Kitchen think: they say knowledge is power. But in the realm of nutrition, knowledge is speed. And energy. And good health. Here’s what you need to know. By: Metcalf, E., Runner’s World, 08971706, 20010101, Vol. 36, Issue 1
They say knowledge is power. But in the realm of nutrition, knowledge is speed. And energy. And good health. Here’s what you need to know
Attention, class. Welcome to Nutrition 2001: Better Eating for Better Running. A new year is dawning, and there’s no time like today to change your diet in ways that will pay dividends for years to come.
Excuse me, sir, would you please turn your attention away from your heart-rate monitor? And ma’am, please put away the gel packet–unless you brought enough for everyone.
Today we’ll discuss nutrition for runners, based on the very latest findings. As you know, eating well isn’t easy, especially given your busy lives and the demands of running. Doing even low-mileage weeks makes it mandatory to eat the right foods at the right times in the right combinations. Otherwise, your daily energy levels suffer–not to mention your 5-K times.
So how much fat, carbohydrate, and protein do you really need, and why? What should you eat before, during, and after a run? How do you choose the right sports bars, gels, and drinks?
Good questions. And we have the answers. Just take our Nutrition Quiz, below, and check out the pages that follow for the truth and nothing but the truth. When you’re done, you’ll know exactly how to make 2001 the healthiest, most energy-packed running year you’ve ever had.
ANSWERS
1 False. High-carbohydrate foods–which so often occupy the minds and dinner plates of runners–shouldn’t crowd out other choices. Though carbohydrate supplies your muscles with the glycogen they use for fuel, eating too much of it can deprive you of other nutrients.
One of those nutrients is fat. Though it’s often branded the enemy, you may run easier and feel better if you let fat contribute a larger portion of your daily fuel.
“It’s hard to convince runners to add more fat to their diets,” admits Peter Horvath, Ph.D., an associate professor at the State University at Buffalo’s physical therapy, exercise, and nutrition sciences department. However, he persuaded some of the athletes he’s worked with. “When they run longer and see faster times, they get the message pretty quickly,” says Horvath. “Then they have fewer qualms about adding some fat to their diets.”
When you consume more of your calories from fat, you’re sometimes able to train harder, says Horvath. He believes your body becomes accustomed to burning fat during long runs and races, which preserves glycogen and improves endurance. Also, eating more fat actually may help you regulate your weight by helping you feel fuller.
Just be careful. Consuming more than 30 to 35 percent of your total calories as fat may increase your risk of heart disease, obesity, and other chronic problems, especially if you eat the wrong types of fat. Horvath suggests a diet of about 30 percent fat for men runners, and up to 35 percent for women. For a 2,000-calorie daily diet, that amounts to 600 to 700 fat calories a day. For those who consume 3,000 calories, that means 900 to 1,050 fat calories a day.
2 False. Horvath wasn’t throwing pizza parties for his athletes. Rather, the extra fat came from foods such as nuts and canola oil, which are high in heart-friendly unsaturated fats. In other words, the type of fat you eat is critical. Junk food and foods that are high in saturated fat just don’t cut it.
“There’s a tremendous misconception among many runners,” says Jason Theodosakis, M.D., a preventive and sports-medicine physician in Arizona. “They think they can eat junk because it’ll get cleared out by running. This couldn’t be further from the truth.” No matter how much you exercise, a diet full of artery-clogging saturated and trans fats will eventually set the stage for heart disease.
So if you think you’d benefit from more fat in your diet, choose foods with heart-healthy omega-3 fats such as salmon, halibut, and flaxseed oil. Or eat more monounsaturated fats by grabbing a few nuts (especially cashews), or dipping whole-wheat bread into olive oil seasoned with black pepper and herbs. Other foods that are relatively high in healthful fats are avocados, peanut butter, olives, and anchovies.
3 True. Protein is another nutrient that runners frequently bypass on their way to the all-you-can-eat pasta buffet, says Michael Houston, Ph.D., a masters runner and head of the human nutrition, foods, and exercise department at Virginia Polytechnic University. Perhaps that’s because it’s just not very good at providing energy. But it is good for building and maintaining muscle, which is essential.
“Many runners don’t realize that they have higher protein needs than nonrunners,” says Houston. “In essence, running is an impact sport. We do micro damage whenever we run, and to repair this damage we need protein.”
