Marathon You Can Do It

Most articles I have read on fat intake claim that at least 20-35 percent of a runner’s diet should come from healthy fats.

During running, muscles rely on fats for energy after the all the carbs have been depleted. The difference between the elite runners and the casual runners is elite runners are good at utilising their fat stores as energy source.

When it comes to fats, their are good fats and bad fats.

Examples of Bad fats for runners

Saturated fats are bad fats, they are fats mainly found in animal products such as meat, dairy, eggs and seafood, which have been shown to contribute to health problems.

Example of good fats for runners

Cold-water fatty fish, canola and soybean oil, walnuts, flaxseeds and tofu are good sources of omega-3 fats, which have been linked to disease prevention.

Amounts of fats to consume

Remember at least 20-35 percent of a runner’s diet should come from healthy fats.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Animal Products, Canola, Carbs, Cold Water, diet, Disease Prevention, Eggs, Elite Runners, Energy Source, Fatty Fish, Flaxseeds, Good Fats And Bad Fats, Health Problems, muscles, Omega 3 Fats, Running, Saturated Fats, Soybean Oil, Tofu, Walnuts

The importance of protein for runners is, protein helps in injury prevention. Protein is crucial to muscle recovery after a run.

During running a alot of body tissues experience small tears. A diet rich in protein helps in repairing muscle damage.

Research also has shown when protein is taken atleast one hour after work out it diminishes the effects of cortisol—the so-called “stress” hormone that breaks down muscle.

Amount of protein runners should eat

To gain the full benefits of protein’s power, most sports dieticians and nutritionists recommend eating protein within 30 minutes of finishing a run that’s when your muscles are the most receptive to a helping hand.

The amount of protein to eat should be based on your sex, weight and age. Running Times magazine has a formula on how to calculate your Protein requirement based on your weight.Read it at Running Times Nutrition

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: 30 Minutes, Alot, Body Tissues, diet, Dieticians, Helping Hand, Injury Prevention, Muscle Damage, Muscle Recovery, muscles, Nutrition, Nutritionists, Protein Power, Runners, Running Times Magazine, Sports, Stress Hormone

They say the most important meal of the day is breakfast. This is even more important for cyclist who need plenty of energy to power their rides.

A breakfast for a cyclist should be a feast. A large breakfast raises liver glycogen stores and blood glucose levels.

Many experts recommend the meal to be eaten at least three hours before you go out for your morning ride. The three hour period is enough time to allow ingestion.

Breakfast food types for cyclist

Food type should be easy to digest foods. Breakfast meal can consist of mainly of energy giving foods, cereal, dairy or soy milk, juice, and toast with plenty of carbohydrate rich jam. For the days when a rider does his long runs and hills he may add in some protein from eggs and egg whites, protein powder, and even add in a large bowl of rice and pasta.

Breakfast Drink for Riders

A fresh fruit juice will provide much needed energy. Caffein is the drink of choice for many Tour De France riders. Many Tour De France riders start the day with plenty of coffee to lift their brain power and energy levels. Moderate doses of caffeine should be well tolerated and provide a legal performance boost.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Best Energy, Blood Glucose Levels, Bowl Of Rice, Brain Power, Breakfast Food, Caffein, Carbohydrate, Egg Whites Protein, Energy Giving Foods, Energy Levels, Food Type, Food Types, Fresh Fruit Juice, Ingestion, Least Three Hours, Legal Performance, Liver Glycogen, Moderate Doses, Power And Energy, Protein Powder, Tour De France

Watching tour de france every year I have always wondered how much calories do these riders consume.

These super fit riders are on a bike for 3 weeks, cycling for over four hours a day. With such a grueling schedule the energy demands must be astronomical.

Daily amount of calories consumed by a rider.

According to Velo News tour article,

Researchers have actually quantified the nutritional consumption of riders in the Tour de France (1991 Tour), and the Tour of Spain (1998 Tour), and measured that riders average a daily food intake of 4,000 to 8,000 calorie

Daily carbohydrates consumed by a Tour De France rider

It is estimated that the Tour de France requires a carbohydrate intake of 13 g/kg (6 g/lb.) of body weight, and they need to intake these amounts day after day.

Another interesting analysis is from sports scientists.They have a neat anaylsis on how much a 78Kg rider will need to consume to avoid fatigue and remain competitive. Read it at sports scientist

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Amount Of Calories, Calories Intake, Carbohydrate Intake, Carbohydrates, Consumption, Daily Calories, Daily Food Intake, Energy Demands, fatigue, Food Calories, France Tour, Grueling Schedule, Kg, Scientist, Scientists, Spain Tour, Tour De France, Tour France, Tour Of Spain, Tour Spain

Vegetarian athletes are a rare breed. But there are enough athletes who are vegetarian who can inspire other vegetarians out there.

1. The most famous vegetarian athlete is Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder.
2. Georges Laraque, hockey player
3. Scott Jurek, ultramarathoner
4. Ben MatthewsU.S. Master’s marathon champion.
5. Paavo Nurmi, Long-distance runner, winner of nine Olympic medals and 20 world records

Diet Tip For the Vegetarian Athlete.
Meat is not the only source of protein, you can get fats and proteins from plant sources. Beans are a reliable source of protein while nuts are rich in protein and fats.

