The triathlon and running season is heating up here in Houston and around the country. If you are competing or doing races of any significant length this year, you need to plan how you will fuel your body during the event. What you do depends on the length of the event. For a 5K you may carry nothing or just a bottle of water. For a longer race, however, you may need to think about what your body needs and how you are going to get it.

Different athletes have different likes and dislikes when it comes to sports foods. Some like to go all liquid, some like to make their own fruit leather with chia seeds to use. Whatever you decide to do, I would encourage you to Keep It Simple!

When I ran the Paris marathon last year, one of my client’s friends showed up with probably a dozen baggies pinned to her waist. Each baggie had different things in them (gummy bears, gum drops, jelly beans, etc.) and was used at different parts of the race. I kjnow of triathletes who have two drinks, a couple of types of gels, and blocks they use during their race. That is WAY to much for my brain to think about during a race. 

In longer distance races, keeping it simple makes your race day much simpler. You have less things to pack and locate on race morning. And, you have less things to think about during the race.

For most of us, there seems to be a point in the race where we cannot think very well. Keeping it simple means fewer things that you have to think about executing during the race. If you have one sports drink and one other type of fuel (blocks or gels), and you know that every 10 minutes you take a drink of sports drink and every hour you take a gel, that is a lot easier to think about while racing than having to remember every 10 minutes drink from bottle one, every 20 minutes take a gel, every 30 minutes take a drink from bottle 2, etc. Which fueling strategy would you want to follow?

Remember when planning your race nutrition to find a couple of fuels you like and plan to keep it simple!

It is heating up out there – both the weather and racing!  When planning your race nutrition and hydration, it is important to keep these two items separate.

The first item is fuel. When you plan your race nutrition, there is a certain number of calories or grams of carbohydrates per hour that you aim for. This is usually 60 grams of carbohydrates (or 240 calories) or .45 grams of carbohydrate for every pound of body weight. You have to try this out and see what works for you and your GI tract.

The second item is hydration. To get an idea of how much fluid you need per hour, you can conduct a sweat trial. This gives you an idea of the fluid ounces of water you need per hour to stay hydrated.

When you train and race, these items are often combined in the form of liquid nutrition or sports drinks. However, it is important to remember that these are really two separate things. Although you do get liquid calories in sports drinks and you also get water, you may not want to consume all of your water with calories. Here is an example:

Joe needs 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour for his race nutrition and 40 oz of water. He plans on racing for an hour and has three water bottles each of which holds 24 oz (a total of 72 oz). In order to make both his nutrition and hydration work, he could mix 30 grams of carbohydrates from a powdered sports drink in each of two sports bottles. After adding the powdered sports drink, he adds 18 oz of water (what the bottle will hold in water after putting in the powdered sports drink). He fills the third bottle with water.  This gives him his 60 grams of carbohydrates (3o grams of carbohydrates per bottle) and a total of 60 oz of water (18+18+24).

The other reason for thinking of nutrition and fluid separately is to be able to scale your hyrdation based on the condiditons. If you are racing on a cooler day, you may need less water. On a hotter day, you may need more water. Joe knows that no matter what he needs to drink those two bottles of sports drink to get his nutrition, and he can drink more or less water based on the temperature and humidity.

As you plan your training and race nutrition and  hydration, remember that although they often seem to be the same, they really are separate things that you have to think about executing based on what you need for carbohydrates and fluid.

We are entering the training season for a lot of endurance and ultra-endurance events. A couple of key ways athletes can improve their performance is to get their pre- and post-race nutrition nailed down. Knowing what you are going to eat in the couple of days before and immediately after a race can help reduce your stress levels going into the race and keep you GI tract happy.

Pre-Race

Pre-race fueling includes the couple of days before the race. Start now trying out foods to find what works for you before your workouts. This becomes more important as the workouts become longer. Planning your pre-workout/pre-race nutrition helps in a couple of ways. First, you find out ahead of time what your body likes. If you are traveling to your race and will not have access to a kitchen, find out the local restaurants and try to duplicate similar foods at home. Second, when you find something that works, it becomes one less thing that you have to think about – “what am I going to eat the days before the race?”

