Sport Nutrition 101 - making a case for sport drinks

If you are a long distance athlete, you've likely experiences several pronounced and uncomfortable symptoms related to unsuccessful fueling/hydration methods. Headache, dehydration, swelling, bloating, sleepiness, lethargy, lack of appetite, nausea, chills, fatigue, deep muscle aches, moodiness and dizziness are not just performance limiting but they are also extremely risky for your overall health. 

Proper fueling during intense or long duration exercise can help you sustain a desirable effort to maximize training adaptations. 

Proper fueling/hydration also minimizes the stress load to help keep your body in better health.

Proper fueling/hydration in training also helps you practice fueling strategies for competition as you can train the gut to tolerate nutrition while exercise at various intensities.

Contrary to the opinion of other nutrition experts, I'm a huge proponent of prioritizing sport drinks during training. I've also had great success prioritizing liquid calories during long distance training (for myself and for the hundreds of athletes that have consulted with me on sport nutrition).

If you are training for a long-distance event (90+ minutes) or training intensely in the heat for 60+ minutes, a sport drink provides a practical and easy way to obtain fluids, electrolytes and carbohydrates, in the right formulation to optimize digestion and absorption. Because you will always need to consume fluid when you train in the heat, a sport drink makes the most sense as the most practical, convenient and easy-to-replicate source to meet your fluid, sodium and carbohydrate needs.
Most sport drinks are very safe and effective but are often misused or neglected – especially in the heat.

Let's learn a bit more about sport drinks and clear up any confusion around sport nutrition products. 

Sport Drink Formulation
For a sports drink to work effectively, it must have the same or less than osmolality of blood. As a reference, blood plasma has an osmolality of 280-300 milliosmoles per kilogram and a bottle of Gatorade has an osmolality of ~330 mOsm/kg. A sports drinks osmolality (Iso-, hyper- or hypotonic) is dependent on the carbohydrate type (ex. glucose, fructose, maltodextrin) and concentration (grams) in a solution (fluid ounces) – in other words, how quickly it can absorb into your blood stream. If a drink’s osmolality is greater than the blood’s (concentrated or hypertonic), liquid will be pulled from the blood and into the intestine to equalize the two concentrations – this net movement of water is theoretically dehydrating. A iso- or hypotonic drink, in contrast, will provide a favorable osmotic gradient so that water diffuses into the cells. If you fail to replace the fluids and electrolytes (sodium) lost in sweat, a cascade of negative events occurs, such as a rise in osmolality, a drop in blood pressure and an increase in heart rate. In contrast, if you drink too much water too quickly and don’t consume drinks with adequate sodium, sodium levels will drop as body water levels rise, causing cells to swell. The tonicity of your sport nutrition is extremely important and likely the main contributor to GI issues, dehydration and early fatigue/bonking. The liquid component is very important and why so many athletes experience issues with only consuming solid food, gels and chews (especially when running). 
Takeaway: 
-Hypotonic - lower concentration of fluid, sugars and salt than the blood. Fast absorption into the bloodstream for quick hydration and electrolyte release. Ideal when you need to hydrate quickly and are not trying to maximize carbohydrate consumption (example during high intensity running, running off the bike and post workout).
-Isotonic - similar concentration of fluids, sugars and salt to blood. When your focus is more on carbohydrate delivery than on hydration/sodium. Because the energy and electrolyte release is slower, a isotonic beverage requires more time to get across the gut wall. This is ideal for long bike rides. An isotonic beverage would work well for a high intensity and/or moderate length bike workout, a swim session and low intensity longer runs. 
-Hypertonic - higher concentration of fluids, sugars and salt to blood. Because of the slow absorption rate, it's not advised to rely solely on chews/gels/bars during your workout. Concentrating your drinks (ex. multi-hour bottle of sport nutrition) is a culprit of Gi issues, nausea and feeling extra thirsty as your body has to move water from the bloodstream to the intestines to dilute fluids before absorbing them. A hypertonic beverage is ideal post workout when you are trying to maximize carbohydrate intake. 

What about Juice, Coconut Water or making my own sport drink?
Because fructose uses a different intestinal transporter compared to glucose and once in the bloodstream, has to be taken up by the liver to be processed into a usable fuel source for the muscles (which can take up to 90 minutes), juices are not recommended as a "sport drink" during exercise.

Although coconut water contains calcium, phosphorus and magnesium (electrolytes found in sweat), sodium and chloride are the major electrolytes because they reside in the extracellular fluid. Compared to a sugar-rich hydration beverage, coconut water is a safe and natural option to occassionally enjoy as an alternative to water. However, to sustain moderate to high-intensity exercise for longer than 90-minutes, the body depends on ingested carbohydrates and sodium – both of which lack in appropriate amounts in coconut water. Additionally, if you are paying extra for coconut water to increase your daily potassium intake, look no further than the produce aisle – a large potato contains 1553 mg of potassium! If you enjoy the taste of coconut water over plain water, choose it for light activity. But to prevent dehydration, replace lost electrolytes and provide the muscles with carbohydrates, a well-formulated sport drink is encouraged. In all other situations, plain water should be your go-to hydration beverage.

As for making your own sport drink - leave it to sport nutrition companies. Instead, make your breakfast, lunch and dinner as you can get more bang from your buck by preparing your meals instead of being a chemist in your kitchen. 

Gels, Bars and Chews
Gels, bars and chews are highly concentrated, portable sources of carbohydrates that are easy to consume during exercise but they lack the fluid and electrolytes that you’d find in a sport drink and are not in the right formulation by themselves to be easily digested and absorbed. Same goes for salt pills. Most gels and chews contain around 100 calories (or 25g of carbs) per serving. More concentrated in carbohydrates compared to a sport drink, gels and chews must be consumed with water to encourage gastric emptying. For every 25g of carbohydrates, at least 12-16 ounce of water should be consumed. Athletes may prefer to dilute a gel into a flask or bottle of water to create a more dilute concentration. Considerably low in sodium (50-100mg), gels and chews are ineffective to replenish sodium lost in sweat. Remember, your fluid, sodium and carb intake will be for nothing if it’s just sloshing around in your gut. As a refresher, scroll back up to re-read about the tonicity of a sport drink and how complicated fueling/hydration becomes when you try to meet your sodium, fluid and carbohydrate needs with different sources. 

This doesn’t mean that you can't consume solid food or a gel or chews during long distance training, but to minimize GI issues and to simplify sport nutrition, I strongly advise to prioritize liquid sport drinks when you train (and race) and use chews/swig of gel for a central nervous system pick-me-up and bars/solid food to keep the tummy happy.

