There are several foods extremely indicated for those whose habit or sport is running. Avocados, bananas, and even toast with jam are some of the ideal snacks for those who want to go for a run, regardless of the time of day. 

However, we know that unfortunately it is not always so easy to carry around some meals, or even, you simply don’t have time during the day to prepare for your sport, after all, professional life is also important and ends up taking up much of the amateur athletes’ time. 

If you have been running for a while, you know that running on an empty stomach is not an option either, the lack of glycogen will cause you excessive muscle and mental fatigue, but, on the other hand, it is also not good to run after ingesting some inappropriate foods, they can trigger muscle cramps, heartburn, gas, gastrointestinal problems, and mainly, that famous feeling of being heavy and indigestible. 

Thinking about this, Sooro by the whey has prepared a complete content that will talk about the foods you should NOT consume before running, check below the list we prepared about the “villain” foods that are usually responsible for a bad performance in your races. 

To list these foods, we took into account most people, after all, for most of the population, the foods mentioned below will bring complications in digestion during training, however, as each body is different, it is best to observe how each of these foods behaves with you. 

Stay with us and check it out:

Meats

Meat in general is a great source of protein and amino acids, indispensable for any type of athlete, however, animal protein, if eaten right before training, ends up weighing down the stomach of most amateurs. 

Running right after consuming meats, of course depending on the amount, may cause you to feel heavy, besides gas and irritation in the gastrointestinal system. 

Now, if the meats are already present in your daily diet, try to consume them with the largest window of time possible between your training, preferably about 3 hours at least before running. 

Bell peppers and cucumbers

Besides being delicious, bell peppers and cucumbers are the darlings of the diet of those who enjoy healthier meals, and they are great sources of nutrition. 

However, even though these foods are usually allies of diets, it is good to avoid them before training. After all, because they have dense and fibrous peels, they are not that easy to digest, which may cause the sensations we have already mentioned, such as gas and irritation in the intestine. 

Now, if you still intend to ingest foods of this type before training, a great option is to invest in cooking them, this will help soften their peels, facilitating digestion and the absorption of fiber.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes, which in turn are also great sources of nutrients and rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, and potassium, are also not very recommended to be consumed right before running. After all, these fruits have high levels of citric and malic acid, which can easily cause heartburn, reflux, and burning, completely impairing workout performance. 

However, there is a way for everything, and with the acidity of tomatoes it is no different! A very effective tip to offset the effects of acidity is to consume this fruit with butter, olive oil, and fatty foods in general. 

When preparing sauces, do not forget to add a teaspoon of baking soda. It will be able to increase the pH level, reducing the burning sensation caused by the tomato’s acidity.

Beans and lentils

As it turns out, not only are beans and lentils contraindicated before your workout, but all legumes are not so welcome either!

Although legumes like beans and lentils are indisputably great sources of fiber, which are very important nutrients for runners, this is the exact reason why they are not so well accepted before running, after all, fiber is always more difficult to digest than other foods.

Simple Carbohydrates 

Contrary to what many people think, there are no “good and bad” carbohydrates. What happens is that some of the carbohydrates have, along with them, a higher level of nutrients, making them more durable sources of energy. 

But anyway, carbohydrates are the best choice of “pre-workout” food and should be inserted into your eating routine, preferably through nutritious foods, such as oatmeal or quinoa, for example.

Conclusion: 

Before running, invest whenever possible in complex carbohydrates, however, if this is not possible, even a slice of white bread will already be better than very fibrous or acidic foods, as we mention meats, tomatoes and peppers! Also, avoid very fatty foods or foods rich in lactose.