Every runner on the planet has heard of carbohydrate loading, and most major marathons sponsor pre-race carbohydrate loading dinners the evening before their race.
A word to the wise- don't get carried away! Some runners think loading gives them a license to eat as much as the last 72 hours, while others focus more on desserts and cookies. In other words, fat loading.
According to the Australian Institute of Sport, if you do it correctly, carbohydrate loading can improve run performance by 2%-3%. That may not sound like much, but 3% translates to 5 minutes for a 3 hour marathoner and 7 minutes for a 4 hour runner. That's not bad!
What's the trick to maximizing the benefits of loading carbohydrates? Over the years physiologists have found modest success with different protocols. Here are 2 of the best.
OPTION 1
As you taper your distance, do one last hard but short effort about 72 hours before your race. I like 4 x 800s.
Immediately following your workout, begin your focus on carbohydrates. This study in the European J of Applied Physiology found that glycogen loaded muscles will stay that way for up to 5 days as long as you rest and maintain a high carbohydrate intake. While its ok to start that early, I prefer 3 days.
Research has shown that muscles will stock more if you spread out your intake over 4 hours rather than eating 1 large meal following a hard workout. It makes sense to me that you continue this "carbohydrate grazing" technique following each of your short taper workouts.
A common problem associated with 3 days of carbohydrate loading is the disruption in your normal eating pattern. Your trying to stuff yourself when you aren't very hungry. Your reduced training load along with the extra fiber in many carbohydrate foods leaves you with no appetite.
OPTION 2:
More research out of Australia has uncovered an effective strategy that may work as well or even better (see Tip #5: The Taper). They found ample super compensation in athletes that performed 1 very hard 3 minute exercise bout followed by just 24 hours of carb. loading (pponline.com). Do this 2 days before your race and rest the day before.
Since it takes 10 hours or more for any one meal to break down and reach the muscles (drmirkin.com)it makes sense that what you eat 2 days before may be more important than that big pre race pasta party.
I always try to get a sufficient amount of fiber the day before, snacking on foods like popcorn or whole grain fig newtons. Stick mainly with high carbohydrate foods, but stay with food groups you are used to. For me, that's oatmeal, cereal, pasta, bread, fruit, and vegetables.
Since muscle glycogen is heavy and retains water, maintain a sufficient intake of fluids and keep an eye on the scale. You know you are ready when you are a couple of pounds heavy.
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query carbohydrate. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query carbohydrate. Sort by date Show all posts
Friday, May 30, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Nutritional Intake Predicts Performance in an Ironman Triathlon
Interesting piece of research here that found a correlation between finish times in an Ironman Triathlon and intake of carbohydrate and water.
"the correlation of finish time with the rate of carbohydrate intake relative to body mass could be from -0.74 to -0.39, which represent improvements in performance of between 7.2% and 3.6% for an increase in carbohydrate intake of 0.40 g·kg-1·h-1 (a change of 1.0 standard deviation). The most likely gain in performance is about 5%, or about half an hour over 10 hours."
The authors concluded "Ironman triathletes who increase their below-average consumption of food and drinks in an event can expect to enhance performance by at least a few percent. These findings should apply to a substantial proportion of athletes in all ultra-endurance events lasting 8-15 h."
-sportsci.org
In other words, get your calories- approx. 1 gram per minute of carbohydrate, or 240 calories per hour.
"the correlation of finish time with the rate of carbohydrate intake relative to body mass could be from -0.74 to -0.39, which represent improvements in performance of between 7.2% and 3.6% for an increase in carbohydrate intake of 0.40 g·kg-1·h-1 (a change of 1.0 standard deviation). The most likely gain in performance is about 5%, or about half an hour over 10 hours."
The authors concluded "Ironman triathletes who increase their below-average consumption of food and drinks in an event can expect to enhance performance by at least a few percent. These findings should apply to a substantial proportion of athletes in all ultra-endurance events lasting 8-15 h."
-sportsci.org
In other words, get your calories- approx. 1 gram per minute of carbohydrate, or 240 calories per hour.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Carbohydrates and Recovery
"...when runners trained heavily and ate low-carbohydrate (40%), they had a day-to-day decline in muscle glycogen. When the same subjects ate high-carbohydrate diets (70%), muscle glycogen replacement was nearly complete within 22 hours..."
"When subjects eat only as much food as they desire ad libitum, they often underestimate their caloric needs and fail to consume enough carbohydrate to compensate or that used during training or competition. This discrepancy between glycogen use and carbohydrate intake may explain, in part, why some runners become chronically fatigued and need 48 hours or longer to completely restore muscle glycogen."
-Inside Running: Basics of Sports Physiology, David L Costill, PhD.
MY COMMENTS: The higher the mileage, the more important this becomes. Carbohydrate intake among runners should be higher than the average diet. I think sometimes we forget that, especially during heavy marathon training.
"When subjects eat only as much food as they desire ad libitum, they often underestimate their caloric needs and fail to consume enough carbohydrate to compensate or that used during training or competition. This discrepancy between glycogen use and carbohydrate intake may explain, in part, why some runners become chronically fatigued and need 48 hours or longer to completely restore muscle glycogen."