Digestion and Absorption

When applying the topic of sport nutrition, it's important to understand that just because you are consuming carbohydrates, sodium and water, this doesn't mean that your muscles are receiving what you are consuming. If a product is not consumed properly (or formulated properly when mixed), it'll simply hang around in the gut - causing bloating, a sloshy stomach, heart burn, belching, vomiting, gas and/or diarrhea. fluid ingestion. This can further lead to dehydration and glycogen depletion.

Water is absorbed in the small intestines and by the time it enters the large intestines, roughly 80% absorption has occurred. The rate of gastric emptying and intestinal absorption are dependent on the volume and formulation of the beverage. The greater the concentration, the greater the osmolality. This is why you should never concentrate your sport drink – like putting 400-600 calories (2 or 3 hours worth of calories) in one bottle that only has 28 ounces of fluid. When you drink water, there’s a drive for the water to dilute the blood (water moves toward blood) but if you drink a more concentrated beverage than blood, like a hypertonic sport drink or soda or juice, water will move from inside the bloodstream and into the gut – which is dehydrating. The inclusion of electrolytes and glucose in a beverage promotes retention of fluids. When you add a little sugar with sodium (as in a sport drink), you can pull a great amount of water across the small intestines, optimizing water absorption. To help with fluid and electrolyte loss, it's not just about the carbs. You also need to ingest water and electrolytes from a sport drink to keep plasma volume at normal levels. 

There's also an added benefit of a sport drink having multiple carbohydrates for better digestion and absorption but I'll save that for another blog. 

With all this in mind, there are several reputable sport nutrition companies out there to help meet your needs. Here are a few of my favorite sport drinks: 

Swim and Run: 
-Skratch
-Clif hydration
-Fluid
-NBS Carbo-hydration
-Base
-Nuun endurnace 
-Osmo
-EFS

(Don't forget to wear a hydration pack/belt to make it easy to fuel/hydrate when you run. My go-to is Naked)

Bike: 
-Infinit (no protein/fat added)
-Carborocket
-Maurten 320
-Skratch superfuel 

What else should you look for in a sport drink? 

• Simple ingredients - carbohydrate, sodium, natural flavors, preservative (ex. citric acid). 
• Taste - vary the flavors of your sport drink. If you don't like the flavor or texture, you probably won't drink enough of it. If you love it and consume it too often/frequently, you may experience taste bud fatigue and dread it on race day. Consider refreshing and light-tasting flavors especially for the later half of longer workouts. 
• Texture - A sport drink should feel hydrating. If it leaves a funny taste in your mouth or if it's difficult to consume, it's not the right drink for you. 
• Avoid caffeine, protein, fat and other "boosters" in your drink. If you need a boost, get it from an outside source so that you aren't stuck with those added products in your drink (as many times they can cause GI distress). 
• Reach out to a sport dietitian for help. Finding and utilizing sport nutrition is a science and involves a bit of trial and error. Take away the guessing and reach out for help.

6 Fixes for Sport Nutrition Sabotage

 

Self-sabotage has a simple definition - making choices that undermine your own goals and values.

As a dedicated athlete, as it relates to nutrition, you may be making choices that directly conflict with your commitment to training - this is self-sabotage.

For example, are you guilty of any of the following?

❓Intentionally undereating before a workout in order to "save" calories.
❓Forgetting to fuel before an afternoon workout, only to cut the workout short because of low energy/fatigue/hunger.
❓Saving calories to validate consuming sport nutrition products during the workout.
❓Intentionally underfueling during a workout in order to indulge post-workout.
❓Restricting food in order to lose weight.
❓Skimping on recovery nutrition because you are pressed for time or not hungry.

Whether your self-sabotaging behaviors are intentional or unintentional, everybody engages in self-sabotage at some time. If done occasionally - such as indulging in a big meal or forgetting your sport drink during a workout - the consequences may be minor.

But for some athletes, self-sabotaging behaviors become a chronic pattern negatively affecting training, health and life.

To stop your self-sabotaging behavior(s), take some time to understand why you are doing what you are doing and to determine a more constructive way to fix the underlying problem.

When you understand the need that your self-sabotaging behavior is filling, you can learn alternative behaviors to fill that need. As an example, if you are afraid to fuel adequately (consume enough calories) during your workouts because you are unhappy with your body composition/image, recognize that this belief is not serving you well. While intentionally restricting fuel/calories is your choice method to help you feel control over your diet and body composition, this behavior has negative consequences to your performance and health (and body composition.

Do you self-sabotage?

Hot Weather Long-Distance Triathlon Racing - How to Fuel/Hydrate

"Drink as much as you can and take lots of salt tabs!"

This is what I've been reading a lot of lately on social media as it relates to the advice that triathletes are receiving in route to their upcoming hot long distance race. 

Racing in the heat is extremely taxing on the body. The biggest consequences include heat stress/exhaustion/stroke and dehydration. Anytime the weather is above 86-degrees F, there will be some type of stress to your cardiovascular system. For the athlete with a hot weather race on the schedule, you must be smart, flexible, attentive and safe when exercising in the heat. Times will be slow(er) than normal and you can't chase metrics. Your primary goal is racing smart and doing the little things well. It probably won't be your fastest race and on paper, the race results may not showcase your current level of fitness but in such extreme conditions, your only goal is to reach the finish line without compromising your health.

Most athletes will overhydrate before and during a hot weather race. There will be many haphazard nutrition "plans" that involve the excessive consumption of salt pills, excessive consumption of sport drinks and lots and lots of water. Because you will be physiologically limited in the heat, there a limit as to how much sodium, fluid and carbohydrates your body can digest and absorb. You can't replace everything that is lost in sweat (and metabolic heat). 

There are several approaching triathlon races where the weather is predicted to be in the mid to upper 90's. That's hotter than hot when you are racing for 70.3 or 140.6 miles. To be honest, these conditions are not safe for the human body and racing in such brutal conditions poses a significant risk to health. While hot conditions are sure to compromise the health of the body, there are ways to mitigate the stress response to the heat and to safely reach the finish line. By understanding the body response when exercising in hot weather and learning how your fueling and hydration can help you , you will have the necessary tools to fuel and hydrate like a pro. 

Keep yourself safe when running in the heat

Remember that time when you were wishing for warmer temps? Well, that time has come.
I always run with hydration and fuel in my Naked running belt (all year long) but no surprise - I go through my fluids much quicker when it's hot and steamy outside.

Although it can be misearble (and sometimes dangerous) to train in the heat, there are a few ways to help mitigate the physiological response to exercising in hot and humid temps.

First off, it's important to understand why exercise feels so difficult in the heat.

