As an endurance athlete nutrition is a crucial aspect of our preparation as it provides the energy we need for running, triathlons, and other endurance sports. In this episode, we'll be focusing on nutrition for long-distance running, but fear not, the insights we share can be applied to various endurance sports like triathlon, swimming, and cycling.
We are delighted to have an exceptional group of experts joining us for this conversation. From Align Modern Health, we welcome Dr. Lexi Mikrut and Dr. Blake Butler and representing Chicago Endurance Sports, we have the pleasure of having Coach Ryan and Coach Amanda on board. Together, their expertise promises to enrich our discussion on endurance athlete nutrition.
If you're ready to elevate your athletic performance through the right nutrition strategy, tune in to this episode for expert advice, practical tips, and inspiring stories from athletes who've been where you are. Together, we'll embark on a nourishing journey to reach your endurance goals.
Thank you all for joining us today. Let's kick off this episode and fuel your athletic aspirations! Stay tuned for a power-packed session!
As an endurance athlete nutrition is a crucial aspect of our preparation as it provides the energy we need for running, triathlons, and other endurance sports. In this episode, we'll be focusing on nutrition for long-distance running, but fear not, the insights we share can be applied to various endurance sports like triathlon, swimming, and cycling.
We are delighted to have an exceptional group of experts joining us for this conversation. From Align Modern Health, we welcome Dr. Lexi Mikrut and Dr. Blake Butler and representing Chicago Endurance Sports, we have the pleasure of having Coach Ryan and Coach Amanda on board. Together, their expertise promises to enrich our discussion on endurance athlete nutrition.
If you're ready to elevate your athletic performance through the right nutrition strategy, tune in to this episode for expert advice, practical tips, and inspiring stories from athletes who've been where you are. Together, we'll embark on a nourishing journey to reach your endurance goals.
Thank you all for joining us today. Let's kick off this episode and fuel your athletic aspirations! Stay tuned for a power-packed session!
Welcome to the Chicago Endurance Sports Podcast. This episode features content from our recent information rich webinar on nutrition for endurance sports athletes, enjoy.
Coach Ryan:Thank you everyone for joining us today. You're here because you're an endurance athlete and you are looking for some help figuring out your nutrition plan. It's a crucial piece to our preparation. Whether it's running or a triathlon, nutrition gives us energy. Today, we will be focusing on nutrition for the long distance running, but a lot of these ideas can certainly carry over to other endurance sports like triathlon, swim and bike. Today we do have an awesome group of panelists with us today. I have with us from Align Modern Health, our Functional Medicine Doctors and Endurance Athletes, Dr. Lexi Mikrut and Dr. Blake Butler. And I have here from Chicago Endurance Sports, from our Elmhurst location, Coach Amanda Raz. And I am Coach Ryan Caturan. I am a CES Coach up in Lincoln Square. I'm also the Director of Community Partnerships. at Align Modern Health. So thank you for joining us. If you don't know who Align Modern Health is, we are an integrative healthcare company. We have 18 locations in the Chicagoland area where we offer chiropractic sports medicine, functional medicine, and clinical nutrition, acupuncture and cupping. and massage therapy. We take a non surgical, non pharmaceutical approach treating from the root cause of our health challenges so that you can live your best and live your life to the fullest. There's a lot to get through, so let's go ahead and get started. Coach Amanda, from your experience as a coach, and participants, how crucial is the nutrition piece to endurance sports?
Coach Amanda:You know what I feel like nutrition is definitely a critical part of not only your training, but your plan to show up on the day of a race. Definitely individualized for each person, but if you can hone in on your nutrition, practice it along the way, you're gonna have a successful rest day.
Coach Ryan:Absolutely. How are you on your first marathon season?
Coach Amanda:You know I'm not gonna lie. My first marathon was not with CES. It was back in 2015, ran the Rockford marathon and I was very ill prepared for, didn't really know much about nutrition, all that kind of stuff. So, I mean, I was, fueling that race on sports beans and salt tab pills. And that did not go very well. Definitely bonked out after that first half marathon component of it, not my best marathon. So after then really worked on figuring out what would work. So for myself, I've seen success with it as well as not.
Coach Ryan:I'll tell you what, I've experienced both as well.,My first marathon where I hit the panic button and didn't really know how I should be approaching this and that, you know, and I was trained with a different charity at that time, not with CES as well. And then I've had perfectly executed nutrition plans, which led to just a wonderful race and feeling much better. So glad that you're all here and tuning in for this. Dr. Mikrut, I want to ask you, what is the perfect nutrition for endurance athletes?
Dr. Lexi Mikrut:That's a great question and I wish I had the answer to it, but there is not one perfect plan. I think that what works best for you is what can be perfect for each individual race. And that may change season to season based on your body's needs. But I do think finding your perfect plan is not only inclusive of what you're eating during a run, but also during training and leading up to runs and throughout the week. It's just as important. So when you're trying to figure out what your nutritional goals are, I think it's important to take into mind what your personal nutritional needs and objectives are. Is it important for you to eat plant based? Is it important for you to eat minimal processed foods? I think you need to make those decisions before heading into a training cycle. And then take an individual look at what are your needs. Are you getting enough calories? Are you getting enough protein for recovery? Do you need to avoid or to trigger food? So that's kind of where the individualization comes into finding out how you work best is what the perfect plan will be for you.
Coach Ryan:Extremely well said. Wow. Dr Butler. So, what are some factors that, go into a nutrition plan?
Dr. Blake Butler:We're all different, and we require personalized dietary strategies based on their individual makeup. Therefore, I think it's important to understand that our size, our pace, our age, our environment all influence how we respond to our fueling strategies. And to do that, we have to be intentional about what works for us, and we have to practice these strategies over time so that we can figure out the best approach moving forward. We know, for example, that runners often under consume, especially during a training block, clinically speaking, I see it so often we tend to think that this is a time to lose weight, for example, and we want to under consume fuel when in fact that actually slows the metabolism that has a negative impact on ability to recover and perform, and that can influence our ultimate ability to maintain this over the long term, secondary to consequences of under fueling in the endurance athlete population. So I think it's really important to know that we burn approximately 100 calories per hour on running. And if you're running, for example, let's say 50 miles in a given week, and your general dietary needs are at 2000 calories a day, you're going to need an additional 700 calories a day to support that additional training. That seems like a lot, but just to maintain the baseline support necessary for that amount of training, we have to really be thoughtful about how we navigate our food choices. And that's why we're here today to have this conversation to at least bring this to people's attention so that they can start to be thoughtful and intentional about how they navigate their food choices.
Coach Ryan:Excellent, and I think you touched base on something really important there. So Coach Amanda, let me ask you that question. How often do you see people look at weight loss as a goal for marathon training?
Coach Amanda:You know, I do feel like you do see that at times. I'd say I see that more with like first time marathoners or less experienced runners. They're using it as a tool for weight loss. I know myself, I did start my workout running journey, as a weight loss tool and that's what I was using. But, over time I've developed, a different relationship with running and fuel. So it's more focusing on using food to fuel my body as opposed to using it as I just ate something and now I need to go run it and run it off. It's no, all right, well, what am I going to need to eat to feel my best during this workout? So looking at it more as like, You know, a way to help us, empower ourselves to feel better on our runs as well as even like, I think, you know, that recovery, I think that's a big part of that as well too, to prevent injuries. So proper nutrition, proper fueling throughout the runs and workouts and after is, is key. You know, weight loss can happen. That's definitely not something that we're not going to say if you're losing weight, that's a terrible thing, but it's not the main goal of this training and training for a marathon.