-Inside Running: Basics of Sports Physiology, David L Costill, PhD.
MY COMMENTS: The higher the mileage, the more important this becomes. Carbohydrate intake among runners should be higher than the average diet. I think sometimes we forget that, especially during heavy marathon training.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Carbohydrate Mouthwash Improves Endurance Performance
Supplementary carbohydrate does not have to be swallowed or infused in order to exert an ergogenic effect. A remarkable new UK study has found that a carbohydrate mouthwash, rinsed around the mouth at regular intervals during a one-hour cycling time trial, led to a significant improvement in power output and performance time. Peak Performance Online
MY COMMENT: Interesting! Since becoming aware of this small study, I make it a point to carry a few mints or other pieces of candy to suck on during marathons. I have no idea if it works. If you are getting plenty of carbohydrate along the way and come across another rest stop, you can always swish around one of the sports drinks around inside your mouth and spit it out.
MY COMMENT: Interesting! Since becoming aware of this small study, I make it a point to carry a few mints or other pieces of candy to suck on during marathons. I have no idea if it works. If you are getting plenty of carbohydrate along the way and come across another rest stop, you can always swish around one of the sports drinks around inside your mouth and spit it out.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Are Electrolytes Overrated?
However, there is little direct evidence of a beneficial effect of electrolyte replacement for any but a small proportion of endurance athletes. The fact that electrolyte concentrations in plasma usually rise during exercise without fluid replacement (Costill et al., 1970, 1974, 1976, 1981) indicates that electrolyte supplements are not needed. Furthermore, during repeated exposures to prolonged physical exertion, the kidneys very effectively conserve sodium and potassium so that the electrolyte balance is usually maintained when an athlete consumes a normal diet or a diet low in potassium (Costill et al., 1976), or a diet high or low in sodium (Armstrong et al., 1985). However, recent case studies have been reported in which athletes who participated in very prolonged exercise experienced severe hyponatremia, i.e., low plasma sodium concentrations during exercise (Hiller et al., 1985; Noakes et al., 1985) or up to 7 days after competition (Noakes et al., 1985). These athletes usually consumed large quantities of water or beverages low in electrolytes. -Fluid Replacement and Heat Stress, Institute of Medicine
The effects of consumption of the individual components of a sports beverage (electrolytes, water, or carbohydrate) and of the combination of all components have also been assessed. Compared with the electrolyte-only trial, performance during the water-only and carbohydrate-only trials was approximately 6 percent faster. However, the combination of carbohydrate and water caused a performance enhancement that was approximately 12 percent faster than the electrolyte trial and 5 to 6 percent faster than when water only or carbohydrate only were consumed. -healthline.com
If no fluid is ingested during prolonged exercise, serum Na+ concentration, osmolality and anti diuretic hormone activity all increase (9). The rise in serum Na+ concentration and osmolality correlate with the increase in (body) esophageal temperature and may be a stimulus for the reduction in skin blood flow and sweating that develops at advanced levels of dehydration (10). An important goal of fluid ingestion during exercise may therefore be to prevent rises in serum osmolality and thereby maintain sufficient skin blood flow for maximum evaporative and convective heat losses. -ultrunr.com
MY COMMENT: I still am a bit perplexed by the hype surrounding the need for electrolytes and the perception that supplementation will somehow enhance marathon performance. Americans are overloaded with sodium to begin with, and dehydration increases concentration in the blood. So why would the typical marathoner need to take additional electrolytes? Unless you are sweating heavily and drinking more water than you are losing, marathoners do not need to replace electrolytes until they cross the finish line.
The effects of consumption of the individual components of a sports beverage (electrolytes, water, or carbohydrate) and of the combination of all components have also been assessed. Compared with the electrolyte-only trial, performance during the water-only and carbohydrate-only trials was approximately 6 percent faster. However, the combination of carbohydrate and water caused a performance enhancement that was approximately 12 percent faster than the electrolyte trial and 5 to 6 percent faster than when water only or carbohydrate only were consumed. -healthline.com
If no fluid is ingested during prolonged exercise, serum Na+ concentration, osmolality and anti diuretic hormone activity all increase (9). The rise in serum Na+ concentration and osmolality correlate with the increase in (body) esophageal temperature and may be a stimulus for the reduction in skin blood flow and sweating that develops at advanced levels of dehydration (10). An important goal of fluid ingestion during exercise may therefore be to prevent rises in serum osmolality and thereby maintain sufficient skin blood flow for maximum evaporative and convective heat losses. -ultrunr.com
MY COMMENT: I still am a bit perplexed by the hype surrounding the need for electrolytes and the perception that supplementation will somehow enhance marathon performance. Americans are overloaded with sodium to begin with, and dehydration increases concentration in the blood. So why would the typical marathoner need to take additional electrolytes? Unless you are sweating heavily and drinking more water than you are losing, marathoners do not need to replace electrolytes until they cross the finish line.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
New Ideas to Enhance Your Running Performance- or Not!
