Day 4 : Сarbohydrates · Better Runner

Day 4 : Сarbohydrates

Carbs often get a bad rap, but for active individuals like us, they’re a key fuel source! Let’s break down the truth about carbohydrates—how to use them wisely, why they matter, and how to avoid common pitfalls.

The truth is that it's the amount of carbohydrates we eat that regulates our hunger. Not satiety, but hunger. Our bodies are smart and give us the right signals. So if we feel hungry, have headaches, are foggy, cranky, cold and think about food all the time, there is a good chance that we have too few carbohydrates in our diet. This is a common mistake made by those who plan their diets to achieve a calorie deficit. Sometimes that happens just because we underestimate our energy needs (common within people going to the gym or doing endurance sports)

😱 But What If I’m Gaining Weight?

Let’s bust a myth: Carbs don’t make you fat. Overeating anything chronically does—but in endurance sports, under-fueling is far more common and dangerous than over-fueling.

⛔Don’t Fear Carbs!⛔

Carbs = primary fuel for endurance and high-intensity training. Also for muscle building foundation (they help protein synthesis) Cutting them too low can lead to:

Low energy & poor recovery
Increased hunger (thanks to hormone imbalances)
Slower metabolism over time (a lot of people are already in that trap )

Signs Your Carb Intake Is Too Low

🚩 Constant fatigue, poor workout performance

🚩 Insatiable hunger & cravings (especially for sugar)

🚩 Mood swings, poor sleep, feeling cold often

In fact, many people lose weight more easily when they include carbs smartly, because:

You have better energy to move and train
Your hormones stay in balance
You avoid binge-eating from restriction

🔥 How Many Carbs Do Runners Need?

Your carb intake should scale with training volume and intensity. Here’s how to calculate it:

General Guidelines (per day)

Sedentary/Low Activity: 2–3g per kg of body weight
Moderate Exercise (30–60 min/day): 4–5g per kg
Endurance Training (1–2 hrs/day): 5–7g per kg
High-Volume/Intense (2+ hrs/day or racing): 7–10g per kg

✍️Example: A 70kg runner training for a marathon (high volume) may need 490–700g carbs/day during peak weeks.

❗JUST THINK about this numbers. If you ever tracked your nutrition you probably can imagine how much grains, pasta, bread, fruits etc you need to cover that need. 🤷‍♀️

Timing Matters!

Pre-Run (2–3h before): 1–4g/kg (easier digestible carbs like oats, bananas, toast)
During Long Runs (>60–90 min): 30–60g per hour (gels, sports drinks, dried fruit)
Post-Run (within 30–60 min): 0.5–1g/kg + protein (rice, potatoes, fruit)

TASK✍️

Track your calorie intake for 1 week, calculate total intake to see the daily average number. If it s not contributing to weight gain or loss with your current activity, then it is probably your maintenance level. From here we will create deficits and surpluses for different goals.( no more than 20% for deficit)
Find 5 pre-workout meals that have good carb/protein ratio

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