As a runner, your diet needs to include plenty of carbohydrates because they provide fuel. Stored in your muscles as glycogen, carbohydrates are metabolized as energy in your body and help propel you through your run. If this energy source is depleted, so are you. The "good carbs"--those that are low on the glycemic index and release sugar slowly into the bloodstream--can be found in a variety of foods and drinks.
Sports Drinks
The appeal of sports drinks to runners is the carbohydrates they contain, making them a perfect on-the-run way to boost energy. Most sports drinks offer a blend of carbohydrates, sugars and sodium. Sports drinks also come with added electrolytes, which are the minerals lost while sweating. As you run, sports drinks can help maintain balance in your body and keep you hydrated. While sugar is part of what gives you an energy boost, if you're concerned about sugar intake--14 g in 8 oz. is not unusual--look for low-sugar sports drinks.
Energy Bars
Energy bars have become a booming business. These on-the-run sources of fuel, such as PowerBar and Clif Bar, are meant to provide a rapid release of energy. The bulk of their calories come from sugars (brown-rice syrup and sucrose) and grains (oats and rice crisps). The best bars, according to the American College of Sports Medicine, have 25 to 40 g of carbohydrate for peak running performance.
Fruit
Fresh fruit can provide a good source of complex carbohydrates. Bananas, in particular, are packed with carbs and make for a nice pre-race food. One banana will provide 31 g of carbs. Berries have fewer carbs--one cup of strawberries is just 12 g. But dried fruits are good option. For example, 10 apricot halves have 22 g of carbs.
Oatmeal
Steel cut oatmeal, or the slow-cooking, old-fashioned oatmeal, is an excellent source of carbs for runners. It's easy to digest, fills you up and provides plenty of carbs. A half cup has 54 g. Instant or quick-cooking oatmeal is also packed with carbs, but it is considered less healthy because it has been through more processing.
Whole Grains
If you've done any distance running, chances are you've had a nice spaghetti dinner on the night before the race. Whole-wheat pasta is high in carbs--one cup typically has 37 g. Brown rice is another good source of carbohydrates. One cup has 45 g. The whole grain rices, breads and pastas are better for you because they contain more fiber, and have more vitamins and minerals than their more-processed white counterparts. They are also absorbed more slowly to provide more lasting energy and store less fat.
Beans, Lentils, Peas
While pasta is the traditional runner's carb, legumes--the class of vegetable that includes peas, lentils and beans--provide complex carbohydrates that work well to fuel a runner, as well as having other healthy nutrients and protein. For example, one cup of cooked baby lima beans has 23 g of carbohydrates.
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