Running is an excellent way to maintain personal health and fitness but requires knowing proper running nutrition to maximize its benefits. It doesn’t require the investment of expensive equipment and can be done nearly anywhere from indoors on a treadmill in your own home to down your street or on laps on an indoor or outdoor track. Whether you decide to run for weight loss, competition, fun or fitness, you need to eat a healthy runner’s diet in combination with proper safety precautions to take optimal care of your body.

Carbohydrates are where the majority of your calories should come from as a runner. More than half, approximately 60 to 65%, of your total calories should come from carbs. Extensive research has shown in multiple cases that the body works more efficiently both in quick and long-lasting energy methods that using carbohydrates as a primary source of energy are more efficient than proteins or fats. Foods that are good sources of carbohydrates for a runner include whole grain past, boiled or steamed rice, potatoes, fruits, whole grain bread products and starchy vegetables.

Running nutrition doesn’t strictly focus on carbohydrates though. Protein should also be an essential source of calories in a runners diet. Protein provides energy and helps repair the tissue that gets damaged during training. If you’re running for weight loss purposes, it’s even more important to get enough protein in your diet since it keeps you full longer and helps control snacking. Roughly 15 to 20% of your daily calories should come from protein sources. As a general guideline, you should eat from .5 to .75 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Foods that are ideal to contribute to protein consumption include lean meats, low-fat dairy, whole grains and beans.

Fat is not necessarily bad but should be kept to a minimum in any runners diet. A diet that has too much fat will quickly add the pounds to your body faster that you can imagine. An absolute maximum of 20% of your calories should come from fat sources. Eat foods that have low levels of cholesterol and saturated fats. Omega-3s, which are essential to help prevent disease and contribute to good health, are good fats and sports physicians and experts recommend getting approximately 3,000 mg of omega-3 fats each day for appropriate running nutrition.

Last, but certainly not least, as a runner it is essential to ensure that you get the appropriate levels of vitamins and minerals to keep your body healthy. Consume sources of vitamins C, E, and A and eat foods that have high levels of calcium, iron and smaller amounts of sodium or other electrolytes. If you aren’t able to get enough through the foods you eat throughout the day, ensure that you take a multivitamin or several individual vitamins that keep the levels in your body appropriate for the level of physical activity you’re engaging in.