Eating disorders are mental illnesses involving disordered eating behaviour, which can have serious, long-term physical and mental health consequences, and around 1.25 million people in the UK suffer. However, the risks are significantly higher for athletes.

Global studies have shown that there is a 20% higher prevalence amongst athletes of all ages and abilities to develop a dysfunctional relationship with food and training than the rest of the population.

The #TRAINBRAVE campaign is founded by runner and former eating disorder sufferer, Tom Fairbrother, and leading sports and eating disorder specialist dietitian, Renee McGregor. The campaign aims to inspire more athletes to share their stories, raise the awareness of the risks of eating disorders and REDs, and help reduce the prevalence.

#TRAINBRAVE also hopes to provide more resources to athletes, and encourage an open training environment in which athletes of all ages and levels of competition can flourish. In addition, the campaign aims to empower coaches and clubs to offer more support to athletes by creating an ongoing discussion with all stakeholders working collaboratively to help tackle this growing issue.

#TRAINBRAVE is supported by a number of athletes who have been affected by eating disorders and REDs and who are committed to #TRAINBRAVE and supporting those who are affected by eating disorders and REDs, both now and in the future.

Tom Fairbrother, Co-Founder, #TRAINBRAVE explains:

“As an impressionable, aspiring runner I was encouraged to lose weight in order to improve my performances. This was the trigger that led me to develop an eating disorder resulting in my physical and mental health spiralling out of control.  I did not seek help for many years because as a grown man, I felt embarrassed and ashamed about my illness.

“Through sharing my story publicly I have realised my experience is certainly not unique amongst runners and triathletes of all levels, and through the #TRAINBRAVE campaign we hope to raise awareness of the risks of overtraining and underfueling, and encourage the endurance sports community to dispel the myth that lighter equals faster.”

As part of the campaign, there is a launch event in London on Sunday 9th December. The event is free to attend and open to anyone; coaches, athletes, parents, partners and those that have an interest in this topic.

The event will involve a mix of clinicians, runners and coaches discussing the causes, symptoms and consequences of eating disorders and REDs. We also aim to encourage the audience to share their experiences, concerns and questions in order for us to provide strategies and resources to allow for a change within sport.

Renee McGregor, Co-Founder, #TRAINBRAVE:

“Through the #TRAINBRAVE campaign we hope to to create a more open environment in which athletes, coaches and clubs feel comfortable talking about mental health, whether that be attitudes towards exercise, or their relationships with food.

“We are inviting anyone passionate about endurance sports to join us – whether you are a runner who finds it difficult to take rest days, a club that wants to understand how they can help members manage expectation and pressure, or a coach who feels unable to approach an athlete about concerns.”

To take part in the launch event in London on Sunday 9th December click on the link. The event is free to attend and open to anyone; coaches, athletes, parents, partners and those that have an interest in this topic. 

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patreon. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

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For several years now coconut has been lining our supermarket and store cupboard shelves and being hailed as some super powered health food. But what is the truth about coconut and it’s products? And how do they impact on your running performance?

As a performance dietitian I am not against coconut; in fact, in its neat form it is indeed a very nutrient dense food containing, B vitamins Folate and choline; n-6 essential fatty acids; magnesium, phosphorous and selenium all important for necessary chemical reactions in the body.

Are the sub-products that have emerged equally as nutritious and useful to the body?

Coconut water has made a big surge into the sports nutrition world, hailed as a more natural energy drink choice to help maintain hydration, particularly during endurance events.

Indeed on the surface it looks ideal, slightly lower in carbohydrate than most branded sports drinks with a refreshing taste.

The main problem with coconut water is the electrolyte content; although it benefits by having high potassium content, it is low in sodium. In order for coconut water to be truly useful as sports drink during exercise, it would need to provide a minimum of 10-15mmol of sodium per 500ml and coconut water only provides around 5mmol of sodium per 500ml.

It also has quite a hefty price tag attached to it, making it a non-essential luxury sports nutrition product. That said it does make a refreshing choice and so if an individual were really keen to use it my advice would be to drink it post exercise combined with a meal such as eggs on toast to ensure that you meet your nutritional and hydration requirements.

Probably the product we have heard most about is coconut oil

I have had to correct many athletes and explain that just because you fry in coconut oil, it doesn’t automatically make it a better choice.

So what is the deal with coconut oil? Why is every fitness blogger getting on the bandwagon?

Coconut oil is predominantly made up of short and medium chain fatty acids whereas most other oils are long chain fatty acids; the theory is that these MCT’s are easier for the body to utilise as fuel. However, if you eat any food to excess, whether it is easy to absorb or not, it will still get stored within the body is some way. Coconut oil is no exception to the rule. Coconut oil is still a high-fat food with a high-energy yield and saturated fat content.

