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?

How do I fuel if.....

Writing an article for a magazine usually goes like this....

I pitch a lot of articles to a magazine and a few (or one or none) gets selected OR a magazine reaches out to me with an article topic for me to write about.

Back in December, after I received confirmation that I would be writing three articles for Triathlete Magazine for the May (Fueling the Vegetarian athlete), June (Sport Nutrition - progressing from short to long course racing) and July (Common fueling mistakes) issues, I was asked to write a 2000-word, feature assignment for the March/April issue on "How do I fuel if...." with the following topics discussed:
-I don't have time to cook
-I'm trying to lose weight
-I'm (going) gluten-free
-I'm a female athlete
-I bonk in races

The article would include 5 different scenarios (each around 200-300 words or the equivalent of a short article) with specific advice, tips and suggestions for each topic, in addition to a sidebar of common-race day fueling mistakes. 

Not only was this the longest article I have ever written for print (essentially, 6 articles into one) but I had a two week turnaround with a very quick deadline as it was a last minute addition to the magazine.

While reading an article after it is completed is rewarding (and hopefully, it flows well and makes sense), the process of writing an article is not easy. And I think any writer can admit that sometimes words easily flow from the brain to the fingers to paper and viola, an article is written quickly but many times, writing an article is a tough process with a lot of mental struggles, either lack of creativity or difficulty getting anything done.

When I am about to write an article, I always do a lot of research before I start typing and this includes reading a lot of current scientific studies as well as learning/understanding what the masses (athletes) are doing, not doing or are most concerned about (or struggling with). There is a lot of thinking that goes into writing easy to read, easy to apply and easy to understand sentences. Finding a way to get 2000 words on to a blank piece of paper is not an easy process but I love the challenge of being a writer.
(If I didn't write, my brain would stay filled with words. Getting those thoughts on paper clears up my head).

While this article took a lot of time, energy and brain power, and several long days of locking myself in a room (with Campy - who is a professional napper) to work on this article, I loved the challenge of writing this feature article and I am really happy with how it turned out. 

I hope you enjoy the article and can take away something helpful from one or all six of my nutrition topics.

How to be a well-fueled machine
(2016 March/April issue)

If you need a more personalized approach with nutrition or have concerns about specific nutrition topics, be sure to reach out to professional who can help in your individual journey. 

Daily diet or fueling manipulation?

Source

Through this approach, your body composition will change because you are able to perform well and maintain a realistic and sustainable style of eating. 

Are you an athlete looking to change body composition and improve your performance as you train for an upcoming event?

Consider this: 

Manipulating your eating before, during and after workouts in an effort to enhance the adaptive response to training will only provide a marginal performance and body composition improvement if your daily diet is not well-balanced, well-timed and consistent.

It's remarkable how the body performs and changes when emphasis is placed on the daily diet as a vehicle of nourishment and when workouts are supported with food as a vehicle of energy.

Far too many athletes choose sport nutrition restriction over daily diet manipulation whereas the later can significantly help to change your body composition without compromising energy when you ask your body to perform and adapt to intentional training stress.

Meeting your daily nutrient and energy needs in the daily diet ensures maximal adaptation to your training because you have met your foundation nutritional needs which will help allow you to perform (and recover from) a variety of workouts - from easy to moderate to intense and from short to longer to very long.

Once you place emphasis on your daily eating (which it will change throughout your season), you'll find that your body systems, hormones and metabolism work better. Your body ultimately works for you as an athlete, not against you. Thus, rather than trying to outperform a poorly planned diet by restricting nutrition around and during workouts (this statement in itself makes absolutely no sense but athletes continue to believe that this is the "best" approach to improving performance and to assist in weight loss) you'll find it much easier to optimize, adjust and personalize your fueling regime before, during and after workouts to meet your performance goals after you have taken the time to establish a healthy foundational diet.

If you know (or think) that your daily diet needs some tweaking, consider the straight-forward approach of creating a well-balanced, well-timed and consistent eating plan rather than simply not eating around and during your workouts with the hope that food elimination or restriction will make you a stronger, healthier and fitter high-intensity or endurance athlete. 

Ultimately, if performance and body composition changes are the ultimate goals of your nutritional changes, you'll find that when you create a foundation diet to support your current training load, your workouts become easier to accomplish, you can go longer or harder with better focus, form and motivation and you can maintain a great sense of enjoyment when you train (which leads toward more training consistency and longevity in your sport).

And ironically, with this approach, there's a better chance of unintentionally changing your body composition without intentionally trying, while maintaining a great healthy relationship with food and the body AND feeling fulfilled and happy in your sport of choice.

Fit AND healthy

Great performances are built on great health. If you are carelessly eating whatever you want or intentionally restricting energy and fluids before/during and after your workouts, in an your attempt to improve performance, you could actually find yourself becoming less healthy.

You can't expect to train your way to great fitness and live an unhealthy lifestyle.

Sure, you may not smoke, eat fast food all day or drink excessively but how are your dietary choices enhancing your health?

Great health is the foundation to great performances. 

As it relates to healthy living and healthy eating, how much time you devote to getting fit compared to how much time you devote to improving your health? 

Don’t assume that both are correlated as many times, they are not.

You can be very fit but also very unhealthy. 

 

In the February 2016 issue of Triathlete Magazine, you can check out two pages (Pg. 68-69) of my nutrition tips relating to fueling your body for short distance triathlons. 

You will read in the article that I am not suggesting complicated sport nutrition tips nor am I suggesting to be overly restrictive with your eating.

Hopefully with my tips you will better understand how to fuel your body in motion so that you can be more consistent with training as you keep your body in good health. 

Just because you signed up for a race and you have a training plan, this doesn't mean that you are guaranteed good health.

You have to make the effort to be healthy when you are NOT training so that when you train, your body can adapt better to training stress. 

It is important to focus on healthy living as an athlete so that you don't compromise your health as you are trying to improve your fitness. 

