8 foods runners should avoid completely

To become healthy, it is suggested that one should exercise for at least 30-minutes a day and running seems to be an activity enjoyed by most people. It is one of the affordable activities for which one does not need to shell out extra money or devote special time. It can be done at any time of the day. While most people run to lose weight, others do it in order to achieve a personal goal, such as running a marathon and some people do it just for the fun. While doing this painful physical activity, one must take care of the foods being eaten as some foods can make you feel uncomfortable. Thus, we bring you a list of some of the foods that runners must avoid completely. (Images courtesy: iStock)

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Spicy foods have a positive effect on your metabolism but at the same time, they can interfere with your gastrointestinal system which can cause heartburn while you are running and can make you feel uncomfortable.

Meat has a good protein content plus several benefits but it takes time to digest which can be 2-4 hours. So, if you ate meat just before your running schedule, then you will feel really uncomfortable and heavy as the meat will be not properly digested plus it will hamper your performance. As the blood in your body will be working for digestion of the meat and to fuel your running which will cause both things not to happen optimally.

Sugary drinks & soda drinks provide instant energy but can also cause dehydration that will eventually elevate your sugar cravings. Thus, it becomes a vicious cycle if you consume them before or during your running schedule.

Some runners are not able to digest dairy products like milk, cheese etc., as they are lactose intolerant which can cause gastrointestinal issues during their running thus making it very uncomfortable.

Alcohol is a diuretic which means that it depletes the water level of your body and every runner knows that they require adequate hydration during their running otherwise they can get cramps or even feel unconscious.

Fried foods like burgers, pizza, fries etc., can make you feel sluggish as the body has to work hard to digest them cause being more calorie-dense, and they take a long time to digest by our body.

While protein bar is a great option to add more protein to your diet and is a very important part of any runner’s diet, it can make you feel sluggish during your running as they contain artificial sweeteners which can cause gastrointestinal issues plus can have a laxative effect.

Fibrous foods like broccoli, cucumbers etc., are a very important part of everyone’s diet but as you know it takes more time to digest so it can cause stomach cramps, bloating etc., while running so it’s better to consume them post your run.

By Mukul Nagpaul, Founder - Pmftraining