If you fuel your workouts by putting nothing but processed junk in your body, what kind of results do you expect to get from it?
Even for non-vegetarians just looking to get away from processed, commercial sports drinks and gels, the guidelines and recipes here are highly useful. When you fuel your runs with natural foods, you derive energy from sources that humans have evolved to eat over millions of years—ingredients that your body knows how to effectively handle.
You'll find that many of the running fuel recipes are based on similar ingredients to provide slow- and fast- release carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats: Agave nectar, lemons and limes, dates, chia seeds, flaxseed, and bananas are some of the staples you'll use over and over.
For more information about what goes into the choice of ingredients for natural running fuel, check out Brendan Brazier, pro vegan triathlete and author of the vegan sports nutrition manual, Thrive.
Guidelines for fueling your workouts
- 5 Keys to the Pre-Workout Meal Everyone Should Know
- The Least You Need to Know About Fueling Your Run
- The 7 Secrets of Post-Workout Recovery
Race-day fueling
Natural running fuel recipes
- The Perfect Smoothie Formula
- Raw Energy Gel
- Raw Lemon-Lime Sports Drink
- Raw Chia Energy Bars
- Spicy Cacao Banana Energy Bars
- Homemade Baked Energy Bars
- Homemade Granola Bars (with chickpeas!)
- Superfood Energy Bars
- Tarahumara Food – Pinole and Chia Fresca
- Ginger Pear and Blueberry Rooibos Smoothies
- Raw Pineapple Papaya Smoothie
Resources
- Thrive (with mango lime hot pepper smoothie recipe)
- Thrive Fitness (with Long-Lasting Lemon Lime pre-workout drink recipe)
- Vega Sport
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