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Recovery nutrition calculator
How much carbohydrate, protein and fluid to have after a long run, race or hard session.
Short answer: If your next hard session is within 8 hours, eat 1.0–1.2 g of carbohydrate per kg of bodyweight an hour for the first 4 hours. Have 0.25–0.3 g of protein per kg after the session, and drink about 1.5 litres for every kg you lost. With a day or more to recover, normal meals are enough.
- Carbohydrate
- Normal meals
- Your usual carbohydrate-rich meals refill your stores before then
- Protein
- 18–21 g
- In your first meal or snack after the session
- Fluid
- To thirst
Before bed, about 40 g of protein, such as milk, Greek yoghurt or a casein shake, supports overnight recovery (Trommelen & van Loon, 2016). Eat when it suits you if your next session is a day or more away. Nothing you enter is saved or sent anywhere.
How many carbs after a long run?
When the next session is less than 8 hours away, eat 1.0–1.2 g of carbohydrate per kg of bodyweight an hour for the first 4 hours to refill glycogen quickly (Thomas et al., 2016). Small, frequent snacks are easier than one big meal.
With a day or more before your next hard session, timing matters much less. Your usual carbohydrate-rich meals refill your stores (Burke et al., 2011).
How much protein after running?
The same statement advises 0.25–0.3 g of protein per kg of bodyweight, about 15–25 g for most people, soon after exercise and spread through the day (Thomas et al., 2016).
Rehydrating after a race
Drink about 1.5 litres for every kg lost, over several hours. Salt from food or drink helps you hold on to the fluid (Sawka et al., 2007).
Easy recovery snack ideas
- Milk or a milkshake with a banana.
- Greek yoghurt with granola and honey.
- A bagel with peanut butter, then a rice or pasta meal with chicken, fish, eggs or tofu.
Scientific sources
- Thomas D. T., Erdman K. A. & Burke L. M. (2016). Nutrition and athletic performance: joint position statement. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 48(3), 543–568.
- Burke L. M. et al. (2011). Carbohydrates for training and competition. Journal of Sports Sciences, 29(Suppl 1), S17–S27.
- Sawka M. N. et al. (2007). American College of Sports Medicine position stand: exercise and fluid replacement. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 39(2), 377–390.
- Beelen M. et al. (2010). Nutritional strategies to promote postexercise recovery. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 20(6), 515–532.
- Trommelen J. & van Loon L. J. C. (2016). Pre-sleep protein ingestion to improve the skeletal muscle adaptive response to exercise training. Nutrients, 8(12), 763.
More endurance tools and guides: Sports nutrition, including the race fuelling and hydration calculator.
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Educational information for adults aged 18 and over. It does not diagnose, treat or manage any medical condition. If you have a health condition, or symptoms that worry you, speak to your doctor or a health professional.