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What should you eat on rest days? How to use your day off to fuel tomorrow's run

Pre-workout, post-workout and race-day nutrition get a lot of nutrition, but how and what you should eat on days when you’re not running is often viewed as less important. Some runners believe what you eat on your off-days doesn’t matter, others think they need to eat less on those low-intensity days and many more are simply confused when it comes to off-day nutrition. If you find yourself in either of those groups, continue reading to get the most out of your rest day.

Do I need to eat less on rest days?

This is arguably the biggest misconception runners have when it comes to off-day nutrition. While it may sound sensible that you require fewer calories on days when you’re not expending as many, this is a mistake for most runners. The purpose of your days off is to give your body a rest so that it can adapt to your training, and without proper fuel, your muscles won’t be able to properly re-build and your results will be stunted.

Any easy rule to follow to ensure your off-day nutrition is on-point is to try not to change your eating habits that drastically, if at all. On your rest day, you don’t have to worry about timing your nutrition with your workouts, but you should still focus on eating plenty of nutrient-dense foods, eating when you’re hungry and not stopping until you are satisfied.

What should I be eating?

Like we already said, your nutrition on your rest day shouldn’t be all that different from any other day of the week, but there are a few key nutrients to keep in mind. The first is protein. The goal of an off-day is to allow your muscles to rebuild and recover and protein is a very important part of this process. Ideally, protein should make up 20-25 per cent of the calories you consume on your off-day.

Even though you’re not running that day, carbohydrates are still a very important part of your rest day diet because it’s an opportunity to replenish your glycogen stores so that you’ll be ready to tackle the next day’s run. Your off-day is the perfect time to focus on high-fibre carbohydrate sources, since you don’t have to worry about the potential tummy troubles that could cause on a day that you’re running.

Your off-day is also an important time to eat plenty of vitamin and antioxidant-rich foods, since these will help decrease inflammation in your body which will help improve recovery. Healthy fats like omega-3s will also help this process, and should not be skipped on your recovery day. Foods like leafy green vegetables, brightly-coloured fruits and fatty fish like salmon or sardines are great additions to your off-day menu.

Finally, you should also make sure you’re drinking enough water. You likely don’t need as much water as you do on days when you’re running, but you still need to drink some to avoid dehydrating yourself for the next day’s run.

Can I eat treats on my off-day?

Of course! It is absolutely OK to indulge in some of your favourite goodies on your rest day, as long as these foods don’t completely replace other nutritious options. Remember, the point of a day off is to help your body recover, and by only eating less nutrient-dense foods you’re limiting your body’s ability to repair.

Is intuitive eating a good strategy to use during my off-day?

Yes. Because you don’t have to worry about timing your nutrition with your workouts, your off-day is the perfect time to fully listen to your body. Like we said earlier — when you’re hungry, eat. When you’re full, stop. The only time this doesn’t apply is if you find you’re appetite is quite low on your off-day. If this is the case, you will have to be more intentional with making sure you eat at regular intervals to avoid under-fuelling.

The bottom line

Your day off is not the time to cut back on food and calories. Even though you’re not being as active that day, your body needs that energy to repair itself so you can be ready to get back out there the next day. Under-fuelling on your rest day will only increase your risk for injuries and decrease your ability to perform well in workouts.

Yes, you can certainly be a little less regimented with your nutrition plan on days when you’re not running, but your off-day is an important nutritional opportunity, so make sure you fuel yourself well and enjoy some of your favourite foods to get the most out of your rest day.