Two interesting sports nutrition concepts…
… that I probably already should have known about / been trying, but didn’t / wasn’t. Oops.
One of the schweet perks of the multisport club I am in is that there are free seminars from time to time. Saturday’s seminar was on sports nutrition, and it was given by Monique Ryan, a local nutritionist who is the author of “Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes.”
The seminar focused on fueling before and after exercise, and briefly on body composition (trying to build muscle or lose weight). It was really interesting for me to sit in on the seminar since I have been doing a lot of studying around these topics in my ACE manuals and in my own personal research!
Ryan went over carbohydrates as the body’s main fuel source, what to eat and drink before and during exercise (specific amounts), fueling for doubles, sweat loss, use of caffeine etc. But what really stuck out to me were two basic concepts that I have really not tried. On purpose anyway.
1. Consume a light to large meal 3-4 hours before an endurance training session or event, then top off carbohydrate stores two and one hours prior to the session/event.
So this was discussed a lot. Basically, “So I have to get up and eat at 4:00 am if I want to do a long workout starting at 8:00 am?” Ryan said yes, some people do that. I was kind of chuckling to myself, because that morning, I ate half a bagel with PB2 at 4:20 am, and was out the door at 4:35 am for an 18 mile run.
Oops. Guess I was doing that wrong? Ha ha. The thing is, that works well for me. And I didn’t have any GI issues until mile 15.5, and I think that was due to the fact that I was eating candy as fuel during the run. <— me so smart
I really only eat two+ hours or more before exercise when I am eating at home then driving somewhere to meet someone, or for a race (which usually means I am driving somewhere as well).
How far in advance do you have to eat prior to working out?
I do know some of you have told me it takes at least an hour, if not more, for your stomach to settle after eating. I generally know what things I can pop in my mouth and head out the door with… sometimes still chewing.
2. Carbo-load two days before the endurance event, then eat “normal” the day before the event so you wake up hungry on event day.
Okay, so this stupidly blew my mind. I think it’s because I have been focusing so much lately on what I eat and how much of it affects how I feel, and I am realizing the power I have over feeling awesome during workouts. So, yeah, it would be great to wake up race day feeling hungry with a nice flat stomach! Ha ha! I usually do eat a somewhat bigger (although not that much) meal the night before a race. So I may try this. Ryan also went in to how many days to carbo-load depending on the event.
Do you usually carbo-load for an endurance event? How many days prior?
So, funny story, the first 5K Steven and I ever did together, was the NYC5K in Chicago in 2007. My parents and snis came out for it, and I made this HUGE whole wheat pasta dish the night before, like I needed all that. Sigh. I knew nothing. But was so wonderfully supported by my family. Ha ha. I still laugh about that.
Anyway.
Ryan seemed super knowledgeable (she’s been doing this for 24 years?) and on top of her game. There was an article in the most recent issue of Competitor Magazine about how not to “bonk” a marathon, that was called “The New Rules of Marathon Nutrition” (written by Matt Fitzgerald). I read the article (because I would REALLY like to figure out how not to bonk) and thought some of the advice seemed off. And Ryan kind of talked about how some of it was!
So anyway. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a personal nutritionist?
Wait! What am I talking about?! I hate having people tell me what to eat. Ha ha ha.
Psst, I am not a nutritionist, so I tried to water this post down to basic concepts!
Themocracy
I sat in on a half-marathon clinic, and they touched on some of these points. However, the dietitian said that it’s better to eat something – even a little – before exercise but you didn’t need to get up super early. As far as carbo loading, I do start early and steady, and my big carb meal is actually lunch the day before a race. For my marathon, I had a pita sandwich with a rice soup and dinner was roasted chicken (n/a for you) and a small side of roasted potatoes. It worked well, and I had no tummy issues.
I usually try to carbo load two days before the event through lunch the day before. I actually prefer to have a smaller meal the night before a race because then I don’t wake up feeling stuffed the morning of and it’s easier to get something down before heading out for a run.