The main goals of long runs are to improve our carbohydrate storage capacity and to become more efficient at using our fuel. The long run works by sending our bodies into crisis during those last few miles when our fuel supply is running low, which signals our bodies to adapt so that the next time we run long, our bodies are prepared to cope with that stress. When we take in a carbohydrate drink or supplement during training, it prevents us from reaching the decreases in fuel stores that lead to adaptation. Essentially, since the stress is reduced, the adaptation is reduced. -When Damage is a Good Thing
MY COMMENT: This well written article by Steve Magness poses some interesting questions about recovery, and optimal running performance. I'm always intrigued by "out of the box" training ideas.
Is it possible that long runs are more beneficial when you don't take carbohydrates? Yes! (see related post here)
The problem is every time you do this, expect a significant drop in performance during the latter stages of your run and perhaps a longer recovery. In addition, it's imperative that you practice fuel intake you'll be doing in a marathon. For this reason Magness suggests you alternate no calorie long runs and runs with fuel.
My training back in the 70s consisted of a heavy dose of 90 minute tempo runs (or longer), with a 2 hour plus jaunt on the weekends, and I don't remember drinking or eating anything, especially in winter! Did it help? The scientific evidence isn't clear on this one.
Although there are undoubtedly favourable metabolic changes after low-glycogen training, the results are rather mixed as to whether these changes translate into performance gains. -pponline.com
Here is another thought- let's say you encounter severe depletion on your every other week no carbohydrate runs, and that delays your recovery by one extra day. Over a period of a 16 week marathon build-up, you'll lose 7 valuble days of training.
Magness also suggests that antioxidant supplements reduce adaptation to training and therefore may limit the benefits. There are a couple of problems I have with this theory. First, isn't it true that immune system is suppessed for a period of time following a hard workout or race? I'm pretty sure antioxidants have never been found to enhance performance, but I'm also not aware of any studies reporting their use inhibits performance. I am not an expert, but doesn't antioxidant supplementation take some time to optimize free radical protection? I for one, am sticking with my two doses per day of Cooper Elite Athlete multi-vitamin and mineral supplement (see my previous post on the benefits here). I find it hard to believe that elevated C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation following hard exercise, is a good thing.
The article also suggests delaying ice baths (if you use them) until the day following a hard workout giving your body's natural recovery process time to work. I find it funny that NIKE is touting their latest training toy, the cryosauna, a device that uses liquid nitrogen to cool down runners after workouts. They even flew one out to New York for Dathan Ritzenhein prior to the marathon, which to me makes absolutely no sense (by that time, his hard workouts were a thing of the past- it might have made more sense for Ritz to heat train those last few days!).
I don't know if Magness is right on with this or not, but my gut feeling is telling me this idea is also a bit of a stretch. If you tear down during a workout, your body repairs itself to become stronger. I believe the level of stress is probably the key to improvement, not the length of recovery.
MY COMMENT: This well written article by Steve Magness poses some interesting questions about recovery, and optimal running performance. I'm always intrigued by "out of the box" training ideas.
Is it possible that long runs are more beneficial when you don't take carbohydrates? Yes! (see related post here)
The problem is every time you do this, expect a significant drop in performance during the latter stages of your run and perhaps a longer recovery. In addition, it's imperative that you practice fuel intake you'll be doing in a marathon. For this reason Magness suggests you alternate no calorie long runs and runs with fuel.
My training back in the 70s consisted of a heavy dose of 90 minute tempo runs (or longer), with a 2 hour plus jaunt on the weekends, and I don't remember drinking or eating anything, especially in winter! Did it help? The scientific evidence isn't clear on this one.
Although there are undoubtedly favourable metabolic changes after low-glycogen training, the results are rather mixed as to whether these changes translate into performance gains. -pponline.com
Here is another thought- let's say you encounter severe depletion on your every other week no carbohydrate runs, and that delays your recovery by one extra day. Over a period of a 16 week marathon build-up, you'll lose 7 valuble days of training.
Magness also suggests that antioxidant supplements reduce adaptation to training and therefore may limit the benefits. There are a couple of problems I have with this theory. First, isn't it true that immune system is suppessed for a period of time following a hard workout or race? I'm pretty sure antioxidants have never been found to enhance performance, but I'm also not aware of any studies reporting their use inhibits performance. I am not an expert, but doesn't antioxidant supplementation take some time to optimize free radical protection? I for one, am sticking with my two doses per day of Cooper Elite Athlete multi-vitamin and mineral supplement (see my previous post on the benefits here). I find it hard to believe that elevated C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation following hard exercise, is a good thing.
The article also suggests delaying ice baths (if you use them) until the day following a hard workout giving your body's natural recovery process time to work. I find it funny that NIKE is touting their latest training toy, the cryosauna, a device that uses liquid nitrogen to cool down runners after workouts. They even flew one out to New York for Dathan Ritzenhein prior to the marathon, which to me makes absolutely no sense (by that time, his hard workouts were a thing of the past- it might have made more sense for Ritz to heat train those last few days!).