When testing out your pre-workout/pre-race meals, remember to eat, tweak, and repeat. After you have eaten that meal note how you feel after eating it and after your workout. Some find it helpful to keep a log so they know what they did – just like a training log. If your body was not happy with that meal, you did not have a good performance, or think you can perform better, tweak the meal and repeat the process.

Post-Race

Practicing your post-workout/post-race fueling is also important. Research has shown that having a recovery meal within 30 minutes of finishing your workout helps prepare you for your next workout. (Note: this is important if your workout is 60 to 90 minutes or longer or you are working out again the same or next day). Having a recovery meal immediately after your race will help you feel better that day and in the days following.

Think about what your race site is like. How soon can you get to your recovery meal (remember if you are doing a triathlon, you can’t get in until the last bike is in). Or, will you have a support crew who can keep your recovery meal for you? Does it need refrigeration and if so is it available?

Start trying different recovery meals and find one that works for you. You can use low-fat chocolate milk or any of the commercially available recovery drinks. I prefer liquids because they are quickly absorbed and most athletes prefer that to something solid immediately after working out. Again, eat that recovery meal, see how you feel, tweak, and repeat.

Summary

There is not a magic pre- or post-workout or race meal. You have to find what works for you and your body. That is why this is a process of. . . eat, tweak, and repeat!

You have probably seen the ads on TV that talk about the good bacteria in your gastrointestinal system (GI system). They are selling products that help reduce gas, bloating, constipation, etc. You’ve probably asked if these products work and why you may need them in the first place.

Your GI system is your small and large intestine. If your GI system isn’t happy, you are probably not happy. Which means that it is important to take care of your GI system and the bacteria that live there. A lot of things can upset your GI system and the bacteria including stress and antibiotics. Have you ever noticed when you take antibiotics that your GI system is not happy? One reason for that is that the antibiotics kill the bacteria in your GI system. When you finish the antibiotics, I recommend getting some probiotics to help re-populate your gut with the bacteria that our bodies need. Probiotics are foods or pills that contain the bacteria that will re-populate your GI system. You can eat the yogurt, drink the little Scandinavian drink, or get them through a pill. If you are lactose intolerant or allergic to dairy, the pills may be the best option for you. I prefer the ones that are kept refrigerated to keep the little guys alive.

If you have ongoing GI issues, you might try adding a probiotic daily to see if it helps. I have had several clients who have had issues that have been resolved by adding a probiotic. They are also good to have when traveling or during stressful times.

If you want more information on probiotic products, ConsumerLab tests supplements to be sure they have what they say they do and are not contaminated. You can buy a single report or an subscription. They have a great report on probiotics.

The idea for the day – take care of your GI system and it will take care of you!

Have a great day!

1) Do you want to nail your race day nutrition? I’m now offering race day nutrition planning. Email me at penny@eatingforperformance.com to find out more.

2) Based on the responses to the Ironman nutrition distance coaching survey, I’m working on a monthly nutrition coaching package for those competing in Ironman Texas in May, 011.  I’ll keep everyone posted about when it will be available and what it includes.

A lot of my triathlon and running friends are starting training or hitting their peak training amounts for upcoming races.  When people start increasing their training, they seem to hit a point when they are hungry all the time.  Having been there, I can identify.  It is like there is this little voice in your stomach going “feed me, feed me, feed me” constantly.  They need to eat A LOT of food.  Their need to eat A LOT of food can cause problems with spouses and significant others.  This means you need to really talk about your food.  Even if you are not training, but trying to watch your weight, you still need to talk with others who share your household about food.