1. Blood that would normally go to the working muscles in a cooler environment is now going to the skin for cooling (so heat can be released into the air).
2. Your body is trying to maintain a safe body temperature (homeostasis). If body temp increases beyond a safe level, normal bodily functions can't be maintained and your body will shut/slow down.
3. With a greater risk for dehydration and loss of electrolytes in the heat, your body can not maintain normal physiological functions. With less fluid in the body, your heart has to work even harder to keep blood volume up to function. In other words, when blood volume drops due to dehydration, your heart has to beat faster to circulate the same amount of blood through the body. When you are dehydrated and blood volume drops, it's incredibly difficult to meet all of the demands of the working body. Ultimately, the body will prioritize cooling and cardiovascular safety and you'll be forced to decrease your effort. If you try to fight it, you'll end up overheating and may fall victim to a heat-related illness.

Here are a few helpful reminders to keep yourself safe when training in the heat:

• Do not attempt a run workout in the hottest hours of the day. Run early morning or in the evening when the sun is not blazing over you. Don't try to be a hero - if it's not safe outside, take your workout indoors (ex. brick running).
• Wear appropriate clothing that keeps you cool, comfortable and protected- lightweight, loose-fitting, breathable and sweat wicking. Don't forget to use sunscreen, wear a breathable hat (and sunglasses) and utilize a cooling towel around your neck. Plan your route to include shade, water fountains, gas stations (for refilling) and off any new asphalt. 
• Don't ration your fluids - stop and refill before you run out of fluids. Aim for at least 10 ounce fluid, 80-100 calories and 240-400mg of sodium per every 30-45 minutes of running. Sip every 8-15 minutes. Use plain water for cooling the body. 
• Adjusting to the heat takes time. It needs to be taken with caution. Keep an eye on your heart rate - even if your pace feels "slow" your rising heart rate will remind you that your body is perceiving the effort as "hard."
• Adjust your effort during structured workouts. Think of intervals as progressive - try to get stronger as the workout continues. Start out easier to reduce the chance of overheating. Starting out too hard (ex. in an interval or in the early part of a workout) will inhibit the body from being able to cool itself. 
• Speed intervals, tempo work and race efforts require adjusted expectations in hot conditions (the best strategy is to not have expectations or a set outcome goal). You will likely need to give yourself more rest to lower the heart rate between intervals or incorporate more walking between intervals. Because the heart rate will rise quickly in the heat and will continue to rise (cardiac drift), your intense efforts should not be forced. It won't take much to increase your heart rate to a "strong" effort. 
• Don't be tempted to keep the pace of a training partner. Listen to your body cues to prevent overheating. Focus on your fueling/hydration needs - drink when you need to drink and stop when you need to stop. 
• Focus on your hydration and fueling in the 72 hours before and after the workout. Preparing for a hot weather workout does not mean only focusing on what you eat/drink in the hours before and after the workout. Because of the taxing nature of hot workouts, you need to prepare in advance and plan well after the workout is complete. 
• Monitor the signs and symptoms of a heat related illness. Chills, headache, nausea, dizziness, no urge to urinate, dark urine, confusion and light-headedness  during and after a workout are not normal and should be taken seriously. 

What you need to know about hot weather sport nutrition

You may be able to get away with haphazard fueling and hydration strategies in the cold winter months but if you are experiencing warmer temps, now is not the time to "wing it" when it comes to utilizing sport nutrition during your long workouts.

If you've ever struggled with understanding your carbohydrate, sodium and fluid needs during a long workout, you've likely experiences several pronounced, uncomfortable and performance-limiting symptoms related to underfueling, overfueling, dehydration and overhydration such as headache, no urge to urinate, sleepiness, lack of appetite, nausea, bloating, fatigue, muscle aches, moodiness and dizziness.

Proper fueling during intense or long duration exercise helps you sustain a desirable effort to maximize training adaptations. You can also practice fueling strategies for competition and train the gut to tolerate nutrition while exercise at various intensities.

Contrary to the opinion of other nutrition experts, I'm a huge proponent of prioritizing sport drinks during training. I've also had great success prioritizing liquid calories during long distance training (for myself and for the hundreds of athletes that have reached out to me for sport nutrition consulting). 

If you are training for a long-distance event (90+ minutes) or training intensely in the heat for 60+ minutes, a sport drink provides a practical and easy way to obtain fluids, electrolytes and carbohydrates, in the right formulation to optimize digestion and absorption. Sport drinks are very safe and effective but are often misused or neglected – especially in the heat.

Sport Drink Formulation
For a sports drink to work effectively, it must have the same or less than osmolality of blood. As a reference, blood plasma has an osmolality of 280-300 milliosmoles per kilogram and a bottle of Gatorade has an osmolality of ~330 mOsm/kg. A sports drinks osmolality (Iso-, hyper- or hypotonic) is dependent on the carbohydrate type (ex. glucose, fructose, maltodextrin) and concentration (grams) in a solution (fluid ounces) – in other words, how quickly it can absorb into your blood stream. If a drink’s osmolality is greater than the blood’s (concentrated or hypertonic), liquid will be pulled from the blood and into the intestine to equalize the two concentrations – this net movement of water is theoretically dehydrating. A iso or hypotonic drink, in contrast, will provide a favorable osmotic gradient so that water diffuses into the cells. If you fail to replace the fluids and electrolytes (sodium) lost in sweat, a cascade of negative events occurs, such as a rise in osmolality, a drop in blood pressure and an increase in heart rate. In contrast, if you drink too much water too quickly and don’t consume drinks with adequate sodium, sodium levels will drop as body water levels rise, causing cells to swell.

What about Juice and Coconut Water?
Because fructose uses a different intestinal transporter compared to glucose and once in the bloodstream, has to be taken up by the liver to be processed into a usable fuel source for the muscles (which can take up to 90 minutes), juices are not recommended as a "sport drink" during exercise.

Although coconut water contains calcium, phosphorus and magnesium (electrolytes found in sweat), sodium and chloride are the major electrolytes because they reside in the extracellular fluid. Compared to a sugar-rich hydration beverage, coconut water is a safe and natural option to occassionally enjoy as an alternative to water. However, to sustain moderate to high-intensity exercise for longer than 90-minutes, the body depends on ingested carbohydrates and sodium – both of which lack in appropriate amounts in coconut water. Additionally, if you are paying extra for coconut water to increase your daily potassium intake, look no further than the produce aisle – a large potato contains 1553 mg of potassium! If you enjoy the taste of coconut water over plain water, choose it for light activity. But to prevent dehydration, replace lost electrolytes and provide the muscles with carbohydrates, a well-formulated sport drink is encouraged. In all other situations, plain water should be your go-to hydration beverage.

