It is best for runners to make it a habit to consume food (and water!) after every run, no matter the distance or intensity of your running workout.
Refueling yourself right after any workout, running workout or non-running workout, can help to speed up muscle recovery. This helps to make it so you can be strong for your next run too, as well as throughout your training cycle, whether you’re going couch to 5K or you’re in the middle of training for a half marathon!
One of the quickest and easiest ways to refuel yourself after your run with a nutritious snack is to make yourself a fruit smoothie or shake. And a quick and easy way to add some extra protein to your runner’s diet is to add in a little bit of extra protein powder to your smoothie to make it a solid protein shake for runners!
A smoothie can be made in less than 5 minutes. Perfect for when you’re trying to refuel yourself quickly after your run!
First, here’s what you can use to try your very first protein smoothie!
- ONE of these fruits to use as the prominent flavor: strawberries, peaches, pineapple
- THIS fruit for a bit of an added sugar taste: ripe banana
- THIS protein powder for added recovery benefit
- THIS to give you liquid: milk!
- THIS big brother of a classic blender to give you the best protein powder shake ever! 😉
This is a good smoothie to start out with for your very first smoothie if you’ve never made one before. And from here, you can experiment, combine fruits, see how you like different combinations, add honey, add Greek yogurt, and more!! But starting with just one prominent fruit flavor gives you a starting point! You can try it without the protein powder too.
And for during runs, or more specifically long runs, have a look to THIS endurance fuel to add to your water as an alternative to gatorade.
RUNNING 101
- What you need to know as a beginner runner
- How to not die when running in hot weather
- How to calculate race pace
- How to prevent common running injuries
- How to plan a runner’s diet
- Perfect gifts for runners
Now…
Does a runner need to supplement training with protein powder?
If you’re in the middle of training for a long distance race like a half marathon or triathlon, it may not be a bad idea to have a calorie-filled smoothie even after a “short” easy run. Easy days are just as important in the recovery of your body to be able to continue to run strong! It’s best to get the right nutrients on your easy days too.
Depending on how you make it, smoothies can end up having a lot of calories. And protein powder also has calories.
If you’re making your smoothie with protein powder after your long run, these calories shouldn’t be so much of a concern. In fact, a smoothie could be a great way to fuel those muscles! The antioxidants from the fruit, combined with the protein from the milk and protein powder, can help to recover your muscles better.
After tough running workouts like a tempo run or a speed workout at the track where you’ve worked your muscles hard (and damaged your muscles), it’s even more important to refuel your body shortly after your workout so you can help to repair those muscles! And for runners, a protein powder smoothie can be an easy way to do that.
Side note!
See about the best shoes for hiking in Hawaii and what to wear snorkeling in Hawaii! And for Hawaii vacation ideas, see the best things to do in Waikiki that will give you Hawaii vibes!
It’s always best for runners to get protein from natural food sources too
Keep in mind that not all runners need an extra dose of protein. So first it’s best to evaluate what you currently eat on an everyday basis to determine if you even need to be thinking about getting extra protein. Part of how much protein you need will also depend on what type of training you’re doing.
Making protein powder a part of your smoothie for a protein shake shouldn’t be an excuse to not eat protein from natural food. Supplements are meant to, well, supplement 😉 your runner’s diet.
But protein powder can be a quick and easy way to add extra nutrients to your body immediately after a run when it can matter a lot to get yourself refueled in a timely manner.
For further reading on running for performance, have a look at this book that’s written by Matt Fitzgerald who is a well-known expert in the running field when it comes to endurance events and performing at your best! This book can help you come up with more ideas to best fuel your running workouts.
What’s the best way to add in protein powder to your runner’s diet?
When you go for vanilla flavored protein powder, you give yourself a whole lot more opportunities to mix up the flavor!
How?
By making a variety of fruit smoothies!
