8 DAILY Diet Habits to Transform Your Running

What is it that the pro athletes do, each day, that sets them apart with their diet? What can we learn?
These are the 8 Easy DAILY diet habits of elite runners that we can learn and add in to our day immediately. And try to take our running to the next level!
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[@lynnlaw7770]

I'm a 50 year old mum/grandma in Scotland. I ran a marathon in 2011 but didn't continue running after. About 4 months ago I found my love of running again and I've been doing parkrun on a Saturday. I've also done a 5km trail run and a 5mile trail run. I've found I need to challenge myself so I've just signed up for the Glasgow half marathon in Feb. I've just found your channel and I'm loving all the advice. Thank you.

[@akashpratapsinghrathore2716]

Niceee

[@Nayz13]

Amazing, good luck!

[@FaraiTivakudze]

⁰⁰

[@runningwoman7207]

I’m trying so hard to improve my eating habits…. I’m such a junk food junkie but I do drink lots & lots of water! Thanks for the video…. I’m gonna do better little by little & day by day! 🏃‍♀️ 🏃‍♀️ 🏃‍♀️

[@user-pf1bo3wv7t]

I've not long discovered your channel and I love it! Thank you for your tips and being so genuine!

[@juliegilson8632]

Lots of comments saying that they only eat meat, saying carbs are crap!! Kipchogi..... top runner for years., lives on carbs, bread ugali spuds rice beans etc and lots and lots of very very sweet tea ......

[@Yeastextract]

Exactly!

[@twigle3015]

Kipchoge also runs a lot! Probably if you are on the same mileage as Kipchoge you have to eat a lot of carbs even to get a balanced diet

[@neiltimms9380]

Great advice as usual Ben!

[@mic03311]

All good advice! Thanks 👍

[@10stephenrose]

Listening to this on my long run 👍 thank you ☺️

[@lukaskarlgerhard]

Hey Ben, I've only just got back into running after an 18 month break and it's great to come back and see that your channel is growing! you were always my favourite running content creator and I'm excited to make my way through your backlog of videos! Thanks for all the hard work you and Mary give back to this community!

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Thanks Lukas! And welcome back 😊

[@saintsaens21]

Fantastic advice, pace & editing.

[@GrooveyBobby]

I have spent some time today checking out food choices and diets to fuel my running/cycling so when I saw this video it was one of those “great minds” moments… thanks for the advice much appreciated 💛

[@timeonfeet]

Really great summary Ben, definitely relate to the tweaking tip as how it can be important to try stuff out and alter it sightly over time. Thanks for sharing

[@IainThacker]

Awesome tips as usual! I get on really well with running the very easy, Z2, runs fasted, long runs up to about 90 mins. In part it seems to have some benefits in training the "slow" energy systems to be more efficient in burning fat for energy rather than glycogen stores. A tip from my PT who used it successfully in Ironman training! I wouldn't approach a workout in that state but it also helps fit in easy runs before work as I can eat at my desk! Many of these other tips are things I've found make a huge difference to my performance and recovery plus, eating the protein rich whole foods really helps manage your appetite and avoids snacking on junk! Shopping smart and making meal prep easy is also key to not eating unhealthily. Multi-day "bolognese" is one of my current favourites - cooked at the weekend freeing up a lot of time in the week. Just takes the time to cook the pasts to be ready!

[@sarahwilliams6684]

Great video always looking for the right foods to eat before and after to refuel 😊😊

[@joefaifer]

Playing around with the ideal meal is so much fun. It took me months of trying new things but I have it dialed in. Cheers

[@sourabhdeshwal1725]

Great video 👏👏👏. Please make a video on joints mobility exercises

[@leescottdavis]

Love the Bisto gravy on the shelf in the kitchen! A little bit of home :)

[@damianruddock1092]

Great video thanks. Liked and subscribed

[@samcantsnipe1888]

Great video! Very informative

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Thank you 😊

[@smithnatalie4803]

Honestly your channel is one of the best around ❤ look forward to each Sunday when you drop a new episode 😊

[@joefaifer]

Agree on this one. Smooth videos all around

[@johnreeves]

Great video Ben! Inspired me to have a decent brekkie before my trail run this morning! 💪🏼

[@joefaifer]

I used to train fasted, and breakfast made all the difference when I decided to get competitive 💪

[@seanevans6306]

Re: cod liver oil. Fish actually get their omega 3s from seaweed, so if you eat seaweed or have omega 3 supplements made from seaweed you cut out the middleman, and don’t have to eat any fish products.