Coach Ryan:You know, I think you actually worded that so well, and Dr. Mikrut, I'm gonna send it to you. As we kind of going over, like weight loss, shouldn't be a goal as part of your marathon training plan. However, take it from the standpoint of how does doing something like an endurance event and train for your first, maybe it's your first marathon, maybe it's not your first marathon, but how does that change your relationship with food and with diet?
Dr. Lexi Mikrut:Absolutely. So as you start a training cycle, you may be more cognizant of what you are putting in your body and how your body is behaving. So say you eat a standard American diet. Currently you're eating out, maybe you're drinking more alcohol than usual, eating sugar, things like that. As you start to train, you're going to want to feel as best as possible. So your diet may naturally shift to more healthy, like anti-inflammatory foods, like more whole unprocessed foods. Things like fruits and vegetables, more better quality protein, maybe less alcohol because you're waking up early to run, so you don't wanna be hung over the next morning, like whatever that may look like. You may naturally lose weight'cause you're cutting out some of the junk, so, so if that happens, absolutely fine as long as you're hitting your caloric needs and again, your protein need for recovery. I don't think weight loss needs to be viewed as a negative thing, as long as you are not under eating and it's happening in a safe, efficient manner.
Coach Ryan:Yeah. You're all hitting on such great points. You know, I'll share, my own little journey. I use endurance sports in a lot of ways to like trick myself into living a healthier lifestyle, right? Like I eat much better and I exercise and I stretch and do all the right things. Because I'm in these cycles of training and things like that. And I think there's a wonderful relationship that can be formed when you have kind of the two working together. So great answers. Dr. Butler. Let's start talking about nutrition during the week. How should we approach our nutrition during the week?
Dr. Blake Butler:I think it's really important to simplify nutrition because if you look at the media platforms available to us, nutrition can become very confusing and the goal is to really figure out what works for each of us individuals. Generally speaking, I try to recommend that we have a healthy protein source, a healthy fat source and healthy carbohydrate source at each meal.
Dr. Blake:We call this PCF eating strategies and allows us to have a balanced plate. I like to make a half of my plate essentially plant based with regards to vegetables. I like to have colorful vegetables and I don't want to rely on the same thing always because I want diversity from a phytonutrient standpoint. I then want to have about a quarter of my plate, a healthy fat, including nuts and seeds or avocado, for example, and I want to have a quarter of my plate, a healthy protein source, and this is going to differ for different individuals, but I think if we can start with that as a foundation that keeps it relatively simple, and then you can play around with different ratios regarding the macronutrients. And when I say macronutrients, I'm talking about the carbohydrates, which are found in vegetables, fruits, and grains, for example, in addition to healthy fats and protein. Protein can come from plant based sources or animal based sources, and quality does matter, in my opinion, so I think it's good to be mindful and intentional about what you're choosing. But when it comes to this as well, I think it's important that we try to remove a few potentially inflammatory foods. So we have our plate foundation. We also want to then reduce potentially inflammatory foods. I think added sugar, artificial sweeteners, in addition to seed oils. Those are things that I try to avoid throughout the week, especially during a training block, because inflammation is going to be a result of running, and that's not inherently bad, but if we layer more inflammation on that fundamental inflammation as it relates to activity, that makes recovery more difficult. So we want to try to reduce inflammation externally and then improve antioxidant uptake, and that's where that half plate of antioxidant rich foods, including vegetables and fruit, comes into the equation.
Coach Ryan:That's great. So let me ask you this, when and what should we be considering for the weekend long runs?
Dr. Blake Butler:So when eating for the weekend long run, I like to eat very similarly compared to previous evening. I think that this idea that we should eat well on Friday to prepare for Saturday kind of misses the point. We should develop good practices throughout the entire week and then continue throughout the weekend with those good practices as best as possible to support the long run. One key detail, however, after the long run, it's very important to introduce more antioxidants to help the body recover. So if you can really work to increase your intake of berries or colorful plant based foods after the long run, there's a lot of value there as it relates to antioxidant intake, which can help with recovery. One quick note. In the morning, or rather the morning leading up to a long run, for example, I don't recommend loading up on antioxidants at that point in time. I recommend a relatively simple meal, and that may be something we get into here shortly, but I would say the antioxidants for after the run, because there are studies looking into antioxidant use pre or post activity, and we find that antioxidants after activity provide more benefit, whereas if you were to take that prior to the activity, that may reduce your adaptation as it relates to that run. And when we run or we're active, we want to adapt to that in a positive way. And we don't want to mitigate that natural body response. So I think that's important. Generally the night before a long run, make sure you're introducing carbohydrates that, you know, you tolerate well, I wouldn't try new things. I would try to introduce behaviors that are tried and true for you, just to ensure that, you know, you're not going to have digestive upset the next morning. Secondary to try and some new unique combination of grains or other combinations of food, for example.
Coach Ryan:Yeah, absolutely. Let me throw this other question out there as I know a lot of us are doing, nutritional diaries and as we're testing things out, like what works well, what upsets our stomach, what doesn't upset our stomach, how far back do we need to reach back and, and, and like, do we look at like just what we ate the morning before or a morning of, or the evening before, or how far back can food react and cause the upset stomach on those big long runs?
Dr. Blake Butler:Great question. So if we exclude food allergies that typically promote an immediate response, we can look at food sensitivity or often termed intolerances. And we know that food sensitivities can take upwards of 72 hours to demonstrate or create a symptom pattern. So we have to look back two or three days prior to the onset of new symptoms to really then consider which food may be contributing to that. We can start to break down what may be different within that timeline. We can start to experiment with that in the future to determine how we respond to that food again, to determine if it is an issue. And we can start to use tracking methodologies to understand which foods are trigger foods and which foods are well tolerated. So doing that early in the training block and really helpful, really listening to your body and engaging with your body from a health perspective allows us to learn a lot without the need for advanced testing. If there's a significant struggle and it's very difficult and ambiguous with regards to what's going on, that's where in some cases we can look at advanced diagnostic testing to determine how your immune system reacts to food or the environment. We can also look at the gut microbiome to see if a healthy gut or an unhealthy gut more specifically is influencing our tolerance as it relates to food. So that's where we have the opportunity to go a little bit deeper, but for most of us it just takes some intentionality and tracking with regards to how we respond or our body.
Coach Ryan:Great. So we're kind of leaning more towards talking about the long runs and the idea of carbo loading, right? That's a, that's a big, term that's, used in endurance sports. So Dr. Mikrut, carb loading is typically looked at, and done with pasta, but there are other ways to look at carb loading. Am I right?