Gels, Bars and Chews
Gels, bars and chews are highly concentrated, portable sources of carbohydrates that are easy to consume during exercise but they lack the fluid and electrolytes that you’d find in a sport drink and are not in the right formulation by themselves to be easily digested and absorbed. Same goes for salt pills. Most gels and chews contain around 100 calories (or 25g of carbs) per serving. More concentrated in carbohydrates compared to a sport drink, gels and chews must be consumed with water to encourage gastric emptying. For every 25g of carbohydrates, at least 12-16 ounce of water should be consumed. Athletes may prefer to dilute a gel into a flask or bottle of water to create a more dilute concentration. Considerably low in sodium (50-100mg), gels and chews are ineffective to replenish sodium lost in sweat. Remember, your fluid, sodium and carb intake will be for nothing if it’s just sloshing around in your gut.
 
This doesn’t mean that you can't consume solid food or a gel or chews during long distance training, but to minimize GI issues and to simplify sport nutrition, I strongly advise to prioritize liquid sport drinks when you train (and race) and use chews for a central nervous system pick-me-up and bars/solid food to keep the tummy happy.

Digestion and Absorption 

When applying the topic of sport nutrition, it's important to understand that just because you are consuming carbohydrates, sodium and water, this doesn't mean that your muscles are receiving what you are consuming. If a product is not consumed properly (or formulated properly when mixed), it'll simply hang around in the gut - causing bloating, a sloshy stomach, heart burn, belching, vomiting, gas and/or diarrhea. fluid ingestion. This can further lead to dehydration and glycogen depletion.

Water is absorbed in the small intestines and by the time it enters the large intestines, roughly 80% absorption has occurred. The rate of gastric emptying and intestinal absorption are dependent on the volume and formulation of the beverage. The greater the concentration, the greater the osmolality. This is why you should never concentrate your sport drink – like putting 400-600 calories (2 or 3 hours worth of calories) in one bottle that only has 28 ounces of fluid. When you drink water, there’s a drive for the water to dilute the blood (water moves toward blood) but if you drink a more concentrated beverage than blood, like a hypertonic sport drink or soda or juice, water will move from inside the bloodstream and into the gut – which is dehydrating. The inclusion of electrolytes and glucose in a beverage promotes retention of fluids. When you add a little sugar with sodium (as in a sport drink), you can pull a great amount of water across the small intestines, optimizing water absorption. To help with fluid and electrolyte loss, it's not just about the carbs. You also need to ingest water and electrolytes from a sport drink to keep plasma volume at normal levels. 

Here's a snippet of a presentation I gave to the Trimarni coaching team on the topic of warm weather hydration and fueling.

Don't wait until a setback occurs to appreciate the power of sport nutrition and how a sport drink can enhance performance, protect your immune system and promote quick recovery.

My Sport Nutrition Fueling Regime

It doesn't matter the training session, you'll find me utilizing some type of sport nutrition product. Come race day, I have great confidence and experience in my race day fueling plan, which also helps me reduce the risk of race day GI, bonking and dehydration issues.

I have no hesitations or concerns consuming sport nutrition products in all of my training sessions because I feel these products extend far beyond helping my body maximize performance and adapt to training stress. I believe my good relationship with sport nutrition products has helped me ward off illness over the past 12 years (no sickness since 2007!) and help reduce my risk for injury (last injury in 2013!). I've also been able to do a lot of incredible things with my body over the years. Thank you body!

In our current society, sport nutrition has come very far. There are so many different types of sport nutrition products designed for your sport and most are very well formulated to provide your body with exactly what you need to perform at your best. And most of them taste pleasantly good and use natural ingredients (no chemicals, food dyes or sweeteners). Despite plenty of research demonstrating the benefits of consuming sport nutrition in training and racing to help delay fatigue, minimize excessive dehydration, protect the immune system and optimize performance, many athletes still struggle to understand how to best use products effectively and/or there are many athletes who refuse to consume sport nutrition products in training and racing because they feel they don't need it or the products are "unhealthy".

For the purpose of this blog post, I'm assuming that most athletes understand the importance of consuming sport nutrition products during training and racing but there's a common struggle when it comes to the application of sport nutrition and finding the right product to meet your physiological and taste bud needs.

Here is a past blog post explaining why your sport nutrition products may not be working for you.

Here is a video explaining what products I use for swimming, biking and running. Below the video I have included links to the companies along with a few discount codes. Happy fueling!

Carborocket - discount trimarni
NBS - discount trimarni
INFINIT - discount trimarnicoach
Osmo 
Vite Nutrition - discount trimarni25
Clif 
Skratch
Naked Running Band - discount trimarni15
Amrita bars (not mentioned in the video but I love the protein bars!) - discount trimarni

Adjusting nutrition from short to long course racing

Endurance triathlon racing involves many complex physiological, sociological, mental and motivational factors. Therefore, when training for a multi-sport event of long duration, the human body experiences many metabolic, immune, hormonal and mental stressors in excess of what would be experienced in a single event of the same duration.

It's often said that triathletes and runners can get away with a lot in short course racing but without a well-practiced, well-planned and well-formulated fueling and hydration plan for long course racing, the body will not perform to it's full capabilities (and health may be compromised). 

This is why many athletes struggle in long course training and racing..... how can you expect your body to perform well, hour after hour, if you do not know how to fuel and hydrate it properly?
Sadly, it takes a lot more than motivation and will to get you to the finish line of an endurance race (or to successfully execute a long workout).

A successful endurance performance is not determined solely by how fast you can go, but by how successful you are at delaying fatigue. For a smooth transition to half or full Ironman training, getting your sport nutrition right  is paramount. 

Because it can be a great challenge to determine the ideal intensity which can be matched with proper

hydration and sport nutrition without causing GI distress when going long, practice your nutritional and pacing strategies in training to bring confidence to race day.

Thankfully, you have months of training to perfect your fueling and hydrating as you build fitness, endurance and resilience, so that you can go into your race day with confidence that you practiced and tweaked, practiced and tweaked and practiced and then perfected your ideal fueling and hydration strategy. 

To learn more about how to adjust your nutrition to long course racing, you can check out my article in Triathlete Magazine or online:
READ MORE HERE

Performance-focused nutrition

As an athlete, you have special nutritional requirements compared to your fellow exercise enthusiasts.
You do incredible things with your body on a daily basis and you have high expectations for what your body will do on race day. And unlike research laboratory studies, you are not exercising to see how long you can go but instead, you train to see how fast you can cover a specific distance on a specific date.  

As an athlete, you probably experience many challenges when it comes meeting your extreme training needs through the daily diet because you are not like other people who must only meet basic nutritional needs - you must have great nutritional habits on a day-to-day basis but you also have an extra responsibility to your body to ensure it has the right foods, at the right times to give you extra energy, to delay fatigue, to promote recovery and to keep your body in good hormonal and metabolic health.