In addition, in the clinical world, it is a well-known fact that our bodies can only absorb up to 30g of MCT fat a day. Beyond this and the individual develops steatorrhea, which is fatty stool due to the malabsorption of fat.

Thus, until further studies and evidence is available, my advice is to vary your oils so that you get the benefits of all essential fatty acids, necessary for different functions within the body.

Coconut flour

Accompanying the Gluten-free and Paleo craze has come the introduction of coconut flour, which is a grain free alternative for recipes requiring flour.

There are numerous studies now concluding that going GF has no performance or weight loss benefits; contrary to what we are seeing there is only a small percentage of the population that will truly benefit from following a GF diet.

Coeliac disease is the most common; it is usually confirmed by taking blood tests and biopsies. The individual will then be put on a strict Gluten Free diet, which they will need to comply with for life, as consuming gluten will cause severe damage to their small intestine.

Similarly are a small number of individuals who will suffer from Gluten sensitivity. They tend to suffer from the same symptoms as Coeliac but there is no long-term damage to the intestinal mucosa; biopsy and blood test results provide a negative result but removing gluten from the diet will make a huge improvement to symptoms.

Ultimately if an individual wants to follow a gluten-free diet even when it is not necessary, it is their choice. They may indeed feel more energised and less bloated but this is more related to the fact that they are more mindful of nutritional choices. As a nation, we should all be reducing foods such as white bread, biscuits, cakes, white pasta etc.; by following a gluten-free diet these foods will automatically be removed.

However, do not be fooled into thinking that a gluten-free diet is healthier; an issue Coeliac sufferers have had to deal with for years is the lack of wholegrain products. Gluten-free products available also tend to be higher in fat and sugar in order to make them more palatable.

Coconut flour is just one GF choice; other suggestions include rice flour, gram flour and soya flour.

Coconut sugar

It seems no part of the humble coconut has been unexploited. Indeed the latest kid to join the family is coconut sugar.

With the rise of the new sugar guidelines, stating that they should not make up more than 5% of our total energy for the day; around 100Kcals a day for the average woman consuming 2000Kcals a day and 125Kcals for Men.

Food bloggers and celebrity recipe writers are all trying to find an alternative. However, these guidelines are once again, really related to being more mindful of what we eat. They are not dictating that we should be eating “refined” sugar-free cakes; the message that needs to get across is that we should generally be reducing our overall intake of these types of foods.

My general mantra on cakes, biscuits and chocolates is, by all means, include them in your diet but don’t make it a regular habit; an occasional treat is not going to harm you. The other thing is sugar is sugar – coconut, maple syrup, honey or white table sugar, the body cannot tell the difference and they all yield the same amount of energy per 100g. Additionally, the process used to make coconut sugar is no different to removing sugar from sugar cane, so its not quite as “refine free” as often touted.

The key message is not to get hung up on the latest fad –no food or food ingredient is going to be beneficial if eaten in excess.

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patreon. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The post Why are we all going wild about coconut? appeared first on Fast Running.

The diet change can be made as a means to improve overall health, animal welfare, as well as a means to reduce the impact on the environment.

As a performance dietitian, one of the main questions I am asked regarding a vegan diet is; will it be sufficient and complete to support a training program? My answer is always yes, but it does need some careful planning and a lot more thought put into meal plans.

Key guidelines for a vegan runner and athlete

Vegan diets must provide a minimum of 400mg but preferably, 700-1000mg of calcium a day in order to be beneficial to bone health. Soya products and tofu are your best vegan sources of calcium as well as being high in protein and isoflavones, which have a positive effect on your heart health.

While green leafy vegetables and nuts such as almonds are often portrayed as good sources of non-dairy calcium it is important to highlight that a large plate of broccoli (150g serving) provides 70mg of calcium; a handful of almonds 52g of calcium compared with a 200ml glass of soya milk that provides 240mg.

Vegans need to ensure a mix of grains and pulses at meal times so that they can obtain all essential amino acids, which can only be provided through diets. Good options include rice and lentils; beans on toast and chickpea curry with couscous.

Try to include a small serving of walnuts or walnut oil daily as these provide ALA, an essential fatty acid that can be used in the body to make omega 3 fatty acids which are important for reducing inflammation after heavy training and also reducing fatigue levels.

While a balanced vegan diet will provide the majority of nutrients required by the body, there are some that will be completely devoid and will require supplements.

Main nutrients to be aware of

• Vitamin B12 –this cannot be obtained through a plant-based diet alone due as it is only available in animal products. This is definitely one supplement all vegans need to take.
• Vitamin D – this is not just specific to vegans, most individuals in this country are low or near deficient in Vitamin D. It plays an important role in bone health, immune health and muscle recovery. I always suggest a supplement through the winter months specifically.
• Iron – is one to watch but with a well-balanced diet containing beans, pulses, dried fruit and fortified cereals you should not necessarily find it difficult to achieve through your diet.
• Calcium, as suggested previously, is critical for bone health and muscle contraction so ensuring you are replacing dairy with soya is important.

