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.
During exercise, we typically think of carbohydrates and fats as our main sources of fuel, while protein is associated with recovery. Today, many sports nutrition bars, gels and drinks contain branched-chain amino acids (a special subset of amino acids) or protein. If we aren’t using protein to help muscles continue to make energy and contract, then what is protein doing in those supplements? Is there a role for protein during exercise? Let’s take a look.
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.
Why do some people get injured and others don’t? It seems like this simple enough question would be solved by sports scientists, especially when it comes to new runners. However, injury prevention for novice runners is a topic that is much discussed but not well understood.
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.
What a great headline! Unfortunately for me (the math professor) the “calculus” here refers to a kidney stone, not a study of speed and acceleration. Many runners have suffered from kidney stones.
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.
Recently, the importance of sleep has had a bit of renaissance. Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington wrote a book called The Sleep Revolution, corporate offices have invested in nap spaces and new technology offers numerous ways to track your sleep patterns. Sleep is in, so does the science support the recent hype?
I am not much of an ultrarunner anymore but running on trails is in my blood! This story started 24 years ago on April 24, 1993 when I was one of 60 starters who ran the 1st battle of the Bull Run Run 50 Miler put on by the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club. VHTRC members, that included Ed Demoney, Anstr Davidson, Joe Clapper, Chris Scott, Scotty Mills, and others, created a race that would attract large numbers of ultrarunners over the years.
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…
by Sarah Koszyk, M.A., RDN, Registered Sports Dietitian/Nutritionist Success. Completion. Accomplishment. Congratulations, you’ve just finished running an ultramarathon, most likely…
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.
A quick reference to ingredients commonly used in endurance fuels.
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…
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?”…
September 27, 2008 was the day that three of my Northern California friends (Ana Braga-Levaggi, Janet Bodle, and Pam Jolliffe)…
by Dave Hannaford, DPM We ask our feet to absorb two to three times body weight with each stride…Our feet…
by Marty Hoffman, MD and Tamara Hew-Butler, DPM, PhD As is often the case in life, a little information can…
by Tamara Hew-Butler DPM, PhD and Marty Hoffman MD Approximately 40 percent of our total body mass consists of skeletal…
Nutritionists often talk about reading labels, encouraging you to look for healthy ingredients and recognizable foods that are close to…
You’re an ultrarunner and you have an injury. Bad combination for training, not to mention your sanity. While ice, rest…
You want your nutrition to rebuild your immune system while maintaining the adaptation in the muscles that all those miles…