I don't know if Magness is right on with this or not, but my gut feeling is telling me this idea is also a bit of a stretch. If you tear down during a workout, your body repairs itself to become stronger. I believe the level of stress is probably the key to improvement, not the length of recovery.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Caffeine Boosts Glycogen Reloading
Glycogen, the muscle’s primary fuel source during exercise, is replenished more rapidly when athletes ingest both carbohydrate and caffeine following exhaustive exercise. Athletes who ingested caffeine with carbohydrate had 66% more glycogen in their muscles four hours after finishing intense, glycogen-depleting exercise, compared to when they consumed carbohydrate alone source- American Physiological Society newswise.com
Friday, March 19, 2010
Carbohydrate Intake During Long Runs/Marathons
If the race lasts for 60-200 minutes, take five to six swallows of a 6-8 per cent carbohydrate sports DRINK every 15 minutes during the race
-Peak Performance Online
If you are counting grams or calories, the recommendation is 30 grams of carbohydrate per hour, or a little more than 200 calories.
For races lasting 3-3.5 hours they recommend adding 40 grams of medium chain triglyceride (MCT) to each liter of sports drink and sipping that. I've never shopped for MCT so have no idea if it's readily available. Unless you have access to your own drinks at aid stations, it doesn't make sense to use it during workouts.
-Peak Performance Online
If you are counting grams or calories, the recommendation is 30 grams of carbohydrate per hour, or a little more than 200 calories.
For races lasting 3-3.5 hours they recommend adding 40 grams of medium chain triglyceride (MCT) to each liter of sports drink and sipping that. I've never shopped for MCT so have no idea if it's readily available. Unless you have access to your own drinks at aid stations, it doesn't make sense to use it during workouts.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
26 Tips for Marathon Training and Racing: #2- Race Day!
The day you've worked so hard for has finally arrived! All the miles, sacrifices, and pain. Don't blow it now!
Pre Race
- Get up! You need to be out of bed 3 hours before the race starts. Eat a carbohydrate breakfast and drink at least 12 ounces of water or sports drink. Go to the bathroom! I usually drink 2 cups of coffee, but limit that to 1 on race day.
- Gear. Double check your race gear one more time to make sure you have everything you'll need. Take snacks and fluids to the start.
- Hydrate. Stop drinking about an hour before the start so you have plenty of time for bathroom trips. With about 10 minutes to go, drink 8-12 ounces of sports drink one more time.
Nutrition
- Your pace the first mile or 2 is crucial. You want to do everything possible to conserve precious muscle glycogen, because the faster you run, the faster you burn it. Hold back and check your 1 mile split. Slow down if your first mile is faster than your anticipated pace.
-Practice energy conservation. Tuck in behind other runners whenever possible. Focus on smooth, relaxed running. Make it feel easy.
-Drink at the aid stations. A few sips at every stop. I take sports drink or switch to water if I take a gel.
-Carbohydrates. You should try to take in 200-250 calories per hour. These days more often than not you have a choice of sports drinks or gels. While hundreds of thousands of long distance athletes use gels without complaint, distance running expert Owen Anderson is not convinced they are the best choice. "...dump a load of goo into your stomach along with a little liquid, it's hard to know what the actual CONCENTRATION of that carbohydrate will be. That concern is not an esoteric one: if the carbo concentration is too high (too much goo, not enough liquid), the carbohydrate will be absorbed slowly and may even pull fluid into your gut - lowering your blood volume and dehydrating you in the process. If the carbo levels are too low (too little goo, too much water), not enough carbs will get to your muscles, and you'll limp through the final miles of the marathon with sad, glycogen-depleted legs. The commercial sports drinks are formulated just right, I always say, so why not just use them ..."
If you use gel, remember they are very concentrated. Crank Sports, maker of e-Gel, recommends 14 oz of water between each one. You'll start the race with water in your system, but that will need to be replaced throughout the race. Each gel has roughly 100 calories, so if you take 1 gel per hour, you should maintain a drinking rate of 7 oz plain water every 30 minutes. You'll still be at least 100 calories short, so take some sports drink along the way to make up the difference. This is something you'll have to experiment with. I recently took about 6 gels during the Vancouver Marathon over 3 hours with no problem, and I know that I was not drinking 28 oz each hour. I've also carried gels on training runs and not had any problems.
If you go with a sports drink, 4 ounces has 30 calories, so you need to drink 28 ounces per hour to get your 200 calories, or 7 oz every 15 minutes.
Strategy
"The day of the marathon I watched in amazement as he cut all the tangents in Central Park while Smith ran down the middle of the road. The measurement difference between miles 23 to 25 was approximately 50 meters!(tangents vs. middle of the road). It is my opinion that Rod didn't run one step faster - just every step smarter."
–david katz, well-known expert on marathon course design and measurement recalling Rod Dixon's New York City Marathon victory in 1983.
Don't run more distance than you have to! I've been running shorter distances than my competitors for years. Take the shortest distance at every opportunity.
The perfect marathon is run with even splits. In other words, your goal is to run the second half in the same time you ran the first half. This is very difficult to do, especially for the novice. Hold back early or the last 6 miles will be a very painful experience.
Pre Race
- Get up! You need to be out of bed 3 hours before the race starts. Eat a carbohydrate breakfast and drink at least 12 ounces of water or sports drink. Go to the bathroom! I usually drink 2 cups of coffee, but limit that to 1 on race day.