Dr. Lexi Mikrut:Absolutely. Like I know historically everyone thinks pasta. When we think of carb loading, I remember being in high school, cross country, and we would always go to someone's house before a three mile race and eat all the pasta. But when we're doing that, we're missing out all the other food groups. So my viewpoint on carb loading is absolutely increasing carbs, but still having some fat and protein with it. So you're basically trying to add. carb calories, but not necessarily reducing your fat and your protein intake. Ideally you're looking about two to three days before you start. Will you start doing this before a big race? I absolutely recommend playing with it, during your long runs. Like Dr. Butler just mentioned, there may be certain foods that upset your stomach. So you do not want to introduce a new pasta dish the day before race day, especially if there's other ingredients, maybe dairy that's harsh on your stomach or whatever it may be. But we absolutely can look past pasta. There's carbs and lots of plant based sources. So think starchy vegetables. Things like squashes, zucchinis, sweet potatoes. We could dive into some fruit to add some extra carbohydrates and not get like inflammatory sugars. You can play with whole grains, but again, sometimes that could cause digestive upset because of the higher fiber. And if you tolerate more simple to digest carbohydrates, things like rice, potatoes, cereals, pasta, it may be the time and place to lean into those foods so then you do not get GI upset. But again, that's all practice trying to figure out do the higher fiber foods that okay with you, or do you need to lean into more simple carbs like the rice, the pasta, things like that.
Coach Ryan:Nice. And coach Amanda, what are some ways that you've approached, prepping for a long run and what has worked for you and hasn't worked for you?
Coach Amanda:That's an excellent question. And I think this thing's coming up common theme and all, everything that we've discussed is that practice is key with all of us. So trying different things and what works best for you. It definitely start two to three days prior to a long run, really getting in that fuel that my body needs and not going crazy. Not just having the pasta the night before, but really focusing on the night before the night before, especially so like the, you know, it says you have a Saturday long run to focusing on what you're having that Thursday night. And typically for myself, things that have worked for me in the past, I might have like a stuffed pepper, you know, with some ground beef and some brown rice in there. It could be some Banza pasta with some chicken or veggies mixed in there. So, again, it's just playing with a lot of different things, chicken and rice, things that I know do not upset my stomach. Occasionally I'd like a pizza and a beer and I'm like, well, then I don't feel so good the next day and I know exactly why. So really it's just trial and error with that. I know I'm not going crazy the night before a run because I know that can definitely impact the way I'm feeling. I might be a little more sluggish. Might have a little bit more GI issues. If the night before, let's say I'm going out and having something new, like that wouldn't be ideal in a situation. I know people in the past do really well with like burrito bowls with the rice, the veggies, the meat. But really it is a lot of trying different things and what works best for you. I liked the idea you brought up the antioxidants after a run. I know that's what I need to work more on is like the post run, like refueling and, recovery. So I'm getting a lot of ideas from this as well. Definitely practicing a routine. and seeing what works best for you.
Coach Ryan:Absolutely. I love that idea too, that we're constantly learning, I know we've had our number of marathons and seasons each year, there's always a new nugget that we can kind of pick up. Let's talk about hydrating before the run. So, is hydrating just taking in water or what are the different ways that we can approach our hydration strategies, Dr. Butler?
Dr. Blake Butler:Yes, of course you mentioned water and that plays a major role in hydration. However, as endurance athletes, we electrolyte intake. I think we often overlook sodium and potassium intake and more detail. I think we have to really try to understand how much we need based on the activity that we're completing. Ryan, I want to throw this back at you. I know you and I had the opportunity to do a hike through the Grand Canyon. We did some significant planning regarding sodium and potassium. And at least from my perspective, that made a significant impact on our ability to function throughout that difficult environment. And do you recall how much sodium we had to take in per hour? I'm putting you on the spot here.
Coach Ryan:Ooh, yeah, you are putting me on the spot. I don't know the exact amount without looking at our little, we had a nice little spreadsheet that we were prepping with when we did the Grand Canyon and we did it in July, so it was pretty hot. But what we did was we started out it was cooler in the morning. We had our base salt we were taking, we were taking one lick. Almost like every hour. And then once we hit a certain time in the day and the temperature hit a certain degree, we up that to like every half hour. And then once we got down to the basin, where it where it was at its hottest, then we had, pick that up to another like every 15 minutes we were taking more salt. And I'll tell you what, at the end of the day, we were able to kind of get through that without, Us two and our significant others not cramping, no heat exhaustion, nothing. No one, no one vomited. We actually got there pretty unscathed.
Dr. Blake Butler:Yeah, absolutely. And we can really apply that to preparing for a marathon or a long run. For example, we want around 16 to 32 ounces of water per hour during the activity, and that's really heat dependent. Same goes for sodium throughout the Grand Canyon and we started at around 300 milligrams per hour and we increased up to 1200 milligrams per hour based on heat. Generally speaking for a marathon, three to 600 milligrams is a good starting point, and you have to practice this when you're training specifically during your long runs because we can overdo it. Also, it's important to talk to your doctor if you have a history of high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease because we don't want to overdo it with sodium intake. And with that, rehydration is essential. So I tend to be really thoughtful about pre hydrating leading up to the long run or the race event, for example. I want to introduce about an hour and a half before the actual run or race, about a half liter of water, so I think 16 ounces, and then about 15 to 30 minutes prior to the race, I tend to introduce around eight ounces. I don't want to do too much because I don't have to use the restroom right after the race starts so I think giving us that window and introducing our first consumption about an hour and a half prior to the race, and then having some more prior to the race allows us to really moderate our ability to use the restroom during the run. And then during the run, 16 to 32 ounces per hour. If it's relatively cool lean towards 16, it's relatively hot lean towards that 32 and make sure that you are also bringing in appropriate electrolytes and on race day, you'll have options. So I would look at those options based on the race that you're competing in to make sure that you're practicing with those electrolyte options that are going to be available at aid stations.
Coach Ryan:I think on a previous, nutrition webinar that we did, Dr. Mikrut, I believe you mentioned something, excuse me if I'm wrong here, about practicing our hydration strategy so that if we are scared about having to use the bathroom prior to the run because we're taking in too much, salt and water, that if we're actually practicing, we shouldn't necessarily, have that abrupt need to go to the washroom before the race. Is that something we talked about before?
Dr. Lexi Mikrut:I don't remember talking about that, but I do agree with that, that if your bladder is used to it and able to like withstand that, absolutely. And if you can't, maybe you have to look more into like the physical structural issues, like if you have any pelvic floor weakness or dysfunction. You should be able to hold in a bladder worth of urine or a sort of stress component like anxiety. But again, knowing your individual needs is the way to do that and knowing what you can handle like leading up to a run.
Coach Ryan:Awesome. Thank you. And Dr. Miller, I know we touched a lot on salt, but, Talk about adding salt to our meals. Like, how much salt should we be adding to our meals? And how do we approach that?