Here are a few focus areas for healthy living:

Good sleep
Healthy relationships
Healthy work/life/family balance
Stress management
                                   Train smart - train enough but not too much                             

Strength train
Reduce sedentary time
Nutrient timing
Prioritize real food, variety
Meal plan
Healthy relationship with food and the body

Fuel smart on the bike - Easy sport nutrition tips

In case you missed it, check out my previous two blogs discussing:
Cycling nutrition: keep is simple
Debunk the myth: Do you need sport nutrition?

EASY FUELING TIPS

HYDRATION

For triathletes, I recommend 1 water bottle cage for every  hour of training, up to 4 cages. Your hydration set-up should be on your bike at all times but certainly this will come in handy for your longer rides. If your bike does not hold 4 cages, you can alter the set-up with a bottle on your aero bars, two rear cages, set up an additional hydration system (ex. bladder if built in on the bike) or have, at minimum, 3 cages and plan to stop in training after 3 hours. I have 4 cages on my bike (2 in the frame, 2 in the rear) and I am very comfortable grabbing the rear bottles and moving around bottles as I am riding. As you can see from Karel's picture below that he has his bottle on his aerobars with computer attached on top of the cage. He only has three cages on his bike. 

GELS

Rather than fumbling with gels, use a gel flask. It's an efficient way to get a swig of gel whenever your want and you can wash it down with water (at aid stations in racing) or carry an extra bottle of water with you in training. 1 gel requires about 8-12 ounce of water to help empty it from the gut so small amounts consumed more frequently is an easier way to get those bursts of energy you are looking for. To practice, I recommend to start with 1 gel per hour, no more than 2 gels in a flask (and fill with water). Your gel intake should be on top of your liquid nutrition intake. I do not recommend to prioritize consuming hourly calorie needs from gels when instead you can simply get a sport drink powder to fill your water bottle to meet calorie and hydration needs. 

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Simplify your fueling strategy. It is extremely inefficient and many times dangerous for you and for others around you to fuel with 2-3 different energy sources during your ride (ex. pills, solid food and water or gels, water, solid food or sport drink solid food and gels). You absolutely need, at minimum water and electrolytes when you ride and typically this is at minimum 20 ounce of water and 400 mg of sodium (100-200mg of potassium) plus electrolytes like magnesium and chloride. But when it comes to the energy that you need to keep your glycogen tank filled, brain staying alert and muscles working effectively, carbohydrates are your best friend and they need to be consumed in a way that they empty from the digestive tract quickly so those sugars can be taken up by the working muscles with the help of insulin. I typically encourage at minimum, 200 calories per hour from a sport drink for longer rides (ex. more than 2 hours) up to 300 calories as a start for men and women. The best strategy for you athletes is to rely on liquid nutrition as your primary fuel. You make it super simple this way to meet your calorie/carbohydrate, electrolyte and fluid needs.  I recommend between 50-75g of carbohydrates per bottle (glucose, glucose/fructose or glucose/maltodextrin/fructose combination).

TUMMY SATISFIERS

Solid food, chewy blocks, beans and pills all have their place in your bike fueling regime but everything needs to serve a purpose (ex. to benefit your effort/experience on the bike) and it needs to be practical in training and in racing in multiple conditions. I find many athletes do really well with a little solid food in the gut, but small amounts at a time. Open your bar prior to the ride in the package and stick in your bento box or jersey pocket so it's easy to consume, immediately when you need it. Have a small bite as needed, every 20-40 minutes. Blocks are also just fine for a little energy burst or different consistency than gel so to make it easy, cut the package in half so you don't have to fumble with a large package in your bento box or jersey as it gets hard to squeeze a block from the bottom of a package. Sport beans (or any small, loose candy) can be challenging to handle and consume at high speeds or on technical courses and many times, it is challenging to get "energy" from these options - so it's likely you are using them as a fun treat. I would learn to pass on these for a safer ride. As for pills, if you are using electrolyte or amino pills (I do not advocate caffeine pills) under the direction of your sport RD, I recommend to create a range of times when you will consume these and just slow down. Always bring extra as pills like to fall out of coin purses, bento boxes or containers or get smashed. 

TRAIN YOUR GUT

Most of all, you need to train your gut to tolerate nutrition on the bike and work your way up in nutrition. It can take up to 6-8 weeks to get comfortable consuming sport nutrition during a workout. Never be afraid to fuel your body while cycling but first you need to get use to consuming nutrition on the bike. Perfect your bike hydration set up and practice using water in a gel flask (sipping and returning to your jersey pocket or bento box). Practice moving around your bottles - this is a great drill for newbie athletes and coaches must understand that many new (or even veteran) triathletes are many times, not comfortable removing their hands from the bars or can't make this a habit if most of the riding is indoors in a controlled environment without gravity and wind affecting the ride. So practice, practice, practice - take  3-4 filled water bottles on your bike on a casual ride to get more comfortable with your bike fueling regime. Practice grabbing things from your pockets, bento box, etc. as you are riding so that you never have to put yourself into a scenario when you are underfueling due to lack of skills/knowledge on the bike. 

EXCITE YOUR TASTE BUDS

My last little secret tip is to change up the taste of your nutrition. This is especially important for the endurance triathletes. . Do not use the same flavor gel on the bike as the run as your taste buds will get very tired of the same taste. For the last hour of your long ride (or in a race), make 1 bottle be different - choose your absolute favorite sport drink and let this be a different flavor then the rest of the bottle flavors in a 3-4 hour ride/race.  Also, if you always get tired of consuming sport drinks and gels during long rides/races, have something that you can chew on once an hour (ex. 30-50 calories of bar or block) that is an entirely different flavor than your sport drink to help keep your taste buds excited. I don't encourage spicy but perhaps something bland or just a different taste/texture all together. 

Maximize recovery with two mini meals

Do you ever find yourself having a fantastic carb-rich meal post workout but then (for whatever reason), hours go by without eating and then you are starving around 4 or 5pm?