Tailoring a vegan diet to training

So once you have established the fundamentals of your vegan diet, the next step is working out how to put this into practice around training.

For example, on a hard training day, it is critical to ensure sufficient available carbohydrate so that the higher intensity paces can be maintained, as well as prolong endurance.

Equally making good recovery choices will be instrumental to maintain a consistency in performance through all your sessions thus leading to progression.

As a guideline, here is one way you can ensure you are meeting these requirements:

B/F: oats made with soya milk, topped with fruit and toasted nuts or seeds
M/M: sliced banana topped with 20g serving nut butter
L: whole grain bagel with houmous and salad with a mug of tomato soup; followed by soya yoghurt and fruit
M/A: 2-3 oatcakes topped with half an avocado mashed
E/M: quinoa with roasted vegetables and chickpeas; followed with soya and fruit
B/T: hot chocolate made with soya milk and 2 large squares of dark chocolate melted in.

Planning plays a huge part in any performance diet but even more with vegans.

The main tip I would suggest is sitting down on a Sunday, looking at your training and working week ahead – identify potential times in the week where fuelling may be a challenge, possibly due to lack of time and plan for that.

Some strategies

Bulk prepare food- thinks like soups, casseroles, couscous can all be made in advance and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. Or freeze individual portions and then defrost as and when you need.

Make a kit list of suitable snack options that you keep at work or in the car so that you can fall back on. This might include things like oatcakes, a jar of nut butter, cereal bars, dried fruit and nuts, flavoured soya milk.

Consider planning your week’s menu in advance so that you can then do an online shop and ensure you always have food available. This will mean you are less likely to make poor choices when you are tired and hungry.

A few vegan recipe ideas can be found here.

About the Author
Renee McGregor RD SENr is a Performance Dietitian and author who works with elite athletes, coaches and sport science teams to provide nutritional strategies to enhance performance and manage eating disorders. She is the author of Training Food, Fast Fuel books and Orthorexia.

The post Does a vegan diet affect your running performance? appeared first on Fast Running.

The ratio of carbohydrate to protein found in milk is between 3:1 to 4:1 and one particular study, recommends chocolate milk in particular over more expensive recovery drinks. The study highlighted the important nutrients, the 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio of chocolate milk, as well its ability to provide fluids, electrolytes and sodium to aid muscle recovery.

However, with so many new ‘milk drinks’ now available on the market, are they all equal in their nutritional and most importantly recovery enhancing properties?

A few years ago the only alternative to cow’s milk was soya. 2017 has changed all that with a huge rise in non-dairy milk alternatives bursting onto the food and nutrition stage; almond, coconut, oat, hemp – it seems ‘milk’ can now be sourced from a plant-based origin.

Almond milk definitely seems to be the food bloggers favourite and yet it if you examine it closely, it has such a poor nutritional profile it does beg the question of why?

In the case of food bloggers claiming it promotes any nutritional benefit, that is just false, but others may justify drinking it as an alternative in cereals, tea etc. not for any nutritional reason but because of environmental concerns.

If you look at almond milk, it may be low in calories and have calcium added, but from a sports performance point of view, it is not an ideal choice.

Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against the humble almond as a nut –it is highly nutritious. However the process in which almond milk is made, very few almonds are used and the handful that are, are diluted with water to produce a very poor quality nutritional product.

After intense or endurance exercise, it is well documented that a combination of both carbohydrate and protein in a liquid form is one of the best ways to recover. Cows milk has the advantage of having the perfect balance of carbohydrate, protein, electrolytes and also fluid to aid glycogen restoration and rehydration to enhance recovery.

In comparison, many of these milk alternatives, while they have been supplemented with calcium, they lack the key building blocks of carbohydrate and protein.

How ‘milk’ drinks match up (per 500ml)

1) Cows milk (skimmed) will provide 25g of carbohydrate, 17g of protein and 0.2g of sodium.
2) Soya milk (unsweetened) will provide 0g of carbohydrate, 16.5g of protein and 0.14g of sodium
3) Almond milk (unsweetened) will provide 0g of carbohydrate, 2g of protein and 0.28g of sodium.

Looking at the nutritional profile’s above it clearly demonstrates why cows milk, regardless of whether it is skimmed, semi or whole, will always be superior to its alternatives.

Obviously for those runners who are following a vegan diet or have a lactose intolerance, the next best option would be soya milk; ideally if this is blended with a banana you can boost the carbohydrate content to be equal to that of cows milk.

The post What makes a good recovery drink for endurance runners? appeared first on Fast Running.