for some basic education on plant based omegas: Speaking of ALA, this is the type of omega-3 you'll find in plant-based foods, particularly flaxseeds, walnuts, chia seeds, and hemp seeds. The body has the variable ability to technically produce EPA and DHA from ALA in the liver. Again, that conversion rate is quite low (like 0.3 to 20%), so we can't rely on ALA alone for meaningful levels of EPA and DHA. EPA and DHA is already produced in marine sources (fish,…). So in the end if i take 2000mg of fish oil i’ll get all 2000mg in my body, if you get 2000mg of plant based Omega3 your body will be able to convert max 20% into DHA and EPA in best case scenario. So if your body work very well you’ll need to eat 5x more seaweed, or different source what is more costly, also damages environment anyways. Doesn’t mean vegans, vegetarians and religious people shouldn’t be taking whatever they want to, but would be great if they make research and post statements about getting same amount of Omega 3 from plant sources as it can damage and mislead others who listen to them. peace to all of yous 👍

[@lewisnbeans]

@paul ikaz that's what the vegans say

[@gellos32]

You can cut away cow and eat grass instead

[@seanevans6306]

@ While you might be right, I was writing more as a direct response to the video, in which Ben stated that fish and fish products don't sit well with him. I do disagree that seaweed damages the environment. Seaweed farms are big sinks for atmospheric carbon. While any product produced on a mass scale will inevitably have environmental impacts, I'd wager that seaweed farms provide a higher net benefit than fish farms. And - especially where I live, and I assume where Ben lives, in Thailand - seaweed is definitely not more costly. Where I am, it's the major source of income for some coastal communities and is considered an affordable local delicacy. Also - thanks for a well-thought-out reply rather than a "why not just eat grass" comment that completely misses the point.

[@hurricane7800]

@ Great Food for thought! (Pun intended)

[@CallistoWolf]

A few anecdotes from my experience: Cutting out processed foods helped me break through my weight plateau. I leaned heavily into a high fiber and fruit diet. I also started to make my own whole grain bread from scratch for those carb fixes, lol. When I make cod liver oil a part of my daily diet it seems to lower my overnight resting heart rate by a few beats per minute. I don't know if they have improved my performance but my overall health feels much improved over the past 6 months. Also, it is good to remember that diet is just one piece of the athletic puzzle. :) Good video!

[@joefaifer]

Processed foods are growth killers for sure. The body does not like them and definitely made me so sluggish when I was pounding down terrible food.

[@superman110206]

Really good video and interesting topic! As someone who has spent a lot of time trying to control my weight, or frankly to lose weight I often struggle weighing up fuelling for a session correctly to feeling like I'm staying on track weight loss wise. It probably shows I think about the bigger picture slightly incorrectly I guess.

[@njkel.8714]

10 grams of carbs per bodyweight per day bro. And limit fat intake look your performance go up

[@carolinebray82]

I love this video, and was wondering about that cheeky mango smoothie... recipe?

[@dom_leary]

I've found a post-run smoothie has been brilliant ... an idea I picked up from Philly Bowden. Kefir, banana, cacao, peanut butter, whey protein, brazil nuts (for selenium), ice - also tastes great but it's pretty high calorie!

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Sounds great! I used to love a post run smoothie. Don’t do it at the moment but it was a winner 💪🏼😊

[@jps5871]

I add ammo acids ( especially right after summer runs) with hydration after running

[@courtneyyoung4180]

Hey Ben, how often do you run and how many km’s per day? How many rest days? I’m on week 7 of running 5 -6 days a week. I am usually doing 7-9 km’s each day. I am just curious as I want to know what other do for their runs to make goals for myself :) Thanks

[@christinaclementson]

Great advice Ben! And like you say, it is advice! Can’t believe some of the comments on here today. You and Mary are great examples of how to live, eat and train well - as proven by your fantastic race results. Keep doing what you’re doing!

[@astonuk9403]

Thanks for video. Very helpful. On the hydration part, how long before going to sleep do you stop consuming water? secondly, best strategy to spread water intake throughout the day? and finally should you consume liquids with meals?

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Hey dude, it’s literally the last thing we do before we go to bed is have about half a pint of magnesium. Probably over the last 30 mins of being awake. I don’t have an exact strategy for drinking through the day but just try to finish a bottle by break and one by lunch and one for the afternoon. And yes, we have a pint of squash or water with dinner 😊

[@astonuk9403]

@@ThisMessyHappy Thanks and glad it works for you. Drinking close to bed can effect sleep but I do wake up dehydrated and think I could benefit with a glass of water or chamomile tea.