- Gear. Double check your race gear one more time to make sure you have everything you'll need. Take snacks and fluids to the start.
- Hydrate. Stop drinking about an hour before the start so you have plenty of time for bathroom trips. With about 10 minutes to go, drink 8-12 ounces of sports drink one more time.
Nutrition
- Your pace the first mile or 2 is crucial. You want to do everything possible to conserve precious muscle glycogen, because the faster you run, the faster you burn it. Hold back and check your 1 mile split. Slow down if your first mile is faster than your anticipated pace.
-Practice energy conservation. Tuck in behind other runners whenever possible. Focus on smooth, relaxed running. Make it feel easy.
-Drink at the aid stations. A few sips at every stop. I take sports drink or switch to water if I take a gel.
-Carbohydrates. You should try to take in 200-250 calories per hour. These days more often than not you have a choice of sports drinks or gels. While hundreds of thousands of long distance athletes use gels without complaint, distance running expert Owen Anderson is not convinced they are the best choice. "...dump a load of goo into your stomach along with a little liquid, it's hard to know what the actual CONCENTRATION of that carbohydrate will be. That concern is not an esoteric one: if the carbo concentration is too high (too much goo, not enough liquid), the carbohydrate will be absorbed slowly and may even pull fluid into your gut - lowering your blood volume and dehydrating you in the process. If the carbo levels are too low (too little goo, too much water), not enough carbs will get to your muscles, and you'll limp through the final miles of the marathon with sad, glycogen-depleted legs. The commercial sports drinks are formulated just right, I always say, so why not just use them ..."
If you use gel, remember they are very concentrated. Crank Sports, maker of e-Gel, recommends 14 oz of water between each one. You'll start the race with water in your system, but that will need to be replaced throughout the race. Each gel has roughly 100 calories, so if you take 1 gel per hour, you should maintain a drinking rate of 7 oz plain water every 30 minutes. You'll still be at least 100 calories short, so take some sports drink along the way to make up the difference. This is something you'll have to experiment with. I recently took about 6 gels during the Vancouver Marathon over 3 hours with no problem, and I know that I was not drinking 28 oz each hour. I've also carried gels on training runs and not had any problems.
If you go with a sports drink, 4 ounces has 30 calories, so you need to drink 28 ounces per hour to get your 200 calories, or 7 oz every 15 minutes.
Strategy
"The day of the marathon I watched in amazement as he cut all the tangents in Central Park while Smith ran down the middle of the road. The measurement difference between miles 23 to 25 was approximately 50 meters!(tangents vs. middle of the road). It is my opinion that Rod didn't run one step faster - just every step smarter."
–david katz, well-known expert on marathon course design and measurement recalling Rod Dixon's New York City Marathon victory in 1983.
Don't run more distance than you have to! I've been running shorter distances than my competitors for years. Take the shortest distance at every opportunity.
The perfect marathon is run with even splits. In other words, your goal is to run the second half in the same time you ran the first half. This is very difficult to do, especially for the novice. Hold back early or the last 6 miles will be a very painful experience.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Chocolate Milk Beats Endurox and Gatorade!
Participants cycled 51% and 43% longer after ingesting cholocate milk)(32 ± 11 min) than after ingesting carbohydrate replacement drink (21 ± 8 min) or fluid replacement drink (23 ± 8 min). CM is an effective recovery aid after prolonged endurance exercise for subsequent exercise at low-moderate intensities. -Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism
MY COMMENT: Subjects did better on a performance test (70% max effort to exhausion) 4 hours after an exhaustive, glycogen depletion ride. They were given the drinks at 0 and 2 hours following the depletion ride.
According to marsrefuel.com, 100 ml (3.4 oz) of Mars Refuel contains 77 calories, 3.1 grams of protein, 13.5 grams of carbohydrate, and 1.5 grams of fat. Chug the entire 300 ml bottle following an exhaustive workot and you get 231 calories, 9.3 grams of protein, 40.5 grams of carbohydrate, and 4.5 grams of fat.
Back in 2006, researchers also found that subjects were able to perform better 4 hours later using chocolate milk as a post exercise recovery drink (Chocolate Milk as a Post-Exercise Recovery Aid).
Maybe it's the fat!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
The Kenyan Runner's Diet - Surprising!
About 86 percent of daily calories came from vegetable sources, with 14 percent from animal foods. As you might expect, the Kenyan-runners' diets were extremely rich in carbohydrate, with 76.5 percent of daily calories coming from carbs
Every 24 hours, the Kenyans took in about 600 grams of carbohydrate, with very little variation from day to day
just behind ugali in second place for calorie-provisioning was plain sugar, which provided about one out of every five calories (20 percent) consumed by the Kenyans over the course of the day.
Since the Kenyans relied so heavily on full-cream milk as a source of energy and protein, their daily consumption of saturated fat checked in at about 28 grams -- 252 calories out of the daily caloric quota of 3,000 or so.
the carb intake of elite distance runners in the U.S., the Netherlands, Australia and South Africa have been measured at 49 (!), 50, 52 and 50 percent of total calories, respectively, a far cry from the Kenyan total of 76.5 percent.3,4,5,6 The Kenyans appear to be doing a better job of fueling themselves for their high-intensity training, compared with their "peers" in other countries.