Do you find that it is hard to understand how to eat throughout the day when most of your morning is spent working out and your first real "meal" comes around 11 or 12pm but you have dinner plans (with family/friends) around 6 or 7pm? Should you eat a snack, should you not eat, can you afford to eat another meal?

Are you constantly hungry all day post workout?

Is your post workout meal so filling that you don't have an appetite until 7 hours later?

Do you feel like you need to make more of an effort to eat better post long workout but life just gets in your way?

Mini meals

An effect way to maximize glycogen repletion post long workout (and to increase the chance of faster recovery before your next workout the following day) is to focus on eating two mini meals within ~4 hours post workout. 

This may not be easy in all situations but it is important to understand that if you are asking your body to train for several continuous hours in order to improve fitness, you have to do your best to prioritize your eating in the 24 hours post workout to ensure that your body recovers well and adapts to the training stress. 

This tip is especially helpful for athletes who really struggle with portions post workout or eat too much all at once (or too little) on long workout days . If you allow yourself two small meals post workout (don't see this as meal and then snack) as oppose to one large meal post workout, not only will digestion be easier but another eating opportunity is a great way to increase the nutrient density in your diet. 

As much as I love my veggies, having a salad at noon after a 4 hour ride is just not my idea of effective post-workout refueling. I'd much rather see athletes consume a hearty salad at 7pm after you have done a good job of refueling and repairing with several carb-protein eating opportunities throughout the day. 

If your workout is 3+ hours, consider having a substantial carbohydrate rich post workout meal (~50-90g carbs) with protein (~20-30g) after your recovery drink and then another "meal" 2-3 hours later of similar macronutrient composition.

From your post workout food choices, you are also reducing inflammation and oxidative stress so any time you think twice "am I eating too much?" just remember that you are doing your body a service by prioritizing nutrients that will keep your immune system and body healthy.

After all that recovering eating is complete come 5,6 or 7pm, finish your day with a healthy evening meal that balances out your previous food choices. 

If you constantly find yourself eating two large meals (post workout at 10 or 11am and then your "dinner" meal 7+ hours later) on your long workout days, you will find that this tip is super effective to help you control your portions and the chance of over-indulging in the evening (which will also help you recover faster and feel better for the next day's workout). 

If you find yourself finishing your long workout around 10 or 11 AM, don't let yourself go all afternoon with only a small snack or no food until your last meal of the day. 

Here's an example of how to use my mini-meal tip:

(water included with meals and workouts)

6am - pre workout snack (300-400 calories)

7:30-10:30am workout (sport drink/gels included)

11am - post workout recovery drink (~15-20g protein + 30-40g carbs)

11:30am - post workout meal (ex. 2-3 pancakes w/ syrup and fruit + scrambled eggs and spinach)

1:30/2pm - quinoa or rice w/ mixed veggies and cottage cheese (or lean meat/fish) OR PB&J sandwich and a banana OR yogurt w/ fruit and granola

4:30/5pm - small snack before dinner - veggies with hummus, a few crackers with cheese, piece of fruit small handful nuts and raisins

6:30/7pm - dinner (your choice - example baked potato with fish (or tempeh) and veggies topped with olive oil. This would look like: starch/grains with veg or fruit, healthy fat and your choice of protein. )

Pre-workout fueling - part II

Pre-workout fuel

Training is your gut is one the most (if not the most) important concepts when it comes to perfecting your pre-workout/race snack/meal. Eating before every workout (30-90 minutes before) will not only help boost your performance (ex. time to fatigue, mental focus, recovery and energy production) but you will also recognize what foods work/digest the best so that you can use those similar foods, in a larger quantity, on race day.

Karel and I eat before every workout, every day in our season. Absolutely no workout is started without some type of pre-workout snack. 

If you aren't use to (or comfortable with) eating before a workout, start very small in terms of quantity and carbohydrates for 7-10 days by selecting the most appropriate low-residue food/foods that you feel will work the best, depending on the workout.

You may find that your pre-workout snacks may vary workout to workout and that is ok but try to keep it simple and have no more than 5 staple "go-to" pre workout snack items.

It is perfectly fine to add a little fat/protein (which do take a little longer to digest) but the idea is to prioritize energy dense foods that pack a lot of carbohydrates, without a lot of fiber or volume.

Overtime, you will likely develop greater gut tolerance to food before a workout, which is ultimately the goal for every athlete. Instead of feeling restricted by food, train your gut to accept key foods before workouts. 

If you ever hear/see an athlete who can eat almost anything before a workout/race and perform fantastically well without GI issues, well let's assume that that athletes has a very resilient gut. 

How much fuel? 
To help get you started:

• ~120-200 calories (~30-40g of carbs + a few optional grams of protein/fat) before a 45-90 minute workout. Consumed at least 30 minutes before the workout (although the quicker to digest, like a glass of juice, you may be good to go within 15 minutes - however, I still encourage time to get your body/mind warmed-up before the workout).
• ~150-250 calories  (~30-50g of carbs + a few grams protein/fat) before a 90 minute - 2.5 hour workout. Consumed at least 30 minutes before the workout.
• ~200-350 calories (~40-70g carbs + 10-15g protein/fat) before a 2.5-3.5 hour workout. Consumed at least 45 minutes before the workout.
• ~300-450 calories (~50-90g carbohydrates + 10-15g protein/fat) before a 3.5+ hour workout. Consumed at least 45-60 minutes before the workout. 

Always include at least 8 ounce water with your pre-workout snack to help with digestion.

I also advocate consuming sport nutrition (electrolytes, carbohydrates, fluids) during all workouts over 60 minutes (ex. sport drink or water/gel).

