welcome to running
FURTHER FASTER FITTER
Nutrition
Nutrition to run further, faster and fitter
Introduction
.jpg)
If you don’t eat the right types and amounts of food running will be like driving a car with the wrong type or amount of fuel. Therefore the energy you put into the body is vital to ensuring you can achieve your running goals. So our Sports Nutritionists bring you the latest tips and insights to ensure you have the right fuel to run.
Baked Basil Chicken Stack
by Sarona Taylor 4/11/10
It’s important for runners to get plenty of lean protein as this provides our body with the building blocks it needs to rebuild and repair tissue. It aids recovery and adaptation following training and it also helps to keep us full for longer on cold, dark winter days. This delicious seasonal recipe is rich in protein from several sources as well as dark coloured vegetables which bolster the immune system when the temperature drops.
1large chicken breast
4 x 1cm thick slices aubergine
1 tomato sliced
1 handful fine green beans
Handful fresh basil leaves
1.5 tbsp crème fraiche
6/7 parmesan cheese shavings
Directions:
• Turn oven to 200C
• Take a large stretch of cooking foil and place the green beans in the middle
• On top of the green beans stack your aubergine slices
• Place your chicken breast on top of the aubergine and seal up the foil into a little parcel containing your chicken
• Place in oven until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear (approx 25 mins)
• Remove from foil and place on plate, preserving stacked formation if possible but inserting tomato slices and fresh basil leaves directly under chicken
• Spread crème fraiche on top of chicken and arrange parmesan shavings on top
• Pop under grill for a few minutes until parmesan starts to melt
• Serve, keeping in mind that plate will be very hot
Prawn Provencale
by Sarona Taylor 7/09/10
Healthy, hearty comfort food. This delicious prawn provencale recipe is packed with tomatoes which are rich in vitamins A, C and E to support the immune system. They also contain the powerful anti-oxidant lycopene which helps to mop up the free radicals which can cause cell damage after a hard run. Lycopene has anti-inflammatory properties and can help enhance the skins ability to protect itself from UV damage. Served with rice this is the perfect supper for chilly autumn evenings. Serves two, ready in 15-20 minutes.
1 table spoon olive oil
1 small onion finely chopped
1 large clove of garlic chopped
1 can organic chopped tomatoes
1 table spoon tomato puree
250g king prawns
1 generous splash of white wine
1 tsp sugar
Fresh flat leaf parsley
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the onion
- Sauté the onion until starting to soften and add the garlic
- Once the onion starts to brown empty the can of tomatoes into pan with them and reduce the heat a little
- Stir in the tomato puree and then add the prawns
- Allow the sauce to simmer for a few minutes before adding the wine, sugar and some cracked black pepper
- Allow to simmer for a few minutes longer until sauce starts to reduce
- Serve on a bed of rice and sprinkle a generous helping of torn parsley over the top
Smoked Salmon, Avocado and Orange Salad
by Sarona Taylor 13/08/10
This salad is packed with antioxidants and omega oils and is high in protein. All of which help your muscles and joints recover and repair. Perfect for a rest day lunch.
1 large handful mixed salad leaves
¼ red onion finely slice
8 cherry tomatoes sliced in half
½ a large, ripe avocado sliced
6 segments of orange, skin removed
125g smoked salmon
Two slices artisan bread
- Place the salad leaves on a large plate and sprinkle over the onion, tomatoes and orange
- Place the avocado on top of the salad base in the middle of the plate
- Drape the slices of salmon over the top of the avocado
- Drizzle with olive oil and lime juice and finish with cracked black pepper
- Serve with sliced artisan bread (olive bread suits this recipe nicely)
Energy gels and drinks
A topic that often comes up when talking to runners who are new to endurance running is energy gels and sports drinks.
Energy gels are a relatively new product that provide runners with the vital carbohydrate they need whilst on the run. The carbohydrate is provided in the form a liquid gel which is easy to swallow and digest whilst you are running. Energy products also replace the salts and minerals that you lose through sweating whilst running.
Carbohydrate is the fuel that the body uses in order to run. Carbohydrate gets stored in the liver and muscles as Glycogen. However, humans can only store around 2,000 calories of Glycogen, roughly enough to get you to around 18 miles in the marathon. When the stores hit empty runners experience what has been known as hitting the wall, or bonking in Triathlon circles. When this happens the body literally has no more fuel to run on.
This is why it is vitally important that you should ensure your glycogen levels are high in the days and hours leading up to your long runs and the marathon itself. It is particularly important to have a complex carbohydrate breakfast or meal before long runs. This could be a meal containing porridge, muesli, pasta or rice. You should also be well hydrated before you start the run and take water and sports drink on board during the run.
Once you have laid a good foundation you will need to top up your glycogen stores whilst on the run. Gels are an easy way of doing this, as are sports drinks. There are a number of different brands of gels and drinks available, the leading brands in the UK are Lucozade, Science In Sport (SIS), Cliff and PowerBar. Gels typically give around 20-30 grms of carbohydrate. However, each brand comes in different sizes, energy levels, texture and taste so it is important that you trial different types on your training runs.
Most of the gels are best taken with water to deliver the energy optimally and to avoid the mouth getting dry. We recommend taking a gel roughly every half an hour after 1 hour of running.
Our partners at Lanson Running have a full range of energy gels, bars and drinks available from www.lansonrunning.com
Weight loss and running
Check the calorie bank
To lose a pound of fat you need a deficit of 3,500 calories. You will burn 600-900 calories an hour depending on your pace and weight. So the weight loss benefits of say a half an hour run can easily be undone with a post run biscuit or cake. You have to rack up the miles and time before you ‘deserve’ the treat.