Source: Eating practices of the best endurance athletes in the world by Owen Anderson.
MY COMMENT: After reading this, I am OK with sugar in my tea. With all the hype surounding a low carbohydrate approach for effective weight loss, this is indeed a reminder that what's good for heavy people may not be good for the runner in training. If you didn't know, Kenyans are notorious for gaining weight during their down time.
Every 24 hours, the Kenyans took in about 600 grams of carbohydrate, with very little variation from day to day
just behind ugali in second place for calorie-provisioning was plain sugar, which provided about one out of every five calories (20 percent) consumed by the Kenyans over the course of the day.
Since the Kenyans relied so heavily on full-cream milk as a source of energy and protein, their daily consumption of saturated fat checked in at about 28 grams -- 252 calories out of the daily caloric quota of 3,000 or so.
the carb intake of elite distance runners in the U.S., the Netherlands, Australia and South Africa have been measured at 49 (!), 50, 52 and 50 percent of total calories, respectively, a far cry from the Kenyan total of 76.5 percent.3,4,5,6 The Kenyans appear to be doing a better job of fueling themselves for their high-intensity training, compared with their "peers" in other countries.
Source: Eating practices of the best endurance athletes in the world by Owen Anderson.
MY COMMENT: After reading this, I am OK with sugar in my tea. With all the hype surounding a low carbohydrate approach for effective weight loss, this is indeed a reminder that what's good for heavy people may not be good for the runner in training. If you didn't know, Kenyans are notorious for gaining weight during their down time.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Train Low Race High For A Better Marathon Performance
Speaking of Greg McMillan (see previous post), he was one of the first to speculate that long training runs without taking in calories may enhance fat burning and race performance.
..a great way to ensure that you will deplete your carbohydrate stores on these long, steady runs is to not eat any carbohydrates immediately before or during the run. Any carbohydrates ingested will be used by the body for fuel, and we don't want this. We want to deny the body carbohydrates in these runs so that the muscles will become better at sparing the carbohydrate stores, more efficient at burning fat and used to running with lowered blood glucose levels -The Marathon Long Run
Now there evidence to support Gregs advice- the Train Low, Race High theory.
"Training with lower levels of glycogen in the muscles appears to elicit greater endurance adaptations in muscles, such as improved aerobic efficiency and increased capacity to burn fat compared to training with high levels of muscle glycogen" -Peak Performance Online
(McMillan recommends working up to 2.5 to 3.5 hour long training runs with little or no carbohydrate intake)
..a great way to ensure that you will deplete your carbohydrate stores on these long, steady runs is to not eat any carbohydrates immediately before or during the run. Any carbohydrates ingested will be used by the body for fuel, and we don't want this. We want to deny the body carbohydrates in these runs so that the muscles will become better at sparing the carbohydrate stores, more efficient at burning fat and used to running with lowered blood glucose levels -The Marathon Long Run
Now there evidence to support Gregs advice- the Train Low, Race High theory.
"Training with lower levels of glycogen in the muscles appears to elicit greater endurance adaptations in muscles, such as improved aerobic efficiency and increased capacity to burn fat compared to training with high levels of muscle glycogen" -Peak Performance Online
(McMillan recommends working up to 2.5 to 3.5 hour long training runs with little or no carbohydrate intake)
Monday, April 14, 2008
Carbohydrate Rinse Improves 1 Hr Cycling Performance
This is an interesting piece of research that discovered an increase in cycling performance by subjects who used a carbohydrate rinse (no injestion) compared to a water rinse. Seven cyclists were asked to do a set amount of work during 2 trials. They averaged 59.57 minutes on a carbohydrate rinse trial vs 61.37 minutes on the water rinse trial.
I have no idea if it helped or not, but I popped a few hard candies during the Moab Marathon and didn't run too bad. Seems to make sense- a few extra calories plus the taste may provide a bigger boost than one might expect. I am waiting to see another study that looks into the mechanism.
For more information, go to pponline.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Simon Bairu-..Not Enough Carbs=DNF!
He had trained for two years to arrive at this moment, stacking 120-mile week atop 120-mile week. And yet Bairu’s race was ending in a crushing disappointment, he would conclude later, because he hadn’t gulped down enough carbohydrate-laden sports gel. While he observed some of his competitors eating a packet of energy-laden gel every two miles, he said he took one packet all day. Still, Mile 21 passed, and then Mile 22, and he convinced himself that if he pushed on to the next water station, where he could swallow some more carbs, he’d be fine. -thestar.com
Bairu, in case you never heard of him, is a very good runner. As a Wisconsin Badger, Simon won 2 NCAA cross country national titles- no easy task, so we know he has ability. But for him, it's back to the marathon drawing board.
Are you kidding? How can a world class runner BE SO DUMB! Marthoning 101 calls for carbohydrate intake during the race. This is either a major coaching blunder or just plain ignorance.