Amino acids, which make up protein, also form hemoglobin, which carries oxygen from the lungs to the cells in your working muscles. What’s more, many foods that are high in protein, such as meat and poultry, are also high in zinc and iron. These are important for healing wounds and boosting energy levels. Other healthful high-protein choices include low-fat dairy products, fish, eggs, beans, and soybean products such as tofu, tempeh, and vegetarian burgers.
At least 15 percent of your daily calories should come from protein, though Houston thinks some runners-such as those recovering from injury or from a marathon–would benefit from up to 25 percent protein.
This means that, with a 2,000-calories-a-day diet, you need at least 300 calories from protein. At 3,000 calories a day, you need 450 protein calories.
4 True. But you have to be smart about it. As with fat and protein, there are good carbohydrate sources and bad.
“I promote nutrient-dense carbohydrate sources–foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products,” says Ellen Coleman, R.D., author of Eating for Endurance. Coleman’s personal favorites include: whole-wheat pretzels, baked potatoes, brown rice, corn tortillas, and apples. These contrast with carbohydrate-rich but nutrient-sparse foods such as cookies, most crackers, candy, and other refined sweets. Which isn’t to say you can’t enjoy your occasional sugary snack–just don’t make it your major source of carbohydrate.
Try to make carbohydrates account for at least 50 percent of your calories. That would mean 1,000 calories of a 2,000-calorie daily diet, or 1,500 calories of a 3,000-calorie diet.
5 False. When you look at all the energy products crowding the store shelves these days, you might wonder how you ever ran without them. The truth is, some can play a valuable role in your nutrition; others are essentially expensive candy. Use energy products judiciously and keep the following in mind:
Energy bars. When you shop for energy bars, look at their labels for sugar and total carbohydrate content. If a bar contains far less sugar (i.e., simple carbohydrate) than total carbohydrates, this means it’ll give you plenty of complex carbohydrates. These will provide longer-lasting energy, making the bar better for all-around health and fitness. But if you’re eating a bar midrace or during a training run, use one that has lots of simple sugar. It’ll provide quick energy.
Also, look for a bar with only 8 to 10 grams of protein from quality sources such as egg albumin, soy, or whey, which you can absorb quickly and well, says Lisa Dorfman, M.S., R.D., runner, sports nutritionist, and host of www.runningnutritionist.com. Other protein sources, such as nuts and wheat, are fine in your normal diet, but they aren’t digested as quickly. Finally, don’t reach for bars that tout a mega-load of protein, as these can stress your kidneys and will takes hours to digest.
* Energy gels. "Energy gels are good, because they get right to the point," says Dorfman. "They go quickly into the bloodstream and to the brain, where they tell it your body isn't in distress, that you can go on." Just be sure to drink around 4 to 8 ounces of water with each gel packet to help your body digest it.
* Sports drinks. Look for a sports drink that offers a maximum of 14 grams (56 calories) of carbohydrates per 8 ounces, says Dorfman. When a drink contains much more sugar than this, it's hard to digest and can cause diarrhea. If a drink offers significantly less sugar, it won't provide you with the energizing carbohydrates your body needs. Try different flavors to discover which you like best, and vary them so they won't bore you.
* 6 False. It's better to eat smaller meals more frequently than bigger meals three times a day, says Coleman. The payoff: You'll feel neither starved nor weighed down at any point of the day.
Most important, between 1 and 4 hours before a run, consume about 350 to 750 calories’ worth of carbohydrates. The more time you have before your run, the more calories you can consume. This will ensure you’re properly fueled, says Kristine Clark, Ph.D., director of sports nutrition at Penn State University. Good, digestible foods to choose before a run include toast, bagels, and juices. If you want to whip up a liquid meal, which will reduce the chances of GI trouble, toss some fruit into a blender with a bit of nonfat yogurt and honey. Stay away from fat at this time, as it will sit in your stomach.
As soon as you can comfortably handle it after the workout–certainly within an hour–eat about 400 calories’ worth of carbohydrates and protein (aim for a 3-to-1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein). The former will be converted to glycogen, and the latter will aid muscle repair.
7 False. Fiber does some great things as it passes through your gut. For example, it can decrease the amount of fat absorbed by your body, in essence acting as a natural weight-loss tool. But fiber is best known as the nutrient that keeps you “regular,” which is precisely why it can cause problems for runners. After all, we want to run with an eye on the finish line, not the portajohn.
