USC Marathon Team
USC Marathon Club Patrice Barber, RD Trojan Hospitality Nutritionist November 18 & 19, 2004 Goal: 2005 LA MARATHON MARCH 6, 2005 What difference nutrition can make Train longer and harder Delay fatigue Helps your body recover faster after a run Perform much better overall Everyday eating for marathoners Eat a variety of high carb, moderate protein, low fat 55-65% calories from carb 15% calories from protein <30% calories from fat Carbs are for energy Carbs are made of glucose Glucose becomes glycogen Glycogen is the fuel you burn when you exercise When you run out of glycogen, you're done You've heard of hitting the wall? Prevent that by having carbs in your system when you start Replace them/keep them flowing as you run Quality carbs Load up in ones that are 'nutrient dense' Whole wheat bread, white bread Raisin Bran, Lucky Charms Raisins, Gummy Bears The 'quick sugars' do have their place, we'll get to that later Protein is for muscle building and repair Eat 1.2-1.4 grams of protein per kilogram body weight More is not better More protein often means more fat More protein means less of your total calories coming from carb Less carb = less energy Look at chart for protein needs Quality protein Lean protein sources Non-meat protein sources: dairy, beans, soy Fat for satiety and normal structural & chemical processes Quality fats Monounsaturated Olive oil, canola oil, nuts, avocado To get all the carb & protein you need, your diet needs to be pretty low in fat Numbers are nice, but what does this look like at the table? ½ plate veggies, ¼ grain/starch veggie, ¼ protein + low fat milk, whole grain bread & fruit Second helpings? Some carb, some protein Keep the ratio rather than a just another chicken breast or just some more pasta Breakfast: the meal of champions Supplements I get the most questions about Great breakfast ideas: Oatmeal, low fat milk, banana, OJ Whole grain cereal, low fat milk, banana, OJ Whole grain toast, cottage cheese, bluberries, juice Whole grain bagel, hard boiled egg, milk, fruit Lunch, snacks & dinner Great meal ideas: Rotisserie chicken, other lean meat, baked sweet potato, broccoli, fruit salad with yogurt & granola Salmon, wild rice, spinach, apple & cranberry salad with olive oil & balsamic vinegar, butternut squash, cereal & milk for dessert Sandwiches: water- packed tuna or turkey salad on whole wheat, veggie sticks & dip, baked chips, pear and chocolate milk Sushi, soy beans, soy yogurt, green tea, orange Tortilla, refried beans, salsa, lettuce, tomato, grilled chicken Pasta with meatballs or meat sauce, salad, steamed asparagus, frozen yogurt with berries Great snack ideas: Cereal, milk & fruit (even sweet cereal is better than cookies, candy, cake) Trail mix Dried fruit Fig bars or granola bar & milk Energy bars Bananas Green soy beans Yogurt drinks Hummus & whole grain pita or crackers Yogurt String cheese Tuna Vitamins & supplements for marathoners Vitamins & minerals IF you eat a great diet, you can get all you need from your food That is a huge IF Great diet quiz Everyday: dark green veggie Everyday: dark orange veggie Everyday: citrus Everyday: 3 milk for women, 2 for men Everyday: 2-3 servings lean protein Everyday: whole grains or starchy vegetable at each meal/snack Everyday: monounsaturated fat source Next to never: fried anything Next to never: sugary foods Next to never: energy drinks Next to never: alcohol Were you perfect? No? Then a multivitamin is a good idea What kind? No more than 100% of the RDA for vitamins & minerals With iron and calcium for women No extra iron for men unless the doctor tells you yo Supplements I get the most questions about: Creatine: can be helpful in short-duration, high-intensity sports No positive effects on endurance performance Glutamine: helpful in building muscle in pts with wasting diseases (HIV, cancer) No effect on muscle recovery in athletes HMB: beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate Studies show no benefits to human Protein/amino acids: easy to get plenty in your food Eat some within 30 min of a run, esp after weight training Green tea: contains the antioxidant called EGCG. In rats ECGC can inhibit the enzyme lipase which is needed for fat metabolism The idea is that if lipase is inhibited, there'll be decreased fat digestion We have no idea if that will work in people yet Prohormones: Like andro have a scary safety profile Banned by everybody: NCAA, IOC, NFL That tells you all you need to know The day of the race (and long