To give their muscles a decent boost during the final, carbo-depleted miles of the race, marathoners need to take in more than 30 grams of carbs per hour DURING the race - peak performance online
I don't know if Simon was taking in a carbohydrate drink, but there are no excuses. This kind of crash should not happen to a runner with world class ability.
My rule? 200 calories per hour- 2 gels or one every 30 minutes.
Even Lance Armstrong knows better.
Nutrition, of course, is important. Armstrong says friends found it amusing that he gobbled something like 13 gels during his first marathon. It’s a lot, true, but I don’t scoff at anyone who turns in a sub-3-hour marathon. Now he says he’s backed off to eating roughly a gel every half hour during a marathon.-austin360.com
Bairu, in case you never heard of him, is a very good runner. As a Wisconsin Badger, Simon won 2 NCAA cross country national titles- no easy task, so we know he has ability. But for him, it's back to the marathon drawing board.
Are you kidding? How can a world class runner BE SO DUMB! Marthoning 101 calls for carbohydrate intake during the race. This is either a major coaching blunder or just plain ignorance.
To give their muscles a decent boost during the final, carbo-depleted miles of the race, marathoners need to take in more than 30 grams of carbs per hour DURING the race - peak performance online
I don't know if Simon was taking in a carbohydrate drink, but there are no excuses. This kind of crash should not happen to a runner with world class ability.
My rule? 200 calories per hour- 2 gels or one every 30 minutes.
Even Lance Armstrong knows better.
Nutrition, of course, is important. Armstrong says friends found it amusing that he gobbled something like 13 gels during his first marathon. It’s a lot, true, but I don’t scoff at anyone who turns in a sub-3-hour marathon. Now he says he’s backed off to eating roughly a gel every half hour during a marathon.-austin360.com
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Ritz Still Doesn't Get It!
Dathan Ritzenhein is a very talented distance runner. His resume includes 2 Footlocker National cross country titles in high school, an NCAA cross country title, and some very impressive PRs at distances ranging from 2 miles to the marathon.
Despite this success and his enormous talent, Dathan appears to be on a somewhat misguided course, at least that is what it looks like from the outside.
Claiming that he read how he might improve by dropping a few pounds, Dathan admitted to dieting prior to the U.S. National Track and Field Championships, and was forced to stumble weakly across the finish. He bonked at the New York Marathon last year and now this quote in the Eugene Register-Guard, "In the marathon,” Ritzenhein said, “you have to build up your tank as much as you can, and take in as much fuel as you can during the race, because the human body really can’t store the optimal amount of energy for that distance at that effort."
Anybody foolish enough to "take in as much fuel as you can" during a marathon is indeed headed to disaster- in the form of some nasty gastric distress. Too bad he didn't heed his own advice at the Track and Field Championships and go into that race fully loaded 1-2 pounds heavy.
Approximately 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour is about all your body can use Moderate Carbohydrate Intake Best During Exercise?
Ritz, you are as tough as they come and I hope you have a good race but for Pete's sake get some professional advice on sports nutrition. At your level you can't afford not to.
Despite this success and his enormous talent, Dathan appears to be on a somewhat misguided course, at least that is what it looks like from the outside.
Claiming that he read how he might improve by dropping a few pounds, Dathan admitted to dieting prior to the U.S. National Track and Field Championships, and was forced to stumble weakly across the finish. He bonked at the New York Marathon last year and now this quote in the Eugene Register-Guard, "In the marathon,” Ritzenhein said, “you have to build up your tank as much as you can, and take in as much fuel as you can during the race, because the human body really can’t store the optimal amount of energy for that distance at that effort."
Anybody foolish enough to "take in as much fuel as you can" during a marathon is indeed headed to disaster- in the form of some nasty gastric distress. Too bad he didn't heed his own advice at the Track and Field Championships and go into that race fully loaded 1-2 pounds heavy.
Approximately 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour is about all your body can use Moderate Carbohydrate Intake Best During Exercise?
Ritz, you are as tough as they come and I hope you have a good race but for Pete's sake get some professional advice on sports nutrition. At your level you can't afford not to.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Kara Goucher Needs to Rethink Her Marathon Race Nutrition Plan
At the second water station she dropped her assigned bottle. That wasn't a huge problem, but she was already starting to feel a rumble in her stomach that began by the sixth mile. Fluid and carbohydrate gel wouldn't stay down.
"Ten miles to go, I tried to take some (gel) and the taste of it wanted to make me throw up," Goucher said. "My body was fighting it and I wasn't getting the (energy) stores that I needed." -oregonlive.com
MY COMMENT: I watched the race and immediately noticed that she was taking in LOTS of fluid at every station- way more than I could ever imagine doing. Not sure what she was drinking but if it was a sports drink no wonder she had problems. Based on her interview it sounds like she took in too much carbohydrate. Once she gets this squared away, watch out!
UPDATE from NY Times- “I wasn’t able to get any liquids in after 10 miles,” Goucher said Monday. “I couldn’t keep anything down. I knew it would cost me, and three miles from the end it was very hard.”
COMMENT: Like I said, just watching her at the early stations, I think she was drinkin way too much liquid at one time and paid the price.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Why Don't More Sports Drinks Include Protein?