For Optimum performance all you need is a high-carbohydrate diet with enough protein and fat.”

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Diet Tip, Fats And Proteins, Georges Laraque, High Carbohydrate Diet, Hockey Player, Long Distance Runner, Marathon Champion, Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Brewers First Baseman, Olympic Medals, Optimum Performance, Plant Sources, Prince Fielder, Protein, Rare Breed, Scott Jurek, Ultramarathoner, Vegetarian Athlete, Vegetarian Athletes, Vegetarians

I had always bought brown eggs but last year my neighborhood shopkeeper introduced me to white. He told me they were healthier without giving me details. He only told me the white eggs were supplied from a free range farm while the brown eggs came from a farmer who caged his chickens.

I did more research on this egg issue and I found out the difference between white eggs and brown eggs was hens with white feathers and earlobes lay white eggs and those with dark feathers and red earlobes lay brown eggs.

The free range chickens are left to roam around a farm feeding on grass and insects such as grasshoppers. And there is scientific evidence from Penn state university that proves that eggs from chickens that ate grass and insects contained higher levels of omega-3 fat, and vitamins E, A, and in some cases D.

It’s seems my neighbourhood shopkeeper was right.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Brown Eggs, Earlobes, Egg, Free Range Chickens, Free Range Farm, Grass, Grasshoppers, Hens, Insects, Neighborhood, Neighbourhood, Omega 3, Organic Eggs, Penn State University, Shopkeeper, Vitamins, White Feathers

Participating in long-distance endurance events, such as 26 miles marathon, causes a degree of muscle damage and inflammation for the runners. It takes several days to recover, the more experienced a runner the faster the speed of recovery.

Cherries help speedy recovery of marathon runners.

I have just read a scientific report that claims that athletes who drink the juice of Montmorency cherries recover faster after Marathon running.

Medicinal benefits of cherries

According to the scientist: -

The phytochemicals, in particular, anthocyanins found in Montmorency cherries have anti-inflammatory and antioxidating properties, which the research has shown to be effective in helping exercisers to recover from strenuous physical activity.

So, next time you finish that long run, instead of drinking plain water mix it up with Cherry juice.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Anthocyanins, Benefits Of Cherries, Cherry Juice, Endurance Events, Exercisers, Inflammation, Long Distance, marathon runners, Marathon Running, Montmorency Cherries, Muscle Damage, Phytochemicals, Plain Water, Scientist, Speedy Recovery, Strenuous Physical Activity

I just found this marathon nutrition tips by Marathoner Deena Kastor.

It’s a good idea to know which foods provide the biggest carbohydrate bang per serving, but you don’t necessarily have to approach each meal with a fork and a calculator. Marathoner Deena Kastor, who won bronze at the 2004 Olympics, believes that once you understand how your body processes different carbohydrates — that is, which foods provide lasting energy for you — you can approach your meals with an intuitive sense of what you need.

“I focus on adding another heaping spoonful of pasta or a few more potatoes,” she says. “Before the Athens marathon, I also ate a lot of dense fruits with high sugar content: pears, bananas, grapes. They replaced a lot of electrolytes and minerals I knew I was sweating out.”

Read original article calculating carbs for endurance athletes

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: 2004 Olympics, Athens Marathon, Bananas, Carbohydrate, Carbohydrates, Carbs, Deena Kastor, Electrolytes, Endurance Athletes, Grapes, Intuitive Sense, Lasting Energy, Minerals, Nutrition Tips, Olympics, Original Article, Pasta, Pears, Potatoes, Sugar Content

Valerie Bertinelli lost 40p after following Jenny Craig weight loss program. The secret of the program is having a balance between food and exercise.

According to this site, Valerie Bertinelli Program consisted of

Daily Calorries – Not more than 1200

Foods – plenty of fruit and unlimited servings of nonstarchy vegetables like carrots, broccoli and tomatoes.

Exercise – Walking 10,000 steps a day

Small stuff that made the program a success

• She jotted down what she consumed, making her more aware of her choices.
• She signed up together with her boyfriend to encourage and keep each other in check.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: 10 000 Steps, Bertinelli Valerie, Broccoli, Carrots, Choices, Diet Program, Exercise, Jenny Craig, Lost, Nonstarchy Vegetables, Small Stuff, Success, Tomatoes, Valerie Bertinelli, Walking 10 000 Steps, Weight Loss Plan, Weight Loss Program

Just before 2009 NYC Marathon, American marathon runner, Ryan Hall was interviewed by a Chicago paper. Ryan was asked the following question;

What’s your go-to, night-before-the-race meal?

Ryan Hall : Pasta, olive oil and Cytomax Muscle Milk Protein Shake.

Another interesting question from the interview was his answer on his strategy for Boston Marathon

What’s your strategy for those Boston hills–and downhills?

Ryan Hall : My strategy for the hills in Boston are to run the same effort level whether I am going up, down or flat, which means I will obviously slow down going up the hills and fly down the back of them. I think that energy management is one of the keys to running a good marathon. The better I can keep it locked in at the right effort level, despite the terrain, the better I will run.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Boston Hills, Boston Marathon, diet, Effort Level, Energy Management, Fly, Marathon Runner, Muscle Milk Protein, Nyc Marathon, Olive Oil, Pasta, Right Effort, Ryan Hall