First off, if you are reading this right now, I want you to own-up to your "athlete" status.
If you are training for an event, you are an athlete. If you are taking a break from training for an event, but you have completed an event in the past, you are still allowed to call yourself an athlete as nobody took away your past accomplishments - you just may not be able to eat like you use to as you are no longer in need of the energy that helped you train for your events.

 For this very reason of being "an athlete" you are not like other people who can afford to make drastic changes in the diet (like restricting specific food groups for 30 days or excessively cutting back on carbs or calories) or experiment with different diet fads or exercise programs.
At the same time, just because you are an athlete, you can not abuse food because you will burn it off in training.
If you bring poor past dietary habits to your new training regime (or pick up on poor habits as you find that you have less time for meal prep because you need to train longer), you will learn that a dietary change is needed. 

Even though you are training for an event, your extreme active lifestyle should not compromise great health. And for this very reason, performance focused nutrition is your style of eating. 

It is important that you understand that nutrition is very important in your development and in order to achieve personal success in your sport, you need to stay on top of your daily and sport nutrition. 

Far too many experts provide plans for eating which are not practical or feasible at this phase in your nutrition journey. Sure, they may be what you need to kick-start a new style of eating but gaining control over "healthy" eating is more than simply following a plan. You must learn how to eat as an athlete, without feeling deprived, denied or low in energy. 

It boggles my mind that athletes think it's ok to follow the same diet as someone who is not active or has serious clinical health issues. And if a significant amount of weight loss is a necessary goal, training for an event alongside dieting may be a challenge as losing weight through a diet while trying to train the body for an event comes with risks if not done carefully with great supervision by a professional.

As an athlete, you have high energy costs to ensure that you can stay healthy and consistent with training.  If you do not meet these needs, your body begins to fatigue, your motivation for training subsides, your hormones/metabolism change and you may increase risk for injury. 

As an athlete, you must spend more time than non-athletes to strategically plan your meals and your snacks and learn how to time those meals and snacks around workouts.  Busy schedules can interfere with normal eating (and healthy eating) but do not let this be an excuse as to why you are unable to eat well and fuel smart. 

Through a well-chosen, varied diet it's important that you put an extra emphasis on providing your body with the nutrients that will most used (and needed) around workouts. 

As your season progresses, you have many opportunities to fine-tune your nutrition strategies to help you prepare for your upcoming events but you must be consistent for a specific period of time to ensure that what you are doing is working or not working. If you are training harder or longer, don't believe that food restriction and elimination will help you get through your workouts better.

As an athlete, you need the opportunity,  desire AND appetite to consume adequate nutrients and fluids in recommended amounts around workouts and throughout the day. This makes it rather hard for some athletes to easily meet nutritional needs whereas for others, there is lack of passion, awareness or knowledge. 

As you continue to train and advance your fitness, understand that loss of appetite, fatigue, poor access to suitable (or healthy foods) and distractions from proper eating can all negatively affect your ability to train consistently. If your nutrition is keeping you from meeting your training expectations, it's time to reach out to a professional to help. 

Remember that there are no magic bullets or quick fixes when it comes to keeping your body at a healthy body composition, meeting your energy and hydration needs around workouts and staying healthy as an athlete.
The same healthy living strategies that apply to the "normal" population apply to you as well.
Don't assume that you can just out-train poor lifestyle habits and still be a healthy athlete. 

As a performance focused athlete, you must apply the basic healthy living and more specific sport nutrition fueling principles to your active lifestyle on a consistent basis and be sure to learn what works best for you as you slowly create your own performance-focused nutrition plan. 

If you are willing to push your body to new limits and make the investment in every other area of your life to be the best athlete you can be, consider the importance of taking the time learn how to eat and fuel like an athlete.

Fueling the vegetarian endurance athlete - Part 2!

Thank you Girls Gone Strong for letting me share my thoughts on fueling the vegetarian endurance athlete. 

As a 22-year vegetarian and 9x Ironman finisher, I had so much to say on this topic so we decided to make it a two part series and finish with a Q&A on the Girls Gone Strong Facebook page!

                                                                            

To read the articles: Part 1 & Part 2 

Q&A

Q: On Tuesday, in this article you gave some guidelines for protein, carb, and fat requirements for female endurance athletes. Do the numbers look different for women who mostly strength train, and whose goals are strength-based?  If so, how do they differ? 

A: Thanks for asking ! The main focus of fueling an endurance athlete is ensuring that glycogen stores are not the limited as we want to keep our bodies energized for the long haul. I am a firm believer that endurance athletes need a healthy amount of fat in the diet to stay satisfied and healthy as well as protein for recovery/repair but the carbohydrates would be on the greater range for endurance athletes compared to strength-focused athletes. There is also a timing issue because endurance athletes need to consider how digestion affects the gut so I encourage athletes to focus on more low fiber energy dense foods around workouts which should be low in fat/protein and fiber. Example, whereas a strength athlete may be fine with eggs and oatmeal before a workout, an endurance athlete may find this too hard on the gut before a long run so she may opt for cream of wheat with a little nut butter and maple syrup.

Q: If you would like to transition to eating more vegetarian meals what would you consider the core staples that can be used to make quick healthy meals and build the right nutrition behaviors for early adopters? Sorry, I know I am not a girl but I know you are the best at building strong healthy bodies!

A: Thanks for the question!  Whenever transitioning to a more plant strong diet we want to make sure a good solid foundation is in place. So if the diet is already rich in fruits, veggies, grains/starches and healthy fats then the modification to take place would be swapping out animal protein for plant strong protein. For example, if a standard lunch is a salad with a chicken wrap we could replace the chicken with any plant protein (ex. beans, lentils, edamame, tofu, tempeh) as an easy swap. If a standard lunch is just a chicken wrap, then my suggestion would be to get this meal more plant strong by adding some type of veggie component to this meal (salad or stir fry or raw veg) as a starter and then once that habit is in place, swap out the protein option.

Q: For a female athlete (or family) who is looking at having protein strong plant based meals. What would you suggest as an appropriate equivalent of protein in non animal protein sources

 A; In reference to the guidelines in the article (~1.3-1.8g/kg body weight of protein per day) this would be a nice starting point for total protein. I recommend to break up protein consumption per meal, around 20-30g is a nice range. 1 ounce of animal protein = ~7g of protein as a guideline so to swap out 4 ounces of chicken (28g of protein) this would look like 1/2 cup lentils, 1/2 cup peas and 1/2 cup cooked tempeh for around 29g of plant strong protein.

Q: A question we get a lot is whether or not endurance athletes need to strength train? Is it an important part of their overall program?  Where does it fit in? How often? What kinds? Does it ever take priority over endurance training?  How does this differ between in-season, post-season, off-season, and pre-season?

