Let's cut to the chase: nutrition is a key component of your training and can have a big impact on your potential as a runner. You need to nourish your body with nutrient-rich foods that fuel your runs and help you to recover from them, too, so you can keep clocking those miles with sufficient energy stores to support you. But, with so many food options to tempt you, it can be hard to know what to eat to assist your individual training needs.
That's where the Mediterranean diet could help – an often-praised eating plan that, for the seventh year in a row, has been ranked the best overall diet by U.S. News and World Report. With this in mind, could the Mediterranean diet be your gateway to enhanced health and improved running performance?
We spoke with Marisa Moore, culinary and integrative dietitian, and Lori Russell, pediatric dietitian at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, to serve up some answers.
What is the Mediterranean diet?
As it happens, the Mediterranean diet is not actually a strict, food-specific 'diet' that you try for a short period to achieve immediate health goals. Instead, it incorporates a broad compass of foods and is intended to be more of a lifestyle – a longer term shift of your eating habits.
'Contrary to popular belief, there’s no one Mediterranean diet,' says Moore. 'Instead, this way of eating incorporates the foods from the Mediterranean region including countries from Spain to Greece to Tunisia, for example.'
Aside from the food, this lifestyle also includes plenty of physical activity and – yes – a moderate intake of wine.
Why is the Mediterranean diet considered so healthy?
In a 2022 review of clinical trials published in the journal Nutrients, researchers found that the Mediterranean diet could be most beneficial for fighting cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases and cancer. According to the researchers, this is likely due to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of the diet.
Many other studies show that the Mediterranean diet can also positively impact your heart health and cognitive function, improve the aging process and reduce your risk of hearing loss and depression. According to Russell, eating the Mediterranean way may additionally help to lower your risk or progression of diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and type 2 diabetes.
What foods can you eat on the Mediterranean diet?
The basic concept of the Mediterranean diet is to limit heavily processed foods, red meat and refined grains. Moore encourages her clients to consume a variety of whole foods instead.
For those looking to get started on the Mediterranean diet, or to eat healthier in general, Moore suggests first adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet, which offer plenty of fibre and antioxidants. These can be fresh or frozen – whatever you have access to.
Then, perhaps experiment with different types of seafood. Sardines, for example, are inexpensive and packed with omega-3 fatty acids. If sardines aren't a good fit for your palette, you can try salmon.
For an energising, sweet and crunchy snack, Moore then recommends eating almond-stuffed dates. The almonds deliver a tasty dose of mono- and polyunsaturated fats, as well as plant protein and fibre for lasting energy and snack satisfaction. In fact, all nuts, seeds and olive oil – likewise on the Mediterranean diet – can top you up on good fats.
How can the Mediterranean diet benefit runners?
The Mediterranean diet is packed with energy-giving carbohydrates, which runners rely on as their primary source of fuel. It’s also accessible and flavourful, and involves no strict calorie restrictions.
'The boost to heart health and the cardiovascular system as a whole is the biggest benefit [of the Mediterranean diet] for athletes,' says Russell.
What's more, thanks to the high amount of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants it provides, the Mediterranean diet could boost both your physical endurance and mental toughness while running – which is particularly advantageous when you want to keep your head in the game during races or hard training sessions. Russell says that the high antioxidant content may also help to speed up your post-run recovery.
A 2023 study published in Nutrition Research and Practice adds to this list of benefits. The research analysed the performance of 15 professional male athletes, aged 13 to 18, who followed the Mediterranean diet for 15 days. At the end of the 'diet' period, the athletes had demonstrated improvement across a variety of skills, including vertical jump, hand grip strength and a shuttle run, and their perceived level of fatigue had decreased over the run, too. As such, the researchers concluded that the Mediterranean diet is a reliable and safe way for athletes, including runners, to boost their aerobic performance and strength.
Does the Mediterranean diet work for everyone?
For most people, eating the Mediterranean way is an appropriate lifestyle choice, as it can be easily adapted to fit any dietary preference. If, for example, you are plant-based, or gluten or dairy free, you can still reap the health rewards and enjoy the delicious flavours of the Mediterranean diet.
That said, Russell believes that people with rare metabolic diseases or epilepsy might benefit more from a different therapeutic diet. And while the Mediterranean diet is a very flexible option, each person should still evaluate whether it’s the best fit for their lifestyle, energy and nutritional needs.
