
marathon is important, but you also
need to know how to properly refuel
your body after a strenuous run. This
means not just knowing what to eat
and drink, but knowing how to pace
yourself. Here are some tips that can
help.

3. You obviously need to hydrate yourself after a long run,
but you have to be careful not to drink too quickly.
Downing a gallon of water or sports drink immediately
after your run will result in expelling most of the liquid and
electrolytes that you take in through either sweat or urine.
When you finish your run, immediately drink about 500ml
(equal to 17 ounces) of water afterward. After that, take
smaller drinks of water over the next few hours until
you’ve reached your pre-run weight.
HYDRATE, BUT
DON'T DRINK
TOO FAST

4. You will need to replenish your muscles with
carbohydrates and protein within about 30
to 45 minutes of finishing your run. If your
next training session isn’t for at least 24
hours, you can wait for about an hour before
eating something. As a rule, try to stick to a
4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio. This
means for every four ounces of
carbohydrates you consume, you should
also eat one gram of protein.
THE 4:1 RATIO

5. As for what kinds of food to eat, your
carbohydrates can come from bread,
potatoes, whole-wheat pasta, and
other high-glycemic index foods. Your
protein can come from lean beef,
chicken or turkey breast, Greek yogurt,
salmon, or eggs. You obviously
shouldn’t gorge yourself on these
foods, and the way you prepare them
will make a difference. For example, a
fried chicken meal is definitely a bad
idea, but quinoa salad or some whole-
wheat pasta with some lean meat will
be just fine.

6. If you can’t prepare a full meal after
your run, you can still get a boost from
the right kind of snack. Try a protein
shake, a 12-ounce glass of milk, or an
apple or banana with peanut butter if
you want a quick pick-me-up before
your next meal.
Whenever you are training for a long-
distance run, remember that what you
do before and after exercising is just as
important as what you do during a
workout. Keep these tips in mind,
remember not to push yourself too
hard, and good luck with your training!

7. THANKS!
Website: ZeeshanHoodbhoy.com
Twitter: @ZeeshanHoodbhoy
Zeeshan Hoodbhoy