Dr. Blake Butler:Yeah, I often think adding sea salt, for example, to meals is a great strategy to help regulate electrolytes because often during the week, especially during our shorter runs, We're not as good about navigating our electrolyte intake throughout that activity, pre or post activity as well. So if we can add sea salt throughout the week or pink Himalayan salt more specifically to our meals, that's a great way to balance electrolytes and mineral uptake. Furthermore, we can also be really mindful of how that influences blood pressure. So if you do have a history of high blood pressure, potentially monitor your blood pressure at home, make sure that you're not overdoing it with salt. And if there's a reason to avoid that, we can find other alternatives and really try to prioritize salt intake during the activity or the event. So I do think it's very important, but also to continue to beat the same drum. It's really important that we individualize these recommendations too. So know that blood pressure really stands out to me or cardiovascular disease. If you have concerns there, talk to your doctor before increasing sodium intake. And if we're going to increase salt intake, I'm recommending pink Himalayan salt or sea salt over table salt. For example, we tend to see better support as it relates to electrolyte replenishment needs when introducing those forms.
Coach Ryan:Let's talk about the morning. So Dr. Mikrut, how should we approach breakfast. There's a funny concept of maybe not having breakfast before a run. Should we always have breakfast before the run? Are there any cases that we can get maybe a shorter workout without breakfast? What are your thoughts on that?
Dr. Blake Butler:Yeah, so I think most people should be trying to consume breakfast before a run or a workout. ideally about two hours beforehand, you may be able to tolerate an hour closer to your run, depending on your own digestive track and how much food you get stomach before running. Again, practicing that and playing with that to know your own GI needs. Intermittent fasting is pretty trendy right now, I would strongly not recommend starting the intermittent fasting protocol during a training season. When we run, it's a stressor on our system, even though it's great and it's fun and we love it. It definitely can be a stressor on our body. When you work out fasted, that impacts cortisol or stress hormone further. So that is two things we're working against. The other part of it too, is blood sugar stability. If your last meal was dinner, say you had dinner at 7pm and you're running at 8am, that's a very long time to go without fuel. Your body is already going to be diving into your blood sugar storage in your liver and in your muscles, which then, you're already going to be depleted as soon as you start exercise. So in an ideal world, you're going to wake up and eat something, again, two to three hours before you start your exercise. That meal should have some type of simple carbohydrate. And maybe some fat and protein in it. Some examples to try oatmeal could be really great. Some oatmeal with some nut butter and some berries. Oatmeal has a lower glycemic index, meaning it releases those carbohydrates slower. So actually if you start running, you'll have more storage of glycogen to use up to fuel that run. You could also keep it simple and do like a rice cake with some peanut butter and bananas, maybe a protein bar, depending on how you feel. So I definitely think you should try. If you're one of those people who says, Hey, I can't run. My stomach hurts. Maybe it's time to look deeper into your gut health and figure out, is there a reason? Are you eating something that's actually aggravating you and may not be aware of that. So maybe your hydration is off. Maybe you have gut bacteria imbalances that are leading to sensitivity and poor digestion causing issues. So if you feel like you really can't eat breakfast, it may be worth exploring the why behind that, because it can be a crucial part of running and really help you get the edge of your race.
Coach Ryan:I love that. That's a great way to approach getting to the root cause of why you can't take something. So that's great. Coach Amanda, what have you done in the morning before a workout? What were some tried and true ways that worked for you and some things that haven't?
Coach Amanda:Yeah. I know for myself, again, it's been practice, but, lately my go to has been superhero muffins. Those are from the, Shalane Flanagan and Elise Kopecky cookbooks. That tends to help me as well as a banana. That's my typical go to before a long run. I will have one cup of coffee. I used to not do that but I decided over the winter season this year to start introducing that prior to the run. And so I've kept that consistent throughout, the winter, spring and into the summer, and I haven't had any issues with that, but again, that was trying it, seeing how it would do trying with lower mileage first. So that's typically what I'll do. I know in the past, I've got a bagel and, uh, peanut butter. I've run fasted in the past or just on a banana. I know, um. For myself, uh, definitely having some fuel in my body and a superhero seemed to be what superhero often seemed to us working right now because I know if I, for example, Miami half marathon this year, um, you know, completely different environment coming from, you know, Chicago winter to, um, you know, Miami, Miami winter is very different. So there are a lot of different factors going into not only fuel, but, um, you know, sleep and, you know, you know. Lack of, you know, like electrolytes, things like that, just based on the humidity. But I know, like, I didn't plan my fueling strategy ahead of time. I didn't plan to bring something that I knew be tried and true for race warning. So I had something new. It was not fun on that race. I was on the struggle bus. So I do know that, you know, have having a plan and having things that, you know, work, um, Ready for yourself prior to a run tend to help. And, um, you know, you are going to have good and bad runs, but I know like if you, if you practice and find something that works, it's going to help along the way.
Coach Ryan:Yeah, absolutely. Great advice. I think I heard you talk about coffee. So Dr. Butler, how should we approach caffeine? Is it a good thing? Is it a bad thing? Or some of us are doing it how should we approach this?
Dr. Blake Butler:Yeah, I think caffeine can be confusing. I'm not anti caffeine. Some of us are more sensitive to caffeine, and specifically with training, we have to be mindful about how that influences our digestive function during a long run or a race. So if you're someone who thrives off of a cup of caffeine in preparation for a long run or a race, and you've practiced that many times, Go to town. I think it's really potentially beneficial part of supporting energy and getting you ready for that race day. If you're someone who doesn't tolerate that, be thoughtful about that specifically as you practice your long runs. You could potentially try alternative like an herbal tea or a green tea in place of coffee if you want to reduce your caffeine intake, for example. And maybe something to work around with. I'm not necessarily a fan of the green tea prior to the run from my antioxidant standpoint, but we have to allow for some flexibility. So I'm open to having some flexibility with regards to coffee intake, but coffee can be rich in antioxidants. I do recommend organic coffee, though, whenever possible, if that is feasible, just because typically we have some concerns regarding mold and other factors related to coffee beans. And we want to be thoughtful about that, especially in sensitive individuals. But that's not always the case. And that really is more nuanced with regards to those who are very sensitive to this. So we won't go down that path, but I'm pro coffee, especially if it's tolerated. And I think with training, for example, or racing, caffeine can be a tool that assists the race. And I learned from you, Ryan, that it's actually very beneficial to take in caffeine towards the latter component of the race or towards the end of the race. Because if you start with caffeine early, You may have to sustain intake throughout the race, and that holds true to that cup of coffee in the morning, so some people may find that they actually do better with caffeinated fuel throughout the rest of the race if they start every long run or race day with a cup of coffee. So do know that that's worth practicing and it's worth trying it both ways with long runs. If you're going to implement coffee, it just throws another layer of complexity into the equation with regards to preparation. But that's no big deal. We've got a lot of time to train for a marathon or an endurance event. So we have the ability to do that. Um, with that being said, I'm interested in other thoughts on coffee. I know I'm relatively neutral, but does anyone on the panel here have any different thoughts regarding that? No,
Dr. Lexi Mikrut:I agree with Dr. Butler that it's super personalized with it and that Knowing how you react, like say you're an anxious runner, you have anxious tendencies, maybe cut back on caffeine. That's something I see often in my practice, that patients might not realize that they are caffeine sensitive because you've been used to doing it.
Lexi:You're like, maybe your whole adult life and you may be on edge or actually anxious or have stomach issues. So definitely worth investigating cutting back if you have any of those issues. Or if you have sleep issues, some people are a lot more sensitive to caffeine than others. And even if you cut yourself off by noon, it may still be a matching quality of sleep. So if you're dealing with any type of hard to fall asleep, hard to stay asleep, play with that coffee intake and see if that can be a trigger there.