Cod liver oil, co-enzyme Q10, Glucosamine, Vitamin D, Vitamin B complex, whey protein; they have all made the list. However how many of these are actually useful to us? As a runner do you need additional supplementation?

For the majority of athletes, eating a balanced diet of whole grains, lean protein, fruits, vegetables and essential fatty acids should be sufficient to meet all your nutritional requirements.

When I work with any athlete, the first step is to optimise their nutritional status in order to prevent deficiencies. Additional care and advice will also need to be considered to those following vegetarian or vegan diets. Vegans, in particular, may need to think about supplementation with B12; whilst both vegetarians and vegans will benefit from taking an Omega 3 fatty acid.

With so many claims, how do you decipher which are true and which not? Whilst the internet can be useful, it is also a place where, if you want to find an answer, regardless of its authenticity, you will. For every study that demonstrates, that a particular nutrient or ingredient, correlates with improved performance and health, there is another opposing study to deny any link.

So how do you know what to take? The following supplements have enough significant evidence to encourage their use:

1. Vitamin D

In the UK and Ireland, we can only absorb the right wavelength of sunlight to make vitamin D between the months of April to September, between the hours of 11-3pm. This means that majority of the population tend to have sub-optimal Vitamin D levels. And particularly during the winter months.

Studies have demonstrated that a low Vitamin D level has been associated with a depressed immune function, poor skeletal muscle recovery and increased fatigue.

If you find you struggle with repeated illness over the winter months or that you are not recovering optimally, it is worth having a blood test to check levels. If deficient, (Levels under 75 nmol/l) then this is one supplement that you would benefit from because can be a difficult nutrient to get through your diet alone.

2. Probiotics

A number of studies have been associated with a reduced incidence of upper respiratory tract infections in athletes during winter months when probiotics are administered. The recommended dose is a 12-week course of high dose probiotics prior to a major competition.

Further research also implies that probiotics can also improve GI distress in runners.

3. Magnesium

Magnesium is involved in numerous processes that affect muscle function including oxygen uptake, energy production and electrolyte balance. Strenuous exercise results in an increased loss of magnesium through sweat and urine, increasing requirements up to 20%. It has been demonstrated that

Studies show that magnesium supplementation or increased intake of dietary magnesium can improve exercise performance in those that are magnesium deficient only.

4. Beetroot Juice

Beetroot is an excellent source of nitrate. When ingested, nitrate is readily converted to nitric oxide in the body. It is well documented that nitric oxide has a positive impact in vasodilation and regulating blood pressure. This knowledge has lead to a lot of research based on the theory that increasing nitric oxide prior to exercise could be advantageous in aiding oxygen delivery to the muscles and this improving exercise efficiency.

It has been determined that beetroot juice, shots or 200g of cooked beetroot may help improve your performance in activities lasting 4-30 minutes or in high-intensity intermittent exercise. However, the evidence is only for those who are new to support or recreational athletes; there is no evidence for the case of beetroot juice in elite athletes.

The ideal dose suggested is 0.6g of nitrate (2 x 70ml “shots), 2-3 hours pre-exercise, loading 3-7 days prior to race day.

5. Tart Cherry Juice

Tart cherry juice comes from the Montmorency cherry and is a potent source of flavonoids and anthocyanins, boasting antioxidant and inflammatory effects. The research suggests that by using this tart cherry compound it promotes muscle recovery following intense exercise. It is thought that the high flavonoid content reduces oxidative damage to muscles.

The recommended dose is 30ml cherry juice concentrate 4-5 days prior to and 2 days after a strenuous event.

New research is also emerging about the potential benefits of tart cherry juice and sleep as it is believed that it may be a good source of melatonin, which is a molecule necessary to induce sleep. This could be of real benefit for those who have disturbed sleep or for athletes that need to manage jet lag.

About the Author
Renee McGregor RD SENr is a Performance Dietitian and author who works with elite athletes, coaches and sport science teams to provide nutritional strategies to enhance performance and manage eating disorders. She is the author of Training Food, Fast Fuel books and Orthorexia, and soon to be released Healthy eating goes bad.

The post 5 trusted supplements for runners appeared first on Fast Running.

Before examining sodium intake, lets first discuss electrolytes. While most understand the importance of taking on electrolytes, there seems to be little understanding of the actual role, purpose and importance. Electrolytes are chemicals that form ions in body fluids and their role is to help ensure specific bodily functions run at optimal levels.

While running the key role of fluid intake is that it maintains: hydration, thermoregulation (body temperature) and adequate plasma (blood) volume.

Looking at hydration, numerous scientific studies agree that performance can be impaired when athletes are dehydrated. This is particularly true in endurance events, such as a marathon, and the studies also concur that adequate fluid intake should happen before, during and after endurance events.