[@mattmecham]

Good video. Simple common sense eating. Food doesn’t have to be a religion. Nicely balanced information

[@Nayz13]

I use my Garmin to track my water now, I realised that I was often dehydrated (for years) due to my training and not realising how much I was sweating/ losing. I now add electrolytes when needed

[@davidlynch9049]

Good video. I think you should emphasize carbs before you run, including the night before if you run at the crack of dawn - having breakfast before you run at 5 am won't really work. After you run, you should emphasize protein to repair the muscles. Thanks.

[@Yeastextract]

I think the post-exercise protein myth has been fairly debunked at this point, straight after exercise it’s carbs that are most important

[@qcomberette]

I used to live in Norway, cod liver oil was in a bottle in everybody's fridge. I hated it. Weirdly my baby son used to love it😃 one point I would like to add is if you live somewhere where you.drink your water from a purified water source i.e those big 5 gallon bottles because it is either purified by deionization, distillation or reverse osmosis there is no minerals in it so taking a sport rehydration tablet is even more important.

[@irawhitlock1084]

Actually following a lot of this already. Nice to see this as a sort of confirmation that I'm on track. Drs. Wahls', Hyman's, and Amen's books heavily influenced my diet for the past decade or so

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Great work, Ira 😊

[@SubtleForces]

Thanks! It seems, that I am doing things mostly right. I am not sure, that I need Vitamin D since Canada is farther south than the southernmost point of the UK. I'll definitely experiment with Magnesium and adding electrolytes to my water

[@kritan84]

When I was in the deep end of road bike training (20+ hours/week) I had to force myself to eat decent breakfasts to work as a human. My problem is I really dont like breakfast, makes me feel queezy and just unhappy. Much prefer just a coffee. But as you say, not really a choice if you are training a lot and also lead a busy life.

[@Yeastextract]

Carbs for the win baby - fruit, rice, corn, potatoes, veggies, beans can’t go wrong.

[@ascarby]

I've been keto for 10 years and often carnivore. I also do fasted runs and do just fine, with lots of energy. I don't need to eat multiple times of day and I'm happy, fit and pretty strong. My digestion is also great and it's nice to always have a flat stomach. Everybody is different I guess, this is just my experience, but at the same time it isn't unique. Ketones offer a more efficient fuel source than glucose for distance running so that's also worth noting.

[@ak8990]

Thank you so much for adding this video, it’s definitely something I need to work on. You use a lot of bananas in your diet, however I am allergic to bananas. Do you have a good alternative for this which would be good for snacks and breakfast?

[@DanciestCheese]

Sweet potatoes. I’m allergic to bananas as well.

[@Yeastextract]

Dates are top notch fuel

[@irunfar1125]

The tip on hydration is to never copypaste someone else's amount of fluid. Always listen to yourself and YOUR body to prevent overhydrating because it is dangerous really.. be careful with Mg too, had experienced overdosing and that was not pleasant

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Thanks and absolutely agree. All of this is for experimenting to find what works for you 😊

[@stephensimmons8657]

Highly recommend reading the “ endurance diet “ by Matt Fitzgerald 👍

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Thanks dude, watch the vid suggested at the end of this vid. It’s an interview with Matt Fitzgerald about the Endurance Diet 😂

[@stephensimmons8657]

@@ThisMessyHappy lol literally just got to the end of the video , teach me to wait before commenting 🤣

[@tirvplumbing]

Going vegan cut a lot of crap out of my diet. Even though there seems to be more vegan processed food than ever now. I'm in the low fat camp. Science or at least my understanding of it is that it'll protect my health for longer from things like heart disease and stroke. Also dropped my weight by 6 1/2 stone which helped my performance 😂 I tend to do my mid week zone 2 runs on an empty stomach in the morning. Sub optimal I know but schedule constraints with kids and work mean at least I get out and get a workout in. Long run at weekend I've got more time so I can fuel up before it. 12km is my longest run and I haven't had to worry about fuelling or hydration during a run yet but my distances are getting to the point I'll have to soon.

[@hurricane7800]

Best of luck to you! :)

[@runningraven]

I can't follow half of these tips (yet, hopefully) because I'm still struggling with a fear of gaining weight back. Got to figure out how to maintain first, plus accomodate my health conditions. Definitely a struggle bus. 😅

[@ThisMessyHappy]

But the important thing is you know and you’re working on it. More power to you! You’ve got this 😊

[@jobanski]

Eating chocolate covered toffee while watching! 😂

[@MsRafanatic]

Oh man, I seriously under hydrate. I find that I just don't feel naturally thirsty. Yesterday I ran a 9k and had a total of 750ml of water.