I kinda laugh whenever anyone suggests getting up super early to eat something 3-4 hours before running. I actually know a girl who can get up, eat, and then go back to bed but there’s no way I could ever do that. I’ve been working on getting up 1-2 hours before heading out (I’ve always been like you and been able to eat 10 mins before running) but there are so many races (like Boston!) where I might be up for 4 hours before the race and I need to learn how to fuel for them!
Do you get up that early before your midweek long-ish runs? I have just been rolling out of bed… giving myself about 20-30 mins max!
I give myself 30 mins max during the week but I usually don’t eat too much before my mid-week runs (usually dried fruit and pb). I’ve thought about getting up earlier but it’d ruin my productivity at work if I did that!
Exactly! LOL! If I am getting up at 4:00 to get two+ hours of running in, I am not waking up ANY earlier to eat!
I usually don’t eat 4 hours before my event. Maybe 2-3 for races, about (at most) 1 hour before longs runs when I eat. The only time I eat 4 hours before running is when I run in the evening. Its basically impossible to eat 4 hours before an AM run. On the second thing – I do usually eat pasta two nights before a race, then eat a normal chicken, rice veggie meal the night before a race or some variation of that. I keep it normal the night before a race. I have even had steak the night before a race too (i did that more in college though before big track meets). Its all about finding what works for you – no body is the same and there isn’t one formula for every person!
Yeah, that is exactly it – no one is the same so we have to play and see what works for us (even though THAT changes too!).
I actually rarely adjust my diet days before big runs, at least consciously. And if I had to get up at 4am for an 8am run with regularity (ie, not a special race) just to feed myself, I probably would not run. /truth
What I have found, because I use a food log to track my diet meticulously (in other words – good or bad, if I bite it, I write it) that the more I run, the more my diet has shifted to carb based, which I thought was interesting. I was never a big carb person, be it bread or pasta or even sugar, but I have definitely found that once I broke 15 miles a week my body started insisting I needed more carbs on a regular basis. So, I listen! I rarely bonk during runs – at least so far. I feel like being a slow runner my nutrition plan has to be a little different than the pros though, because I’m spending so much more time per mile that my 10 mile run keeps me out there for 2:10 so I try to fuel for 2 hours, rather than 10 miles, if that makes sense? Even though I know a lot of athletes who would only need to fuel for 1:20, for example, which means I’m working out for almost an hour longer.
(I hope that made sense – this lost hour of sleep has me a little bleary on top of being generally exhausted right now.)
No, that does really make sense. I am more of a back-of-the-packer, so I take GUs a lot more – because I am out there longer. And when I am heavier, I eat a lot more on my runs too!
I am not surprised your body told you to eat more carbs! That’s your most easily processed fuel source!
I certainly eat a lot of carbs before a race but that’s generally how I eat so it’s not that different. I tend to eat about the same as usual and cannot eat a lot before I run, even if it’s a couple hours. I’m good with a piece of toast and peanut butter shortly before heading out too.
I tend to naturally follow method two, but it’s more because of nerves than anything else!
I thought this was a well-written book, but, as with all nutritional advice, you have to pick and choose what works for you.
Very interesting. I used to not feel comfortable eating much before a run so if I woke up in the morning to run, I would skip breakfast and eat afterward. If I was running in the afternoon/evening then I would be cautious and make sure I had an hour or more between food and running. Then I trained for my first marathon and had to eat before my long runs or I would feel weak. Now I usually have toast with peanut butter or cereal before most morning runs.
When I ran in high school, I used to have spaghetti the night before races. I realize that it wasn’t necessary for a 5k race but it was also something I could eat that wouldn’t upset my stomach. The night before we ran the state meet my coach would take us out to a pasta dinner. I still often have pasta the night before a race because I know my digestive system can handle it.
I’ve done the get up early to eat thing for all of my marathons. It’s gross eating so early and especially going back to sleep but it works like a charm for me. I also hydrate for the week before a marathon and carb 2-3 days ahead. I think I learned everything from the books/catalogs Hammer Nutrition sends out.
Interesting-please keep sharing the things you learn!
I have to eat like 2 hours before I workout. I have a really sensitive stomach and if I eat something especially like a salad or something with a lot of fiber it takes a long time to digest. Aren’t you happy you know that now?
