Fast Facts About Sports Nutrition
Training for a marathon requires running hundreds of miles and burning countless calories. If there’s a marathon in your future, these fast facts will help ensure that you’re getting the nutrition you need to run the optimal race.
Fuel Up: Don’t Run on Empty When Training for a Marathon
Is your New Year’s resolution to get in shape? Emory Healthcare is sponsoring the 2008 ING Georgia Marathon and Half Marathon Sunday, March 30, 2008. Whether you’re in training for the Emory team or another marathon, your body cannot run on empty and will perform at its best when properly fueled. All athletes should eat a diet high in carbohydrates, moderate in protein, and low in fat. Water intake is also essential for marathon runners. The most important nutrition tip is to STAY HYDRATED and drink plenty of fluids during training, before, during and after exercise. Follow these guidelines so your body will be ready to perform at its best!
A carbohydrate-rich diet
Carbohydrates are the fuel for your body. Glycogen is the body's storage form of carbohydrate. If glycogen stores become depleted, the result is fatigue and inability to maintain training and racing intensity. In order to replenish and maintain glycogen stores, the marathoner's diet needs to be carbohydrate-rich.
How many carbohydrates should I eat?
A training marathon runner should consume a diet composed of between 65 percent and 70 percent carbohydrates. Carbohydrates should provide 60 percent to 70 percent of total calories. To determine the amount that's right for you, multiply your weight in pounds by 3.2 to give you the number of grams of carbohydrates you should consume per day.
However, not all carbs are created equal. Some supply energy very quickly while others provide a slow, steady stream of energy. The best sources of carbohydrates are grain products (preferably whole grains) such as bread, rice, cereal and pasta, as well as fruits, vegetables and low fat dairy foods. Food labels display the number of grams of total carbohydrates in a serving. Each day, the endurance athlete should try to eat at least 15 servings of grain products, at least six servings of fruits, six servings of vegetables and at least five servings of low fat dairy foods. In general:
- a serving of a grain product, such as a slice of bread or 1/2 cup cooked rice or pasta, and a serving of fruit, such as a piece of fruit or 3/4 cup fruit juice, each provides 15 grams of carbohydrates;
- a serving of dairy, such as 1 cup of low fat milk or yogurt or 1.5 ounces of cheese provides 12 grams of carbohydrates;
- a serving of vegetables, such as 1 cup of leafy raw vegetables, 1/2 cup chopped vegetables, or 3/4 cup vegetable juice provides 5 grams of carbohydrates.
Why is protein important?
Protein is necessary for muscle growth and repair. Regular physical training tends to reduce muscle protein breakdown and protein loss from the body. While some protein breakdown may occur during exercise, protein build-up is enhanced during the recovery and the effectiveness of protein synthesis is increased.
How much protein do I need to eat?
Protein should contribute 12 percent to 15 percent of total calories per day. To calculate the number of grams of protein you should consume per day, multiply your weight in pounds by 0.6.
Good sources of protein include lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products. Other good protein sources are tofu, nuts and dried beans. An endurance athlete should consume three to five servings per day of protein. One serving of lean meat, fish or poultry is 3 ounces, roughly the size of a deck of playing cards. In general:
- a 3-ounce serving of lean meat, poultry or fish, e.g. 1 medium pork chop, 1 small hamburger, 1/2 of a whole chicken breast, or a small fish fillet, provides 21 grams of protein;
- a 1/2 cup of cooked beans, 1 ounce of cheese, one egg, two egg whites, 4 ounces of tofu or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter each provides 7 grams of protein;
- one cup of low fat milk or yogurt provides 8 grams of protein
- one serving of grain products (preferably whole grain), such as a slice of whole wheat bread, provides 3 grams of protein.
How much fat can I eat?
All people, including endurance athletes, should consume less than 30 percent of total calories from fat and less than 10 percent from saturated fat. If, as an athlete, you eat 3,000 calories per day, less than 1,000 of those calories should be from fat. High-fat foods include chocolate, fried foods, ice cream, bacon, hot dogs and cookies. Food labels contain grams of fat and percentage of calories from fat per serving. Choose foods with less than 30 percent of calories from fat.
Using the guidelines above, you are likely to find the combination of foods that is right for you.
Emory Healthcare, a sponsor of the ING Georgia Marathon, is the largest, most comprehensive health care system in Georgia and includes Emory University Hospital, Emory Crawford Long Hospital, Wesley Woods Center, Emory Johns Creek Hospital, The Emory Clinic, Emory Children's Center, the jointly owned Emory-Adventist Hospital, and EHCA, a limited liability company created in collaboration with the Hospital Corporation of America. The center's work is leveraged by partnerships with state and local organizations, including the Georgia Research Alliance, Georgia Cancer Coalition, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Cancer Society, CARE, the Arthritis Foundation, and others.
Make a commitment to yourself to get healthier and sign up for the ING GA
Marathon and Half Marathon today! To register, visit www.inggeorgiamarathon.com and follow the registration prompts.
* MarathonGuide.com, Nutrition for the Endurance Athlete
The Marathoner's Diet for Optimal Performance, by Allegra Burton, RD, MPH
Links:
(ING Marathon)
http://www.emoryhealthcare.org/news_events/events/events/Race1.html
(MarathonGuide.com)
http://www.marathonguide.com/index.cfm?
Emory Healthcare
