Many amateur athletes are interested in how long after a meal they can run. The question is really important, because in order to get the most out of training, it is important to give the body the right load.
Running immediately after eating is not recommended, because at this moment the body is busy digesting. It transforms the eaten piece of meat into building material for your muscles, stores energy for vital functions, extracts vitamins and nutrients and supplies them to every cell.
And now imagine you interrupt this exciting process and kick yourself out for a run. It is not hard to assume that by doing so you will provoke the strongest stress.
It is important to learn how to properly combine diet and physical activity, this is the only way you will get a healthy and strong body, ready for any stress.
Is it better to run before meals or after a while?
If you are interested in how long after a meal you can run, we will answer - at least in an hour. In the case of a hearty meal, it is better to wait all two.
Why?
- It's trite, but it's harder to run with a full stomach.
- During the digestion of food, blood rushes to smooth muscles (for example, the digestive system). While running, the blood rushes more to the striated muscles. As a result, if you start running immediately after eating, the body will experience a "split", as a result, all the benefits from the food eaten and physical activity can be nullified.
A fair question arises: you need to run before meals or after, because according to the previous logic, the main thing is that the stomach is empty.
However, running on an empty stomach is also not recommended, because in this case you simply will not have the strength. Can you imagine how much energy a person consumes while jogging? Even if such training is planned, it should be shorter in time and lower in intensity.
By the way, you can run on an empty stomach if your goal is to lose weight. An organism that has not received a dose of glucose and protein from food will quickly begin to draw strength from the previously accumulated glycogen, and then fat. However, how much you can endure at this pace is unknown. Most likely you will quickly become disillusioned with this practice. Well, it is clear that you will not lose weight.
How long after eating can you run?
Many people are interested in how long they can run after breakfast, because most often working people do not have a lot of free time in the morning. The answer will depend on the density of your breakfast. After a light snack, you can go to the track in half an hour. If you prefer a hearty breakfast, it is better to postpone your run for the evening.
Let's once again designate how long you can run after eating and remember these numbers well - after 1.5-2.5 hours.
If you want to exercise with benefit and harm to your health, try not to go out of this range.
Of course, all recommendations must be approached wisely, without blindly following general rules.
- For example, if you ate a handful of cereal or a small marshmallow, you can run after such a meal in 20 minutes. Or even immediately, but devote the first quarter of an hour to race walking;
- If you practice long-distance running, you should eat as much as your body needs to replenish energy reserves. By the way, on marathon tracks every 5-7 km booths with light food - dried fruits, bananas, energy drinks are installed. Athletes have a snack and immediately continue to move.
- If your lunch is too heavy and your workout is just around the corner, try to go outside and walk at a brisk pace. Food is digested faster in air. However, it is best to always remember how many hours after eating you can run, and not go beyond the established framework.
What can you eat before jogging and how much?
So, we figured out when you can run after eating and what training on a full stomach is fraught with. Suppose you are comfortable with studying in the evenings after work. After dinner, you can also run, after 1.5-2 hours, while in the evening it is better not to overeat. This is beneficial not only in terms of preparation for physical activity, but in general, for overall health.
What can you eat before a run and how much? Here's a list of healthy foods that digest quickly while still providing optimal energy:
- Banana - digested in just half an hour. Therefore, carefully weigh the pros and cons of when is it better to eat a banana before or after a workout. Everything is not so simple here;
- Honey - gives a feeling of fullness, while it is absorbed in 30-40 minutes;
- Yogurt, preferably sweet;
- Dried fruits;
- Low-fat kefir;
- Vegetable salads, fruits;
- Boiled cereals, potatoes;
- Egg.
Please note that cold food is digested faster, however, some of the vitamins in this case may not have time to be absorbed. If you combine these foods with fats, the digestion time increases by an hour and a half.
Now you have an idea of how much you can eat before a run, and you can correctly build a training plan. We also recommend that you monitor your diet and do not consume foods with a very different digestion interval at the same time. Be healthy!
