Running nutrition
Gluten-free running - "Gluten-free" seems to be the latest sports nutrition buzzword. Gluten is a protein in wheat, rye and barley that must be avoided by people with celiac disease, an inherited autoimmune disorder. Some athletes don't even realize they have celiac disease. They feel fine - until they experience iron-deficiency anemia or stress fractures due to poor absorbtion of iron, calcium, and vitamin D.
Calculate your sport diet - If you are like many active people, you feel totally confused about what to eat. You listen to a plethora of nutrition experts, read food labels, and then try to piece the information together to build a better sports diet. Yet, you end up with lots of questions, like what percent of calories should come from carbs, protein and fat.
Electrolytes and runners - Electrolytes are electrically charged particles that help the body function normally. Some of the more familiar electrolytes include sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. If you are a fitness exerciser, you are unlikely to need extra electrolytes to replace those lost in sweat. If you exercise hard for more than four hours in the heat (such as triathletes, marathoners and even tennis players), you may benefit from replacing sodium losses, particularly if you sweat a lot or have been consuming only plain water or even a standard sports drink.
Alcohol and runners - Alcohol and athletics is a dangerous duo, associated with negative consequences including hangovers, nausea and vomiting, memory loss, and trouble with the law - to say nothing of injuries. If you are among the athletes who chooses to drink large amounts of alcohol, read ths article.
Salt and runners - Some runners sweat so much they end up crusted with salt; they wonder if they need to eat extra salt to replace what lost in sweat. Other runners avoid salt like the plague; they see no need to add it to their food because the typical diet already contains way too much. And then there are marathoners and triathletes who read about hyponatremia. They wonder if they should start eating salty foods as a part of their daily sports diet. Perhaps you, too, have wondered about the role of salt, or more correctly, sodium in your diet. This article can help you figure out if you should shake it or leave it.
Peanut butter and runners - In this day and age of energy bars, protein powders and weight gain shakes, many athletes forget about "real" foods, such as peanut butter. Peanut butter is one of the best sports foods around. It is tasty, inexpensive, satisfying, nourishing, and even good for our health. This article explains why peanut butter (and all nuts and nut butters, for that matter) can be considered a super sports food for athletes who want to eat well and invest in their health.
Nuts and runners - Runners commonly have a love-hate relationship with nuts. They love them, but try to stay away from them. Although runners know nuts are healthful and good for them, the over-ruling perception is nuts are "sooooo fattening."
Energy bars and runners - A plethora of energy bars awaits you at every convenience store, each bar boasting about its ability to enhance performance. You can find a bar for every diet style (kosher, low carb, high protein, vegan, organic) and for every exercise need (pre-exercise fuel, recovery, muscle growth). You can spend a small fortune on these prewrapped bundles of energy, thinking they offer magic ingredients. This article on the pros and cons of energy bars can help you decide how much (if any) of your food budget you want to dedicate to these popular snacks.
Caffeine and runners - Many runners enjoy a caffeine-lift either as a morning eye-opener, during daily coffee breaks, before training run, and during competitive events. Questions arise about caffeine: should I use caffeinated gels during long runs? What about caffeine in sport drinks? Does coffee enhance performance, or is it dehydrating? The purpose of this article is to look at caffeine (most commonly consumed as coffee) as a part of a sports diet and help you determine whether you want to take it or leave it.
Chocolate and runners - What is the whole story on chocolate? Is it little more than an alluring form of refined sugar, saturated fat and empty calories? Or does chocolate have positive qualities that might be beneficial for athletes? Here are some nuggets of information about chocolate. You decide whether or not the health benefits of eating chocolate are greater than the health costs — and if you personally want to define chocolate as a "health food" within the context of your own sports diet.
Fast food and runners - Fast foods are here to stay, and thankfully many of today's quick-service restaurants offer some healthful, low-fat options. Athletes can actually choose a decent sport diet at most places if they make wise choices. It also is important to have on hand foods with supplemental carbohydrates, such as apples, oranges, pretzels, fig cookies, bagels, pitas, crackers, raisins, dried fruits, juice boxes, sports bars or granola bars. That way, an athlete who succumbs to the fast and fatty options at least is able to add on the carbohydrates the muscles need for energy. Here is a list of best bets for fast-foods-that-fuel at quick-service restaurants.
Fueling for cold weather running - Some athletes embrace winter's chill as a welcome change from running in summer's heat. But others complain about hating cold weather. If that is your stance, remember that exercising with proper nutrition (and layers of dry clothing) offers the opportunity to chase away the chills. Because food provides the fuel needed to generate this heat, the right sports diet is particularly important for runners and other athletes who are exposed to extreme cold.
Recovery nutrition for runners - If you are an avid athlete, you have undoubtedly noticed the hype surrounding recovery nutrition. The sports supplement industry is bombarding us with commercial recovery foods and fluids that generally offer some combination of carbs and protein. How important is proper nutritional recovery? This article explains how to perform better during repeated bouts of hard exercise by planning your recovery diet and have the right foods and fluids readily available to adequately replace calories, carbohydrates, protein, fluids and sodium.
Food gifts for runners - Whether it is a gift for yourself or your exercise buddy, a gift of good tasting but healthful food is always welcome. Yes, everyone loves fudge brownies (for the moment) but why not give gifts that invest in health, performance, and a happier waistline? Here are some good food gift ideas for runners.
Tips for runners with intestinal problems - Have you ever experienced nausea or unpleasant stomach symptoms that impaired your training or performance? Though this may not be a popular topic of conversation, studies suggest that as many as 60% of distance runners experience intestinal problems related to exercise. The good news is that after making some changes in their training diet or fueling routine, many were able to significantly reduce their symptoms. This article focuses on the causes of gastrointestinal upset in runners, potential triggers and strategies that may reduce the occurrence of symptoms.
Undesired sideliners: Side stitches and diarrhea - An estimated 30% to 50% of distance runners experience exercise-related intestinal problems, with women experiencing more problems than do men. If you are among the many active people who fear side stitches, loose stools, and gastrointestinal distress, keep reading. The goal of this article is to offer some information and advice that can help you manage, if not reduce, your transit troubles.
How to control your food intake - "I think about food all the time. I finish one meal and start thinking about the next." "I don't keep cookies in the house; I end up eating them all." "I'm afraid if I start eating, I won't be able to stop..." If any of those thoughts sound familiar, you are among a large group of athletes who struggle with food. They fear food as being the fattening enemy. They think about food all day, stay away from social events involving food, give themselves permission to eat only if they have exercised hard, and white-knuckle themselves to one meager portion at dinner.
