High school distance runners have unusually high energy demands. They are growing, developing, learning, and training, often simultaneously. Yet many young runners eat as if fueling were an afterthought, or worse, something to minimize. The consequences show up in fatigue, injury, illness, and performance that plateaus despite hard training.
This article covers the basics of nutrition for teenage distance runners: what your body needs, when it needs it, and how to recognize when you are falling short. We aim to provide practical guidance grounded in sports nutrition research, not fad diets or extreme protocols.
Energy Demands: Why Teen Runners Need More Than They Think
A high school runner covering 40 miles per week burns roughly 2,800 to 3,200 additional calories through training alone, depending on body size and pace. This is on top of the baseline energy needs for growth, daily activities, and simply keeping the body running.
Total daily energy expenditure for a serious teenage runner can easily exceed 3,000 calories for females and 4,000 for males. These numbers surprise many families. They exceed what "normal" eating provides and require intentional attention to fueling.
The calculation is straightforward: energy in must match energy out. When it does not, the body makes compromises. It may slow metabolism, impair recovery, reduce hormone production, weaken bones, or suppress immune function. These adaptations are not immediately visible, but they accumulate and eventually manifest as injury, illness, or stalled performance.
Timing: Pre-Run, Post-Run, and Race Day
When you eat matters nearly as much as what you eat. The same foods consumed at different times produce different effects on training quality and recovery.
Before Running
The goal of pre-run nutrition is to ensure adequate fuel without causing digestive distress. For easy runs, this might mean a small snack 30 to 60 minutes beforehand: a banana, a piece of toast, a handful of crackers. For longer or harder sessions, a more substantial meal 2 to 3 hours before allows time for digestion.
Pre-run foods should emphasize carbohydrates, which are easily converted to the glucose your muscles need. Fat and fiber slow digestion and increase the risk of stomach issues during running. Protein is fine in moderate amounts but should not dominate pre-run eating.
Running on empty is rarely a good idea for high school athletes. The "fasted cardio" protocols popular in some fitness circles are not designed for developing athletes with high training loads. Your body needs fuel to train well.
After Running
The 30 to 60 minutes following a run represent a window of opportunity for recovery. Muscles are primed to absorb glucose and rebuild damaged tissue. What you eat during this period affects how quickly you recover and how ready you are for the next session.
Post-run nutrition should include both carbohydrates and protein. The carbohydrates replenish glycogen stores depleted during running. The protein provides amino acids for muscle repair. A ratio of roughly 3:1 or 4:1 carbohydrate to protein works well for most recovery needs.
This does not require special products. Chocolate milk has become a popular recovery option because it naturally provides carbohydrates, protein, and fluid in appropriate proportions. A sandwich, yogurt with fruit, or a smoothie with protein can serve the same purpose.
Race Day
Race day nutrition requires experimentation during training. The foods that work for you are individual; what settles well in one athlete's stomach may cause problems for another. The time to figure this out is during practice, not at a championship meet.
A general framework: eat a familiar meal 3 to 4 hours before your race, emphasizing easily digestible carbohydrates. A small snack 1 to 2 hours before can top off energy stores without sitting heavy. Avoid anything new, anything high in fat or fiber, and anything that has caused problems in the past.
After racing, recovery nutrition becomes even more important. The combination of physical stress and psychological intensity depletes resources that need replenishing.
Macronutrients: Carbohydrates Are Not the Enemy
Low-carbohydrate diets have become trendy in the general population, but they are poorly suited to the demands of distance running. Carbohydrates are the primary fuel for moderate to high-intensity exercise. Restricting them impairs training quality, recovery, and performance.
For a high school runner training seriously, carbohydrates should constitute roughly 50 to 60 percent of total calories. This translates to 5 to 7 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight daily, with higher amounts during intensive training periods. Sources include grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and dairy.
Protein needs are elevated for athletes but often overstated in popular fitness culture. Endurance athletes require approximately 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily, which most runners easily obtain through normal eating. Animal products, legumes, dairy, and certain grains all provide protein.
Fat should not be feared either. It provides essential fatty acids, supports hormone production, and helps absorb certain vitamins. Roughly 20 to 35 percent of calories from fat is appropriate for most athletes. Sources like nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocado, and fatty fish provide healthy fats along with other nutrients.
Hydration at Altitude
Hydration becomes more challenging at altitude, which is relevant for athletes training in mountain environments. The dry air at elevation increases respiratory water loss. The lower oxygen pressure triggers adaptations that increase urine output. Dehydration happens faster and with subtler warning signs than at sea level.
At our programs in Italy and Switzerland, we emphasize proactive hydration. Athletes should drink before they feel thirsty, monitor urine color as a rough hydration indicator, and increase fluid intake beyond what they would consume at home.
Electrolytes matter more during prolonged exercise and in hot or high-altitude conditions. Sodium, in particular, helps the body retain fluid and supports muscle function. Sports drinks, electrolyte tablets, or simply adding salt to foods can help maintain electrolyte balance during intensive training blocks.
Warning Signs of Underfueling
Chronic underfueling, sometimes called Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport or RED-S, affects a significant portion of young distance runners. It is more common than most athletes and families realize, and its consequences are serious.
Warning signs include persistent fatigue that does not improve with rest, frequent illness or infection, injuries that heal slowly, loss of menstrual periods in female athletes, declining performance despite consistent training, difficulty concentrating, mood changes, and preoccupation with food or body weight.
If several of these symptoms are present, the issue may not be training. It may be fueling. Athletes in this situation should consult a sports dietitian or physician who understands the demands of endurance sport. The solution is not training harder but eating adequately.
Why We Teach Nutrition at Camp
Nutrition is one of the focus areas at our running camps because it matters for both immediate performance and long-term development. Athletes cannot separate how they fuel from how they train and recover.
At camp, athletes experience structured eating that supports serious training. They see what appropriate portions look like, learn to recognize hunger and fullness cues, and understand why certain foods appear at certain times. The goal is not to prescribe a specific diet but to build nutritional literacy.
We also address the psychological aspects of eating that affect many young athletes. The pressure to be lean, the anxiety around certain foods, the confusion created by conflicting nutrition information: these issues are common and worth discussing openly. Athletes who develop a healthy relationship with food perform better and stay in the sport longer.
A Note on Professional Guidance
This article provides general information, not personalized advice. Athletes with specific concerns, medical conditions, or signs of disordered eating should work with qualified professionals: sports dietitians, physicians familiar with athletic populations, or mental health providers who specialize in eating issues.
Nutrition is too important to get wrong, and the stakes for developing athletes are high. When in doubt, seek expert guidance rather than relying solely on internet resources or well-meaning but unqualified advice.