I am happy! The more info you give me about you, the better… muah ha ha.
So, I’m not really great about the nutrition piece. I almost always have beer or wine the night before an event, for instance. Also, if I do an early morning workout (not an 18 mile run, just to clarify, something under an hour), I won’t eat before it but train on an empty stomach.
One thing I read was that the most important meal the day before a big event is not dinner but breakfast. So, I’m all about a big breakfast the day before and then not a HUGE dinner. I actually like a pretty normal dinner the night before an event.
Oh, someone mentioned hydrating – yes, I definitely try to really hydrate the days before the event. I should hydrate more in general, but it seems more important then.
I have bonked during a race, but that was because of poor race decisions, NOT pre-race fueling. I hope I never have that experience ever again.
I know a lot of people who have beer or wine the night before a race, and they say it really helps them!
I just read another blogger talking about carb-loading two days prior this morning, and that’s the first I’ve ever heard of that. Funny that you’d both mention it today! I generally eat an hour and a half before a workout. Any less and I may cramp up or get a stitch, but I also have a thing about being hungry (more so, getting light headed).
I did one race last year where we had a big sushi dinner the night before, and that was actually the best I felt on race day, so I may keep doing that instead of having the giant spaghetti dinner (Bob has, unfortunately, learned how bad that is the hard way so I don’t have to!).
I’m not sure I’d ever work with a nutritionist (I think Cheryl did though, if you ever want to ask her about it), but I do find it helpful to at least have Katy reviewing my food logs to help me stay on track.
I don’t think Data “hates” you, I think it’s more along the lines of, ugh, is it Monday already?!?!
=^..^=
Yes! That must be it 😉
I try to up my carbs a little bit during the few days leading up to the event. For the marathon last October, I had a big lunch (Flat Top Grill, and I know I went for a second bowl) and dinner was pasta, but I tried to eat until I felt satisfied but not stuffed.
Breakfast I always do 2-3 hours before a long run/race – like toast + PB + banana or oatmeal + PB + dried fruit + brown sugar or something like that. I struggle to get up early enough to do that, getting up even earlier is just not happening! But I’m not an elite, so whatevs.
Ok. So I’m not too far off. Well like 50%.. That’s still failing so not so good.
I’m guilty of eating something and then starting my run within 30 minutes. And I know I need more time to digest, because when I workout in the afternoon I will have had like 5 hours since lunch and 2 hours since my snack. Hmm I needed to hear this. Maybe I’ll try shoving a crumpet down my throat at 5am this week for my half marathon. Can’t be any worse than eating An hour pre race.
I do the carb load thing 2 days before because I hate feeling full and heavy the day of a race – if I eat all the carbs the day before I feel gross. Yay. Score one for me! 🙂 I love reading these posts about what you’re learning!!! Keep them coming!
Hmm, do you think eating too soon before you run is why you have had a few stomach issues lately? I hadn’t even thought of that!
Thanks! I am happy you like these posts. And happy to hear people say the 2-day prior carb load does work!
3 hours?! I don’t eat at all before I run in the morning. The only way I would wait to exercise after eating is if I really ate a lot of food, like bad tasting bagels from DD :-). Waking up more than a couple of hours before a run would probably be a good way to make my run faster, as I am already awake and muscles and joints are loose.
Muah ha ha re: your DD bagels comment!!! 😛
I do wonder if I would run faster in the am if I actually gave myself time to wakeup too 😉
I’m so shameful of my morning routines during the week… I sort of don’t eat before going to the gym. However, my morning routine is usually 4.5 miles and/or under 45 minutes long. It seems to work ok for me- just gotta make sure I eat well post-workout!
