Wondering how many calories should a runner eat?
Then you have come to the right place.
You could easily compromise your training if you don’t provide your body with enough calories. As a runner, food is more than mouth, please – food is fuel.
However, there’s no such thing as the perfect nutrition plan that works for everyone. Ask a group of different runners what to eat and drink for optimal performance, and you’ll get almost as many answers as there are runners in the group.
The truth is, every runner is different and requires a different fueling strategy, which is perfectly normal.
Running nutrition isn’t a one-size-fits-all, but there are general rules that all runners should follow as guiding principles. That’s where today’s post comes in handy.
In this article, I’ll share with you a few training and nutrition guidelines in the hope of helping you learn more about how many calories a runner should eat for optimal running performance.
The Importance of Calories
Logging the miles consistently helps you become a runner, but to reach your performance peak, you’ll want to provide your body with the energy to go the distance. Otherwise, you won’t make it far down the road.
A calorie is a unit of energy. This means that all types of food—whether they’re carbohydrates, proteins, or fat—are a source of fuel—all of which we need to perform at our best.
Determine Your Calorie Needs
Depending on your training volume, age, body weight, and gender, you’ll need various amounts of calories to properly fuel your body.
For instance, if you’re training for a marathon and logging 40 to 50 miles a week, you’ll need more fuel in the tanks to sustain your efforts. You can use this calculator to figure out your calorie burn and how many calories to budget.
The Exact Numbers
Runners should consume at least 20 calories per pound of body weight.
But this may vary widely depending on your training load and your other activities throughout the day.
Are you trying to lose weight? Then aim to take in less than 20 calories per pound of your body weight.
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How Many Calories Should a Runner Eat
The amount of calories you burn while running depends on many variables such as your training intensity, distance, metabolism, body weight, age, etc.
Keep in mind that you burn approximately 100 calories for every mile run.
Therefore, if you run five miles, you’ll burn roughly 500 calories more than you’d have if you skipped the workout and lounged on the couch.
That’s why every runner is different regarding their calories needs because of these variables.
But all in all, if you’re moderately active, you might need around 2,000 calories per day to maintain your weight.
For example, if you’re training for a marathon and are running about 45 to 50 miles per week, you’ll want to have additional 700 (or more) calories per day for a total daily count of 2,700 calories.
Here’s the full guide to calories burned running a mile.
Eating For Endurance
We all have a limited glycogen reserve, typically ranging from 1400 to 2000 calories worth depending on body size and muscle mass.
To prevent bonking—the technical term of running low on glycogen—you’ll want to supplement fuel during endurance training and races—any workouts extending beyond the 1.5 to 2-hour long mark.
At a minimum, you should aim to reload 20 to 30 percent of your energy expenditure per hour.
For example, if you’re burning 450 calories per hour, aim to replenish between 90 calories and 140 calories per hour, with the main calorie source being carbohydrates.
The Calorie Estimations You Need
Here’s how to estimate your calories needs based on how long you’re running—and training—each day in general.
- 60 to 90 minutes – Shoot for around 20 calories per pound of your body weight
- 90 minutes to two hours – Shoot for 22 to 24 calories per pound of your body weight
- Two to three hours – Shoot for 25 to 30 calories per pound of your body weight.
For example, if you’re weighing 165 pounds and plan to do a two-hour long run today, you should ensure that you consume at least 4000 calories on that day.
Additional resource – Can you run a marathon on keto
What Runners Should Eat
Now that you’ve determined how many calories, on average, you should eat, let’s briefly explain the main types of fuel you should add to your daily menu.
Carbohydrates
carbohydrates are your body’s main source of fuel, especially when it comes to your muscle.
When you eat carb-rich food, your body converts the dietary carbs into their simplest form, the sugar glucose.
Glucose is a crucial fuel source. Your body needs it to make the “energy currency” for your cells, or what’s known as adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
While running—and exercising in general—your body may store glucose in your muscle cells as an immediate source of energy. Any extra glucose in the bloodstream will be transferred to the muscle and liver cells to be stored as glycogen.
Additional resource – Keto diet foods
Protein
Protein is another valuable macronutrient.
Most importantly, eat your proteins at the right time. Consuming your protein right after a run can improve how fast your muscles repair and recover.
What’s more?
Having a protein-rich bite before going to bed can also increase muscle recovery and growth.
Healthy Fats
I’d recommend getting between 20 to 30 percent of your total daily calories to form the most healthy fats.
Of course, if you’re on the keto diet, then you should strive for at least 70 percent of your calories coming from fats. But that’s another topic for another day.
Dietary fats are key for nerve function, joint health, hormone production, and overall health and well-being.
Additional resource – 30 Keto recipes for low carb eating
How Many Calories Should a Runner Eat – The Conclusion
There you have it! If you’re a runner and are wondering how many calories to consume, then today’s post has you covered. The rest is just details.
Please feel free to leave your comments and questions below.
Keep training strong.