The way around this is to eat foods that supply small amounts of fiber throughout the day. These are all foods you should be eating anyway, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Keep in mind that a few grams of fiber before a run shouldn’t hurt. Then, if you need that bran muffin or bowl of black beans and rice to give you a big fiber boost, do so once you’re done running for the day.
Aim for between 20 and 30 grams of fiber each day. Foods such as apples and bananas contain soluble fiber, which has been shown to lower heart-disease risk. In contrast, bran cereal (with up to 13 grams of fiber per half-cup) contains insoluble fiber that can decrease colon-cancer risk. You need both soluble and insoluble fiber for optimal health.
8 False. Women runners typically don’t consume enough calcium because they tend to shy away from dairy products to cut calories and fat, says Coleman. But while dairy is one of the best sources of calcium, it certainly isn’t the only one. If you don’t like the taste of milk and other dairy foods, or can’t digest them, try calcium-fortified juices instead. An 8-ounce glass provides 350 milligrams of the 1,200 to 1,300 milligrams of calcium that women need daily. Men need 1,000 to 1,300 milligrams, but frequently have an easier time reaching that level.
Other tasty, nondairy sources of calcium include almonds, spinach, and many other leafy greens. Or, suggests Coleman, you can always try a calcium-rich product such as Citracal plus D, a chocolaty chew called Viactiv, or a calcium-rich antacid such as Tums. All are available at drug and convenience stores.
Regardless of the form your calcium takes, be sure to consume adequate amounts of vitamin D also, which will help you absorb the mineral.
9 True (usually). If you bum a lot of calories each day–and most runners do–you should consume plenty of calories to match your expenditure. If you’re taking in those calories from a nice mix of healthful foods, you should be acquiring all the vitamins and minerals you need. That best-case scenario would then make a multivitamin unnecessary, but who among us can claim to be “best case”?
Not even the nutrition experts we consulted for this article feel that confident about their own diets. That’s why most of them take a daily vitamin-mineral supplement, and suggest that other runners do the same. “I’m actually very up front about recommending it,” says Clark. “Like many sports nutritionists, I consider it insurance.”
But experimenting with large quantities of vitamins and minerals is a different matter. “There’s a chance of overdosing, particularly with vitamins A, D, and E, and the minerals selenium, magnesium, and iron,” continues Clark. “And if you’re taking random supplements, you might be taking three or four that all contain 100 percent of a particular nutrient such as iron, and that’s too much.”
Vitamins and minerals also compete in your gut to be absorbed, so one can interfere with the uptake of another. That’s why a multivitamin and mineral supplement is a better choice. If you worry that your food choices are short-changing you on a particular nutrient, consult with a sports nutritionist or dietitian. (For a referral, call the American Dietetic Association at 800-366-1655.)
Okay, class, that’s all for today. For those of you who want to learn more about eating for better running, check out www.runnersworld.com when you return to your dorms this evening. Click on “Nutrition” or “Best Foods” on the left side of the home page and you’re there.
Class dismissed.
THE QUIZ
- You should avoid fat at all costs. True/False
- If you run enough, it doesn’t really matter what you eat. T/F
- A hamburger and a glass of milk can repair your muscles. T/F
- Eating carbohydrate-rich foods is a good way to consume other important nutrients. T/F
- You should make energy bars, gels, and drinks part of your daily diet. T/F
- You should eat three hearty meals a day. T/F
- A high-fiber diet will upset your gut during running. T/F
- If your bones hold up during running, you’re taking in plenty of calcium. T/F
- All runners should take a multivitamin. T/F
It Doesn’t Add Up (or Does It?)
Okay, you now know to aim for around 30 percent fat calories plus up to 25 percent protein calories daily. Which only leaves 45 percent for carbohydrates, which is too low. What to do?
Experiment with these proportions to see which work best for you, says sports nutritionist Lisa Dorfman, M.S. R.D. You don’t need to hit the maximum of the three macronutrients week in and week out. Adjust your diet to fit your circumstances.
For example, if you’re doing long runs leading up to a marathon, you’ll want to consume enough fat to assist in fat-burning. Whereas after a major race or particularly intense training week, reach for more protein sources to help rebuild muscle.
Finally, make sure to vary your foods from week to week so you don’t become nutritionally bored.
By Eric Metcalf
Eric Metcalf is a runner and writer at Rodale, Inc., in Emmaus, Pa.