Pre-workout carbohydrate-rich fuel options

Some of my favorites to dress-up with a smear of nut butter and cinnamon: 

Saltines

Rice cake

Banana

Cream of wheat
Wasa cracker

Topped with:

Honey

Maple Syrup

Raisins
Granola

Other low-residue options: 

Rice or rice-based cereal

Puffed cereal

Pancakes/waffles from refined flour

100% Fruit juice

Soup (broth-like)

Refined bread/crackers
Grits/instant oats

Applesauce (or applesauce packets)

Cooked/soft fruits (or without the skin)

Cooked veggies (ex. potatoes)

You are probably surprised to see a few of these recommendations like refined food or juice because as I mentioned in my last blog post, these foods are not associated with "healthy eating".  But keep in mind that as athletes, we have to take care of our gut as we fuel for performance and despite some of these options not being "healthy" for the average individual in the daily diet, they are extremely easy to digest (and find) before a workout and can certainly help minimize the risk for GI distress/issues during training/racing. 

In summary, it is imperative that you understand how to separate sport nutrition vs healthy eating. and apply this concept to your daily life and workout routine. 

I hope you found this helpful as it is one of the most popular topics that I discuss with young athletes (and their parents) and during my nutrition lectures as well as when I work with profession/elite athletes and age groupers.  I find that for the "new" athletes, fitness enthusiasts who explain that they can't stomach anything before a workout or individuals seeking body composition changes, this is often a topic that is hard to apply as it is far from what society views as healthy eating.

I am all about real food whenever possible so consider my pre-workout options as "real" as you can get without compromising gut health.  Remember that your pre-workout/race snack should be easy to find, easy to prepare and easy to consume.  If you want to make your own options of some of these items, that would be fantastic but don't overwhelm yourself at first. I want you to make sure you are finding it easy to fuel around workouts so that you can dedicate a lot of your extra energy to preparing and consuming a very balanced, real food "healthy" diet throughout the day. 

 I am excited to hear how your next few workouts go with your new pre-workout fueling tips as you should be feeling lighter, cleaner and most of all, working out with an energized body that has a happy gut.  

Any questions or concerns, just send me a message via Trimarnicoach.com (contact page). 

Talking Sport Nutrition at Run In

Where: Run In

When: December 8th

What time: 5:45-7:30

 It is within the daily diet AND what you eat before, during and after workouts that can help you gain the competitive edge. You can be the hardest working and most passionate athlete out there but if you don't eat right or constantly tell yourself that something needs to change but never change anything, you will never reach your full potential.

Taking pride in your fueling and eating strategy throughout the day can help boost performance, assist in recovery, prolong fatigue, keep the immune system healthy, help you maintain a healthy body composition and reduce risk for illness/disease and injury.

No matter what your fitness goal may be or your workout routine, your diet is more than calories in and calories out. You must learn how to eat for fuel.

If you are tired of making the same mistakes over and over with your fueling/eating strategy during training and racing or are looking for new tips to take your fitness to the next level, come join me on December 8th at Run In at 5:45pm. I will be discussing the following topics:

-Top foods that athletes should and should not eat before workouts/races to minimize GI distress (for triathletes and runners)
-How to fuel more efficiently on the bike to set your body up for a stronger run off the bike. (for triathletes)
-Learn the easiest way to fuel your body during running that will make it much easier to meet fluid, calorie and electrolyte needs. (for runners, triathletes and run fitness enthusiast)
-Recovery nutrition will no longer be your missing link. You will learn a few easy and simple ways to kick start the repairing and refueling process after every type of workout (for all athletes and fitness enthusiasts)
-See the top foods that every athlete should include in his/her diet. (for all athletes)
-Stop chasing a body image. This entire presentation is dedicated to the athlete who wants to learn how to eat for fuel and for health in order to achieve optimal performance with a healthy and strong body that can perform well in training and racing. (for all athletes and fitness enthusiasts)

What else can you look forward to at this event?
Athletes will learn, meet other triathletes/runners/fitness enthusiasts in the Greenville community, try a yummy snack from Veronica's Health Crunch and will get a 20% discount off ALL sport nutrition products

Thank you Veronica's Health Crunch for providing a yummy and healthy snack for my sport nutrition talk on Monday at Run In. 

It's only fair that if I'm talking about food my audience of athletes shouldn't be hungry!

In case you missed it, here's my delicious refueling yogurt parfait. Thanks Oakley Women for letting me share my nutrition tips for creating the perfect recovery meal. 

Sport nutrition for endurance athletes - part II

Research studies are great especially when it comes to improving athletic performance. When the human body is required to work so hard for a specific amount of time, it's important to understand how to properly fuel the body, train the body and recover the body for health and performance gains. Effective research studies (or studies reflective of the masses) are great sources to learn from and can be a valuable tool for athletes and coaches. 

But current sport nutrition guidelines and research can only take an athlete (or coach) so far because the key is knowing how to properly apply the information into the real world. 

It's important to always consider the pros and cons when it comes to applying research into your real world for just because a research study (or the abstract which most individuals have access to) states that something works in a controlled, laboratory setting, doesn't always imply that that same message will apply to your setting. Additionally, just because a research study doesn't state something to be true or false, it doesn't mean that you won't benefit from changing your behavior/habits to help yourself reach personal health and performance related goals. 

There are many variables that can affect a research study just like there are many variables that can affect you, as the athlete. 

Never lose sight of your individual goals when you are working hard to reach them.
The best performances follow patience, hard work, no short-cuts (or cutting corners) and a smart training, pacing and fueling plan. 

As promised, here's part II of recent sport nutrition highlights:

Energy and nutrient deficiencies in female endurance athletes, Melinda Manore, PhD, RD from Oregon State University

Weight issues are prevalent among female athletes. A study involving 66 elite women indicates that 50 percent want to lose weight and 20 percent use pathogenic eating behaviors. 

Elite runners can experience amenorrhea and not have an eating disorder. Some female athletes simply do not eat enough food. The shortage of energy generally also means a shortage of calcium, magnesium, iron and vitamin D. 

Inadequate energy intake reduces estrogen. Low estrogen reduces bone mineral content; bone breaks down faster than it gets rebuilt. This happens with post-menopausal women as well as with athletes. 

Studies of women who resume menses indicate they may gain about 4 lb in the process of restoring their health. Women who lift weights and continued to train while consuming the increased energy intake were less likely to gain fat versus lean tissue. 

