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The Endurance Diet by Organic Performance April 2008
The Endurance Diet
By Organic Performance
April 2008
There are many days, especially after particularly intense or consistent workouts, that I wonder whether my efforts are primarily in the interest of my food consumption. The fact is that I love to eat and high volume exercise not only makes me hungry but gives me the opportunity to eat a lot and often. Luckily, for those
who participate in aerobic sports, particularly endurance, the word ‘diet’ refers to what you can, or should, eat. In addition, for most, this also means consuming over 2,000 calories per day. For those who understand sports nutrition and their personal requirements this can be a blessing. But, for others, trying to
meet their requirements can lead to making poor choices and excessive eating. Here are some guidelines to help.
The first thing to understand is the interplay of Macro nutrients (Carbohydrate, Protein and Fats) for aerobic athletes. The field of Sports Nutrition have long identified the successful diet to be one in which the total caloric consumption is comprised of 55%-60% Carbohydrates, 20%-25% Fats, and 10%-15% Protein.
Whether you are competing at Olympic or Full Distance Triathlons, recreational tennis or 10k running events this breakdown remains the same. It is the amount of these nutrients that changes predicated upon your personal requirements.
Carbohydrates. These are the preferred source of fuel for aerobic activities. For endurance athletes, these are essential for sustained training and racing. In the body these are stored as muscle glycogen and blood glucose and used by the body while exercising. It is important to ensure your muscle glycogen stores are
topped before exercise because only your blood glucose can be replenished while you are exercising. Carbohydrates are broken into simple and complex, but how quickly they enter the bloodstream is what endurance athletes should take note of. This can be done using the Glycemic Index which ranks foods based upon their entrance into the blood stream. In general though, simple carbs are those found in fruits and table sugars while complex carbs are those found in grains and starches. An endurance athlete should consume primarily complex carbs in the forms of whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, barley, kashi and
cous cous. These will provide a longer and sustained form of energy as opposed to simple carbs which are a good choice shortly before beginning to exercise and immediately after.
Fats. This is the bodies most predominant source of fuel as well as the highest storage (something most of us are familiar with). Unfortunately, though it is not a good fueling source. The best way to burn it is to keep the ‘carbohydrate flame’ stoked by allowing your body to use primarily carbs as an energy source. The
ones that are most troublesome to people are the saturated and trans fats. Saturated fats are easily identified as they are solid at room temperatures. Trans fats are actually a type of unsaturated fat that have been industrially created for use in processed foods and sweets. In addition, avoiding any partially or
regular hydrogenated oils will go a long way in maintaining a healthy diet. Healthy fats are abundant in nature and can be found in avocados, tree nuts like almonds, walnuts and pecans, coconuts, seeds and raw, extra virgin oils that have been cold pressed. Olive, flax, coconut, hempseed, and pumpkin are all great sources and make excellent additions to salads, spreads, and smoothies.
Protein. By far, the most over-consumed nutrient there is. For the endurance diet you can see how it ranks as the smallest contributor of the macro nutrients. Even when focusing specifically on fueling consumption it should always remain as one part to the three to five for carbohydrates. Maintaing the requisite amount of
protein in one’s diet will help to prevent muscle damage but more importantly is used to repair and build muscles post-exercise. It’s other major role is in helping to carry carbohydrates into the body. Consuming a small amount in your fueling plan can increase your carbohydrate uptake by to 20%. This is a major asset while exercising but equally, if not more so, important to your recovery afterwards. Consuming lean animal proteins is the best option to avoid excess fats but it can also be found in many plant based sources from quinoa, a complete protein, to sprouts, brazil nuts, hempseed, and legumes. Understanding the relationship of macro nutrients is only half of the equation. Making quality food choices around that knowledge is the second half. It’s a fairly simple guideline. Choose foods that are as close to their whole state as possible, preferably organic, and require minimal preparation. Consuming a good portion of your food raw not only gives you the highest amount of nutrients but also reduces your time and energy spent cooking.
For more information, questions or comments goto: www.organicperformance.com
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