Chapter 10 - Nutrition

Chapter 10

Nutrition

Nutrition is a hugely important topic for marathon runners. The nutritional requirements in training and in racing these longer distances are staggering. The runner must eat in such a way to supply ample energy for workouts and races, and aid in recovery after runs, but also in a way that does not add any extra weight which must be carried on runs. It is a tricky balancing act that each runner must master in order to obtain their maximum performance.

An important part of coaching is to know where your expertise is and in what areas you need help. I fully realize that I am not a professional nutritionist, and so while I feel I have a good basic understanding of nutrition when it comes marathon training, I often refer the runners in my programs to certified experts in this area. I utilize two main referrals on this topic – first of all I suggest they read :

“Endurance Sports Nutrition” written by Suzanne Girard Eberle MS, RD and published by Human Kinetics

I feel it is an excellent resource and lays out some sound basics for all endurance athletes to learn and consider when designing their own personal nutrition plan.

Next if the runner needs additional help I will refer to them to a certified nutritionist, registered dietitian or nutrition coach who specializes in endurance athletes. I am lucky to have several very good ones from which to choose where I live in Charlotte, North Carolina.

My Thoughts

Having prefaced my comments with the above disclosure there are some basics and insights that I feel comfortable sharing on this topic.

Amounts
Make sure you know the calorie demands of the training you are doing. A runner cannot significantly under run his/her calorie requirements on a regular basis without it affecting their energy levels. Similarly they can not regularly over do their calorie intake without adding on extra weight. Each runner’s calorie demand will differ depending on many factors, including age, genetics, weather, and other factors. It’s important for the athlete to get to know and understand their own specific needs.

Mixture
Given your daily caloric needs understand the proper mixture of food groups you need to satisfy that and track it on a daily basis. As endurance athletes, grains will usually be the food group in which you have the most portions. This will usually be followed by fruits and vegetables, meats and dairy and healthy fats. Be familiar with what your appropriate food pyramid looks like.

Choices
Choose the better foods in each food group: whole grains should make up at least 50% of the food you eat in the grains group, eat a variety of types and colors in the fruits and vegetables groups, eat lean cuts of meat and dairy products that are naturally low in fats. Include healthy fats from natural sources, such as nuts and seeds and fats that are liquid at room temperature such as olive oil.

Timing
When you eat may almost be as important as what you eat. Be sure to refuel soon after your runs, especially after your long runs and stress workouts. By replacing calories and fluids soon after our workouts, we can significantly improve our recovery times. Additionally we are better off eating multiple small meals rather than just a few bigger meals. Spread out your nutrition intake throughout the day.

Drinking
Proper and sufficient fluid intake is a key element of proper nutrition. It is recommended that he athlete consume a generous amount of water and healthy beverages per day. It is estimated that under normal condition the average person loses 8 cups (2 liters) of water per day through their skin, lungs, feces, and urine. We can easily sweat off several more cups every hour of moderate exercise. It is important that we replace this water. Some of these fluids our bodies take from the foods that we eat, but it also requires that we take in a lot of water and healthy beverages such as 100% fruit and vegetable juices, balanced sports drinks, milk and herbal teas.

Vitamins and Minerals
Running long distances can place an extra demand on various minerals and vitamins in our diet. As such we need to make sure we are getting in enough of these important elements. As a coach, here are a few of the areas I have noticed many runners having problems in:

Electrolytes: it is easy, especially during the warmer weather for runners to sweat out a great quantity of electrolytes. Make sure you are replacing these with balanced sports drinks, and foods high in important electrolytes like sodium and potassium. Insufficient electrolyte supplies can cause cramping and premature fatigue among other problems.

Calcium: the stress of running can increase the demand for calcium in the body. Calcium is essential for strong bones and many people especially kids do not get enough of it in their regular diet. Be sure to include sufficient calcium in your regular diet and if you are running short take the necessary supplements to make sure you are getting all you need. Insufficient calcium intake can lead to stress fractures, growth problems, osteoporosis and other skeletal problems.

Vitamin D: recent studies have indicated that the majority of the population of the United States, Canada and Europe are deficient in vitamin D for much of the year. Deficiencies in vitamin D can cause general fatigue and malaise, and increase susceptibility to colds, viruses and other diseases. Additionally, sufficient levels of vitamin D are needed in order for your body to be able to absorb calcium. Many distance runners have been plagued by stress fractures that they later were able to trace back to vitamin D deficiencies which kept their bodies from fully absorbing the calcium they took in.

Iron: many distance runners, especially women and those logging higher mileage, find they are low in iron, or specifically low in iron levels in their bone marrow. Iron in the bone marrow is important for the production of red blood cells which is a key component in distance running. It makes sense for marathon runners to regularly have their ferritin levels checked (ferritin levels indicate the iron levels in your bone marrow) on a regular basis.