Adding protein to carbohydrate drinks during exercise has been shown to decrease muscle tissue damage in runners, improve performance, and enhance water retention (see a list of references here).
Accelerade is one of the few sports drinks on the market that includes protein- 4 grams per 8 oz serving (4:1 ratio carbohydrate to protein).
The most obvious problem with protein during a race would be a slower absorption rate, but apparently that isn't the case with Accelerade. Based on the evidence, it's certainly worth a try.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
UCAN Superstarch
By muting insulin response it allows the body to tap into fat stores, the body's natural and abundant source of energy.
MY COMMENT: Jeff Volek , associate professor at the U of Connecticut, a long-time advocate of low-carbohydrate diets, is now on board as Director of Nutrition and Fitness for UCAN (Volek interview on How Men Can Lose Weight While Building Muscle Through Exercise and Smart Nutrition) discusses how to lose fat and build muscle by weight training on a low carbohydrate diet.
Six servings of UCAN with a blender bottle sells for $17 at holibirdsports.com, so this is a drink that I would practice using prior to a couple of long runs, then save the rest for your races. The advantage with UCAN is you can take it 60-90 min prior to your workout and maintain blood sugar for a much longer time compared to a maltodextrin-based product. “Amy Yoder Begley’s found that she is able to do a 20-mile run off of 1 ½ packets an hour before. She then saves the second ½ packet as a recovery drink after.”
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Marathon Recovery - Tired of Carbohydrates
My typical marathon recovery is simple- wait out the leg soreness until I can gradually resume jogging. That usually takes until Wednesday or Thursday after a weekend race, with the first couple of runs not much faster than walking. It takes another week for my legs to feel normal, and I usually feel very good after about 2 weeks, fogetting about the real long runs and intense intervals. Just easy miles.
This was my 6th and final marathon of 2008; and the first one of the year that I actually focused on. More long runs, and more tempo runs. I ran my best time of the year, but for some reason leg soreness was more severe after this one than any of the others, when I had far fewer long runs behind me. Not sure that I have the answer. Maybe lack of hill training.
Another unusual problem is now I have a cold. I know the immune system is suppressed following a hard long race, but I do not recall ever getting sick like this right away after a marathon. Related to the soreness?
I hate being sick, but the good news is that I have nothing pressing on the race calendar that I need to worry about. I am even looking forward to some extra days off.
Finally, every running expert under the sun recommends electrolyte replacement drink and high carbohydrate foods immediately following the race. Baloney. I've run close to 50 marathons, and I have to admit to having NEVER followed that advice. By this time I am tired of carbohydrates, and my post-race routine is ALWAYS to find a bar (likely place to pick up a cold virus), have a couple of beers, and eat whatever I crave. Later, the evening meal on race day is ALWAYS STEAK washed down with more beer! Carbohydrate foods are the last thing on my mind.
Let's face it, I'm in no hurry to restock carbohydrates and get back on the roads in the hours after a marathon. Reward for hard work is in order.
This was my 6th and final marathon of 2008; and the first one of the year that I actually focused on. More long runs, and more tempo runs. I ran my best time of the year, but for some reason leg soreness was more severe after this one than any of the others, when I had far fewer long runs behind me. Not sure that I have the answer. Maybe lack of hill training.
Another unusual problem is now I have a cold. I know the immune system is suppressed following a hard long race, but I do not recall ever getting sick like this right away after a marathon. Related to the soreness?
I hate being sick, but the good news is that I have nothing pressing on the race calendar that I need to worry about. I am even looking forward to some extra days off.
Finally, every running expert under the sun recommends electrolyte replacement drink and high carbohydrate foods immediately following the race. Baloney. I've run close to 50 marathons, and I have to admit to having NEVER followed that advice. By this time I am tired of carbohydrates, and my post-race routine is ALWAYS to find a bar (likely place to pick up a cold virus), have a couple of beers, and eat whatever I crave. Later, the evening meal on race day is ALWAYS STEAK washed down with more beer! Carbohydrate foods are the last thing on my mind.
Let's face it, I'm in no hurry to restock carbohydrates and get back on the roads in the hours after a marathon. Reward for hard work is in order.
Monday, July 12, 2010
How Many Calories do Tour de France Riders Need?
Guys like Lance Armstrong actually eat about six times during a race day. They eat breakfast, a pre-race meal, during the race, a post-race meal, dinner and a bedtime snack. Add it all up, and it's about 9,000 calories, washed down with at least a gallon of water and more than a gallon of energy drink. -livescience.com
Breakfast: includes a banana, a third of a pound of pasta (weight is uncooked), a third of a pound of muesli (a carbohydrate-rich cereal), a croissant, a half-pound of mixed fruit, 10 ounces of orange juice, eight ounces of coffee, and eight ounces of water.
etc, etc, etc. Facinating article by Dan Peterson of livescience.com!
Breakfast: includes a banana, a third of a pound of pasta (weight is uncooked), a third of a pound of muesli (a carbohydrate-rich cereal), a croissant, a half-pound of mixed fruit, 10 ounces of orange juice, eight ounces of coffee, and eight ounces of water.
etc, etc, etc. Facinating article by Dan Peterson of livescience.com!
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