Running On Chocolate This Easter

With Easter approaching and all Type A athletes preparing for their 4-day training or adventure-based long weekend, I thought it only fitting to create a chocolate-themed fuelling guide. Below are my favourite chocolate products (with some exclusions) for an active Easter...

 

 

Pre-training snack 

If possible, 2-3 hours before your training session eat a meal that contains a good source of protein and complex low GI carbohydrates. There is no need to go excessively high in carbs at this meal as consumption of carbs greater than 120g before sub-maximal, steady-state exercise has been studied to blunt mitochondrial signalling (1). If you are training first thing in the morning and are time poor, have a snack that contains around 30g of carbohydrates with 15g of protein 30min - 1 hour before cardiovascular-type training. This snack should be around 200 calories (2).

In regards to hydration, slowly drink around 5–10 mL/ kg of body mass at least 2 hours before exercising (3).

My recommendations for some convenient pre-training meals, snacks and hydration.

• Radix Nutrition Original Breakfast v9.0 Chocolate

• Em's Power Cookies- Protein Cookie Choc Brownie (Vegan)

• Untapped Energy Waffles Cocoa Waffle

• Veloforte Energy Bar Ciocco (Almonds, dates and cocoa)

• OTE Anytime Energy bar

• Probar- Protein Bar Chocolate Coconut

• Sodii Everyday Hydration Salts

During training nutrition and hydration

Below are the recommended carbohydrate and fluid intakes based on exercise duration.

• 30g of carbohydrates per hour for exercise lasting 1-2 hours (4).

• 60-120g of carbohydrates per hour for exercise over 2 hours (4).

• 200 to 300 ml of fluid every 10 to 20 min (5).

• Replace 125-150% of this fluid that you’ve lost during the session over the 4-6 hours after you stop exercising (6).

My recommendations for some convenient training nutrition and hydration.

• Muir Energy- Energy Gel Cacao Almond

• Tailwind Caffeinated Endurance Fuel Bag Cola

• Probar Meal Bar Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip

• Näak Ultra Energy Waffle Chocolate

• Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem Solids Tub Chocolate

 

Recovery

The International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends males eat within 0.6 grams to 1 gram of carbohydrates for every kilogram of body weight as close to finishing exercise as possible (7). In addition to getting good quality carbohydrates you also want to supplement this with about 25-35g of good quality protein. 

For females we want to have around 60-100g of carbohydrates, 15-20g of fat and 30-40g of protein straight after finishing exercise. This will help replace glycogen and fat stores in your muscles, increase protein synthesis, reduce cortisol levels and regulate hormone synthesis which prevents long term catabolic state and menstrual disturbances (8,9,10).  

My recommendations for some convenient sources of protein.

• Veloforte Cappo (Coffee & Cocoa) Protein Shake

• Radix Nutrition Whey Protein DIAAS Complex™ 1.61 Sachet Chocolate

• Pure Sports Nutrition Whey Protein Pouch Chocolate

• Hammer Nutrition Whey Recovery Bar Peanut Butter Chocolate

• Radix Nutrition Original Meals v9.0

Easter day

My recommendation for snacks and hydration on Easter’s day.

• Zero + Sports Beer (Non-Alcoholic Beer)

• Adventure Sports Beer (Non-Alcoholic Beer) 

• Hammer Nutrition Energy Bars choc chip

• Roam Almond & Cashew Energy Nut Butter Chocolate 

 

Ash Miller
Dietitian and Nutritionist (Masters)
Bachelor of Physical and Health Education
Instagram: @ashthomo_nutrition 

 

^References:

<sup>Rothschild JA, Kilding AE, Plews DJ. What Should I Eat before Exercise? Pre-Exercise Nutrition and the Response to Endurance Exercise: Current Prospective and Future Directions. Nutrients. 2020 Nov 12;12(11):3473. doi: 10.3390/nu12113473. PMID: 33198277; PMCID: PMC7696145.

Sports Dietitians Australia, Pre-exercise fuelling, available from; https://www.sportsdietitians.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Pre-exercise-Fuelling.pdf, accessed on 17th Feb 2025.

Surapongchai J, Saengsirisuwan V, Rollo I, Randell RK, Nithitsuttibuta K, Sainiyom P, Leow CHW, Lee JKW. Hydration Status, Fluid Intake, Sweat Rate, and Sweat Sodium Concentration in Recreational Tropical Native Runners. Nutrients. 2021 Apr 20;13(4):1374. doi: 10.3390/nu13041374. PMID: 33923890; PMCID: PMC8072971.

Beelen M, Cermak NM, van Loon LJ. Koolhydraatinname tijdens en na intensieve inspanning [Performance enhancement by carbohydrate intake during sport: effects of carbohydrates during and after high-intensity exercise]. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2015;159:A7465. Dutch. PMID: 25970669.

Judge LW, Bellar DM, Popp JK, Craig BW, Schoeff MA, Hoover DL, Fox B, Kistler BM, Al-Nawaiseh AM. Hydration to Maximize Performance and Recovery: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Among Collegiate Track and Field Throwers. J Hum Kinet. 2021 Jul 28;79:111-122. doi: 10.2478/hukin-2021-0065. PMID: 34400991; PMCID: PMC8336541.

Maughan RJ, Shirreffs SM. Recovery from prolonged exercise: restoration of water and electrolyte balance. J Sports Sci. 1997 Jun;15(3):297-303. doi: 10.1080/026404197367308. PMID: 9232555.

Kerksick CM, Arent S, Schoenfeld BJ, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: Nutrient timing. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:33. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0189-4

Michaela C. Devries, Mazen J. Hamadeh, Stuart M. Phillips, and Mark A. Tarnopolsky. Menstrual cycle phase and sex influence muscle glycogen utilization and glucose turnover during moderate-intensity endurance exercise. 291, R1120-1128 (2006).

Roy, B. et al. “The influence of post-exercise macronutrient intake on energy balance and protein metabolism in active females participating in endurance training.” International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism 12 2 (2002): 172-88.

Jäger, R., Kerksick, C.M., Campbell, B.I. et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 14, 20 (2017).</sup>