Ensuring that plasma volume and thermoregulation stay within an optimal range also has a direct impact on performance. When core body temperature rises, due to dehydration, plasma volume decreases, resulting in an increased heart rate, which accelerates fatigue.

Just a 1% reduction in body weight through fluid losses can contribute to these negative physiological effects. In addition, dehydration has a marked effect on cognitive function, resulting in your inability to make decisions.

Whilst most runners are very conscientious about meeting their fluid intake, what they may not be aware of is the role of sodium. Sodium encourages and increases the absorption of fluid into the body, helping to maintain hydration.

How much sodium is adequate?
Most runners will sweat between 400-2400 ml per hour of exercise, with the average value being around 1200 ml per hour, although this will vary with age, sex, weight, the intensity of training and also the environmental temperature. These sweat losses are predominantly water but the main electrolyte lost is sodium.

The sodium content of sweat varies substantially from 115 to greater than 2000 mg per 1000 ml of sweat. A runner who is a “salty sweater” (i.e. has a high amount of sodium in their sweat) may lose well in excess of the recommended intake.

It is obvious, then, that in endurance events and training, sodium losses may be very high. In temperatures of 20 Celsius, if a runner loses 1200ml of sweat in an hour and 900mg of sodium/L, then in a race lasting three hours, their fluid losses will be in the region of 3600ml and their sodium requirements 2700mg. Therefore, they will require 1233mg of sodium per hour.

Most electrolyte tablets, salt capsules or energy drinks will only provide around 250-300mg of sodium. If you are diluting your electrolytes into 750ml, this will mean having to consume in the region of 2250ml of fluid per hour to meet your sodium needs, which is – practically – very difficult, both from a consumption and transportation point of view.

Is it any wonder, then, why so many runners complain of the common symptoms associated with low sodium intakes and dehydration?

These include; gastro-intestinal distress, nausea, bloating, fatigue, impaired concentration, dizziness and heat stress.

Indeed, the biggest cause of stomach issues during runs is related to sodium imbalance and not to the sports nutrition gel or bar that most runners blame.

If your body is dehydrated, and you are consuming glucose, this will become highly concentrated within the gut. As blood flow is being directed away from the stomach to the working muscles, it cannot absorb this quick enough, resulting in stomach upsets.

As a rule of thumb, I generally suggest endurance runners need to take around 700-900mg of sodium an hour during longer training and competition. This can be a mix of salt tablets, electrolytes, energy drinks and even food.

Sodium balance and staying hydrated is not just confined to during running, it is equally important to think about it leading up to an event and post race. I recommend that individuals start drinking electrolytes in the 24 hours prior to race day and post-race restoring fluid losses is critical to replenish glycogen stores.

Being dehydrated will delay this process significantly and thus also affect how quickly you recover. One of the best sources of post-race recovery is milk, as it provides hydration, carbohydrate, protein and also electrolytes in the correct balance for your body to absorb.

The post Will salt improve your performance? appeared first on Fast Running.

How many of you have tried to ‘give up sugar’ only to succumb to your sugar cravings mid-afternoon? Some of this is human behaviour – tell someone they can’t have something and it sets up “deprivation mentality” so they instantly want it.

However, some of this ‘need’ for sugar is actually physiological. Don’t forget if you are training hard, with a percentage of your training at high intensity, then the body is going to need a readily available source of energy to fuel this work; glucose is the preferred source and sugar provides an instant source. In addition, our brain uses 120g of glucose a day to support and control all the metabolic processes that occur within the body.

The SACN report developed some national guidelines a few years ago which recommended that “added” sugar should make up no more than 5% of your total energy intake and a maximum of 30g a day. This includes white table sugar (sucrose), brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave syrup, coconut sugar and high fructose corn syrup.

So, if you are consuming 3000 Kcals a day then your total amount of extrinsic sugar should be no more than 150Kcals or seven teaspoons. This excludes sugar naturally found in fruit or milk, (lactose), known as intrinsic sugar.

While national guidelines are necessary, it is important to highlight that firstly they are “guidelines” and secondly, while they encompass a message for the general population, not everything is relevant to those who run and train regularly (four or more times) each week and even more so for those who train more than seven times.

In general, within the running population, it is advisable to look at the balance of sugar intake over the course of seven to ten days. No food should be demonised and while I’m not advocating eating large quantities of “added” sugar, at times it can be useful for runners.

Around high-intensity training days, easily absorbed carbohydrates such as sugar; whether that be honey on toast, cereal bars, diluted orange juice or a sports gel are effective ways to top up energy stores for your training session.

Similarly, after high-intensity training sessions, in order to ensure runners replenish glycogen stores as quickly as possible, easily absorbed carbohydrates such as flavoured milk are the best source.

