Natural and Homemade Running Fuel

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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

Race-day fueling

Natural running fuel recipes

Resources

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