Most runners I know don’t really do two-a-day workouts, mostly because they feel it takes up too much time in the day or because they like to spend time with friends and family. Along with that, most believe that training twice a day is torture that only professional or college athletes tend to inflict on themselves.
However, I’d argue that working out twice in one day can have many athletic benefits if done correctly, and it’s also a great way to get your miles in a while still getting a few days completely off running. With that said, in order to be successful in doing two-a-day workouts and for them to actually be beneficial for you, there’s a lot you need to consider, especially when it comes to your nutrition.
It goes without saying that training for several hours a day will drain you of a lot of energy, and thus your body will need more food in order to recover and perform well. And if you don’t know what that entails, the below steps that I will be talking about are just for you.
The 5 Things You Need to Know About Fueling Your Two-a-Day Workouts
Doing two workouts in one day consistently is no joke, and you should take your rest, hydration, and nutrition seriously if you want to avoid overtraining and stress injuries. The tips that I will be sharing with you below are ones I’ve come up with from personal experience as a person who has spent the last half-a-year training twice a day and balancing that with a full-time job. With that said, the most vital piece of advice I can give you is to focus on your mental health on that journey – some people aren’t comfortable spending so much time training, and it may make them feel depressed and lonely. If that’s the case with you, then there’s no need to torture yourself – go back to working out only once per day, and if you want to achieve better results, simply make your session more effective and/or longer.
Always Have a Plan
If you have a full-time job and a family, and you want to train twice a day, then you need to be a planning master. One of the most vital aspects that you have to plan for is your nutrition. Working out several times in the span of 24 hours puts a higher energy demand on your body, and so for you to recover and perform as well as you would like, you need to eat properly. With a schedule so busy, it’s likely that you won’t be able to cook every meal from scratch, which is why it’s important to meal prep some of the ingredients you will most likely use in your snacks and meals. For me, that usually means entails cooking several pieces of chicken, boiling 10-20 eggs (for the entire week), and having several containers of greek yogurt readily available, along with a box of dates and other pieces of fruit I enjoy. Here snacks such as protein bars and packets of nuts can also be super helpful, especially for your pre-training meals, as they’re easy to store and carry.
Your nutrition is of vital importance when you’re working out twice a day, and if you have to aim to get it right, otherwise malnutrition can lead to headaches, constant fatigue, moodiness, and many other symptoms you want to avoid.
Prioritize Eating a Breakfast
It’s highly likely that one of your two training sessions will occur in the morning. Now, most people prefer 20 extra minutes of sleep over breakfast; however, you should avoid being a member of that club. Eating some simple carbohydrates before your first workout will help restore liver glycogen, and it will aid blood sugar control during the workout, which leads to better execution, focus, and increased motivation.
Along with that, the American Journal of Physiology published a study that states that eating breakfast before your first workout of the day can increase the rate at which carbs are burned for energy, which can lead to a better overall performance since carbs are a far superior source of energy compared to fats.
Now that doesn’t mean eating a big breakfast that includes eggs, oatmeal, and a piece of fruit. Instead, you can go for something light and easy, like peanut butter/honey toast or a few rice cakes with almond butter. Now, after your workout, you need to have a proper meal full of carbs and protein in order to help your body recover for the training session you plan to have later on in the day.
Carbs are Vital
If you don’t need enough carbohydrates throughout the day, it may lead to you feeling out of energy and sluggish during your second workout of the day. And that’s something you won’t avoid, but that you can easily fall to, especially on days when you’re busy at work.
Thankfully, eating more carbs is the easiest and most enjoyable part of being an avid runner. You can easily get that extra few grams you need by either having a carbohydrate-rich snack such as dates or bananas or by adding a bit more pasta at dinner/lunch. It’s only a matter of not forgetting actually to do it.
Prepare for the Second Round
I already talked about how important it is to get a pre-workout snack before your first training session of the day. The same applies before you go to do the second round.
Eating around 50-70 grams of carbohydrates and 5-10 grams of protein at least one or two hours before your workout is advised and can help you feel and perform much better. Some meal ideas for pre-workout meals include:
- toast with nut butter
- banana with a protein shake
- granola and a piece of fruit
Of course, you have to consider what makes you feel good and eat the kind of foods that aren’t disturbing to your system. Here, you can do some trial and error to figure out exactly which snacks work best for you and which ones you most enjoy having.
Don’t Forget Your Hydration
Running leads to losing up to one or two liters of sweat every hour. And so, if you’re not hydrating adequately, you’re setting yourself up for failure. We talked a ton about how important it is to fuel properly, but drinking enough liquids is not of lesser importance. It’s ideal always to have a water bottle with you, so you can sip throughout the day.
But you should also consider how much liquid you consume from other beverages, including any sodas, electrolyte drinks, tea, and even coffee. If you’re sweating a lot during your workouts, it’s advisable to consume huge amounts of sodium (400 to 600 mg) and liquids in the 24 hours after the training.
Are You Ready to Become a Better Runner?
If you want to get better results or you don’t have that much time to prepare for a competition, training twice a day is an incredible way to improve yourself not only as a runner but also as an athlete. Typically, I like to do cross-training in the morning and runs in the evening, and I’ve found that doing so for even a month or two drastically improved my endurance and my strength levels. And if you find someone to go on that journey with you, I promise you that it will be even better and much more fun.