[@stephennaylor6662]

Great video, there's plenty of people who avoid sugar thinking it's bad ,and that keto is good, But every cell in the human body runs on sugar, and its zero fat too, that's why they give gels and jam sandwiches out on the grand tours instead of chicken legs 🍗🤣 Great information on your channel 👍

[@richardmiddleton7770]

Your body can make glycogen from the other marcos, you don't NEED to ingest carbs. Leaving the body to make it's own glycogen is extremely beneficial. Constant fuelling with carbs to try to keep up with constant hard training is a recipe for disaster.

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Hi Richard, can you point me in the direction of where you read that you can produce enough glycogen for training without ingesting carbs? I’d be interested to read that as it’s not something I’ve ever heard before. Thanks 😊

[@Trailrunner1978]

​@@richardmiddleton7770So why do every top pro runner, or most good runners, eat a carb loaded diet. I would suggest you watch the Ingebrigtsen series to see how pro athletes eat.

[@cypriano8763]

killian jornet doesnt eat or bring water when he trains. thats what i do also. makes it so simple.

[@joefaifer]

Different bodies definitely can adapt to no food during training. I envy Courtney's diet when she's training lol

[@BobutBrody]

Just ate a plate of fried chicken and the algorithm offered me this I need this

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Ha ha it knew!!!

[@fulkegreville4487]

I hope the companies who make energy gels can switch to biodegradable containers/packs (instead of single use plastics).

[@ThisMessyHappy]

That would be awesome 👏🏼

[@JoeHertler]

Sometimes I think I run just so I can eat whatever I want

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Replace sometimes for all times with me 😂

[@doumeegoootch163]

If the furnace is hot enough anything will burn

[@KunaX3]

How long it takes you to run 30k?

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Hey, about 2:10ish 😊

[@Unconventional239]

Unfortunately oats contain phytates, this decreases the nutrients you can absorb from all the good stuff you eat with your oats, such as fruit. You should eat your fruit at different times to your oatmeal to gain the benefit of the nutrients in the fruits.

[@Yeastextract]

Spot on always eat fruit away from other foods for best digestion

[@nberkel]

It might be wise to talk about the terms "healthy" or "good" and how they're subjective. For instance you talked about it's ok to have more indulgent foods once in a while, but your plate with fried chicken and very little vegetable would be something I would not consider "healthy." On the contrary I eat white rice multiple times a day (even on cereal) as I consider it very "healthy."

[@ThisMessyHappy]

It’s an interesting point you make and I don’t profess to eat super healthily every meal. I’d say 90% and almost every lunch is plain chicken breast, rice and broccoli but I’ll usually have that one when it’s available. I think I could get in to the minutiae of it all too much when ultimately we’re all adults who can do a bit of research themselves also and determine these things for themselves. If that makes sense 😊

[@nberkel]

Fair enough. Diet is a touchy subject for some, including myself. I like to try and learn as much as I can, it's just easy for me to fall into traps. And I know I'm not the only one...

[@burtonedwards]

This is hilarious. I just watched a video with Prof. Tim Noakes that refutes just about everything this guy says.

[@ThisMessyHappy]

I go with the many and not the few. There will always be contradictory evidence but I go where the weight is.

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Just read a few articles about him. I think I’ll stick with my thinking for now!

[@GTE_Channel]

@@ThisMessyHappy you also read the article where he smashed the SA government in court based on nutritional facts? Even the lawyer representing the country started following his advice after that legal trial, with great success. That does not make it wrong or right, not picking sides here.

[@AnthonyMcqueen1987]

Nothing wrong with a cheat meal once in a while but at the same time everyone is different and diet are fads anyway. Eat quality food it’s that simple.

[@tobiasschneider8075]

The bananas you get in the UK are packaged in plastic?!

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Thailand sadly. They seem to package everything in plastic. It’s very frustrating

[@keepyourpowdertri191]

DeLorean proudly built in Belfast 😎 sadly it was rubbish rather than fuelled on it !!!

[@MatzeDude1]

I run fasted in the morning an have breakfast after. Very low Carb and very high fat. I eat a second time around 4-5 hours later and that's it till the next day. I get easily 3000 kcal in a day and could also increase it if needed. For runs in zone 2 you don´t need any carbs at all, because at this low intensity the body uses your fat stores. That is why our bodies have fat stores in the first place. Drinking is way more important. I only take some raisins during a harder run (Zone 3 or higher) or a race and that´s it. It doesn't need to be complicated.