This past summer, I had a wedding the night before my 9.5 miler when training for my half marathon. I spent the night after the wedding in a hotel about 2.5 hours from my house (where I planned to run), and man, it was the first time I had stayed in a Hampton Inn (i.e.: Continental Breakfast of Wonder) in well over a year. Since I normally have one slice of toast and peanut butter before a run, I considered taking it easy on breakfast…and then threw caution to the wind and ate ALL THE THINGS (and it was so, so, soooo good). I drove home right after that, headed out for my 9.5 miler maybe 15ish minutes after I got home, and had easily the best long training run of that cycle up to that point. I was so sure the run would be MISERABLE given how much I had had for breakfast, so I was crazy shocked with how well it went. The following week I had an 11.5 miler on the schedule, so I got up at 5:30, had two pieces of toast with pb, and went back to bed. I don’t think I really fell asleep before my alarm went off for real an hourish later, but my 11.5 miler also went wonderfully, which was enough to convince me that if I’m running long, it’s totally worth eating a “big” pre-run breakfast a few hours before I actually get out to run. Actually, I did the same thing for my half marathon as well, and that also went splendidly. It might not be exactly what Ryan was suggesting, but man oh man did that method work SO much better for me than what I had been doing.
I also carbo “loaded” the whole week before my half marathon…aka I bought naan at Trader Joe’s and had a slice of naan in addition to my dinner every night. Haha. THE BEST. 😛 I know I started incorporating more carbs into my diet as that week went on (pretty sure Friday’s dinner was pasta + naan. Yesssssss), but the day before I more or less ate normally. I do have pasta for dinner the night before every race, though. Started that tradition before my first 5K and can’t stop because I’m such a creature of habit haha.
How interesting that you found out at the Hampton Inn buffet, too! I used to eat two bagels with PB and a banana on each before marathons. That is a lot of damn food but it kept me full! You gotta do what you gotta do! 🙂
Oh gosh. The naan idea is brilliant. I might have to up it to two slices a day. Ha ha ha 🙂
If I run after work, I usually have a snack 1-2 hours before. If I run in the morning though I usually just have a small snack. On the weekends I will have a little bit more substantial snack, but I’d rather just get up and run instead of waiting.
I tried the carb-loading 2 days before the event for my half-Iron and I thought it worked well. I also have a beer the night before most of my races. Possibly not the best decision, but I figure it is mostly carbs and one doesn’t really bother me. However, running races hungover really sucks.
I guess I’m the weirdo who likes to eat a big dinner the night before. I feel like if I didn’t I would be STARVING in the morning and there’s no way I could get enough food to digest before running a long distance. Even if I did get up 3-4 hours before the race.
Right, I definitely need to go to a nutritionist, I have so much to learn! At the moment I only apply what (seems) to work for me. It would be so great to have an expert give advice. Super that you can run so far on 1/2 a bagel!!
Before a longer race, I’ll eat pasta the night before…but my quirky stomach doesn’t do well with a lot of food the morning of….a couple tablespoons of peanut butter, or a granola bar, and that’s it…Ran my 10 miler Saturday, and ate a granola bar on the way to my friend’s house, LOL.
I’m an offender of not eating before a workout in the morning, however my workouts are typically less than an hour. For long runs, I usually give myself about 45 minutes.
For skating growing up were were NOT allowed to eat pasta the night before a competition. Or swim!!!
LOL, what was with those rules?!
Well, we didn’t want to be weighed down with food the next day. Swimming apparently relaxes your muscles, so who knows!
I don’t eat much, if anything, before a workout. If I’m running 10 miles or under, I typically don’t eat anything. I do however try to get something in my system after, usually some chocolate milk.
For my marathon last fall, I didn’t eat any differently than I typically would. I made sure I made good choices, and that I was hydrated. I ate normal things, no real carb loading. Just more conscious. And during the race I felt great! I mean for real. I didn’t hit the wall!
Basically everyone is different. Everyone has to figure out what works for them. It took me a while for sure.
Very interesting.
Bananas! I’m always out of bananas & making a special trip for those. When hubby shops he buys two bunches but I don’t like them green or too ripe so I’m picky about how/when I want to eat them.
I love NSVs! Never heard the term but I love it. I’m always fighting with the scales & constantly wondering why it has to be so damn hard!
I think those are concepts I’ve been trying unconsciously for a while. I usually eat immediately upon rising, then change, brush my teeth, loaf around, etc.