Don’t rely on sugar as your only energy source
That said, runners should not rely on sugar as their only energy source. Try to encompass some of the following strategies:

• Around higher training volumes, ensure you base your meals and snacks on nutrient-dense carbohydrates such as whole grains (bread, pasta, rice, quinoa), beans/pulses, sweet potatoes/potatoes, oats, dairy, fruit and vegetables. As a rule of thumb, I usually recommend fist size portions at meals and half a fist for snacks – this prevents blood sugar fluctuations which can lead to sugar cravings
• Aim to combine food groups; for example banana with nut butter; chicken and avocado with a wholegrain bagel; sweet potato and feta cheese; Greek yoghurt and fruit. Once again this helps to control blood sugars and prevent mid-afternoon hunger.

• Ensure you are meeting your nutritional requirements by tailoring your intake to your training and recovering sufficiently – sugar cravings often occur when individuals do not recover properly after a high-intensity training session – aim for a mix of carbohydrates and protein such as fruit, yoghurt and milk smoothie or scrambled eggs with wholegrain toast.

Alternatives to energy gels
Trying to find alternatives to energy gels and drinks for training is more tricky –the majority of “natural” alternatives still use honey, agave, rice or date syrup – regardless of what you have heard, these are all still sugar and utilised by the body in exactly the same way as sucrose or table sugar.

Some suggestions include:

• Baked/mashed sweet potato with added salt –easily digestible and provides sustained energy.
• Banana nut sandwich – banana cut in half and spread with nut butter – can be tricky to transport but is a great option for refuelling.
• Now whilst these are by no means sugar-free, you can try and make your own tea loaf/muffin/cake using vegetables –some ideas include carrot and ginger cake; courgette tea loaf or sweet potato brownies.
• For some of you, dried fruit such as mango, cherries, raisins or dates may work well, but remember that the high sugar and fibre content may potentially lead to gastrointestinal problems.

About the Author
Renee McGregor RD SENr is a Performance Dietitian and author, who works with elite athletes, coaches and sport science teams to provide nutritional strategies to enhance performance and manage eating disorders. She is the author of Training Food, Fast Fuel books and Orthorexia, and soon to be released Healthy eating goes bad.

The post Sugar for Runners: Good or Bad? appeared first on Fast Running.

What about runners? When it comes to the running community it would appear, based on research, that consuming a balanced breakfast has a beneficial impact on performance. So if you are the type of person who normally does without, you might actually be putting yourself at a disadvantage.

A 2015 study highlighted the importance of the inclusion of breakfast for all athletes, including runners. The study reported that the omission of breakfast resulted in a lower energy intake, which consequently had a negative effect on high-intensity training later that evening (5 pm) even after consuming a larger lunch to make up the calorie deficit. In the study, the performance of the subjects who skipped breakfast was 4.5 percent worse.

In order for runners to deliver their best, one of the key inputs needs to be consistency in training. Only when a runner trains consistently over a period of time will they achieve progression and improvements in their performance. This involves ensuring the right fuel before, during and after training; as well as sufficient rest and recovery between sessions.

So what does the right fuel look like for runners?
When I start working with any new runner, there are a number of things to take into consideration when thinking about their nutritional strategy.

Four key things the nutritional strategy includes are:
1) Energy demands – what distance are they training for and what will this means with regards to the energy systems they will be trying to develop and adapt?
2) The mix of training sessions and intensities.
3) Their body composition goals.
4) Their Competition schedule.

From this initial information, I can begin to build a individualised plan, with the fundamental key being to tailor their nutritional intake to their training schedule.

This means fueling up with complex carbohydrates such as oats, potatoes – sweet and white, wholegrain breads, pasta, rice quinoa and couscous, before high-intensity training; this ensures that glycogen stores can be built and sufficient energy is available to the working muscles at a high-intensity.

On lower intensity and rest days, while carbohydrates should be consumed, they can be kept to a moderate intake – aiming for around a fist size portion at meal times.

Protein, while always thought of as an integral part of recovery, should be “pulsed” at regular intervals throughout the day.

This ensures an evener distribution throughout the day and studies demonstrate that muscle protein synthesis (building of muscles) is more efficient. As a rule of thumb, I tend to suggest a palm size portion at meals.

Dairy protein is particularly good for recovery immediately post exercise, as it contains the right composition of easily digestible carbohydrate and protein.

The final nutrients to add to the mix include fruits and vegetables to provide vitamins and minerals necessary for the efficient running of all the processes within the body. Also, essential fatty acids which ensure absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, important for preventing inflammation, muscular recovery and boosting the immune system.

So back to breakfast
One of the challenges faced by many of the runners I’ve worked with is ensuring a sufficient energy intake prior to their early morning training session and then the short time frame between recovery, getting to work and potentially their next run session later that day.

