What should I eat after a run?
Eat a meal or snack with 3:1 or 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein within 30-60 minutes of finishing a hard or long run. Examples: chocolate milk, rice with chicken, a banana with peanut butter, or a recovery smoothie with fruit and protein powder. Aim for 300-500 calories.
Post-run nutrition matters most after hard sessions (intervals, tempo, long runs) and matters less after easy runs where you can just eat your normal next meal. The 30-60 minute window after hard exercise is when your muscles are most responsive to replenishment — glycogen resynthesis is elevated, and protein uptake for muscle repair is optimized. The target: 1-1.2g of carbs per kg of body weight (70-85g for a 70kg runner) plus 15-25g of protein. That's a 3:1 or 4:1 carb:protein ratio. Practical options: chocolate milk (the classic recovery drink — has the right ratio naturally), a banana with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, a bowl of rice with grilled chicken, recovery smoothie (banana, oats, protein powder, dates), greek yogurt with granola and fruit, or a proper meal like pasta with protein if it's a normal mealtime. For easy runs under 60 minutes, you don't need a special recovery window — just eat your next regular meal on schedule with a decent carb portion. Hydration matters as much as food: 500 ml water per 0.5 kg of weight lost during the run. Add a pinch of salt or an electrolyte tablet if you sweated heavily. Don't skip post-run eating — it delays recovery and compromises the next day's training.