How Much Protein & Carbs Do Runners Need?

Consuming the right amount of protein and carbohydrates can help maximize athletic performance for runners. Carbohydrates are your body’s main fuel source, especially during runs. Protein is important for muscle repair and maintenance after your workouts. The amount of protein and carbs you require each day depends on your body weight and the intensity and duration of your runs.

Minimum Requirements

Runners generally need to exceed the Institute of Medicine’s recommended dietary allowance for protein and carbohydrates. Protein RDAs are 56 grams for men and 46 grams each day for women; pregnant and nursing women need at least 71 grams of protein each day. The carbohydrate RDA for all adults is 130 grams of carbs per day; however, most athletes who run regularly require more carbohydrates than this minimum requirement to fuel their activity.

Protein Requirements

Endurance runners likely need more protein each day than short-distance runners. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, aim for between 0.55 to 0..64 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily. You might eat a little bit more if you engage in very heavy endurance training of regularly running for an hour or longer. Higher protein levels in the diet can help repair muscles that are broken down during training, so you can recover faster from heavy workouts.

Good sources of protein for runners include poultry, lean meat, whey, tofu, legumes, and fish. Dairy and eggs also offer protein benefits, especially if you're a vegetarian.

Carbohydrate Requirements

The amount of carbohydrates you consume can drastically affect your runs and energy levels. Consume carbohydrates based your body weight and the type of training in which you engage. You should consume 2.3 to 3.2 grams of carbs per pound for light to moderate training that lasts less than one hour, 3.2 to 4.5 grams per pound for heavy training at a high intensity and 4.5 to 5.5 grams per pound of body weight each day when running longer than four to five hours. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds and engage in heavy training at high intensity, you’d need 480 to 675 grams of carbs each day.

The best carbs for runners come from whole grains, starchy vegetables such as winter squash and sweet potatoes, fruits, and sports drinks.

Post-Exercise Protein and Carbs

Consuming carbohydrates and protein after long, intense workouts can help replace muscle glycogen stores and repair muscle fibers, which can enhance your recovery after runs. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends that active adults and competitive athletes consume 0.5 to 0.7 gram of carbohydrates per pound of body weight plus 15 to 25 grams of protein within the first 30 minutes post-exercise.

Examples of post-exercise snacks include carb-containing sports drinks with almonds, raisins with reduced-fat string cheese or whole-grain crackers with peanut butter. A smoothie made with fresh fruit, whey protein and yogurt is another good choice.


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