Health and Nutrition

Dr. Stacy Sims’ book “Next Level,” taught me something new about female athletes in the peri- and post-menopause stages, and gave me a deeper understanding and appreciation of the aging female body. More importantly, it gave me hope for a better version of my current self.

When we talk about calf muscles and the Achilles, it is important to understand the forces that are involved which can put those structures under excessive load, causing problems with running.

You spend a third to half of your life postmenopausal, and 10 or more years perimenopausal. Symptoms are common and expected, but can impact your racing and training, and your heart and bone health. The good news is, like any race, the more you know about the course, the better you can adapt your training to meet the demands of the “Menopause 200.”

There is a wealth of information on ultrarunning nutrition, what to eat in training and how to consume calories during your race. But not a lot is mentioned about how to practice eating in a way that simulates a race environment and introduces your body to the stresses you’ll be experiencing. Here are a few ways to practice nutrition during training to better prep your gut for race day.

I’m a young girl. In sport. And nearly four years after the diagnosis of my eating disorder, I am finally healed enough to discuss it. We’ve all come to a realization that it is time for the broken system to mend. But how?

For 60 hours, Maggie Guterl lined up ready to start either a 4.166667-mile trail or road loop every hour, on the hour. But what happened in those furious 9-12 minutes between each finish leading up to the next start, tells an incredible story of teamwork with some gold star skills.

After finishing your long run, hard effort workout or morning run that lasts over 90 minutes, what’s the first thing you think about? Let’s all admit that unless you’ve developed a good routine, getting in a balanced meal or recovery drink is sometimes not the first priority.

In his 50th year with more 100-mile wins than many will ever even attempt to run, Karl Meltzer’s nutrition plan is one to take note of. From the outside, folks probably think he spends his days sipping on Speedgoat Blend coffee, Red Bull, and maybe a beer or two. Fortunately, I got an inside look at how his real nutrition shapes his success.

There are many approaches to nutrition with the goal of getting to similar destinations: feeling your best every day, running well, recovering quickly, and staying healthy long-term. I have always been fascinated by what people are actually putting on their plate, why they make their choices, and what works for them.

It gets confusing to tell the difference between being exhausted from training/racing and being tired due to illness. But it takes just a few hours to get it checked it out and get answers, and then create a plan towards recovery.

Our love for trail running is in our genes. Our bodies evolved to make us the best endurance runners on Earth, to share cooked meals, and to be outside in nature. From these roots, running, wholesome food, and being in nature hone our genes’ expression for wellness and well being.

These are foods that have been around for centuries in other cultures and have recently become more mainstream with the American public. They can now be found in most major supermarkets nationwide. Calling a food a superfood means it offers additional health benefits. This article will discuss the superfood, what it can do in regards to exercise and how to incorporate it into your routine.

What do Michael Wardian, Sage Canaday, Ellie Greenwood, Yassine Diboun, Aliza Lapierre and Adam Chase have in common? Yes, they’re all elite ultra marathon runners who have raced consistently at a world-class level, but they are also all long-term vegetarians.

We have become a society of carb burners. That is where sports nutrition has been for the past couple of decades. Of the two main food sources the body uses for energy, carbohydrates and fats, our working muscles would prefer carbs because they create ATP (energy) faster. They are “easier” to convert into energy.

Don’t worry about weight, waistline, watching (others) or the web (browsing for the latest miracle diet). Focus on being the right weight, not just lightweight.

The sun is barely up as fifty-odd runners gather for the Fort Ordnance 100K in Monterey, CA. The gun fires and they patter off, mentally setting their sights on the finish line 62 miles away. For one runner this race from dawn to dusk, literally outrunning the sun, is one she’s been on her whole life.

By Peter Defty, President VESPA Like the Bob Dylan song, there is a “change is coming on” in sports physiology and it is the ultrarunning community showing the way. A…

by Sarah Koszyk, M.A., RDN, Registered Sports Dietitian/Nutritionist Success. Completion. Accomplishment. Congratulations, you’ve just finished running an ultramarathon, most likely about 31, 50 or 100 miles. The time it took…

A novel new addition to race week at this year’s Western States Endurance Run was the first-ever Medicine & Science in Ultra-Endurance Sports Conference. Medical research is one of the three pillars of the Western States Foundation Mission, and the formulation of a research conference in conjunction with the race has been in the works for several years.

I need an expert opinion on this running/beer question. I’ve heard that beer acts as an anti-inflammatory. Have you ever had a “cold one” after a hard run? Do you think it aids in your recovery?

When fiber is mentioned in conversation, there is usually a pause – then everyone has an opinion. We know that fiber is healthy; after all, fiber decreases transit time through…

For those of you who are totally lean, terrific fat burners and never have any GI issues, stop reading this article. But for those of you who want to become, in the words of former fitness expert Covert Bailey, a “better-butter-burner,” read on.

Food for Thought – Ultrarunning requires some mental stamina and the question, “Can we feed the mind with any special nutrition?” seems intriguing. Certainly lack of food can produce some pretty…