Marathon training strategy; periodization and diet, Trent Stellingwerff, PhD from the Canadian Sports Centre

"Training low" (low glycogen stores) is not fun; it is challenging both psychologically and physiologically. Training low is for elite athletes who have come close to maximizing their performance potential. It is not for junior athletes who have yet to maximize their athletic potential, athletes who get injured easily, power athletes who want to build muscle or athletes at risk of an eating disorder. 

Regarding weight management, Stellingwerff recommends that runners be at their racing-weight only one or two times a year. Being 4 percent to 6 percent racing weight contributes to functional weight training. 

Dietary protein and muscle reconditioning, Luc Van Loon, PhD from Maastricht University

Muscles are continually broken down and rebuilt; muscle tissue protein turns over at a rate of 1 percent to 2 percent each day. That implies that muscle tissues is renewed every 2 months. 

Protein consumed pre-exercise can be rapidly digested and will be available for protein synthesis during as well as after exercise. 

After exercise, athletes do not need to co-ingest carbohydrates with protein to augment muscle synthesis. However, carbohydrate intake is required to replace depleted muscle glycogen stores. 

A 20-25g dose of high-quality protein (such as milk, eggs or meats) ingested after exercise will effectively increase muscle protein synthesis rates. Although the optimal amount is likely dependent on the body weight of an athlete, more research is needed to determine the optimal amount of dietary protein required to maximize post-exercise muscle protein synthesis rates in various athletes in various sports. 

Clinical issues in endurance athletes, Nanna Meyer, PhD, RD from the University of Colorado

An estimated 45-85 percent of athletes complain of GI issues. 

Stress fractures escalate in runners; the higher the mileage, the higher the risk of experiencing a stress fracture. 

Cyclists are at risk for bone loss because 1) they perform a sport that is non-weight bearing and 2) they lose calcium in sweat. In 2 hours, they might lose 135 mg calcium - and this adds up over the course of months and years. 

Because calcium can be lost in sweat, athletes should consume a calcium-rich food prior to exercise to help counter sweat-calcium losses. 

Women need 30 kcal/kg fat-free body mass to support normal menstruation. They will typically resume menses in about 2-3 months. 

Protein and Weight management in long distance runners, Stuart Phillips, PhD, McMaster University

Protein is satiating. Dieters tend to eat fewer calories with a high protein meal plan as compared with a higher carbohydrate plan. 

Runners who want to lose body fat should have a higher protein intake because they will not only feel less hungry but also will experience less loss of muscle when restricting food intake. During times of energy deficit, protein needs increase. More research is needed to determine the best dose of protein to counter muscle loss. 

Consuming diets rich in dairy protein may contribute to slightly more fat loss compared with diets with low dairy protein, perhaps relating to the calcium intake. In addition, consuming dairy foods rich in calcium and vitamin D may help prevent bone mineral loss. 

Four meals a day, each providing about 20-25g protein is a wise strategy for preventing muscle loss during a weight reduction program. 

Sport nutrition for endurance athletes - recent research and tips (part 1)

Ironman Lake Placid 7.28.13

There's no better feeling that putting all your hard training to good use on race day and having a strong race day performance.

Ironman World Championship 10.12.13

But if there was one factor that would make or break an endurance athlete's "perfect" race, most athletes would blame their performance on nutrition (or, perhaps how often they saw the inside of a port-a-potty). 

I work with a lot of athletes on nutrition, specifically sport nutrition. I find that most athletes are not in need of nutrition help to enhance performance but instead, performance is limiting because of nutrition. 

You see, there's a big difference between the two. For most age-group athletes, sport nutrition is another confusing topic that is thrown into the mix of understanding how to eat "healthy" on a daily basis. Among the athletes that reach out to me for nutrition help, the majority have some issue with nutrition/fueling/sport nutrition that is negatively affecting performance. Or in other words, the athlete feels limited in performance because of some area of nutrition. Because it's easy to jump into endurance racing by simply following a training plan, many athletes struggle to understand what they need before, during and after workouts in order to meet hydration and energy needs, to reduce GI distress, to postpone fatigue and to enhance recovery. I find that many athletes struggle with fueling in different phases of a periodized training plan, particularly because of the change of intensity and duration of workouts and even more so, a change of weather or training environment. 

The athlete who has worked hard on his/her fueling regime and has nailed down how to properly fuel before, during and after workouts may reach out to me in hopes to enhance performance. This athlete may not have any red flags but through some experimentation and looking beyond the obvious, I can help an athlete take an already strong and fast body, to that next level. 

In the Spring 2014 issue of SCAN's PULSE (Vol 33, no.2) there was a great section on Sport Nutrition Conference Highlights from a Sport Nutrition Conference on Nutrition Support for the Marathon Runner (sponsored by PowerBar/Nestle Nutrition Institute) with speakers sharing their latest research. 

If you feel you are in need of some nutrition help to help your training routine, it's recommended to reach out to a RD who specializes in sport nutrition so that you can find yourself enhancing performance and putting all your training to good use on race day. 

Here are a few highlights from the conference:

Preparing for the Olympic Games Marathon - tips from Louise Burke, PhD, from the Australian Institute of Sport

In elite runners, about 85% of energy used during a marathon comes from carbohydrates; during surges, closer to 100% of the energy comes from carbohydrates. Because marathoners typically have enough stored carbohydrate (glycogen) to lat about 20 miles, they need to both carbo-load as well as consume carbohydrates during the marathon. 

Consuming a low-residue diet for 2-3 days prior to a marathon helps to minimize intestinal contents (and hence, the need for bowel movements) and body weight. This is a good time to eat white bread and white pasta. On the day before the marathon, some elite marathoners carbo-load primarily with hard candies and liquid carbohydrates. The loss of body weight might counter the gain in water weight associated with the storage of extra glycogen. 

A runner who is well carbo-loaded can gain water weight equating to about 2% of body weigh (ie 3lb for a 150-lb runner). While this additional water weight can offer hydration benefits during a full marathon, the added weight could be detrimental during a faster-paced half-marathon. 

