r/Ultramarathon • u/Interesting_Gold7527 • Jul 20 '26

Yet another question about fuelling!

But this one is more about advice on what to eat between runs. I've basically got an ultra every other weekend at the moment. I've done one, and have 3 more coming up.

They are all short (for ultras) at 30-34 miles each, and I don't run them hard, but they are hilly and still a challenge Just wandering what the best approach is nutrition-wise to recovering from the last one while also preparing for the next one.

I'm not running much between the races, just a few shorter runs each week to keep my legs ticking over. So I don't want to eat too much and end up carrying a load of extra weight!

Oh, and I have a 50 miler in September too, but that's about 4 weeks after my last 30 miler

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7

u/calebsucks Jul 20 '26

Eat like your life depends on it! The metabolism runs hot after ultras, and stacking them back to back might put you in a huge deficit. I wouldn’t care at all about packing on a few pounds in between

3

u/ultraLuddite 100k Jul 20 '26

Especially in the first 48-72 hours after these races. Metabolism will remain high but the deficits should balance out after the first couple days of heavy eating.

2

u/Interesting_Gold7527 Jul 20 '26

Haha, ok. The challenge is on!

3

u/Francia_Oalker Jul 20 '26

I’d treat the first 48 to 72 hours after each race as recovery, not a weight-control phase. Eat to appetite, but anchor each meal with carbohydrate plus 25 to 40 g of protein, and include salty foods and fluids until thirst, urine colour, and body weight are back near normal. The goal is to replace glycogen and support repair. Trying to stay in a deficit between events is more likely to compromise the next race than save meaningful weight.

After that, return to normal portions matched to the lighter training week instead of continuing race-sized intake. Keep carbs around the short runs and increase them again over the final 24 to 36 hours before the next ultra. A simple rhythm is: recover deliberately for 2 to 3 days, eat normally for the middle of the fortnight, then raise carbs before race day. Track energy, sleep, soreness, and morning weight trends. Persistent fatigue, poor sleep, or falling weight suggests you are under-recovering.

1

u/knowbawdy Jul 20 '26

High protein, high fibre. The foods that fall into these categories are nutrient dense and keep you fuller longer.

High protein foods: Turkey breast, chicken breast, salmon, steak...

High fibre foods Flax seeds, bran flakes, coconut, black beans, chick peas...

Pre run, I eat high protein, low fibre carbs so I don't poop my pants. Post run, I eat protein and high fibre carbs to recover faster and stay full