For example, we have Bill who is training for an Ironman triathlon.  He needs 5,000 calories a day.  His wife Sue is maintaining her weight and needs about 1,800 calories a day.  Bill offers to make dinner one night.  He makes pasta with meat sauce, a salad, and a side of steamed broccoli.  All is good – right?  Right.  Until, Bill portions out the servings.  Not thinking that his wife does not need the same number of calories he needs, he puts equal servings on both plates.  This happens a few nights a week for a few weeks.  Sue notices her clothes are getting a little tight.  Sue steps on the scale.  Sue is not happy with what she sees and starts to figure out what is going on.

Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence.  When I work with athletes on meal plan, I warn them (if they do not live alone) “Your spouse/significant other CANNOT eat the same amount as you.”  Both the athlete and other person have to be very cognizant of what and how much they are eating.

Another food issue among couples is what to eat.  If you and your partner do not like the same foods all the time, it is OK to make two lunches or two dinners.  Each person is responsible for their own food.  John, my husband, and I do this frequently.  That way, we still eat dinner together and are both happy with what we are eating.  But, your partner does not know how to cook?  Why not take a cooking class or two together?

John is starting to ramp up his training for his Ironman.  He needs more food than I do.  Whenever food goes on a plate or in a bowl we either serve ourselves or confirm with the other how much he/she wants.  This keeps us both happy and our waistlines where we want them.  We talk about food a lot, baby. . . . .

A recent study showed that most American’s do not know how many calories they need to eat each day to maintain their weight.  Honestly, I’m not surprised.  This also means people do not know how much they need to eat to lose weight (for most of us, eating to gain weight is not an issue).  In order to help you know your calorie needs, I’m republishing one of my first newsletters.  It is longer than usual, and you’ll need a calculator, but by the time you are done, you’ll have a good idea about how many calories you need per day.

• The equation is an estimate.  You need to pay attention to your weight to determine if the estimate is right.  If you’re gaining and don’t want to, reduce the calories.  If you’re losing and don’t want to, increase the calories.
• Be honest about the information you plug into the equation.  Remember the saying “garbage in/garbage out”?  Well, this is a prime example of that situation.  If you aren’t honest about what you put in, you’ll probably get extra “garbage” on your waist, hips, thighs, etc. 

• Male: BMR = 10×weight + 6.25×height – 5×age + 5
• Female: BMR = 10×weight + 6.25×height – 5×age – 161

Notes:

• Weight is in KG.  Take your weight in pounds and divide by 2.2
• Height is in centimeters.  Take your height in inches and multiply by 2.54.
• Age is in years.

Now that you’ve determined your BMR, you need to realistically determine your activity level.  To get a better feel for your activity level, you can use Metabolic Equivalents (METs).  I’ll include how to do this in another newsletter.  The activity levels are:

• 1.200 = sedentary (little or no exercise)
• 1.375 = lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week)
• 1.550 = moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week)
• 1.725 = very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week)
• 1.900 = extra active (very hard exercise/sports and physical job)

Take your BMR and multiply it by your activity level (the number in front of the descriptions) and it gives you the calories you need for a day.  You can also choose numbers between the given activity levels.  For example, if you feel you are between moderately and very active, you could choose 1.6 or 1.65.

If you work out a lot and know the calories you burn during your workouts, I would recommend using the activity level of your daily life (e.g. sedentary or lightly active if you sit at a desk all day) then add on the calories from your workouts.

Example:

• 155 pounds / 2.2 = 70.45
• 5’8″ = 68 inches x 2.54 = 172.72
• Female: BMR = 10×weight + 6.25×height – 5×age – 161
• BMR = (10 x 70.45) + (6.25 x 172.72) – (5 * 40) – 161
• BMR = 1423
• Total daily calories = BMR * activity level
• Total daily calories = 1423 * 1.725
• Total daily calories = 2455

Now that you know your total calories, what next?  Well, if you want to lose or gain weight, you need to subtract or add calories to that number.  A pound is approximately 3500 calories.  If you want to lose one pound per week, you need to eat 3500 calories less per week, or 500 calories less per day.  If you want to lose 2 pounds per week you need to eat 1000 calories less per day.  If you want to gain, then add that amount to your total daily calorie number.  Remember, safe and sustainable weight loss is considered no more than two pounds per week.