Caffeine is a popular ergogenic aid for runners and can be consumed both before and during endurance exercise. If runners are nervous before the event, they might want to consume the caffeine only during the event before the onset of fatigue. 

During the marathon, the suggested intake of 30-60g of carbohydrate per hour has been updated to 60-90g carbohydrate per hour. Because elite marathoners find it difficult to drink and run (some may consume only 0.3L per hour) they consume concentrated carbohydrates in the form of gels or concentrated drinks. 

"Drink early, drink often" helps to keep marathoners from becoming dehydrated so they will be stronger at the end of the event. Runners should try to drink enough to minimize the fluid deficit to to less than 2 percent of body mass. A study of athletes with a defined food and fluid strategy indicated that they performed 6 percent better in a 40-K time trial compared with those who raced ad libitum. The message: Plan ahead! 

When a runner with intestinal distress cannot tolerate any more carbohydrates or fluids, swishing and spitting can be a positive tactic to help maintain performance. 

Stressed runners often experience diarrhea and urgency to defecate. Nestle's research on subjects with gastrointestinal (GI) issues indicates that people who are less stressed have fewer GI issues. 

After a marathon, the majority of elite runners experience diarrhea. That's because during the marathon, blood shunts away from the intestines and to the muscles - but once exercise stops, the blood flow returns to the intestines, along with a lot of water. This contributes to urgency to defecate. 

Alcohol suppresses post-exercise protein synthesis and can hinder recovery. The wise path is to have a healthful, alcohol-free diet for the first 8 hours of recovery.

Caffeine as an ergogenic aid in endurance sports, John Hawley , PhD from Australian Catholic University

Caffeine is an exceptional ergogenic aid. It is effective for a wide range of athletes, from rowers (who work for 5 min) to Ironman triathletes (who exercise for hours) to Tour de France cyclists (who perform multiday events). 

Historically, caffeine was thought to aid performance by enhancing fat burning, which in turn would spare limited glycogen stores. We now know caffeine's bigger effect is on the central nervous system; caffeine makes the effort seem easier. 

Historically, 6 mg - 9 mg of caffeine per kg body weight was thought to be the effective dose. We now know less is fine and the current recommended dose is 2 mg/kg body weight to 3 mg/kg body weight taken 1 hour before exercise. Due to genetic differences, some athletes metabolize caffeine quickly and others are slow metabolizers. As with all ergogenic aids, some people respond more than others. 

Athletes do not seem to habituate to caffeine. That is, regular users and abstainers get the same benefits. 

During an event, athletes wold benefit from ingesting caffeine before they feel fatigued. 

If caffeine interferes with sleep, athletes should be warned that sleep is more important and they should use lower doses of caffeine. 

Hawley reminded us that food is the key message. No amount of caffeine or any other ergogenic aid or supplement will ever substitute for a scientifically-based and aggressive training and nutrition program, nor will caffeine overpower depleted glycogen stores. Hawley also emphasized the list of effective ergogenic aids is quite short (despite popular belief); caffeine, carbohydrates, protein, and sodium bicarbonate.

Nitrate as an ergogenic aid, Andrew Jones, PhD from the Universty of Exeter UK

Dietary nitrate breaks down during several steps into nitric oxide (NO). NO regulates blood flow and vascular tone, making exercise easier due to enhanced oxygen availability and uptake. Nitrate can reduce the oxygen cost of exercise by 5 percent and improve performance by about 3 percent. An athlete would have to train very hard to achieve that same beenft. As with all ergogenic aids, some athletes will improve more than others. The rapid growth in sales of beetroot juice supplements (18 times more in 2013 than 2012) suggests the supplement "works."

Non-elite athletes are likely to enjoy more benefits from dietary nitrate than highly trained, elite athletes, perhaps because elite athletes have already "maxed out" their ability to improve. 

Nitrates are found in beets, as well as spinach, bok choy, arrugula, celery and lettuce. For homemade beetroot juice,  blenderize (or juice) a pound of beets and add some pineapple (to mask the taste of the beets and enhance flavor). 

The ergogenic effects of beetroot juice peaks in 2-3 hours. It is used primarily for endurance psorts but has been shown to improve the performance of soccer player by 4 percent, with 13 of the 15 players in the research study performing better. 

Beetroot juice might be helpful for athletes who train and compete at altitude. Stay tuned for more research. 

The conversion of nitrate into NO starts with bacteria in the mouth. Warning: Do not use mouthwash if you are using beetroot juice. 

Nitrates are good for overall cardiovascular health as well as for performance. People with cardiovascular disease who take beetroot juice can more easily walk up stairs: this improves their quality of life. 

Stay tuned....more research tips will be posted!

Energy and nutrient deficiencies in female endurance athletes

Marathon training strategy periodization and diet
Clinical issues in endurance athletes

Protein and weight management in long distance runners

RD approved - Don't be afraid of sport nutrition

Do you have questions about sport nutrition or eating for fuel or for health?
Join me and Oakley Women on Friday March 7th, 2014 on Facebook and I'll answer all your questions throughout the day. 

Throughout the Trimarni triathlon endurance camp this past Thurs - Sun, I was rather strict on my campers to make sure that everyone fueled properly throughout the camp. Sport nutrition includes everything you are eating/drink around and during workouts.

Although I was not in control of what they ate for meals or what they put into their bottles (if choosing not to use INFINIT which was the sponsor for the event for sport nutrition), I gave very specific suggestions as to what foods to consume before/after workouts as well as as much to consume during workouts and when.
Thankfully, every athlete was open to my suggestions and we had no bonking, no injuries and minimal GI issues. There were two GI issues (one stomach cramp on a long bike and one tummy feeling a little "off" during the long run on Sat)  but I discussed these issues with the athletes to try to figure things out. In endurance racing and training, we want to minimize GI distress as well as postpone fatigue but many times, we need to know how to manage situations when they come about for the body is not perfect and it manages a lot during exercise.