Coach Ryan:Yeah. Let's, let's talk about coffee as it relates to hydrating. Cause I know it's made with water. Does it count as water or how should we approach that Dr. Mikrut.
Dr. Lexi Mikrut:It does not count as water. I would not necessarily ding it for it if you're not having a lot. If you're having an excessive amount of coffee, upwards of a couple cups a day or a few cups a day, definitely make sure you're off in the water accordingly with it. But I would comment it's neutral with hydration. You still need just as much water and it's not hydrating.
Dr. Blake Butler:Just to build on that actually regarding sleep, we know the quarter life of caffeine is eight hours. So eight hours or rather 12 hours with a quarter life after you consume that cup of coffee, you're going to have caffeine within the system.
Dr. Blake:So say your bedtime is 10 PM and you have your last cup of coffee at noon, that caffeine is going to influence adenosine receptors upwards to midnight. So we know that caffeine can really influence sleep. And if you're struggling to fall asleep or stay asleep, or you're waking fatigued often, Look at when you're having your last cup of coffee or caffeine, because clinically we see that all the time. And it's very hard to pick up on for many people because it doesn't make sense to many. If you have your last cup of 12, how does it influence you into the middle of the night?
Coach Ryan:Great point. Great points by all. That's awesome. All right. So let's talk about race nutrition and, you know, I, we're, we're in the middle of training, right? We're like right in the, in the middle of everything so let's talk about how you, how you kind of practice with it. So coach Amanda, let's talk about practicing for race day. What's your general good idea to practice? Um,
Coach Amanda:Yeah, practicing is definitely key in this and it's a lot of trial and error. I'd say if you're going to mess, I'm not messing around, but try different new nutrition. I would try that on a shorter run, just in case you end up having any GI issues with it. But once you find some fuel that works for you, sits well with your GI everything. I know, on a typical long runner on race day for myself, I find that taking less fuel more frequently is what works for me. I'm not a big fan of, gels and GUs. They just, the texture and consistency of it just does not work for me. And I know that, but I know that works well, for a lot of people, a lot of fans of Huma as well as other forms of, those gels, GUs, for myself, I found, more of like the Clif blocks or recently I've been really into the GU blocks chews. They're a little bit smaller, uh, and they seem to have worked. I use them last year on my marathon and that tried and true. So it worked for me. But a typical serving size for those like the Clif blocks or the GU block more than you think, you know, so eight of these goo boxes, technically like the serving size to get you that, um, you know, the, the whole, um, you know, effects of, you know, that proper. Fueling, I don't try and think of the right words for it, but, you know, so getting that amount of fuel that you need for, for myself, instead of taking it every 45 minutes to an hour, I just take it every three hours and that, or that three hours, oh my goodness, every three miles. And that seems to work for me. And I've practiced that tried it throughout training runs. I definitely sip on water throughout the race, a good marker for me is at least every mile. I want to be sipping on water. If not throughout that mile, that's just a, that's just a good reminder. So that way, if I am forgetting, sometimes it happens on a run, you're thinking about other things you're distracted by everything going on. So just having those cues along the way helps as well. You could set alerts on your Garmin watches as well. If you have one of those, I'm sure with, I, you know, like Apple watches as well, you can do that. So that's a good tool to help you with those reminders and prompts to, keep properly fueling throughout. Don't ever take any type of fuel with any type of Gatorade or electrolyte, that tends to have a lot of those GI issues. I know, I've done it in the past. It's not fun. Thank goodness for porta potties along the way. You know, it does happen, but, try not to do that. But if I am going to take an electrolyte, I typically start between like mile seven to nine. With marathon training and I will do it within, a mile before or a mile after I take in my fuel, just so that way I know that it's in my system. I don't have to worry about it mixing, so just really trying to take in, take in that fuel and hydration consistently throughout it. But I think for myself, it's just having those prompts and cues so I know every mile I'm taking some type of hydration every three miles I'm getting in some type of fuel. So for myself, those are my prompts and cues to keep reminding me. Cause I know like if you say every 45 minutes, well, I'm not going to be watching to see four or five minutes on my watch, but I could set a prompt a beep or reminder on my watch as well, so that's what works for me, on race day and in training as well.
Coach Ryan:Yeah. I love that. And we were talking about this early on, about being very intentional about, the nutrition we take and not waiting until you bonk. So having that prompt reminder and knowing how often you take it to sustain that energy is really key and I think you touched base on this a little bit, but Dr. Mikrut, why do we want to, follow most race nutrition with water versus an electrolyte drink.
Dr. Lexi Mikrut:Yeah, like, so how Coach Amanda just mentioned, if you don't do that, it could lead to stomach upset. You could even get some, like, nausea or feel dizziness. We need water to absorb the electrolytes and the carbohydrates that are contained within those nutrition products. So, chews, gels, GUs, all of those contain electrolytes and sodium. In order to drive it into our cells to utilize it, you need water. If you don't, you run the risk of bloating or... Poor retention. So really make sure that you consume them with water. And then if you like electrolytes throughout your run, that will be like on the off cycle. So if you're doing a gel every 45 minutes, do that with water. 15 minutes later, have a sip of water. 15 minutes later, maybe a sip of Gatorade or whatever that looks like for you.
Coach Ryan:Coach Amanda. So, why would it be a good idea to know what's available on the course? What if I'm not even training with the stuff that's on the course, why is it good to know
Coach Amanda:It's good to know because, That might be, that'd be something you've tried before. So you might want to try it ahead of time to see how your body reacts to it. You can also forget things on race day, you know, I know we do plan and prep ahead of time, but, you could forget something along the way and need to grab, a water or a chew or a gel along the way. I know for myself, I like to carry my fuel as well as my water on me. But some people don't like to do that for the runs. Do they know there's an aid station, a water station, every so many miles. But definitely no one wants along the course helps you prepare and helps you practice with those things. So that way your body. Knows how it reacts to those things. I know a big thing is like, don't take anything new on race day. So if you've never had, you know, Gatorade, chew or gel, it might not be the best idea to grab one at, mile 15 on the course, because you're not sure how your body's going to react to that. So knowing what's available on the course, gives you that time to try it, see how it works with your body and kind of give you a little plan along the way. If say, for example, maybe you can't stomach your gels or GUs, cause I mean, it does happen sometimes and you're like, well, I have done,, Gatorade GUs or gels before, maybe try a little bit, see how that sits in my stomach this time around. Don't necessarily want to mix things, but you know, things do happen on race day. Much as you plan and practice there's a lot of factors that come into race day, but knowing ahead of time, what's available. Doing your best to prepare, it's gonna help you, feel more prepared,, just having a better idea of having a strategy and knowing what's available one way.