I ran my first two marathons in 2001 – Houston in January and Marine Corps in October.  At this point, I was a novice runner.  I been running under a year.  I remember the training being a challenge, and each race was a challenge for different reasons.  But, I also remember the thrill of coming across the finish lines.  Now, nine years later, I’m training for the Paris marathon.  What a difference nine years makes.

I like to think of myself as an independent person.  However, I’m not sure if it is that I’m a more advanced runner, or understand my body better, but I’ve discovered that marathon training takes a village.  First, I have my husband who will be running the race as well.  He supports me in every way.  Then, come my training buddies – Theresa, Moya, and Jen.  Theresa and I got to know each other when training for Houston almost ten years ago.  We finished Houston, and she talked me into running Marine Corps.  We have forged a strong friendship over countless miles on the road.  She has been doing my long runs with me.  I’m not sure where I’d be without her.  She told me that someone asked her what race she was training for.  When she responded “Paris” the person got all excited for her.  She had to tell them that she wasn’t running it, but a friend was.  It is a true friend who will run 15, 18, and over 20 miles with you when she isn’t going to run the marathon herself.

Training also takes nutrition.  Luckily, since I’m a sports dietitian I have that kind of covered.  However, I use Infinit* as my sports drink.  I use and recommend Infinit because you can custom mix your sports drink including how strong you want the flavor.  I placed an order earlier this month and their usually speedy service was a bit delayed.  I emailed and got a response back from Laurie Walter.  We emailed back and forth.  I explained about having two long runs left and needing to test my new mixture before Paris (I added caffeine – first time to try it).  Lauire understood and upgraded the shipping so I could have it for my run this weekend.  Laurie and the Infinit gang are now a part of my marathon training village.

Taking care of my body and all of its various parts has also become critical.  I’m not sure if it is because I’m older or if I’m more aware of my body, but massage has become another key piece of my training.  I have a fabulous massage therapist, Tonja Samford, who I’ve used for eight or nine years now.  I think she knows my body better than I do.  I’ve learned the importance of pre- and post-run massages to prepare and recover.  A post-run massage has become part of the reason for finishing these last few long runs.  Tonja is  a member of my marathon training village.

Another group of members of this village are all of my non-training, non-running friends who are lending their support.  It is exciting when they ask about how training is coming, and express excitement about the upcoming run.

The final, and in some ways most inspiring members of my marathon training village, are those who have donated to my Challenged Athletes Foundation Race for a Reason.  This is the first time I have raised money for an organization.  The encouragement and financial outpouring is exciting to see.  I know that each step I will take in the Paris marathon will benefit those who, due to physical disabilities, face greater challenges that I do in being physically active.  To all of you, I say “Thanks!”

Actually, to my entire marathon training village, I say “Thanks!”

The next time you take on an endeavor, be it physical or other, think about the your village who helps you get there.

*If you would like to try Infinit, enter “penny” in the Special Codes area for a 10% discount on your orders.  I do receive a small referral fee when you use this code.

After thinking I was done with marathons, I decided to sign up for the Paris Marathon. Its a business trip. . .really it is. I have a client, Tom Coyne, who is writing a book about running his first marathon. He and a group of friends chose the Paris Marathon. He hired me, through a running coach I work with, to help him with his nutrition. I’m going with Tom and his group to Paris to help with any pre- and post-race nutrition issues they may have. And, I thought, “Why not run the marathon while I’m there? When will I have an excuse to run the Paris Marathon again?” And, I found myself back in marathon-training-land.

Marathon training has reminded me of a lot of the things that those I work with deal with. One of my reasons for training was to see how my training and racing has changed since I became a Dietitian. It has changed, and I continue to learn. I’d forgotten what it was like to experience the dreaded “sloshy stomach” on a run. I’ve had to tinker with my fueling. I’m working on using concentrated bottles since I won’t have a supporter to hand me fuel along the course (John, my husband, will also be running). Fueling for Paris is a bit different because the water stations are every 5K, not every 1 to 2 miles like in the US.