A: I actually went into this in great detail at the The Women's Fitness Summit because I think many endurance athletes do not understand the importance of strength training OR they don't make time for it. I am a firm believer that strength training needs to be part of an endurance athletes training plan but it must be periodized with the season plan. For my athletes/myself, I emphasize foundation building first to work on good motor patterns and mobility. Pretty much breaking down sport-specific movements and refining the movements. We take about 6-8 weeks in this phase while the cardio is focused more on strength (ex. using bands/buoys and paddles in the pool, heavy gear and climbing sets on the bike and slow form focused running with a few pick ups at the end of the workout). The next phase I transition my athletes to is more complex and dynamic training. Plyometrics should come to mind. Whereas the intensity and volume of the cardio training will increase a bit, the body is in a good place to accept this added stress. The goal for cardio is to keep the hard workouts hard and easy workouts easy and to plug in the dynamic strength movements that will yield favorable results to swim, bike run fitness. We call this the build phase and this will take us to the peaking phase of the season for the first key race of the year. Around 4-6 weeks before this race, the frequency of the strength increases but it is still good to keep the body primed for power in the gym once a week and then the other cardio workouts take priority as the focus is race specific workouts. There is always a continued focus on glute, hip and core/lower back strength to ensure that this is never a limiter. The #1 goal of strength training for endurance athletes is that the strength should make the athlete better at the sport she is training for. So strength training should not be designed to get an athlete strong just to be strong but to be strong, fast and powerful at her sport.

A great book for triathletes to better understand a quality approach to training alongside focusing on the strength and recovery component is from Matt Dixon with Purplepatch fitness - The Well Built Triathlete. 

Q: I'm more of a paleo eater now, but my doctor suggested vegetarian for my PMS/PMDD symptoms. Have you seen any evidence to support this or would high protein be better?

Thanks for asking Katrina Skurka Howard - I personally do not advocate a specific diet for athletes as I strive to encourage variety and balance in the diet and no food rules. But when it comes to PMS symptoms, it is important that female athletes understand how their menstrual cycle is affected (or may affect) training and fueling. Stacy Sims discussing this topic in great detail but to help manage these symptoms, I don't feel a specific diet will alleviate these issues but instead to focus on your own individual needs. You may want to start with a lab test to see your vitamin D and ferritin levels which can affect PMS symptoms if inadequate or deficient. For women who are not on the pill or other contraceptive and have a natural menstrual cycle, metabolism will be affected by the different phases (follicular and luteal) but I personally am opposed to any restrictive style of eating that eliminates major food groups. I hope this helps a little. I feel you on the symptoms, I have had my menstrual cycle naturally for the past 7 years every month so I am no stranger to these symptoms  

This is a fantastic reference from Stacy Sims.

Q: As a female endurance athlete how would you suggest balancing the nutritional needs of sport with the desire to lose weight?

A:  This is always a tough question because we want the body to be in a healthy place to tolerate the demands of training but we do not want to underfuel in an effort to lose weight. I think there are many approaches to this but it certainly can be done in a healthy way and depends on where the individual is with her relationship with food and the body. I think the focus needs to be on supporting the workout as many athletes underfuel around the workouts and end up overeating later in the day. As an athlete, making the effort to understand how to eat before, during and after workouts will help take training to the next level. I think another common issue is athletes undereating during the day which affects metabolism. Skipping snacks, not enough adequate carbs, skimping on calories/fat, etc. We need to eat enough to support the demands of training so planning out the day before it happens can be an easy way to see what the day will look like in the most balanced way possible with healthy and satisfying meals and snacks. Lastly, the evenings can be a time of overinduging or overeating so I encourage athletes to not beat themselves up if this happens in the evening but to identify any triggers during the day that may be tweaked to ensure a good balanced dinner in the evening and an early bedtime without excessive snacking. If all of this takes place and an athlete still finds it hard to lose weight, then additional modifications can be made in training to make sure that the workout routine is not too stressful for the body.

Is your nutrition performance enhancing or performance limiting?

Every athlete wants to take his/her fitness to the next level. I believe that we are all born with the trait of wanting hard work to pay off when it counts. 

As a dietitian who specializes in sport nutrition and fueling a body in motion, there's a lot of information that can be applied to an athlete who wants to take his/her training regime to the next level. It doesn't matter how you term your fitness - newbie, veteran, skilled, professional, novice - but instead, what are the goals that you aspire for yourself and are you willing to put in the hard work to meet your goals. 

I have had the great opportunity to work with many, many inspiring and motivated athletes on their nutrition, both daily and sport nutrition. Also, combing this with coaching so that a well-fueled body can go to the next level of fitness.

What's the difference between the two? Here's an article that I wrote for Triathlete Magazine that may help explain how sport nutrition is a topic that is very different from daily nutrition. 

There are similarities between the two and they do relate, but one (sport nutrition) helps the body adapt to training stress whereas the other (daily nutrition) helps keep the immune system healthy and reduces risk for disease and illness. To reduce risk for disease you do not have to use sport nutrition but to take training to the next level, you certainly have to eat healthy. 

One of the biggest issues I find with athletes is not knowing where to start in a nutrition journey. Regardless of working with a professional (ex. RD who specializes in sport nutrition) or from information on the internet, books and from friends/coaches, there's a lot of information available to athletes, some new and exciting but most of the information has remained the same for decades. 

So this brings to me to my focus of this blog post. 

If you are searching for nutrition help/advice to help take your training/fitness/performance to the next level, what category are you? 

Performance enhancing or Performance limiting. 

With so much information available, athletes are always looking at what others are doing (age groupers and pros) and trying to replicate in their own routine. Sometimes this works really well but many times, athletes are not focusing on exactly what is the reason for changing/tweaking the diet and fueling regime. 

Therefore, these are two categories that I use to help me (and my nutrition athlete) identify what are the underlying reason(s) for modifying the diet or fueling regime. Every athlete is different and I believe in a personalized approach. 

Far too many times I see athletes trying anything and everything to improve performance but not necessarily changing the right things. Often, things are changed that are working and new things are added that may not be necessary. 

 I will explain a little about both of these categories so that you can see where you fit in as you focus on the very important area of nutrition that is a critical part of an athletes training "diet". 

I find that most triathletes fit into one category more than the other, and those who feel limited by their current fueling/nutrition regime need an immediate change. Certainly, if I can help an athlete identify a red flag as to why performance is being limited, this can be addressed and practiced and almost immediately, performance will improve. And who doesn't want that?

Although I work with a wide range of athletes and I love working with the performance enhancing athlete, I would say that most athletes that I work with, are not in the performance enhancing category when they contact me for nutrition help. 

 Once you better understand if your current fueling/nutrition regime is limiting your performance, you will have less information to dive through as you discover exactly what it is that you should immediately address in hopes to modifying your fueling/diet regime to unlock great performances. 

