Introduction:
The key to feeling good in the last miles of a hard run or race truly lies in proper nutrition and hydration before, during, and after exercise. It is about WHAT you put into your body and WHEN – WHAT and WHEN are the keys to optimal performance. The ability to stay strong and pass folks who are suffering from leg cramps and dehydration is not necessarily due to harder training before the event (and in fact, we can over-train) – it is about knowing your body and giving it the appropriate fuel it needs. This nutrition newsletter will help you understand the role of calories, carbohydrates, protein, and fat (our macronutrients); vitamins and minerals (our micronutrients); and fluids in fueling the body. It is important to remember that every individual athlete is unique and has different goals. You must try out different strategies DURING TRAINING (not on a race day) to gauge what works for you. You need to experiment to find foods that give you the most energy, what nutrition regimen enhances your performance, and what makes you feel the best.
This month will kickoff a 4 part series specifically about sports nutrition. First, and in this issue, the focus will be your overall nutrition status. Next month will feature nutrition do’s and don’ts for the pre-workout meal. The 3rd month will provide specifics about fueling during the race and proper nutrition for optimal recovery. And, the fourth month will highlight tips for healthy hydration .
Your overall nutrition status:
The Sports Nutrition Numbers Guide (just below) will help you tailor your diet to your bodies needs. The first item targets calorie intake. Adequate calories are crucial during training – low calorie intakes or dieting while training can result in fatigue, injury or illness, not to mention loss of muscle mass, loss or failure to gain bone density, and menstrual dysfunction for women. While you should not attempt dramatic weight loss during training, you will likely see an increase in muscle mass that can inevitably lead to weight loss. Sports nutrition is about increasing your performance, enhancing your energy profile, and changing your body composition to favor lean body mass – it is not about weight loss.
Sports Nutrition “Numbers” Guide
1) How many calories do I need? “The Quick & Dirty Method”
Generally: 25-45 calories per kg body weight to maintain your weight
Specifically: 45 calories per kg body weight for intense endurance athletes
Specifically: 25 calories per kg body weight for weight loss (or sedentary folks)
*Ask yourself where you fall in this group
Example:
A130 pound endurance athlete needs:
First – convert pounds to kg =130 pounds / 2.2 = 59.9 kg body weight
59.9 x 45 = 2660 calories per day
2) Typical break down of daily calories for athletes:
55-65% total calories from CARBOHYDRATES (to prevent glycogen depletion and maintain blood glucose levels)
CHO foods include breads, pastas, rices, cereals, grains, starchy veggies, fruits, beans and lentils, juice and milk
25-30% total calories from FAT (Important because it provides energy, absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and essential fatty acids like Omega 3’s and 6’s)
Good fat foods include nuts and nut butters, avocado, olive and canola oils, flax seeds (think plant sources of fat)
15-20% total calories from PROTEIN
Protein foods include meat, chicken, fish, tofu, eggs, cheese/milk, beans and lentils, nuts
Example:
The above athlete’s calorie breakdown would look like this:
1595 calories from CARBOHYDRATES (60%)
665 calories from FAT (25%)
400 calories from PROTEIN (15%)
= 2660 calories total
Remember, your needs can generally be met through diet alone, without the use of expensive protein supplements and such. You should use food labels, a simple calorie counting book, and/or a great, free web resource, www.calorieking.com, to analyze if you are getting nutrients in the appropriate amounts. Athletes should take a multi-vitamin for insurance – but not a mega-vitamin – getting ~100% of each nutrient in your pill is more than enough and too much can be hard on your liver and other organs. Also, make sure your multi-vitamin has 100% daily iron (women need 18 mg, men need 8mg) because athletes are prone to anemia due to small blood losses through the GI tract and pounding on your feet can damage blood cells and require iron for replacement.
Next month will feature nutrition specifics for the week before a long run or race day. Hopefully between now and then you can get comfortable with your personal calorie needs and breakdown of nutrients. And remember – enjoy this summer weather for running outdoors – just stay hydrated!!!
Boston Running Center Nutritionists