Coach Ryan:Absolutely. You know, I can tell a funny story. One of my marathons I did in Las Vegas, and for some reason the pockets that I had, as I was fumbling around, how I was going to carry them in the pockets of which were velcro sealed, they came undone. And within the first mile, all my nutrition somehow came out of my pockets. And I,then had to take what was on the course. And thankfully what I had what was on the course in my pockets, but it was a different flavor. So I just had to deal with a different flavor, but at least it was dealing with exactly the nutrition that's on that course and just know like, you know, everyone, if you're, especially if you're a new marathon or you're doing different races and things like that, every race is a little bit different, they're going to have Gatorade is not a sponsor for every single race, and nor is, GU gels are going to be at every single race. So it's good to know to tune in and say, and see exactly. What is on the race course? And then maybe if you don't want to carry everything in your pocket because they might fall out of your pocket in mile one, that you know that where it's, where all the different, aid stations are that do have the gels, and you can, pick up more gels along the way. Thank you so much for that, Coach Amanda. So let's talk about strategizing for our goal races. What are some ideas and how someone can strategize their long runs to adapt, to what they're going to do,on race day.
Coach Amanda:I'd say for myself, having a thought out plan ahead of time. And it's important to have that because then, That's holding you more accountable along the run. You know, you're excited, you're out there, there's so much going on, there's the crowd cheering, you got music, you got so much stuff going on that, having a plan in place is going to help you stick to it. Whether that is just knowing every mile you're going to be doing something, setting alerts on your Garmin, Just having that idea of when you want to take that nutrition, when you want to take that fuel is going to be helping you. And again, make you feel a lot more confident along the way. And you can do that while you're practicing as well along your training runs. When you find yourself in those tough situations along the way, planning the fuel hydration, how you're going to even approach the race. Those are really important and are going to help, have a more successful, more enjoyable race day as well.
Coach Ryan:We are so lucky that we have Fleet Feet Chicago, with all these nutrition options. I want to see if we can kind of break these down and kind of talk a little bit more about them. So, let's start here. Dr. Butler, what can you say about Nuun hydration?
Dr. Blake Butler:Yeah, Nuun has a great sodium potassium ratio. So if you look at Nuun, it's really going to cover your sodium potassium needs specifically every 30 to 60 minutes during activity. Also, Nuun is wonderful from a recovery standpoint, we can really replenish electrolytes after activity, or from a pre hydration standpoint, I tend to use noon in that 16 ounces an hour and a half before my long run or training event.
Dr. Blake:So noon is a wonderful formula that has less than one gram of sugar and we can rely on our other fuel sources to get our carbohydrates. So we're really relying on noon for our electrolytes more specifically.
Coach Ryan:That's good. So if that doesn't have carbohydrates in contrast, let's talk about Maurten what does Morton have? What doesn't have Dr. Butler?
Dr. Blake Butler:Yeah. Maurten's got a relatively simple ingredient profile. Maurten also has the consistency of jello and approximately 40 grams of carbohydrates. So I tend to actually run with Maurten. You can choose caffeinated or uncaffeinated. I run uncaffeinated with Maurten and I take in one every 45 minutes when my runs exceed 90 minutes. So anytime I know I'm going out for more than 90 minutes, I tend to fuel every 45 minutes with Maurten. And if you choose to go caffeinated, make sure that you once again, are mindful about how that influences you at different times during a run. Oftentimes I would recommend introducing that later in the run to give you that additional boost.
Coach Ryan:Yeah, because it has a significant amount of caffeine in it, correct? Yes, so you have to be very cautious with that one. Yeah, and the other thing it doesn't have is, electrolytes, is that right?
Dr. Blake Butler:Correct, it's a relatively simple formula. I find that it's well tolerated from the GI standpoint, so if you're not a fan of the typical consistency of the more common GUs or gels, Maurten is a nice alternative. I use it for the simplicity of the taste, but also the texture consistency. I find that it goes down much easier for me. And I think there's a lot of great options out there. So this is just my own bias based on my practice and experience. All of these products are really well designed. They're very well formulated and very intentional with regards to supporting endurance athletes. So know that you can find what works best for you and stick with it.
Coach Ryan:Yeah, absolutely. And Dr. Mikrut, what can you tell us about Huma?
Dr. Lexi Mikrut:I really like Huma as far as like a preservative blend it has more natural options to it. So the big concept of it is a braid Chia seed, which is pretty cool because it has a higher fiber content, which is a more of a slower releasing carbohydrate. So if you feel like you're prone to blood sugar crashes, some of the more high sugar profile products may lead to like you're feeling like jittery quickly, but the Huma's may be a better option because of that fiber. They do contain electrolytes and their electrolytes are sea salt. So like we were chatting about earlier, how sea salt can be a great electrolyte profile. That's what Huma uses. It's also. sweetened with real cane syrup, as well as brown rice syrup. So if you're sensitive to some like those additives, artificial sweeteners, Huma may be a better option for you from a GI standpoint.
Coach Ryan:And then can you just tell us like a little differences about gels versus chewables? Is it just a preference thing or what else is there to it?
Dr. Lexi Mikrut:Yeah, so like Coach Amanda touched on earlier some of the chews, it is complex for block. So you sure you're reading the ingredients and seeing what the serving size is. That's something to be cognitive of. You may have to eat all six chews to equal one gel. So note stomach can tolerate. As far as taste preference goes, some people prefer the chews or like start with the chew if you're doing a marathon to like ease you into a gel. Just because the gels are a very weird consistency and it's not really like any food you've ever had, so you may prefer the chews. Also the chew are less messy. The gels sometimes are hard to get open during a race. What I personally do, I'll cut them open like a tadd bit so it's easy for me to tear because if I'm mid race, I'm sweaty, I'm feeling weak, like I'm not gonna get that GU open. So really play with it. See what she likes. Preference is really key there, but also be cognizant of the nutritional label to know that you're getting the right amount of carbohydrates that you're expecting to get.
Coach Ryan:That's such a huge advice. I definitely had to open someone else's nutrition during the course of a run because they said that like it was so humid out their fingers like sausages they couldn't grip the blocks, which is amazing. What if someone wants to create their own nutrition at home? have you had any experience with that, Dr. Mikrut, what are your thoughts about that?
Dr. Lexi Mikrut:Yeah, I played with it a little bit. Now I will say as much as I love to eat real whole food. as much as possible. There's a time and place for processed products and this is one of them because all of these products have been engineered to have the right amount of electrolyte ratios as well as carbohydrate ratios and to be easy on your digestive tract. If you want to play around with whole foods, sometimes it's hard to carry but you can get some like squeezable applesauce packets like those baby food packets can be a great whole food option during running. You could make your own electrolyte blend with sea salt, some fruit juice, and water. Coconut water could come into play here if you prefer whole foods. So really it's preference and like where your food philosophy sits. But I personally do think like this is the time and place for processed foods if you're okay with that.
Coach Ryan:That's amazing that, you know, that's rare. You ever hear that, right? There's a time and place for processed foods. And I think Coach Amanda, you shared a little bit what you take, but let's, let's hear it again. One more time. What, what is your go to right now? For, marathon nutrition.
Coach Amanda:Yeah. My go to right now is the GU Blocks. But like we were talking about, you really have to pay attention to how much that fuel you need to take to actually get the total amount that you want. So I do know in particular for that one, it's eight shoes to actually get the full amount of that serving. And a trick I use with the the blocks, and I've done that with any of these blocks is I'll open them ahead of time from the Ziploc baggie. And I know with the Clif blocks, when I was using those, I would actually cut those blocks in half. That would make it easier to chew along the way. Opening packages along the way is not very easy. If you're going to take a Honey Stinger, a Clif block, a GU block, any of those, opening those ahead of time from a Ziploc baggie. That's a lot easier to open.