PERFORMANCE ENHANCING

-You feel extremely comfortable with your current fueling regime. You have achieved a number of continuous solid performances this season (or in the past year) without minimal GI issues, cramping, bonking, fatigue, injuries, unintentional weight loss/gain. 

-You are looking for a safe/legal way to take your training to the next level. You are willing to make some changes in your current training and nutrition regime to see if there is something that can help you advance your fitness. 

-You are open to trying new things even though what you are currently doing is working just fine. This area of nutrition tweaking is more about individual responses to recent research that does not always works for the masses. Beet juice, tart cherries, spirulina, protein powder, fat burning, customized sport nutrition, caffeine, branch chain amino acids.....to name a few, there is research to support the use of many of these things in athletes (when used safely, guided by a professional, without any underlying health issues in the athlete). You have likely read in magazines or on forums that athletes "swear" by certain products or methods of fueling, however, it is not always necessary to help take training to the next level, especially if you are in the performance limiting category. 

-You accept that you are not an expert and that if what you are doing now is working, and you want to take training to the next level, it is going to require that you are walking on a thin line of injury/burnout/sickness. Any athlete who wants to step up performance should work with a professional who can help guide an athlete for if done alone, there are risks to trying new products to "gain the competitive edge" as well as modifying training to "step it up". Your team should involve an involved and dedicated/experienced coach to guide you with your training as well as a sport RD who can help properly fuel and recover your body so that you can be consistent with training. 

Are you looking to enhance your performance? 

PERFORMANCE LIMITING

-You commonly experience fatigue, bonking, cramping, burn out, injuries, dizziness, headaches, GI issues, plateau's, mood swings, unintentional weight loss/gain  during your training/racing. 

-You haven't yet discovered how to best fuel your body before, during and after a workout. You may not even be using any type of sport nutrition during workouts, eating before workouts or consuming any recovery foods/drinks post workout. Maybe you don't know what to do, you are scared of trying something new, you have had bad experiences in the past or you just don't know where to start. 

-You haven't yet discovered how to best nourish your body throughout the day to keep your immune system healthy and to reduce risk for disease. 

-You haven't yet discovered how to fuel for performance and fuel for health. Perhaps you have some underlying health issues that you are working on and not sure how to combine sport nutrition with your current diet (which in your opinion, is still a work in progress).

-You constantly find yourself trying something new because you read or heard about it. 

-You keep trying the same things, hoping for a different result. 

-You are extremely dedicated and passionate about your training and want your hard work to pay off in training and on race day. However, you find you are stuck in a constant circle of lack-luster performances despite putting in the work (which sometimes doesn't feel like you are gaining fitness but instead, experiencing setbacks). 

-You have great workouts but come race day, you have no idea how to fuel for your given distance/intensity or your fueling plan fails you. 

As you can imagine, with triathlons and running (my two sport areas of expertise for coaching and nutrition) growing so quickly in popularity and racing venues, it's very ease to train for a race. However, many athletes find themselves uncomfortable, unaware or confused with the area of sport nutrition when it comes to meeting the physiological/metabolic needs of adapting to applied, intentional training stress. Throw in not understanding how to eat "healthy" and there are a lot of athletes out there who feel extremely limited when it comes to taking training to the next level. 

One area I did not put into either category is body image and an athletes relationship with food. This is an area that I am very passionate about for I feel that if an athlete can improve on this area (which is extremely hard in a body image obsessed world with dozens of food trends for athletes and the masses), they can often find themselves enhancing performance and taking care of many performance limiters at the same time. 

I feel that this area can be applied to both categories and often I find that athletes seek dietary/fueling changes in order to change body composition to improve performance (or feel body composition is limiting performance). 

This is understandable for if an athlete carries extra weight on his/her frame (sometimes coaches call it dead weight but let's use a nicer word such as extra weight), he/she may be at risk for injury as well as not using fuels efficiently. However, I must say that I find that many athletes feel they are limited by their body composition but often times, develop extremely unhealthy eating/training patterns to try to improve performance when in actuality, they are not limited by their body but instead, they are just not fueling properly around workouts and during the day. The weight may be the outcome of a fueling/nutrition regime that just needs a little tweaking. Losing weight doesn't always transfer to improve performances, especially if you are not supporting your training load. 

It isn't that losing weight will automatically improve performance but instead, changing how food is timed/consumed produces a stronger and faster performance on a more consistent basis. Really, there is no point of a lean body if you can't do anything with it. 

Without guidance, an athlete who feels that she/he is limited by his/her body composition and doe not having a healthy relationship with food and the body, may produce performance destructive habits and this is certainly not a category you want to be in. It is just not possible for an athlete to take training to the next level if she/he is unable to see food for fuel and for health. Many times, athletes constantly find themselves overly sensitive with their own body imagine and when it comes to taking training to the next level, athletes are doing nothing more than sabotaging performance or not getting anything out of a training session. 

Regardless if an athlete does needs to manage body composition from a physiological, health or metabolic standpoint (which should be done with a professional), athletes should always consider if there is an underlying issue that should be addressed prior to tweaking the fueling regime/daily nutrition. There are many reasons an athlete can feel "limited" with his/her performance and if looking to take training to the next level, it is critical that a healthy relationship with food/ body and a good understanding of how to safely and properly support a training regime is in place. This is the foundation of great consistent performances. 

Do you feel as if your current fueling/nutrition regime is limiting your performance or/and do you feel that you would be able to improve your fitness by developing a healthier relationship with food and the body? If so, contact a RD who specializes in sport nutrition that can be of help. 

Pre and post sport nutrition - fuel smart, perform better

Let's be honest, if you enjoyed this video (and can relate), it's likely that you call yourself a triathlete, runner, cyclist or swimmer. Why? Because you love what you get to do and you enjoy the people who "get you."

But in order to keep up this awesome voluntary active lifestyle that takes you to start and finish lines, you have to be sure to properly fuel your workouts so that you can function well in life.
 

Everything you do with your body requires energy.

Did you know it takes energy to digest and process different macronutrients in your diet (thermogenesis). About 10% of your energy expenditure each day may be related to the Thermic Effect ...of Food (TEF). Protein has the greatest TEF and fat has the lowest TEF, whereas carbohydrates are in the middle.

I recommend a small carbohydrate-rich snack before your workout to boost energy and to improves fat oxidation. The benefits of food consumption—particularly of carbs—far outweigh any perceived benefits from fasting pre-workout from my experience in working with athletes (and as an athlete myself). After training, the TEF goes up drastically and more of the energy is lost as heat with carbohydrates so combine carbohydrates with your post workout protein snack.