Cut the junk
The body will crave carbohydrate when you start running. Fuel your runs with complex carbohydrates such as rice, pasta and potatoes, as opposed to simple carbs such as chocolate, sweets, biscuits and cakes.
Hydrate
We often eat when in fact we are thirsty not hungry. Stay well hydrated during the day and before and after runs. If your urine is darker than a pale straw colour you are dehydrated. This will affect your running and leave you feeling sluggish.
Little but often
Long periods (3 hours or more) without food will lead to binging later in the day. Avoid binges and keep your metabolism fired up by having 3 reasonably sized meals and 2 healthy snacks a day. The first of the meals should always be breakfast.
Fuel before and after a run
For any run over an hour you will need to ensure you have topped up your carb stores before and after a run with a small healthy snack. A piece of fruit or a bagel for example. This will improve performance and aid recovery as well as reducing the likelihood of a simple carb binge later in the day.
It’s True – Breakfast is the best meal of the day
by Lucy Johnson, Registered Dietitian, 20/11/09
Research has shown people can concentrate better and feel more alert when they start the day with a good healthy breakfast. If you run or train early in the morning, it is also important that you “refuel” your body to allow your fuel reserves to be topped up and for muscle repair, making it easier to get going for the next morning’s workout.
Missing breakfast means you are more likely to reach for those high fat, high sugar snacks to give you an instant hit – empty calories that will only put on weight and leave you feeling low a short while after.
Great ideas:
With a little planning and preparation the following ideas are easy and quick. Some can even be eaten on the move:
• Whole grain toast with a thin scraping peanut butter and sliced banana
• Sugar free muesli with low fat milk – add fruit and use a little honey to sweeten if desired
• Smoothie – a great all-in-one breakfast - see recipe
• Healthy muffin – take one out of the freezer the night before – see recipe – and glass low fat milk
• Bagel and low fat cream cheese and fruit
• Fruit salad with low fat yogurt and sprinkling of muesli
• Porridge made with low fat milk
• Poached, boiled or scrambled egg on wholegrain toast
• Drinking yogurt with a bagel and fruit
• Toasted English muffin with a poached egg
Always include fruit or small glass of fruit juice with each breakfast.
Smoothie recipe: whizz up a banana with some frozen berries and a small glass of fruit juice. Pour into a glass for an instant fruity hit. 1 tbsp porridge oats can also be added to provide more carbs.
Muffin recipe: into a large bowl mix one cup of flour with ½ cup of sugar and 1 tbsp baking powder. Add 3 tbsp oil (olive, sunflower etc), ½ cup of milk and 1 egg. Mix gently. Fold in ½ cup fruit such as berries, banana, kiwi, peach, oranges… fill a muffin tin with 12 cake papers and fill each 2/3 full. Bake for 30ish minutes in a 200oC oven until golden. These muffins can be frozen.
To discuss any nutrition related matters with Lucy please call 07775 644470
5 Top Nutrition Tips
by Simon Burden 6/7/09
Carbohydrate the fuel of choice
When you run at moderate intensities the body uses glycogen as its primary fuel. Glycogen is stored in the muscles and liver and is the body’s store of carbohydrate. Therefore if you are running it is important that your glycogen levels are topped up as they will be used when you run. The body can store a maximum of around 500g of Glycogen which will take you to around 18 miles of the Marathon. This is when what is known as 'hitting the wall" can happen, when the body has no fuel to carry it further.
So, carbohydrates should form an important part of your diet. Carbohydrates can either be simple or complex. Simple carbohydrates are those that have been refined and processed they raise blood sugar levels very quickly, providing a quick but short lived burst of energy. Cakes, biscuits and sweets are prime examples and should be eaten infrequently.
The key carbohydrates for runners are complex carbohydrates, these take longer to raise blood sugars and provide longer lasting energy. Oats, Brown Rice, Wholemeal Pasta, Vegetables and Potatoes are good examples.
Hydrate with H2O
About 60% of our body is made up of Water, making water vital to our existence and our performance as a runner. Dehydration is one of the key causes of a loss in running performance.
Everyone has a different sweat rate and therefore require different levels of water intake. A good rule of thumb is the colour of your urine. It should be a pale straw colour, anything darker and you are dehydrated. Another method is to weigh yourself naked before and after a training run. One pound of weight loss equals 1 pint of water lost. Take into account any liquid you took on board during the run.
Drinking excessive amounts of water can cause a potentially fatal condition known as Hyponatremia which is the result of low levels of sodium in the blood stream.
As well as water, you should try a specialist sports drink, which help replace salts and minerals that your body loses through sweating. Again, you need to practise drinking these in training if you want to drink them during a race.
Five a day
Running is a stress on the immune system so it is important that you have a diet rich in the vitamins and minerals that boost the immune system and repair damage done by running and the environments in which we work and live.
Ensure that your shopping basket is as colourful as possible, as each colour of fruit and vegetable has different properties. Fruit and Vegetables are also rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are substances that may protect cells from the damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. Have a smoothie or juice (not from concentrate) with your complex carbohydrate breakfast to get your day off to a healthy start.
Fuel before and after your run
It is important to think about what to eat before and after your training runs. The key thing before your run is that you have topped up your carbohydrate stores between 30-60 minutes before your run.
The longer you run the more carbohydrate you will use. Consider Carbohydrate Gels and drinks for any run over an hour. In the period immediately after your run the body is still working to replace any nutrients it has lost during exercise so try to eat something within an hour of your run that is high in carbohydrate and low in fat
Trial before race day
Everyone reacts differently to foods eaten before and during running. Some people can run on a banana, others that they upset their stomach. So it’s important to trial fuelling strategies during your training and not on race day. This includes gels and sports drinks from different manufacturers.