Eat Like an Athlete: Part Last

Alright all, now for the good stuff...

First of all... I took so many notes at this clinic that I am hardly scratching the surface.

Recovery practice:
* Do this after tough workouts... that would include 60-75% HRmax, bike rides > 3 hrs, training or practices > 2 hrs
*Intensity - tempo workouts > 20 min of hard intervals >15-20 total minutes > 85% HRmax
*Hard day: daily workouts added time > 2-3 hrs
*Two or more workouts per day
*Race

Within 20 min you need 1 L of fluid.
Within 1 hr: balanced meal

If the workout was really hard and long e.g. bike rides or bricks > 5-6 hours, runs > 3 hrs, swim practices 4+ hrs/day, long races etc. Do your recovery practices and then eat 30-50 g of carbs every 1-2 hour until bed.

So... replace sweat losses with the whole weigh yourself before and after stuff.

Eat within 20 minutes after the difficult workout even if you aren't hungry. You need 1/2 gm carb/lb of body weight. This is the time for cookies, bars, recovery drinks with protein in them, chocolate milk, ice cream, whatever it is that you want that is full of carbs. This food can be of the high glycemic variety. Take this with you to wherever it is that you are doing the training or racing. DON'T TRY TO FIND IT AFTERWARDS.

As far as fueling during a race; very specific to the individual. Here are some things to think about...

*For gastric emptying the most tolerable solution is 6%. That means, 6 gms of carbs per 100 mL of fluid or 60 gms in 1000 mL (4 cups). Gatorade is a 6% solution for instance.

*She talked about electrolytes and how after 4 hours of working out, that is when they are most important to replace.

*Electrolytes and carbs help fluids absorb as well as the other way around.

*You need 24 oz/hr if losing 1L/hr. Think about how much that actually is... especially since you want to spread it out over the whole hour. That is 6 oz every 15 mins or 8 oz every 20 minutes. If you are running 8 minutes miles and can get 6 oz at every other aid station. Wow, seems like a lot. I know that I NEVER get 6 oz down at aid stations from those little tiny cups.

*Carb needs during endurance events are 60-80 gms/hr trying to spread it out over the hour to maintain a constant blood sugar. It is best to mix sugars because the absorption rates are increased that way. Look at the packaging but just for example say that the Gatorade you are drinking has 40 gms of carbs in 24 oz, you still need 20 more grams of carbs in that hour.
- the best form of sugar to take in is glucose (dextrose) because there are less conversions needed for the body to use it. Powdered Gatorade has glucose and sucrose to make a 6% solution. Maltodextrin is usually found in gels and Cliff Blocks. This would work too. Just train with what you are using on race day, obviously. One thing that was really interesting is that the premixed Gatorade in the bottles has fructose and sucrose. Fructose is the least desirable of the sugars because it stays in the gut and pulls in H2O causing bloating and stomach aches.

*Protein in sports drinks like Accelerade for example is not helpful during the race according to Dr. Shulman. Definitely better for recovery.

*Take a sports drink 30 or 40 minutes into training run/ride and right away in a race. Also, don't feel like you have to do a whole gel at once, it might behoove you to spread it out.

There was a ton more info but I think that is probably enough of that on the blog. If there are specific questions about race day, or the week leading up to, she also talked about that. I would be happy to pass that on if you all want, just let me know.

I promise more photos and less nutrition info in the next post.