REMEMBER: Time your nutrition around your workouts for this is the time when your body is under the most intentional physiological stress. You are burning hundreds of calories in a 1+ hour workout so the least you can do to respect your body is nourish it before, during and after the workout to ensure that you adapt to training stress.

Example: Before a 60-90 min workout (~30-60 min before) - 1 small banana + 1-2 tsp PB or 8 ounces milk + 1/2 large banana + 1 tsp PB
Glass of water + optional coffee/tea

During 1 hour workout: water or if needed electrolyte tablet and/or carbohydrates (20-25g)

Post workout - this is where the magic happens. There's great benefit to consuming protein soon after you finish a workout to enhance recover of damaged muscles and to stimulate protein synthesis. What else is happening when you properly refuel post workout?
You are also experiencing muscle fiber generation, increasing mitochondria, capillarization and metabolic changes. The idea recovery nutrition is around 20-25g protein in the post-workout period where the key amino acid to boost recovery appears to be leucine (essential amino acid).

You'd be happy to know that your recovery window is open more than 30-60 min post workout and instead 24-48 hours you are still recovering! This is why it is really important to keep refueling post workout and to not have one big meal post workout but instead to have repeated small doses of protein (20-25g) throughout the day post workout. 

But to repair quickly post workout, it's ideal to consume a high-quality protein (ex. dairy - which offers a mix of casein and whey OR vegan protein OR soy as a complete protein) as soon as you can post workout (and this will also help with overeating later in the day as well) as carbohydrate (either with recovery snack or with your post workout meal) to replenish muscle glycogen and to maintain stores throughout your training week.

An easy recovery snack could be 8 ounce cow's milk (or 10g vegan protein powder + 8 ounce almond milk) + handful of Cheerios (~20-25g carbs). 12-16 ounces water + optional coffee/tea.

Then real meal when you are ready.

Although I feel there is a place for sport drinks to meet electrolyte, fluid and carb needs during training, I am a big proponent of real food before and after training. Remember that whole foods will not only nourish your body to protect your immune system and reduce risk for disease/illness but will also provide your body with vitamins/minerals and other nutrients that you will use for energy during a workout and to help with recovery.

As athletes and fitness enthusiasts, it's important to think about food for fuel so that you can maintain your active lifestyle and reap the benefits of swimming, biking and/or running x-miles/hours per week.

There are way to manipulate the time of training w/ meal time (or the other way around) as well as modifying workouts/eating to meet energy requirements for body composition changes. But the bigger picture is to focus on performance if you are training for a start/finish line. If you struggle with your daily or sport nutrition for fueling or body composition, contact a RD who specializes in sport nutrition to help you tailor your nutrition based on your individual needs and goals.

Happy Training!!!

IMWI - 2010 (Enjoying my delicious post-IM breakfast while receiving my paperwork for my 2nd IM world Championship).

Proper fueling during workouts: TIP

Time for a TRIMARNI tip!

It's late afternoon and your body is asking for a snack.
Skip the diet coke or energy drink!

Isn't it amazing that a calorie free, chemically-filled beverage can make you feel "full" and can help with headaches/nausea when your blood sugar is low?

Kinda crazy how the food industry knows what you want and will find some way to put ingredients together in a factory in order to have it ready for you at the nearest grocery store or gas station. Too bad our media doesn't stress the importance of real food from farmers like it does for a 40+ billion dollar weight-focused industry. 

As for real food, no problem to honor your hunger. One of my tips for proper snacking is to never watch the clock. If you listen to your body after working really hard to create a balanced diet that leaves you satisfied and happy, you can get your body into a rhythm as to when it will be receiving meals and how to snack appropriately. Our society does a real good job of not eating when you are truly feeling a sense of hunger yet eating when you are truly full or not in the need of food. 

source

 But let's talk sport nutrition for any individual who is exercising over a 90 minutes (moderate intensity for health/calorie burning purposes) OR for any athlete training their body over an hour (aside from off-season).

The next time you find yourself working out without a sport drink, and not fueling your body during a 1+ hour workout, address your eating later in the day?

Do you find your hunger more intense as the week goes on as an effect of not fueling properly during workouts?
Do you find yourself not recovering well post workout? Maybe lingering fatigue?
Do you find yourself with fluctuating blood sugar, changes in mood, extreme hunger/cravings?

Here's my take on sport nutrition for the active individual who wants to respond favorably to training stress and to get stronger, faster and healthier (anyone not want this?)

If you are not giving your body energy when your body is under intentional physiological stress, ask yourself what's more valuable to your overall health and performance? 

1) Being sedentary (or fairly active) with a low resting HR throughout the day and "fueling" your body to continue doing minimal "work" with your body (or to pass the time because you are bored, stressed, emotional)
OR

2) Moving your body with an elevated HR and "fueling" your body to maintain energy, postpone fatigue, stay alert/focused and to help with recovery and immune system health. 

When I work with athletes, my goal is to ensure that the athlete who is training for an event, is fueling properly for performance gains and to perfect race day nutrition.
When I work with athletes or fitness enthusiasts who are looking for a more balanced lifestyle or modifications in the diet, I focus on creating a good foundation diet so that when it comes to "training" nutrition, the ONLY thing that should be modified significantly should be the nutrition you consume before, during and after the workout to support the workout training stress. 

Every day offers an important time to fuel and nourish your body for your life depends on your ability to maintain a healthy metabolism and keep your immune system in good health. But because you do not have to run a marathon, do an IM or even run a 5K to be "healthy" consider the risks you take every time you push, challenge or force your body to perform during moderate to intense exercise?

I feel that with the rapid increase of endurance/multisport/running events, athletes are easy persuaded to train for an event but they have little to no idea as to how to fuel their body to support the new training load. From weight gain, to missed menstrual cycles (women), to rapid weight loss, brain fatigue/fog, low blood sugar, to muscle cramps, to a decrease in bone density to cardiac, muscle and brain issues. Why is it that so many athletes feel they don't "need" to fuel with some type of easy-to-digest/absorb, effective, safe sport nutrition during workouts? I feel that for many athletes, they consider these negative, yet health damaging, side effects as normal parts of training...but they are not and highly not encouraged when training for an event.

Swim, bike or run - if you want your body to perform and to adapt..... fuel it when it needs it the most. 

6am track, swim or bike workout. Your body needs fuel.
9pm. Your body probably doesn't need a bowl of ice cream, cookies or cereal. 

A well formulated, safe and effective sport drink will support your heart, brain and muscles by providing fluids, electrolytes and carbohydrates. Considering the complexity of the human body at rest, never overlook the value of fueling properly before, during and after your workouts and how it can significantly impact your health, eating and mood the rest of the day (and week and life). 

Need help? Contact a RD specializing in sport nutrition to figure out the best fueling strategy for your personal health, body composition and performance goals. 

Happy fueling!