Intermittent fasting: a way of eating in which you do not eat for a longer period of time and eat what you want within a shorter period of time. Why? It would keep you young and healthy for your body (no good evidence of this), but most people mainly do intermittent fasting to create a calorie deficit and lose weight. Some runners also find this way of eating interesting and wonder: How can I combine intermittent fasting with running? What does a good schedule look like for runners who want to eat enough to be able to run well, and who also want to lose weight by fasting periods? Runner’s World shows an example of a nutrition plan for runners who want to do intermittent fasting with the 16:8 rule. And finally, you can find a daily menu that consists of a maximum of 500 kcal, if you as a runner prefer the 5:2 fasting rule of intermittent fasting.
Disclaimer: Intermittent fasting is a way of taking in fewer calories than you burn over a longer period of time. This way of eating does not work for everyone and a healthy diet still consists best of a varied and balanced diet. Listen carefully to your body, calculate your own calorie intake and combustion and make sure that you get enough nutrients to continue exercising in a healthy way. Consult an expert with questions.
Example diet schedule intermittent fasting for runners according to the 16:8 rule
The 16:8 rule of intermittent fasting means that you don’t eat for 16 hours a day and you do for 8 hours. You can do this, for example, by skipping breakfast. If you do run, you can choose to do a gentle, shorter workout on an empty stomach (see option 1) just before your 8 hours of eating, or you can go for a run in between after you’ve eaten and can still do something. eat afterwards, if you want to do a slightly more intense running training (see option 2 or 3). These are just examples and won’t work for everyone. One runner simply needs more fuel than another, this completely depends on age, weight, height and condition. Intermittent fasting doesn’t work for everyone either. Listen carefully to your body and consult a (sports) nutrition specialist for more tailor-made advice.
Also read: To fall off? What Works Best: Diet or Exercise?
During the following example schedule of intermittent fasting, you eat between 11:00 and 19:00, but you can also shift this to between 12:00 and 20:00 or a time that suits you better. The amounts with the number of calories are not included here, because this will differ per individual how many calories are needed to create a calorie deficit. That said, this is what an intermittent fasting schedule and daily menu for runners might look like:
08:00 am – Fasting
- Water
- Cup of tea / black coffee without milk or sugar (coffee or tea is optional).
10:00 am – Fasting
10:05 AM – Running option 1
Running option 1: 5 to 8 kilometers at a leisurely pace or a quiet training for you.
11:00 am – Breakfast
- Water
- Tea / coffee (coffee or tea is optional, preferably without sugar and milk)
- Oatmeal porridge with unsweetened almond milk, fruit (for example: blueberries, banana or pear), small handful of unsalted nuts.
12:30 – Running option 2
Running option 2: Interval training or long run.
2:00 PM – Lunch
- Whole-wheat sandwiches with butter, protein-rich toppings such as a boiled egg, chicken breast, smoked meat or, if desired, one of the vegetarian options from the supermarket. Or go for a green salad with, for example, avocado, chickpeas and chicken breast / egg.
- Tomatoes, cucumber, raw vegetables
- Water (flavored).
3:00 PM – Running option 3
Running option 3: Interval training or long run.
4:00 PM – Snack
- Bowl of low-fat cottage cheese with a piece of fruit (for example: strawberries, mandarin or apple) and some unsalted almonds.
6:30 PM – Dinner
- Steamed vegetables, brown rice with a vegetarian burger or a tartare baked in olive oil or salmon from the oven.
- Water (flavored).
7:00 PM – Fasting
From now on, the idea is not to eat until 11:00 the next day. Drinking water or other drinks without calories is allowed according to this method of intermittent fasting.
Also read: Intermittent fasting: These are the pros and cons for runners.
Example intermittent fasting diet plan for runners according to the 5:2 fasting rule
During the 5:2 fasting rule of intermittent fasting, you eat a maximum of 500 kcal per day on 2 days a week. The other days you eat normally. One possibility could therefore be to use those 2 days where you eat 500 kcal per day as rest days and not to run. Don’t plan a day like this if you have a hard workout planned for the next morning. On the other days during this method of intermittent fasting, you can then stick to your regular diet – provided you make healthy choices and don’t eat more than you did before. On the days when you don’t fast (but just eat), you can schedule your running workouts without feeling short of energy while running, because you take in fewer calories. On days when you eat a maximum of 500 kcal during intermittent fasting, you can think of the following example schedule / daily menu of 500 calories. This schedule is rich in proteins, which will hopefully make you feel full for a little longer:
Also read: Hungry quickly after breakfast? This is how you get rid of it (without eating).
Example daily menu 500 kcal days that you are going to fast during intermittent fasting 5:2 fasting
Breakfast 153 kcal
- 1 boiled egg – 64 kcal
- 100 grams of low-fat cottage cheese – 52 kcal
- 50 grams of blueberries – 37 kcal
Lunch 167 kcal
- 2 (spelt) rice cakes – 56 kcal
- 65 grams of chicken breast – 83 kcal
- 1 mandarin – 28 kcal
Diner 179 kcal
- 100 grams steamed broccoli – 28 kcal
- 1 tartare from the oven – 130 kcal – 130 kcal
- 7 snack tomatoes – 21 kcal
If you follow this daily menu you will receive 499 kcal (calories). Drinking is allowed throughout the day, but only drinks without calories, such as black coffee (maximum 2 per day), tea without sugar and milk, and water (flavored). Note: This is only an example of a daily menu. It is very important to know that a healthy diet is varied and that you can only use these types of days with such few kcal to periodically fast during intermittent fasting. So this example is not meant to be used every day. If you want to know more about fasting, consult a dietician or (sports) nutritionist.
Also read: Hungry right before bed? According to nutritionists, this is the best food to eat.
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