There isn’t any specific food that will allow you to run faster instantly. And anyone that says otherwise is lying. However, there is a nutrition that you can consume that will allow you to develop the athletic physique that will allow you to run faster.
What I mean by this is you can develop a light frame that will allow you exert more power, which will allow you to run faster.
The second thing is that by consuming the right nutrition, you will be able to fuel your muscles to develop more strength and explosiveness, which will allow you to run faster?
What type of food do you need to consume to run faster?
It depends on the type of running that you will do. If you do distance running, you will need to build strength and explosiveness, but you will also need to fuel your muscles so that they store energy to allow you to run over a longer distance.
If you are doing short sprints, you want to consume a nutrition that will keep your frame as lean as possible, but it will allow you to build the powerful lean muscle that you need to develop power in your muscles.
Depending on the type of training and preparation that you will do, you will need to look at the macro split for your nutrition.
What food should sprinters consume?
Sprinters should consume a protein-heavy diet that also allows them to consume a balance of starchy or fibrous carbs, depending on the type of energy that their body demands for that period in the season.
In the lead-up to peaking for a competition, the athlete wants to maintain their lean physique and will need to consume fibrous carbs, a low intake of starchy carbs and protein to form 90% of their energy source, with 10% coming from natural fats.
In non-peak times, athletes can consume a higher percentage of starchy carbs in their macros.
A typical split will look like the following.
- 25% fibrous carbs
- 25% starchy carbs
- 40% protein
- 10% natural fats
Athletes need to track their calorie consumption and output.
Athletes need to make sure that their body is getting the right amount of fuel into their bodies so they can develop. If you want to get faster and build more powerful muscles, your calorie intake must at least be neutral.
If a male is training, they will need to ensure that 2500-3000 calories are consumed to maintain their physique and to develop their muscles to improve their performance.
For women, this target will be around 2000 calories.
Additionally, the amount of protein required to fuel the development of the muscles also needs to be met. This means you should consume around 2.2g per kilogram of protein as a part of your diet. (Source)
So if you weigh 70kg, you would need to consume at least 154g of protein per day.
If you weigh 80kg, you would need to consume 176g of protein per day.
What food groups should you consume?
Protein
- Chicken
- Fish
- Lean beef
- Turkey
- Beans
- Eggs
If you struggle to consume the recommended daily intake, consume a protein shake to help meet your daily protein consumption goals.
Starchy Carbs
- Potatoes
- Rice
- Sweet potato
Fibrous carbs
- Leafy greens
- Brocolli
- Carrots
- Tomatoes
Monitor the body fat percentage for your running training and competition days.
It is ok to have body fat stores while you are training, however you want to be as lean as possible for your competition days. You’ll want to sit around 10% body fat at the time of the competition so you will have enough energy stores in your muscles.
Also, make sure you drink water to keep your muscles hydrated and your liver flushed. Also consider taking seaweed to help detox your liver.