Karel and I will be using a customized Infinit nutrition formula (which I created for both of us) as our sport nutrition choice for 2014 season. 

There's a lot of confusion when it comes to healthy eating and sport nutrition. I know this from my own experience in learning about the topics in graduate school while earning my Master of Science in Exercise Physiology as well as in my dietetic program as I earned my Registered Dietitian credential. But now as I work with athletes from around the world, I clearly see how confused and overwhelmed people are when it comes to eating for fuel and for health. 

Don't be! There are safe, effective and well formulated sport nutrition products on your market but you may need a little help from a professional, to figure out what works best for your body.

I could spend many blogs on the topic of sport nutrition and eating for fuel and for health and as a writer, life-long student and lover of putting words in my head on paper, I am not sure if I can contain myself in one blog post, sharing everything I know about healthy eating and sport nutrition. But, I learned when I became a RD that it is not my job to tell everyone everything I know in the first counseling session or when asked about nutrition in a group setting. Instead, learn to treat everyone as individuals and understand that everyone has different needs and goals and what works for one person doesn't always work for someone else. Science is amazing and so is research but the truth of the matter is that there is no one set formula for being healthy or improving performance. 

Health first, performance second.

If you are a fitness enthusiast or athlete, there's no denying that the body needs fuel to support metabolic processes. Many times, water will be just fine during a workout (ex. 1 hour) to keep you hydrated and through a pre workout snack you can give your body a burst of energy and avoid hunger during a workout. However, athletes must utilize "supplemental" forms of nutrition that can be effectively digested and absorbed, without GI distress, in a safe way, to meet metabolic needs during training and racing. In other words, through well formulated sport drinks you can meet your hydration, electrolyte and carbohydrate needs to reduce risk for injury, postpone fatigue and encourage faster recovery.

One issue that concerns me with our society is that we tend to lump situations together. For example:  
-I would not recommend Coke be part of your daily diet but when you are finishing an IM, an athlete can perform quite well with coke. 
-I would never recommend Gatorade for a person but if a diabetic is experiencing low blood sugar, I would run to the nearest vending machine to get a gatorade (or similar sugary drink).
-I am all for real food and encouraging our society to eat wholesome foods as much as possible. But when you are traveling or without refrigeration for hours (ex. meetings, hiking, running errands, etc.) a processed bar or food may be the best option to keep your brain and body fueled and to keep you functioning. 
-The family that is living off food stamps or does not have a grocery store within walking distance (because this family does not own a vehicle) is not going to benefit from the nutrition guru telling everyone that processed food is bad and that they should all be eating organic food, grass-fed meat and participating in cross fit or TRX classes to tone-up.
-If you tend to term certain foods as bad, perhaps it's time to rethink how often you eat them. Pass on the brownies in the office every Friday and enjoy birthday cake on your birthday or indulge once or twice a year at a fantastic restaurant with foods that your normally don't eat and feel great about it.

It's likely that you have put yourself into a bubble of like-minded individuals or you have nutrition experts that you look-up to but just remember that we all are individuals, with different goals, economic status, goals, genetics, health issues, fitness status, family/work responsibilities, etc and it's likely that we are all in different phases in improving our "health". The person who is trying to minimize eating out 10+ times per week is in a much different category for lifestyle change than the person who is wanting to eat foods only from local, organic farmers and chooses to have a garden to grow fresh herbs/spices. 

We must be careful that every situation and scenario will differ. As a professional in the health field, I do not want the fitness enthusiast who is walking 60 min a day for exercise to fuel the same as the marathoner. However, no matter what you are training for or the reason behind exercising, it's important to fuel your body properly - whether you are timing your nutrition around/during workouts or nourishing your immune system throughout the day - so that you can be the best YOU that you can be. I'm sure you have been told that you should eat to train, not train to eat but a common struggle for athletes and fitness enthusiasts is eating (or not eating) and exercising to "look" a certain way. Remember that what you eat has an impact on your performance and fitness and if you are training your body to perform at an event/race, it's important support your metabolic needs so you can stay healthy as you get stronger and faster. 

Sport Nutrition 

Rather than trying to be a scientist in your kitchen, let sport nutrition companies do what they are good at and you can spend time preparing your meals as well as real-food options for pre and post workouts. However, during a workout, there's a special science as to how products are created, the ingredients they use and how much should be mixed in water to be properly emptied from the stomach to the small intestines. There's no reason for you to spend time figuring this out by creating homemade "sport nutrition" foods or your own sport drink made from real foods.

There are plenty of great videos and textbook chapters dedicated to exercise physiology so rather than share my excitement about the kreb cycle, anaerobic glycolysis or cellular respiration, I will keep this as simple as possible. 

The foods we eat, primarily carbohydrates, gives us fuel. Protein assists in recover, repair and rejuvenation and fats assist in hormones and protecting organs. Certainly these foods offer more than what I just listed  and they all contribute to a balanced diet to keep us nourished, satisfied and healthy. Of course, depending on what you choose to eat within those macronutrient categories may and will affect your performance but I don't need to tell you that real foods are the best source of food for your active body and health. 

I find that many active individuals fear nutrition around workouts simply for the fact that they are most vulnerable to their body at that time of working out. You likely wear tight clothing (or showing more skin than in work clothes), you compare your body to others and you are very in tune with your overall body composition as you feel your heart beat and muscles work to let you have a great workout. Athletes often say to me "I don't need nutrition" or many times, they know they need to fuel with fluids, carbs and electrolytes because of low blood sugar, fatigue, injuries, etc. (for without adequate fuel, the body and it's many systems are severely compromised) but there's a "fear" of consuming products, calories or carbohydrates. 

Fuel your body when it is under the most intentional stress and when you want it to adapt to training. 