[@taranhase4396]

And what's your running times? Carbs are king in athletics and certainly in long distance running

[@ThisMessyHappy]

I’m making a video about carbs and training you may want to watch soon. I don’t agree with what you’ve said but that’s just my opinion 😊

[@bui340]

I think we often think how and what we eat is more important than it really is. We should think more about all the things that stresses us out instead like too busy schedule, noise, mobile phones, too much high intensive training etc. If I would say anything about what to eat I say have some nutritional yeast for better looks.

[@MatzeDude1]

@@ThisMessyHappy Totaly fine. I just share my lifed experience. How and why it works is explained in this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/foi2emaujbtmnMU Some years ago I was also on the normal 3 meals a day, high carb road but felt and trained way worse overall, so it wasn´t for me. Since going eating mostly 1-2 meals a day and Keto I feel way stronger and also train way better. Carbs have still there place but only when I do higher intensity for a long time.

[@Kelly_Ben]

That just sounds... so miserable. The fasted running AND the 2 low carb meals a day. Delicious food is one of the attainable joys in life for many. To forgo it in the name of performance is simply not an option for me.

[@FreeLancerLondon]

Is this the same Ben (and Mary) that consumed millionaire's short bread every week during car chat. Around 13g of saturated fat and over 26g of sugar. Golden hour indeed. 🤣😂😅

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Ha ha and would do it all over again 😂😂

[@jt.8144]

If only I was as thin as Kipchoge. Trying to lose weight while running so I skip breakfast.

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Try to be kinder to yourself and look longer term. You will lose more weight if you have a high quality breakfast than if you eat nothing. It’s been proven. It’s just a hard and counterintuitive action. But breakfast fires up your metabolism. Trust the process and go long term 😊

[@jeroen1989]

Completely unrelated; how are those Kailas clothes performing?

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Hey dude, I don’t think I have any Kailas clothing? 🤔

[@olly761]

You missed a very important factor in fueling while training. You shouldn't fuel during long runs as you'll lose the training effects on the fatty acid system and the glycogen-sparing affect.

[@ThisMessyHappy]

This is not supported in the evidence. Some individuals may benefit from this approach but en masse the evidence does not support what you’ve said. But if you benefit individually that’s great 😊

[@Tulin730]

DeLoreans definitely exist. The Mr. Fusion probably not. That was the point of this video, right?

[@advex4428]

Oh no, fail for me. I hoped pro tip number 1 for us to do would be eat 3500 kcal per day 😅

[@JoakimMolund]

Coffee and a fatty croasaint. I would disagree that it is optimal

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Luckily I never said it was 😉

[@Besotted85]

Meat, Meat, Meat, Meat, and some fat! All you really need, abit of salt, and water!

[@not-a-boar3148]

Bro you lost me at metabolic window.

[@onlinepr]

it would be even better if you don't throw your empty gels on the street

[@ThisMessyHappy]

I don’t think I’ve ever done that in my life, sir.

[@petebarber6778]

basically you Ben are a "KNOW IT ALL".....negative....tooooo muuuuuuuch talk....not enough action.

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Trolling

[@alanlierz3745]

You should not be giving nutritional advice. This may be the stupidest running diet advisor on the planet. We don’t need carbohydrates ever. They are non-essential to humans. I eat only meat and fat and since going that way, I got stronger and faster quicker than ever. Muscle increase is amazing. Recovery times improve tremendously and my marathon time improved 28.5 minutes in a year. I qualified for Boston by 6:33 cushion. I’ve only been eating meat 6 months. No carbs what so ever. I feel 20 years younger, never hungry and always run fasted. Workouts are great, speed work, 4 hour long runs fasted. I eat 21 pound of red meat per week and 2 dozen eggs. I used to be in the “carb cult”, until I found carnivore diet.

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Thanks for your feedback. Funnily enough I’ve spoken to 3 dieticians/nutritionists so far (2 are published authors) who all say the same thing. And it’s not what you just said. But remember, it’s just my opinion based on dietician advice.

[@saintsaens21]

Alan, King Eliud himself mainly uses carbs as fuel.

[@crayontom9687]

I eat lots of carbs and I qualified for Boston with a 20 minute cushion. It’s almost like there’s no one right way to do things 🤷‍♂️

[@joefaifer]

A lot of bodies are very different with how we digest and absorb foods. There's many factors to this. Glad you found the carnivore diet works for you optimally, but for myself personally, carnivore did not have me performing at my best. There's so much nuance in terms of nutrition. Cheers!

[@alanlierz3745]

@@ThisMessyHappy dietitians are in the brain washed carb cult