When you get flavors like double rich chocolate protein powder or cookies and cream protein powder just to mix with milk or water to drink, it can be hit or miss. This is because it’s largely due to individual taste, and different people have a liking for different flavors. Protein powder can also be an acquired taste, and that goes for even those powder flavors that tons of people say are the best protein powder flavor ever.
But with this vanilla protein powder, or this vanilla powder if you’re looking for plant-based, the flavor can go well with just about any fruit. Plus, you get the added nutrients from the fruit!
Getting started with smoothies
The recipe below is a sample fruit smoothie recipe in the form of a peach smoothie. You can use it as a base to create your own smoothie with different combinations.
Peach smoothie recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 peaches
- 1/2 cup pineapple
- 1 banana
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/2 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup milk
- vanilla protein powder
Directions:
- Blend together and ENJOY! 🙂
How to add variety to your protein shake
Pineapple and banana can go well with almost any fruit combination. So to get some variety, instead of the peaches, make it different types of berries.
For example, for your fruit combination:
- peaches + pineapple + banana
- strawberries + pineapple + banana
- blueberries + pineapple + banana
- blackberries + pineapple + banana
You can also mix different berries together. A banana is a good idea to always add to your smoothie to have something to give you a sweeter flavor. Choose a banana that is well-ripened for better taste.
The honey is for another addition to give you a sweet flavor, as well as a little extra health benefits!
You may want to add a little more milk depending on your consistency preference.
Adding yogurt to your smoothie can be optional, but it is a good way to get some extra protein too. If you add Greek yogurt, it may require extra milk to get a smoother consistency.
In terms of how much protein powder to add, don’t go strictly based on the scooper that’s provided in the container. The best place to start is to look at the back panel of the protein powder container, and add in the volume that will give you 10 grams of protein for a single serving smoothie. From there, you can see how the taste of the smoothie is, and if you want to add in more (or less) protein, you can do so!
Making a smoothie you love is all about experimentation!
If you’re into meal planning and meal prepping, one way you can save time is to cut up different fruits like pineapple and strawberries into pieces for storage at the beginning of the week. This way, when you go to make the smoothie after your run, all you have to do is grab the fruit and place it in the blender, instead of taking the time to cut them up then when you’re tired from your run.
What to make your protein smoothie with
For a little extra power in your smoothie blender to lessen the chance of ending up with chunks of banana, this type of blender can do the trick. If you’re making multiple servings, that blender is also good since it allows you to put in more volume of fruits and milk. If you like to use ice with your smoothie, it’s also a good idea to have a more powerful blender.
If you don’t mind the occasional strawberry chunk and you’re just making a smoothie for yourself, this classic blender that doesn’t take up as much space in your pantry can do the trick too!
HAPPY RUNNING!
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🐠 Here are things you must consider packing!
- Swimsuit or swimming shirt aka rash guard
- rash guard: swim set for women and swim shirt for men
- Water shoes
- Waterproof phone case (so you can capture pictures of fishies underwater!)
- cheapo phone case OR waterproof camera
- I also have this "camera" wrist float to attach to my cheapo waterproof phone case so my phone won't sink to the bottom of the ocean in case I somehow let go of it. (Mine does stay afloat - test this for yourself before completely trusting it!)
- Swimming goggles or snorkeling mask set
- Reef-safe(r) sunscreen
- lightweight travel towel:
- walking sandals:
I also don't go snorkeling without a personal swim float buoy. Not only does it help to keep me visible, but it makes for a perfect way to rest out in deeper water! Oh, and it also serves as a dry bag so I can take stuff into the water with me.
Another way I have taken valuables into the water with me is to wear a travel money belt that I don't mind getting wet with salt water (it's not waterproof but I have several so I just use one of them) and then I put things in a ziplock freezer bag, and put that freezer bag in the money belt.
There are also designated waterproof waist pouches that you can store your valuables and take into the water with you.
see more:
- What to wear hiking
- What to wear snorkeling