I always aim to provide runners with practical advice and one suggestion is my recipe for Blueberry Bircher Muesli. It can be prepared the night before, easy to digest and is also portable. So even if they do not feel able to eat it before their run, it can be packed and transported to work, and enjoyed at their desk. The combination of oats, fruit and Greek yoghurt make it a perfect pre or post-training option.

Blueberry Bircher Muesli recipe
Serves 1, preparation time: 10 minutes, plus overnight soaking. 5 minutes the following morning.

Ingredients
Compôte (makes 4 servings): 350g/12oz/21⁄2 cups blueberries

For the Bircher Muesli: 85g/3oz Blueberry Compôte
30g /1oz/heaped 1⁄4 cup rolled oats 170g/6oz/heaped 2⁄3 cup fat-free Greek yoghurt 2 tsp clear honey

Directions
1) Put the blueberries in a saucepan with four tablespoons of water over a medium heat. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes until the blueberries are soft and slightly thickened.
2) Leave the compôte to cool, then transfer to a screw-topped jar and keep in the fridge overnight. It can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.
3) To make the muesli, put a quarter of the Blueberry Compôte (85g/30z) in a bowl, stir in the oats, cover and leave to soak in the fridge overnight.
4) The following morning, take the bowl from the fridge containing your muesli and Blueberry Compôte and stir in the yoghurt and honey and enjoy. If you are in a rush, pack it up and take it with you.

Nutrition facts (per serving) Calories 291 Carbohydrate 52.2g Protein 17.3g Fat 2.5g (of which saturates 0g).

About the Author
Renee McGregor RD SENr is a Performance Dietitian and author, who works with elite athletes, coaches and sport science teams to provide nutritional strategies to enhance performance and manage eating disorders.

She is the author of Training Food, Fast Fuel books and Orthorexia, and soon to be released Healthy eating goes bad.

The post The Breakfast Debate for Runners appeared first on Fast Running.

This is often due to so many mixed messages. It is imperative to remember that nutrition advice cannot be anecdotal – just because something works for one person doesn’t automatically mean it is going to be suitable for the whole running population.

One of the main problems with not following advice from a credible source is that there are no long-term studies; you are basing your change in strategy on one person’s evidence on a snapshot of time.

So for example, while someone may feel the immediate benefits of going low carb, high fat, what they are unaware is how this may impact their performance within 6-12 months.

Breaking this down further, here are some of the common mistakes often made.

Carbohydrates
Most runners know they should eat carbohydrate and this is definitely an important fuel source to be included in all runners’ diets. However, it is important to understand how to tailor your carbohydrate intake to your training. Before a high-intensity speed, track, interval, hill or tempo sessions, it is essential to ensure that you consume carbohydrate in the 24-48 hours prior to this in order to make sufficient glycogen stores.

Aim to include nutrient-dense carbohydrates such as oats, potatoes, whole grains, fruit and yoghurts at three meals (about a 1/3 of your plate) as well as including two-three smaller carbohydrate-based snacks such as bananas, two slices malt loaf or two-three oatcakes with peanut butter.

It is important to adjust this intake around low to moderate intensity training sessions, reducing intakes to around 1/4 plate carbs and sticking to more protein based snacks such as an apple with a matchbox portion of cheese.

Sugar

With so much negativity around sugar, it is hardly surprising that many runners are equally concerned about their intake. While I would never advocate a high sugar diet, there are definitely times during training and competing, where sugar is the only option.

During endurance events, such as a half or full marathon, the body will need an easily digestible source of carbohydrate to keep stores topped up so that running pace can be maintained beyond 60-90 minutes. Gels, jelly babies, energy drinks are all suitable options and they all contain sugar. So in this case, sugar actually enables and potentially enhances your performance.

Protein
There is a lot of hype around protein in the recovery phase, with many runners stressing about not getting enough to enhance recovery. It is important to appreciate that the body will struggle to utilise more than 0.4g/Kg BW post training for muscle protein synthesis and adaptation.

So any additional protein consumed will be used as fuel or stored as excess. Therefore, it is actually really important to spread your protein requirements out throughout the day. Aim for palm size portion of protein at three meals and then half this amount for snacks. This will ensure that your body always has an amino acid pool to draw from in order to repair and rebuild muscles, throughout the day.

5 Essential Nutrition Tips for Runners
Below are the top five nutrition pieces of advice I recommend for runners.

Don’t be drawn to the latest fad – many runners will try almost anything to improve their performance. Focus on training and getting the building blocks of your diet correct first – this is going to have more impact than whether you are gluten-free or not.

Periodise your nutrition – take a look at your weekly training, highlight the quality sessions and then plan your nutrition around this. In this way, you will meet your fuelling and recovery requirements.

