When you go for a run you know what you are going to do. You have the planned workout in mind.
Either an easy or a hard run, a short or a long one it is still a workout.
When you workout, you burn calories, you sweat, you lose water, and mineral salts. Among the interesting things your body will consume and transform as fuel, is glycogen.
Unlike fat, we do not have an unlimited supply of glycogen. and that needs to be replenished after your run.
Basically, your body stores carbohydrate as glycogen in your muscles and liver, and then it is broken down as glucose as needed.
The longer the run or harder the effort the more carbohydrate you’ll burn. When you run low on glycogen you slow down or you “bonk”.
Right after your run is the best time to replenish those carbohydrates. Studies show that 30 minutes immediately after your effort is the best time to replenish. Doesn’t need to be a huge meal. But it has to be healthy food or powder mix. And the ratio should be about 3:1 carb/protein.
Personally, I’d drink 1-2 servings of Recoverite from Hammer Nutrition or a Banana/peanut butter/berries/soy milkshake. These are delicious.
The reason behind this is RECOVERY and injury prevention.
So, right after your next run don’t rush under the shower, instead, eat.
If you have more questions about nutrition, feel free to schedule some time to chat with me: http://bit.ly/StephaneChat