Here lies the problem with many active individuals. Whether you don't understand sport nutrition, you fear or worry about eating during/around workouts (for whatever reason) or you have an unhealthy relationship with food or the body, there can be a tendency to sabotage workouts by not fueling properly especially when you mind is thinking more about calories consume, calories burned and your body weight. There's nothing wrong with exercising or training to create a healthy body composition, especially considering that many people get involved with sports as a fun and challenging way to "be healthy." But without appreciating nutrient timing and sport nutrition, you could possibly compromise your health and workouts because of feeling as if you don't need energy dense foods around your workouts or that you don't need to fuel or hydrate during a workout. 

Isn't it interesting that around 2-5pm in the afternoon you need "energy" and you eat but when you are working out and expending hundreds of calories per hour, you can easily convince yourself that you don't need energy from sport drinks?

Perhaps you can "get by" for a few weeks or days without sport nutrition or eating before/after workouts but since consistency is key for performance gains and that training sets the stage for an effective race day, it's only a matter of time that your body will begin to break down or you will struggle with performance gains (and perhaps may even find yourself gaining weight OR losing too much weight too quickly). It's important to never overlook the importance of sport nutrition during workouts as well as fueling properly before/after workouts.  Jeopardizing your body's potential for performance gains is only the beginning of issues that can occur when you aren't supporting your body with the right foods at the right times.

Energy dense foods like fruits, potatoes, rice cereal, granola, bread, honey are just a few of the many low fiber, low fat and higher carb (or energy dense - packing a lot of fuel in a small quantity) options that can be consumed around workouts to fuel your body. The other key is low residue to avoid irritating the GI system. Thus, skip the bran and whole grains around workouts or racing and opt for those "unhealthy" foods that you are told will spike your blood sugar or that you shouldn't eat throughout the day because they are energy dense foods.
Ex. maple syrup, honey, applesauce, juice, raisins, fruit, white rice.

When it comes to pre, during and post training nutrition, here's what I recommend

-If possible, use real food before/after workouts.

Examples: 1 small banana + 2 tsp nut butter + 2 dates + 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey.
Post workout - 1/2 cup greek yogurt + 1/2 cup berries + 1/4 cup granola

This is an easy way to use real food to nourish your body and to enjoy a pre and post training snack to fuel your upcoming workout and to help you recover.

During workouts - liquids, electrolytes and carbohydrates in a bottle will do the trick to meet your needs in a safe, effective and easy-to-digest way.

This is how I eat pre workout or race. Energy dense foods.
This was my pre-race "meal" before my 3rd IM World Championship in October. (7th IM and a huge PR of 10:37 finish time).
4 light rye WASA crackers w/ smear of Smuckers natural PB, honey, banana slices and granola with raisins sprinkled with cinnamon. Coffee and water.  

This is how I eat throughout the day. Real food that is nutrient dense.
Potatoes, tofu, veggies, mixed whole grains.

So here's the deal. Health first, performance second. Enjoy real food for meals and snacks and consider the foods (real in nature) that will give you energy when your body needs the energy. 

Use nutrient dense foods on a day to day basis to reduce risk for disease and when your body is most active, support your body and brain with energy dense foods.

Your performance WILL improve with real food but when your body is compromised during training, you need to keep things simple for your body in motion. 

Considering how sedentary our lifestyle is these days (even with "training/working out" 8-20 hours a week) we spend much of our days sitting and for many, only getting up to go get something to eat. It's very common for people to reach for "energy" boosting drinks and snacks to survive the last few hours of work....sitting.  So rather than fearing calories that you need to consume around workouts, support your body when it is most active so that you benefit from your training and also be consistent with your workouts....and hopefully you will then feel more satisfied and energized throughout the day.

Of course, not everyone will fit this mold - there are people who undereat, those who can't put on weight, those who choose to underfuel/restrict and those who have a great diet. But for the most part, as a RD who specializes in sport nutrition, I find that many active individuals are not supporting workouts properly and thus overeating at certain times (ex. afternoon, before bed, after workouts) or not recovering/fueling properly when the body needs fuel (ex. to "save" calories)  to assist in metabolic processes. The goal for your active lifestyle is to be able to be consistent with workouts and not to feeling sick, exhausted and burnout or super hungry or lethargic all day, every day. 

To appreciate sport nutrition, it's important to establish a real food diet that meets your health needs and then learn how to use sport nutrition properly and to time nutrition around workouts to postpone fatigue, boost energy and help with recovery. All other times, when you are not working out, we need to think about nourishment and  feeling satisfied with food that makes you feel better after you eat it than before.

Sport nutrition is an evolving subject with much research done in controlled laboratory settings. It's important to work with a RD who specializes in sport nutrition as you remember that you are using your body to train or to improve fitness on a daily basis. Sport nutrition varies depending on the workout intensity and volume but once you figure out your individual needs, you are going to enjoy your workout routine even more so than before. 

Remember, your body doesn't have to let you do what it does and often we take for granted how amazing the human body is on a daily basis. 

Did you thank your body today?

To keep it simple - focus on yourself. You've read the articles on the internet, you have the books and you have resources. 

-Eat real foods to support your immune system
-Eat for fuel, not for a body image.
-Time energy dense foods around workouts (ex. nutrient timing)
-Fuel properly during and after workouts - focus on yourself and your own needs
-Learn about safe and effective, well formulated sport nutrition from a RD who specializes in sport nutrition.
-Keep the food easy to digest before a workout so you don't experience GI distress. Remember, pre workout nutrition is not always viewed as "healthy" to the public/media.
-Find what works for you before, during and after workouts - many times your fueling strategy will change.
-Eat mindfully and have a healthy relationship with food and the body.
-Be appreciative of what food can offer your body instead of thinking about what's so bad about food.
-And most of all, remove the pressure to eat or exercise in a certain way to "look" like an athlete. Train for YOUR goals. Your body will take care of itself as you find yourself eating for fuel and for health and living an active and healthy life. 

Thank you body for letting me finish my 7th IM and 3rd IM World Championship! I give you the right fuel at the right time and you give me memories to last a lifetime with my active and healthy body.
(video taken by my BFF, athlete and mental coach Dr. G.)

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!