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RunningDo you need to fuel a 1-hour run?
Short runs are fueled by the carbs you’ve already stored, not by gels. · 2 min read · Updated September 30, 2026
How we made this guide: we built it from the research below and checked every number against it: ACSM, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics & Dietitians of Canada joint position stand (2016).
A lot of runners carry fuel on every run. For short runs the guidelines say you don’t need it.
| Run length | Carbs during the run |
|---|---|
| Under ~45 min | Not needed |
| 45–75 min | A little, or a mouth rinse (swish a sports drink and spit it out) |
| 1–2.5 hours | 30–60 g per hour |
| Over ~2.5 hours | Up to 90 g per hour |
ACSM joint position stand (Thomas, Erdman & Burke, 2016).
What fuels a short run
What you’ve already eaten. Your muscles store carbs from your meals over the previous day, and breakfast can top that up. If your easy runs feel flat, look at what you ate the day before and that morning before adding fuel during.
When to bring fuel anyway
Runs over about 75 minutes, and your weekly long run, both to fuel it and to practice what you’ll use on race day.
Know which runs needed it
Log each run’s length and what you ate before. After a few weeks you’ll see which runs needed fuel. We built My Track Record so both are one spoken sentence.
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By Andrew, founder of My Track Record. Andrew has been active all of his life across a variety of sports and continues to stay active through climbing, swimming, weight training, golfing, snowboarding, and more. He built My Track Record so logging food and training takes one spoken sentence and can support any activity. He puts these guides together from published sports science research cited on each page. About AndrewSources
- Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. Nutrition and Athletic Performance: joint position statement of the American College of Sports Medicine, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Dietitians of Canada. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016;48(3):543–568. Source
General information for healthy adult runners, not medical advice. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or have a history of disordered eating, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian before changing how you eat or use caffeine.