Coach Ryan:And what I do love about the blocks and chews is that it's easy for you to modulate those When I do use those, I don't have to take them all at once, I'll like two at a time and kind of hang out with it two at a time and hang out with it for a little bit. So it's good to modulate those, so,
Coach Amanda:mm-hmm.
Coach Ryan:Now we're going to talk about caffeine a little more specifically during the course of the run. So, Dr. Mikrut, how should we approach caffeine during the race?
Dr. Lexi Mikrut:So we touched on this a little bit already, but... Once you start it, you really, really should try to continue it. Now, it really depends on tolerance, whether that's from an anxiety standpoint and or a GI standpoint. If you start caffeine, if it started your race, it may be too much of refueling to do caffeine, but maybe once an hour, do something with caffeine in it. But really play with this, use it to your advantage. Ryan, I know Dr. Butler already mentioned this earlier, but your story was really like thriving on caffeine the edge of that and push feeling like burned out t be a really powerful tool So really playing with it tolerates seeing what you tolerates. And if you can handle it leave it at the end it as a pick me up.
Coach Ryan:Absolutely. When I did my last Ironman in 2021, I had someone worked with me very specifically on my, my caffeine and they were saying wait until the end and I waited until the last half marathon of the Ironman to take the highest form of caffeine. And it was incredible after 12 hour race, I was feeling extremely strong and energetic at the end of the race. And that was cause I waited until the second half of the bike where I started taking a little bit of caffeine and just amped it up until the end. So I think that's a really good strategy to consider. All right, Dr. Butler, why do some people get stomach problems during the run or during events? And how can we avoid it?
Dr. Blake Butler:During runs or activity, too much fat or protein intake, especially leading up to that activity, can make it very hard to support normal digestion. So be very mindful about the amount of healthy fat or unhealthy fat that you're bringing in prior to the event. We want to make sure that we're using meals, as outlined by Dr. Mikrut earlier, to support our pre race fueling. Furthermore, food trigger or food sensitivity can also contribute to GI distress during the run. So if you are experiencing food sensitivity to something along the lines of wheat, gluten, or dairy, that could be an issue. Additionally, changes in the gut microbiome, which reflects the bacteria and yeast makeup of our gut health, can really influence our ability to tolerate Many foods, even healthy and well tolerated foods, and that could also influence our digestive function during activity. We know that other factors related to stress and underlying issues related to anxiousness leading up to a run can actually further worsen our digestive function, especially if you have what we would describe as a sensitive stomach. That's something that can be really important to address, and I think there's great mindfulness activities and things that you can do leading up to a run or a race to help support that to make sure you're in the appropriate mindset. I also think if you're experiencing these things consistently and you've reduced the amount of that intake, you've dialed in your appropriate hydration and electrolyte strategies and timing, and you've done all these things we talked about, you probably need to work with a physician that better understand what's going on, because in those situations, there's potentially some underlying issue that would require further diagnostic testing to better understand.
Coach Ryan:Good point. So now, let's talk about post run, right? Nutrition is all about recovery as well. So Dr. Mikrut, how does water, support us after a run? Why is that important after?
Dr. Lexi Mikrut:Yeah. We are very, very dehydrated after running. To recover adequately, you should consume at least 24 ounces per pound of body weight lost. Now, I know you're not going to have a scale at a race day, but I would say that that at long runs, weigh yourself before and after a long run and see how much weight you're losing. It's not bad. It's not bad. fluid retention that you're losing at that point. And of course it will vary depending on temperature and climate changes during each long run. But if you tend to lose like a pound or two, it's really, really important to replenish that hydration that you have lost. Now step mindfully, you may be parched and ready to still like chug a bottle of water. Your stomach will not like that. So really be mindful and sip slowly, but it is extremely important to rehydrate, not only for how you're feeling and to avoid dehydration, which could be very dangerous, but it can also help with like muscle cramping and muscle recovery. So you can think about your next event that you want to do afterwards.
Coach Ryan:How does coconut water different from that? Or how does that improve anything?
Dr. Lexi Mikrut:Yeah, coconut water is actually full of natural electrolytes, so if you're sick of your Gatorade or whatever you were consuming during the run, it's great to replenish. It also has some carbohydrates in it. Now the one thing to be mindful of with coconut water is it does not contain a high amount of sodium like made electrolyte drinks do. So in that case, I would add some extra salt to it or be mindful of consuming some salt with it, so you're replacing that sodium as well.
Coach Ryan:Dr Butler. I know that chocolate milk is a big go to for a lot of endurance athletes. What are our thoughts about that?
Dr. Blake Butler:Chocolate milk does in fact have a great ratio of carbs to protein from a recovery standpoint. However, I find that for many individuals, dairy protein can cause or drive inflammation. So it's really not my first line of defense. I'm biased because I have a cow's milk sensitivity. I just don't tolerate milk. So it's just not something that I play around with. However, if you know you tolerate that well, and you have attempted that with success in the past, it does have a great ratio of carbohydrates to protein from a recovery standpoint. It can be a great. tool to introduce from a recovery point of view. I, like other strategies, I like to focus on introducing food specifically after a run. In fact, culturally speaking, I think there's a lot of value to then sharing a meal with others who have also engaged in that activity. That's one of the beauties of running. We have this awesome community of individuals who like to suffer together. So I'm a big proponent of actually introducing whole foods in combination with very specific hydration, like Dr. Mikrut had recommended, with water intake based on the amount of potential a little bit loss that occurs within the run, in addition to electrolyte replenishment. And then furthermore, beer. I can see that's missed on the list. Beer gets a bad rap as it relates to recovery, and it should. Alcohol is not a health food by any means. However, thank goodness for science, we have some data that would indicate that one beer, when consumed post exercise, is not deleterious to our overall recovery or our long term training. More than one beer, that's a completely different story. And if you're consuming a beer, make sure that you a tolerate wheat gluten, for example, because that can be a concern for some, and make sure that you're consuming with food, specifically a food that would contain appropriate protein, healthy carbohydrates and antioxidants. So a Mediterranean bowl, for example, is a great option with an nice craft beer after a long event. Knowing that if you can keep yourself to one beer, you're probably not going to significantly manage your recovery. If you exceed one beer, you're probably going to detrimentally influence your recovery and sleep that evening.
Coach Ryan:Thank goodness for science. We could have that one beer. I love that. That should be put on our shirt. What do you think about almond milk or almond chocolate milk? Does that have the same ratio, what are your general feelings about that?
Dr. Blake Butler:Yeah, the ratios even look slightly different. Off the top of my head, I couldn't give you that. I don't drink almond milk personally, that's just in my taste profile, but overall, if you have a cow's milk sensitivity, it's a great alternative. Personally, I think you're better off really focusing on water intake, electrolyte intake, and then introducing whole foods. That's my bias, but almond milk's a great option to play around with if you do have a cow's milk sensitivity or if you are lactose intolerant, for example, because you may really enjoy that. And part of After one, the feeling is enjoying it because you just did something very hard and it's fun to indulge in something that maybe you do really like.
