Eat & Run- Running Nutrition Myths Debunked!

There are literally hundreds of commonly held misconceptions out there regarding nutrition, quite a few of which pertain directly to running.  In this post, I'll be sorting through the facts and the fiction of a few popular running nutrition beliefs.  Which are myths?  Which are legit?  Find out here!

Notion One: You should ALWAYS carbo-load before a race.

Fiction!

Fact:  Carbo-loading is something you likely learned about in high school athletics (it was definitely a common practice when I was in school... Spaghetti dinner before a swim meet, anyone?) and it does have its practical applications in training and competition, but it simply isn't necessary before most events.  The belief is that consuming large amounts of carbohydrates the night before an endurance event will increase the glycogen stores found in your muscles and reduce fatigue, therefore increasing performance.  The truth is that your muscles' natural glycogen stores are plenty to get you through the majority of runs out there; it's only if you're in action for over 1.5-2 hours that you'll deplete those resources.  If you aren't running that great of a duration, then skip the outdated practice of carbo-loading pre-race, as it'll only leave you bloated and possibly feeling sluggish for your event.  If you are competing in a longer race, then you might want to increase you consumption of carbohydrates in preparation.  Instead of adding extra carbs and calories on the night before the race, consider substituting some of your calories from fat and protein for calories from carbohydrates for a day or two pre-race, while keeping your calorie intake about the same.  Also, opt for whole grain carbs instead of refined, processed ones- think whole wheat bread or pasta, sweet potatoes, or brown rice.  You won't experience the same heavy feeling you would from the traditional pre-race pasta dinner.

Notion Two: Runners don't need as much protein as other athletes like weightlifters.

Myth (mostly)!

Fact:  The idea that bodybuilders are the only athletes with increased protein needs is just plain silly!  Running, like pretty much any exercise, breaks down muscle; for your body to rebuild that damaged muscle, it requires protein.  As such, a runner requires more protein than a sedentary individual.  In fact, a runner requires more calories that an average person as well.  So unless you're attempting to get down to your racing weight, be ready to up your calorie, as well as protein, intake after starting a new running regimen.  While every person has unique needs in terms of nutrition, a general, balanced macronutrient ratio for runners would be a ratio of 60 : 25 : 15 of carbohydrates : protein : fat, respectively.  So 60% of your calories would come from carbohydrates, specifically complex carbs and whole foods like oatmeal, whole wheat bread, tortillas, and pasta, bananas, apples, berries, brown rice, sweet potatoes, spinach, and other dark leafy greens.  25% would come from protein, ideally lean, complete proteins like eggs, quinoa, soy, black beans, skim milk, low-fat cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt.  And finally, 15% of your calories would come from healthy, unsaturated fats found in foods like avocados, olive oil, hummus, nuts, and seeds.  Runners do need a large amount of carbs to fuel intense training sessions, but that doesn't mean you can skimp on protein (or fat)!  All macronutrients are necessary for muscular and cardiovascular function, whether you're a runner, lifter, swimmer, whatever!

Notion Three:  Runners need sports drinks, energy gels, energy chews, _______, etc to fuel up.

Myth (mostly)!

Fact:  Much like the concept of carbo-loading, mid-race fuel like sports drinks or energy gels should mostly be reserved for runs of long duration.  If you're running for less than 1.5-2 hours, then energy chews, bars, gels, sugary sports drinks, etc. aren't necessary (see notion one regarding glycogen stores) and will just be excess calories that you don't really need to consume.  If you're training or racing in hot weather or if you tend to sweat a good deal, then consider drinking a low-calorie or calorie-free electrolyte replacement beverage like Powerade Zero or Propel.  Save the sugar-packed sports drinks for runs over two hours (or skip them altogether), as they can have the same sugar (and calorie) content of regular soda!  Again, every person's nutritional needs are slightly different, but certainly try to minimize your reliance on sugary supplements and reach for natural fuel, like 100% fruit juice, whenever possible.

I hope I helped shed some light on running nutrition for you- if there's another nutrition myth you'd like help demystifying, please feel free to share it in the comments!  Don't forget to read FITTEST on Friday for the conclusion of my First Race/ FITTEST Race series!

Take care,

Sarah