This week, however, I was reminded about the importance of a recovery meal. I ran 10 miles Monday morning. I thought, “this will be an easy 10, easy recovery.” The run was good. I pushed it. It was warmer than it has been in a while. I got home and discovered I was out of my recovery drink. DUOH! I thought, “It will be fine. No big deal.” Was I ever wrong. I was more sore and fatigued than I’d been after my 15 mile run. I was still sore Thursday, and am still feeling it today.

When you workout for 60 to 90 minutes or longer, it is important to have a recovery meal. Personally, I find liquid easier to tolerate than solid after a workout, but either will do. The key is to find a mix of protein and carbohydrates that works for you. For me, I need about 3 to 4 grams of carbohydrates for every 1 gram of protein. If you drink chocolate milk, it is perfect! Chocolate soy milk can work, too.

The second key is to have your recovery meal within 30 minutes of finishing your workout. If I’m using a mix, I have it mixed and in the refrigerator so I can grab it as soon as I get home. During this 30 minute period, your muscles will suck up the carbohydrates and protein like sponges. This means your muscles will re-build up the glycogen (storage form of sugar) that they like to use for energy when you are working out. Wait longer than 30 to 45 minutes, and your muscles don’t absorb the carbohydrates and protein as quickly meaning it takes you longer to recover.

This week reminded me about the importance of having that recovery meal. I knew it, but now I KNOW it. So, next time you are planning a longer workout, be sure to have your recovery meal and see if you notice a difference in how you feel.

Things are heating up – especially here in Houston.  It is in the 80′s today and it is still February (Yeah, I hear you guys in the “great white north” grumbling at this news).  This got me thinking that we should review some information on hydration and calculating sweat rates.  Below is a re-print of a blog post from last year about hydration and measuring sweat rates.  I’ve made a couple of minor changes, but it is always important to be aware of your hydration status.

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As the weather starts warming up, it is particularly important to pay attention to how much you are sweating when you are exercising outside or even working in your yard.  Studies have shown that as little as a 1 to 2% drop in body weight can impact your athletic performance.  Or, you can swing the other way and over-hydrate.  Studies have also shown that we can be pretty good at estimating how much we are drinking but we can’t estimate how much fluid we are losing through sweat.  Personally, when I’m doing triathlons I find that I tend to under-hydrate on the bike and over-hydrate on the run.  The result – a sloshy stomach accompanied by stomach cramps.  Not a fun way to do the run.

Most people are also spending time outdoors gardening, working on their house, etc.  Don’t forget the importance of hydrating when you are outside in the heat (regardless of activity type) for a period of time.

How can you monitor your hydration?  One of the easiest things you can do is to weigh yourself before and after you workout or before and after you work outside in the heat.  Both times you weigh, you should be nude (or in the same dry clothes) and dry (take a minute to towel off before stepping on the scale – don’t forget to towel off your hair, too).  For every pound you’ve lost, you should drink 16 – 24 oz of fluid over the next couple of hours.  Two pounds or so lost, I’m not concerned.  More than three pounds lost and I start to get concerned about dehydration.  Going in the other direction, if you find you are gaining weight, you could be running the risk of being over-hydrated and should consume a little less fluids.

For the athletes out there, you may have read that some studies have shown that high performance/professional runners are dehydrated when they finish a race.  I’ve heard people use this data to argue that you should finish a run dehydrated.  However, keep in mind that each person is different, but most people I know can tell a performance difference if they are dehydrated in the form of headache and/or just not feeling right.  To me, there is quite a difference between those professionals whose job is to run and those of us mere mortals who run/train in addition to our other jobs.  As people train, their bodies adapt to that training.  I’ve had the opportunity to run with Jeff Galloway a couple of times in 2000 and 2001.  I asked him about what he drinks before and during runs since he didn’t have any fluids with him.  At that time, he would drink a couple of cups of coffee before a long run and would be OK without other fluids on the run.  Now, how many marathons had Jeff run at that point?  More than I have fingers and toes I believe.  Therefore, for professionals and highly trained people (like Jeff), that may mean their bodies can handle performing in a dehydrated state.  For most others who are not training for hours every day, I’m not sure this is a good idea.