training runs) Eat before you run A full meal 3-4 hours before A smaller meal 2-3 hours before High carb, moderate protein, low fat Eating mostly carbs before exercise makes glucose more readily available for working muscles Stomach should be fairly empty during the marathon Allows blood to be shuttled to the working muscles instead of being needed in the stomach for digestion Glucose in your system, rather than food in the stomach If that doesn't work for you, at least 300 calories 1 hour before Yogurt Energy bar East to digest Practice with different foods so you know what your stomach will handle the day of the marathon Prerace food will prevent your blood sugar from dropping and will fend off hunger later in the race If pasta is your prerace choice, pasta with marinara is a good choice. Cheesy lasagna with garlic bread will have too fat High fat, low carb diets do not enhance performance Eat while running Long training runs are great opportunities to practice refueling. Try: energy bars, gels, hard candy, gummy bears, honey If your body responds by getting pumped up, not cramped, plan to eat the same things the day of the marathon You will have a very hard time running 26 miles on just the carbs you have stored in your body Get used to supplementing your stores as you run Find out through experimentation what quantity and mix of beverages and foods work best for you during longer training runs, then follow through with it during your marathon. Fluids for the race (and long training runs training) Endurance athletes constantly risk dehydration. Dehydration can diminish energy and impair performance. Even a 2% loss of body weight through sweat (3 lbs for a 150 lb person) can put you at a disadvantage. When to hydrate Before, during and after Responding to thirst is an insensitive, inaccurate gauge for marathoners How much to drink This will be different for everybody: gender, ht, wt, how much you are used to drinking In general, your urine should be the color of cheap beer Before your marathon: drink 2 cups (16 oz), 2 hours before the start 5-12 oz every 15-20 minutes during a marathon That can be a challenge, so practice during your long training runs Just as you train your body to run long distances, you can teach it to absorb more fluid, and therefore perform better It is also important to drink after the run or marathon Drink 2 cups for every pound you have lost Experts recommend drinking 1.5 times the amount of fluid loss If you lose 2#, you need to drink 3# 1# = 2 cups (16 oz) This will ensure a rapid return to normal body water status What to drink Total fluid, not fluid source is the most important factor in determining fluid status Cold temperature cools the body better in hot weather Caffeine beverages do not support rehydration as well as noncaffeinated beverages They are not dehydrating Stimulate mild diuresis similar to water, but no evidence of fluid-electrolyte imbalance This is when you are consuming an amount of caffeine that your body is used to Caffeine can act as a strong diuretic in the caffeine-naïve Sports beverages are good to drink during the marathon Studies prove that marathoners who take in 200 carb calories per hour during long runs or races experience less fatigue and finish stronger Drink 5-12 oz sports beverage every 15-20 minutes throughout the marathon to curb your fatigue This is also good to drink after a long run or marathon Just as you train your body to run long distances, you can teach it to absorb more fluid, and therefore perform better The best time to find what works for you is now. During your training runs Don't do something different the day of the marathon Too much water = hyponatremia Sodium level drops in the body due to drinking too much/ excess sweating There is rapid influx of water to the brain which causes: Rapid wt gain Severe fatigue Bloated stomach Lack of concentration Swollen hands/feet Restlessness N & V Confusion & disorientation Throbbing headache Wheezy breathing Dizzines Seizure Special note: Red Bull The week before race day The meals leading up to the marathon will do more for performance than one single pre-marathon meal It takes 20 hours to fill glycogen stores without interruption from another practice or event A full meal the night before Food choices in the days prior are crucial Should consist mainly of carbs, some protein and some fat Don't eat more the week before Because your training is lighter than normal the week before a marathon, you're burning fewer calories than usual.