Coach Ryan:Nice. And coach Amanda, what is your go to hydration recovery after a run?
Coach Amanda:Typically it's water. I do like to do some type of electrolyte drink, sometimes it's a Gatorade or nuun or liquid IV that definitely helps. I'm a heavy sweater. So I do know pre run and post run replenishing those electrolytes is key for me. I do like a good cup of chocolate milk after a nice long workout as well, as well as a post run brew. But I know this is something I definitely need to work on, especially the food component of it. Cause not necessarily just replenishing hydration, but also food wise. I know that's something I need to continue to work on, but, chocolate milk and beer are definitely my kind of go to recovery.
Coach Ryan:Very nice. Very nice. All right. So as we're talking about nutrition and, and we've alluded to a lot of anti inflammatory foods, Dr. Mikrut, how should we approach nutrition for recovery?
Dr. Lexi Mikrut:Absolutely. So like Dr. Butler mentioned earlier on that those antioxidants, this is their time to shine. So antioxidants are found in produce, so things brightly colored fruits and vegetables in different colors have different vital nutrients with different type of anti inflammatory properties. So really, at the point of recovery, eating the rainbow, eating a colorful salad, fruit salad, really come into play here, maybe a recovery smoothie. Since when you run, you're going to naturally create inflammation. Try to avoid other inflammatory foods. So things like certain type of grains like gluten, processed meat, those seed oils, fried food, certain types of meat, do not have a place post run, unless of course you enjoy it and you're going to have it in moderation, but maybe for one meal, not all of your meals at that afternoon. And then really ramping up healthy protein too. So finding the balance between protein. Okay. Transmitting into accidents, well sourced protein and some healthy fats to help your body recover and start to heal.
Coach Ryan:Dr. Butler, we can't always get our nutrition amounts from food and hydration. So what are some key supplements that can be suggested to add to someone's nutrition plan?
Dr. Blake Butler:Great. We do try to take a food first approach. We want to be mindful about bringing everything we can from whole foods, not necessarily the restaurant, but general foods that you find at the perimeter of the grocery store. In many cases, we have the benefit of doing blood testing to take a look at trends related to nutrient imbalance. And I often find vitamin D deficiency, omega 3 essential fatty acid deficiency, magnesium deficiency, in addition to other antioxidant imbalances based on more advanced testing. So in those cases, especially when our demands are increased with regards to training, we can benefit from nutritional supplementation. I will note that not all supplements are created equal. Quality does matter and dose matters. So if you introduce anything in particular, make sure that you're working with a provider, make sure that you understand contraindications or interactions with medications, and make sure that you have a good understanding as to whether or not this is actually beneficial because they're not there's some truth that multivitamins may not be helpful, especially if you're getting over the counter multivitamins with inexpensive raw materials in appropriate forms at a low dose. But when you do this well, when you have appropriate guidance, when you have the appropriate plan outlined based on data, these strategies can really influence our ability to regulate inflammation. We know, for example, tumeric from the whole food stores can be very helpful to manage inflammation. If we can concentrate that and increase the dose significantly, we can really see more benefits from an anti inflammatory standpoint, and we can do that through supplementation. We also know essential fatty acids, omega 3 or fish oil derived fats are very beneficial from an inflammatory standpoint. They downregulate inflammation, and they can also help support cardiovascular function and brain function. in addition to hormone health and a variety of other things that are important in the overall healthy human beyond just the athlete. So we have a lot of options related to nutritional supplementation. I'm not recommending anyone go pick anything up over the counter because I think it does require personalization and some knowledge and intuition regarding what that individual needs. And this is where data and testing really makes all the difference in my opinion. Generally speaking, though, I would request testing related to vitamin D. I would request testing for magnesium and B vitamins because we see so commonly these are abnormal. In my experience, not many people are having this testing done and not many providers know how to work with the endurance athlete because you need to look at iron, you need to look at B vitamins, you need to consider inflammation and nutrients that would influence that. So with that, just be really intentional, work with someone and be cautious with regards to your medications and introducing something new without support.
Coach Ryan:Awesome. So I think the big key themes that we've been talking about throughout this whole, webinar is practicing to figure out what your perfect nutrition game might be. So definitely take the next few, weeks as we approach our bigger long runs to have a successful race day. I do wanna say thank you to our panelists for their time. That was a lot of information. I know it can be overwhelming. So if you can, can you give maybe one piece of overall advice to our audience to make this more digestible? Coach Amanda, let's start with you.
Coach Amanda:Oh, that's a tough one. One thing, man, you guys know I like to talk. I think a big thing is, I mean, you're gonna say it again, but it's that practice. I mean, this is a lot of information, but pick one thing, I guess that's what I'll say, try one thing, you know, whether it is you want to focus on, improving your fueling this time Improving your hydration, improving your recovery. Pick one thing this training cycle, focus on that and see if that helps you and benefits you in the long run on race day. This is a lot to take in and if you're trying to change you're fueling your hydration, your recovery, your weekly, like if you're trying to change all of everything too much at once, you're probably not gonna have as much success. This is silly, but my second grade teacher said, inch by inch, it's a cinch yard by yard, it's too hard. That's really a philosophy I've taken on and I think it's really pertinent in running. And I think that is true. Little by little, you know, we can do great things, make improvements, see growth, but if we try and do too much at once, it's going to be harder, and we're not going to be able to see all that growth, and we might get overwhelmed and quit.
Coach Ryan:I love that. I love that term. I never heard that actually. Inch by inch and yard, yard's too hard. That's wonderful. Dr. Mikrut, any, last minute advice you want to give everyone?
Dr. Lexi Mikrut:My biggest thing to focus on is eating enough. It's so easy to fall into that trap of under eating, and that's not only going to impact your day of run, your week of run, but it won't. impact your longevity with running, they're more likely to get burned out or lead to other health issues, like especially with females, it can impact your hormones very significantly. So really, really try to make sure you're eating enough to fuel all the extra running you're going to continue to build up towards.
Coach Ryan:That's wonderful. That's beautiful. Dr. Butler, how about yourself?
Dr. Blake Butler:I couldn't agree more with Coach Amanda and Dr. Mikrut. These are wonderful recommendations. I think one takeaway from my perspective would be to use this as an opportunity to build a food philosophy and to create sustainable long term healthy habits and a healthy relationship with food. It doesn't have to be perfect. We're learning along the way. We're making adjustments based on what works well for us. But try to establish an understanding of how food can fuel you and support your activity for the rest of your life. Because if you're like me, I want to be running and doing these things for a very long time and food plays an important role. And I eat a certain way to allow me to do that. So establish that food philosophy. Use this as a chance to learn and make mistakes early and often, knowing that you're going to get better with time and repetition.
Coach Ryan:So thank you everyone for tuning in. We hope you were able to take away at least one piece of knowledge to help you on your training journey. We hope that this serves as a good baseline and that you're able to make some tweaks here and there to fine tune it, whatever your nutrition game is, just remember that everyone is made up a little bit different. And that, the best way to really truly find out what works for you is just to practice. Have a great training season, we look forward to seeing you all out there. Take care.
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