Finally, if you are exercising outdoors consistently, I’d recommend conducting a sweat trial every month or so.  A sweat trial can help you figure out how much you should be drinking and can help you figure out a starting point for salt/electrolyte intake. You want to do it on a shorter workout so you don’t have to also account for urine output. Here’s the steps (get out those calculators again):

1. Weigh yourself nude/dry before your workout
2. Weigh yourself nude/dry after your workout
3. Multiply the amount of weight you lost by both 16 and 24 (it takes about 16 – 24 oz, maybe more to replace every pound of fluid lost)
4. To the two numbers you got in #3, add the oz you drank (both water and sports drink). Again, you get two answers.
5. Divide the numbers you got in step 4 by the hours of your workout. This gives you an oz per hour to shoot for. Then, you can break this into 4, 15 minute or 6 10 minute drinking intervals.

Some people find that marking their water bottle every 2 to 4 oz helps them track how much they are drinking and when.

If the numbers you get are unrealistic (e.g. 80 oz per hour), then you need to determine how much you can realistically drink without negatively impacting your performance.

Second, is to look at electrolyte needs.  For every 4 cups (32 oz) the guideline is you need to take between 500 and 1000 milligrams of sodium. Some people need more, some less. This is a starting point. If you are crusty when you finish working out, you need to be on the higher end or perhaps even more.  You can and should get this during your workout through sports drink/salt tablets/etc.

Also, you should do sweat trials several times through out the year because we sweat differently in the spring than in the summer and fall.

Did anyone else step on the scale last week and get a reality check?  I know I did.  However, I also know that if I’m on the scale January 1st or 2nd, that is not a “good” checkpoint.  Over the years, I’ve gotten to know that my body is really good at retaining water.  If on New Years I had a couple of, um, beverages and some salty food, I can be up as much as four pounds due to water.  It takes a few days to get things back to normal.  So, if I step on that scale and the number is higher than I expected I check it for a few days to see what is really going on.

However, if the number stays higher than I’d like for a week or so, then I start looking at making some changes to my intake and activity.  I’ll look for places to cut a couple of hundred calories (typically 200 – 500) through out the day.  However, there is one place I will NEVER cut calories.  What’s this “magic” place?  My recovery eating.

Typically if you work out for 60 to 90 minutes or longer, you need to think about a recovery meal.  When you workout for 60 to 90 minutes or longer, your body depletes the glycogen stores in the muscles and liver.  The result . . . fatigue.  If you have a recovery meal, you’ll be ready to face the rest of the day and ready for that next workout.  The recovery meal can also help if you find yourself hungry all day after a workout – even if it is less than 60 minutes.

Here are some guidelines for the recovery meal:

• Consume it within 30 minutes of finishing your workout.  Your muscles are like sponges during this time and will suck up the carbohydrates and protein you consume.
• Eat/drink something that has 3 to 4 grams of carbohydrates for every one gram of protein.  This has been shown to optimize the uptake of both carbohydrates and protein by the muscles.
• Have it ready so you don’t have to think about it.  If you have to think about it, you might not have it.
• Try different things to see what works for you.  I have two favorite recovery drinks, but there are a lot out there.  Try a few (many have sample packets) to see which you like best.

Why don’t I cut calories from my recovery meal?  Because, I know I don’t feel as good the rest of the day, and because my next workout will suffer.  Neither of those are things I’m willing to compromise for a couple of hundred calories.  I’d rather get the calorie reduction from other places and have a great day and great next workout.

So, if you’re working out (and getting faster in the off season like all my Endurance Nation buddies), be sure to get in that recovery meal.  If you’re trying to lose some weight, look for other places to cut calories – for example use smaller portion sizes.  For more ideas, you can check out my newsletter archive.

Here’s hoping you have a happy and healthy 2009!