Dana Lis, RD, SportMed BC Sport Dietitian weighs on the best way to properly fuel your body – whether you are a first time run/walker or wily veteran .

Dana writes…

Whether your goal is to complete the Sun Run walking or to run a sub 40-minute 10K; what you fuel your body with can make or break your success.

You may have some of the following nutritional questions: weight loss, energy intake, fuelling pre, during and post training, hydration and making healthy food choices when eating out.

Let’s kick off this nutrition segment with choosing good convenience foods before training!

Paying attention to choices and labels is very important as many of us squeeze in our training after a long workday and, having limited time to prepare meals and snacks for the day, we often are running to Subway or 7-11 for a quick bite.

Several restaurants offer the nutrient breakdown of their menu, however many don’t. 

If you are rushing from work to training and need fuels topped up to have the energy for training, here are some quick and healthy ideas.

Keep in mind your pre-training fuel should be low fat, high carbohydrate, moderate in protein (10-15 grams) and 2 cups of fluids.   

Here are some ideas for pre-training fuels and where you can easily find them.

• London Drugs: Elev8me bar, 500 ml water

• Safeway: whole wheat bagel, sliced turkey breast, 500 ml water

• 7-11: 175 ml low fat yogurt, banana, 500 ml water

For more information on fuelling for training visit SportMedBC’s nutrition library here.

To connect with a Registered Dietitian see SportMedBC’s directory here.

Dana Lis, RD, SportMed BC Sport Dietitian