Should You Eat Carbs After Running at Night?

Many runners wonder if they should eat carbohydrates after an overnight run. On the one hand, carbohydrates help your muscles to recover so that you can consistently achieve your training goals. On the other hand, eating could be after a nightly run disturb your sleepwhich affects recovery. In addition, sugar is a carbohydrate that can save you from feeling sleepy even after you've just gone out for a jog at night.

To answer the question of what to eat after a nighttime run, read on to understand how your body processes the macronutrients (macros for short) from carbohydrates, fat, and protein.

Your body needs carbohydrates to supply them with energy and to use them efficiently. Fat, on the other hand, always needs a lot of oxygen. In addition, it takes twice as long for fat to provide the same amount of energy as carbohydrates. Therefore we have to reduce our pace to burn fat while runningso that our body can keep up with the oxidation process and is not exhausted. You will find that you are in the fat burning zone when your breathing slows down. When your breathing is fast and shallow, your body isn't burning the fat it could.

This is also when it starts to hurt. You might find yourself thinking that the couch looks terribly comfortable right now. Or the question “What the hell am I doing?” Keeps popping in your head. But once you overcome these mental hurdles, it becomes easier.

Your body stores carbohydrates in the form of glycogen in your liver and muscles. They are important energy reserves – especially for ambitious runners. The more glycogen you have stored in your muscles, the better and longer they can perform.

In general, the following nutrient ratio is recommended for endurance athletes:

• Carbohydrates: 55-65%
• Protein: 10-15%
• Fat: 25-30%

The role of carbohydrates after a run

Carbohydrates are the fuel for your muscles. The macronutrient is very important for runners looking for performance improvement (for example for a marathon) – not only before training, but also after running. If you replenish your glycogen stores right after your run, your body will recover faster. In this way, your body adapts better to a new or harder training session and rebuilds your immune system more quickly after training. The more often or intensive exercise, the more important it is to eat a high-carbohydrate diet to the your recovery.

activity		Carbohydrate intake
Bright	<1 hour / day	3-5 g kg / day
Moderate	> 1 hour / day	5-7 g kg / day
High	1-3 hours / day	7-10 g kg / day
Very high	> 4-5 hours / day	10-12 g kg / day

When and how many carbohydrates to eat after a run

The best time for your body to replenish its glycogen stores is the first 30 minutes after your workout. Consume about 0.5 g of carbohydrates per kg of body weight. For a woman weighing 65 kg, this should be around 30 g of carbohydrates.

30 g of carbohydrates can be in the form of:

• a medium-sized banana
• 5 dates
• 1 slice of bread with jam
• 40 g muesli with 200 ml cow's milk

These carbohydrates (simple carbohydrates) are easy to digest and are quickly absorbed by the body. After 30 minutes, the window will gradually begin to close and your body will no longer be able to absorb carbohydrates as efficiently and quickly.

Keep in mind:

After a short run (5 to 10 km) you don't need to consume any carbohydrates because they are The glycogen stores are not depleted.

What to eat after a night running

One hour after your run, you should have a full meal of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. More specifically, your meal should have a 3: 1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein. Carbohydrates are still important at this point, but your body needs them too Protein to build muscle. However, too much of this macronutrient can interfere with the efficient absorption of carbohydrates and upset your body's fluid balance.

A good meal after your run is there loaded sweet potato pods.

What to eat after a nighttime run if you're looking to lose weight

Runners whose number one priority is losing weight should try not to overeat carbohydrates. This is especially true for simple carbohydrates. complex carbohydrates are necessary as part of a balanced diet, as we will see below. Short endurance runs (like 5K runs) Do not empty our glycogen stores – so you do not have to refill them during your run (e.g. with isotonic sports drinks) or to the right after the run. The best thing drink after short runs is water.

eat a mixture of complex carbohydrates and protein as described above an hour or two after your run. But at the end of the day, losing weight has a negative energy balance (around 500 calories / day). That means you should be burning more calories than you are consuming.

Eat complex carbohydrates after a nightly run

Runners who want to lose weight have to watch what they eat, as well as their education. It's best to eat complex carbohydrates (along with high quality protein and healthy fats). These not only keep you full longer, but also provide you with many important minerals and vitamins for your metabolism and your immune system. Complex carbohydrates can be found in whole grain products, for example (like pasta and bread) and brown rice. Whole grain foods contain all of the original ingredients (bran, germ and endosperm) as well as all of their nutrients. Simple carbohydrates are obtained by removing the exterior and only keeping the endosperm. Other foods that contain complex carbohydrates include peeled potatoes, legumes, and vegetables.

Where are different types of carbohydrates found?

Complex carbohydrates for refueling after a night run

Complex carbohydrates take longer to digest and provide plenty of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements fiber that boost your metabolism and strengthen your immune system:

• Whole grain products and products including pasta, bread and rolls
• Potatoes with their skin on
• Brown rice
• Beans, lentils and peas
• Vegetables, 100% vegetable juice
• fruit

Avoid simple carbohydrates after a nightly run

are a quick source of energy because they are digested quickly. They cause your blood sugar and insulin levels to rise:

• Pastry flour and products, cakes, cookies, bread and rolls
• white pasta
• soft drinks
• Sugar and candy
• alcohol

Do you need carbohydrates after a nightly run?

Yes and no. A high-carbohydrate snack replenishes empty glycogen stores within the first 30 minutes after a long run (over 10 km). The ideal ratio of carbohydrates to protein in a meal after your run is 3: 1 for optimal recovery.

The bottom line: Eat carbohydrates after your night runs to prioritize recovery. Minimize carbohydrate consumption after nightly runs if this is part of your weight loss strategy.

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