Post-training – after a very hard training session and especially when you will be training again within 12 hours, taking on something like flavoured milk is an ideal choice to start recovery as quickly as possible. The combination of added sugar to the natural milk sugar causes insulin to increase in the blood. Contrary to what you might think, this is actually really important. Only when our insulin levels are raised, can we draw carbohydrates and protein into the muscles to start the recovery process.

Always practise your race day nutrition – the worst mistake you can make is to use what is available on race day without previously having tried it –this could have real negative effects on your performance.

Work out what is right for you – just because your training partner swears by a bowl of porridge every morning, this does not necessarily mean this is the right fuel choice for you.

About the Author
Renee McGregor RD SENr is a Performance Dietitian and author, who works with elite athletes, coaches and sport science teams to provide nutritional strategies to enhance performance and manage eating disorders.

She is the author of Training Food, Fast Fuel books and Orthorexia, and soon to be released Healthy eating goes bad.

The post Common nutrition mistakes made by runners appeared first on Fast Running.

They keep turning up for training but the motivation is poor, energy levels are low and if they try and attack a high-intensity session, the engine, the power that was always present, has just disappeared.

They come looking for a magic potion, what they get is a prescription for rest, recovery and ideas on how to boost their immune system.

In most cases, the elite runners I work with choose one or two ‘A races’ a year. Anything running outside of this will be seen as training.

However, if you compare this with the recreational runner, in a lot of cases training for one marathon a year is no longer enough.

It never ceases to amaze me, when someone who’s completed their first marathon in spring, for instance, will plan on running their first ultra in the summer without hesitation, or the even more extreme, running multiple marathons inside a month.

Some runners may think the body is invincible, but fatigue will eventually set in. A certain amount of fatigue is necessary in the training and recovery process to build stronger muscles and performance improvements, that’s agreed.

However, if you place too much emphasis on one aspect, it can either result in a poor race from not enough training, or alternatively, exerting too much in training can result in an injury may from overtraining.

For more on overtraining read ‘Overtraining: Why It Happens and What You Can Do‘.

Overreaching and overtraining in training can have a huge impact on your immune system and often this leads to the loss of your “running mojo”. So how can you overcome this?

In order to manage training fatigue, there are several things I recommend.

Give your immune system a boost
I always prefer individuals get their nutrition from their diets, however, there are a few nutrients that can be difficult to obtain. Both Vitamin D and probiotics have a really important function to play in immune health.

I recommend a high dose of Vitamin D and probiotic to all my runners, especially through the winter months.

Hydration is also key for immune function. Saliva is our first line of defence, as it contains IgA. If we are dehydrated, we produce less saliva and, in turn, this can make us more susceptible to infections and illness.

For more on immune health read ‘How Immune Health can Affect a Runner’s Performance.‘

Monitor to train smart

I’m a big believer in monitoring and, again, I regularly get runners to keep a log of the following:
– Resting heart rate (although if you can get nocturnal HR data, that’s more accurate)
– Sleep quantity and quality
– Motivation to train
– Energy levels

The above parameters tell us a lot about how we are feeling; if your motivation to train is low, this could be an indicator that you are tired. HR data informs us about what is going on in the body.

A resting (nocturnal) HR reading elevated by even just 10% from basal levels could indicate illness, fatigue and not sufficient recovery.

Become Nutrition Smart
You should always tailor your nutrition to your training; if you are going to increase your intensity and/or volume, you also need to adjust your intake of carbohydrate and protein so that body has sufficient fuel to train and recover.

I have seen many runners who have cut back on carbs significantly while increasing their training.  They report feeling amazing to start with and then six to 12 months down the line their bodies fight back.

Carbohydrate, although feared by many, is an essential nutrient for the exercising body and while you should be mindful of portion sizes and types, I never advocate a completely ketogenic diet.

Take a rest day and ideally wait until HR levels return to normal before training at a high intensity again.

Test and Assess
If you start to notice that you are lacking energy during training but also at rest, it is always worth asking your GP to take some blood tests.

I usually recommend iron and ferritin, Vitamin D, CRP and thyroid function, as these can give you a good indicator of whether the body is under stress.

Don’t neglect sleep

Currently, this is a huge area of research in sports performance. What we know is that good quality and quantity sleep are necessary for recovery and immune health.

Many individuals who I have worked with complain about poor sleep and when questioned about the last thing they do before they go to bed? Most answer with, “Check my phone!”

Increasingly we are being told about how the blue light in phones can disrupt our sleep so one tip: try and switch off at least half an hour before you go to sleep – read or listen to music instead.

About the Author
Renee McGregor RD SENr is a Performance Dietitian and author, who works with elite athletes, coaches and sport science teams to provide nutritional strategies to enhance performance and manage eating disorders.

The post 5 ways to manage training fatigue appeared first on Fast Running.