Bryan Health hosts a community run every October to further their commitment to wellness and mental health. This special podcast series is brought to you by Bryan Health and the Kim Foundation. The Bryan Health Capital City Classic is Sunday, October 23 at 3 p.m. at the Nebraska State Capitol. This event will include a 1 mile kids run, 5K run/walk and a 15K run. All ages and experience levels are welcome. Race proceeds will benefit mental health education and awareness.
Is your body ready for the big day? Proper nutrition is the key to a healthy and safe run. How can proper nutrition help a runner and increase their performance? What should a runner eat before a training run? What should a runner eat after a training run?
Listen in as these and other great questions are answered by Kayla Brandt, registered dietitian at Bryan LifePointe.
For more information and to register, go to: bryanhealth.org/run
Selected Podcast
Eat to Compete: Nutrition for the Training Athlete
Featured Speaker:
Learn more about Bryan LifePointe
Kayla Brandt, registered dietitian, Bryan LifePointe
Kayla Brandt is a registered dietitian at Bryan LifePointe.Learn more about Bryan LifePointe
Transcription:
Eat to Compete: Nutrition for the Training Athlete
Melanie Cole (Host): Bryan Health hosts a community run every October to further their commitment to wellness and mental health, for more information about this event, go to bryanhealth.org/run. This special podcast series is brought to you by Bryan Health and the Kim Foundation. As you create a plan for your athletic endeavors, you should also be considering how your diet needs to adjust as your training changes. Like a car, your body won't run without the right fuel. My guest today is Kayla Brandt. She's a registered dietician with Bryan Lifepointe. Welcome to the show, Kayla. So, how can proper nutrition help a runner increase their performance or any athlete, really?
Kayla Brandt (Guest): Yes, interesting you mentioned the fuel in a car. That's exactly how I explain it. Imagine if you put diesel or really cruddy gas in your car, it's not going to run very nice, and, so, if you put that premium gasoline in your car, it runs nice and smooth. So, I explain that the same way with food. If you're putting a lot of fast food and high-fat foods in your body, and then you go try to train for a marathon, it's probably not going to run overly nice. Nutrition is super important when you're training for a marathon or really any type of activity. It will help you train harder, delay fatigue and, more importantly, enhance your concentration while you are training for that.
Melanie: So, the question people always have is when should they start, really, the nutrition to train and as they get closer to their event, are they still carbo-loading? What are they doing before, during, and after the event? Kind of give us that whole low-down on when you should be using nutrition for your training and as you get closer to the event, what do you do then?
Kayla: Overall, I would make sure to remain consistent with your intake with whatever regimens you decide to use. So, if you're training and consuming one thing and then on race day, you decide "Oh, I'm going to have this," your body's not really going to like that. Number one, make sure you're consistent; make sure it's something that your body likes. As far as before you're training, you're going to want to have increased carbohydrates, low-fat, low-fiber and the reason because of the fiber and the fat is you don't want to come up with any digestive issues during your train or during your run. As far as consumption right before the race, approximately two to three hours before, try to get in anywhere from 200-500 calories to give yourself some energy there. And then, as you get closer to the race, to an hour before or so, make sure you decrease the amount of carbs and something that's going to give you quicker energy. So, maybe a little cup of lemonade or applesauce, or a little peanut butter. Something just to kind of get you kick started. You also want to make sure you include some protein in there. What protein does is it helps you stay fuller longer, so you don't want to be hungry during that race. So, make sure you're including a little protein there. After the race, it's really important to promote recovery. So, we've depleted lots of glycogen stores and our muscles are wanting some energy, so increasing that recovery through rehydration—water or Gatorade, maybe--and, refueling with a type of snack that's going to fill you up a little bit and then increasing that protein for your muscles is going to be important, as well.
Melanie: So, they're also recommending things like chocolate milk for after activities, what do you think about that?
Kayla: I'm on board with that. Really, anything that's going to give you some protein and also nutrients and vitamins. Whereas, your sports drink has lots of electrolytes and fluid in there, it's not always giving you the nutrients that milk is going to give you. So, it's really an individual preference. If the milk is something that you're liking, go for that. If it's not something that you like, do something more like a Gatorade or a lean protein for a little snack afterwards.
Melanie: So, back to carbo-loading for a second, Kayla, because people really are confused about this and they hear bagel and peanut butter day of the run or pasta a couple of days before, so really clear that up as far as what constitutes a carbohydrate and how much of them you should be eating before an event.
Kayla: So, in reference, a typical recommendation for carbohydrates is about 300 grams in a day, for a typical person. So, if you are training for an event or a run of some sort, you're going to want to increase that a couple of days before. So, two to three days before, increase that. And, the specific recommendation that they say is about 7-10 grams per 2.2 kg of body weight. So, if you're a 125-pound person that would equal around 400 grams. So, as you can tell, that's significantly more than what the average recommendation is. That is basically to store up that glycogen for your race. The confusing part with that is oftentimes, with a longer race, if you're doing that, and in an inappropriate way, you'll get to about mile 20, 22 and hit that wall because your glycogen is done. So, more importantly is probably during the race, what you're taking in as far as gel packets and carbs and that kind of thing. But, I think you're right, it's a very confusing thing for people. I would always recommend meeting up with a dietician for individual purposes. So, what I would recommend for you might be different than what I would recommend for Joe Smith down the street. I think recommendations and meeting with a dietician is really important as well but, overall, two to three days before is when you're going to want to do "carb-loading" but I think that is a very loose term these days. It is a confusing thing.
Melanie: So, those gel packets, the goo that you're talking about, is that just for long-term events?
Kayla: Primarily. So, any exercise or event that's going to be less than an hour in duration, the only thing you really need is water. Water is going to replenish those fluids that have been lost. If you are training longer than that, or if you are running a race longer than an hour, you're going to want some type of a carbohydrate. You're going to want to get those energy stores back and you want that energy for yourself. So, like I said before, you want to stay consistent. So, if you're training and you're using the gel packets, you should probably run the race using the gel packets, as well. There are a million different types of gel packets, so that's something you really have to work on label reading and seeing what you want to put in your body. The positives of the gel packets over conventional food like a banana or you know, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, is the convenience. So, you’ve got to think about that when you're training or running in a race, are you going to want to pull your banana out of your backpack or have somebody waiting at mile 17 with a banana? You might not want to eat that whereas a gel packet's going to be a lot more convenient and you can have that right in your belt.
Melanie: That is really great advice, Kayla; you've cleared that up so beautifully. Now, what about fat for runners? Again, this confuses people. Good fats; bad fats. If you're an athlete, are there any bad fats? Is your body just using it up as you work on your event?
Kayla: Good question. I would always recommend lean protein, low fat, especially while you're running right up to before the race, because you have to think about your digestion during a race. If you are running a marathon, you don't want to have to stop and use the restroom. So, one thing to keep in mind is what is your body going to tolerate during that race? You know, GI stress can be a major issue for runners, so making sure you have your lean protein and your low fat just so you don't have any digestive issues during the race.
Melanie: Training can be hard on your body, Kayla. Can nutrition help keep you mentally focused for your event?
Kayla: Yes. I would think nutrition for any person, training or not, is really important--to have your fruits and your vegetables; things that are going to help you concentrate. Oftentimes, during a race or during training, your mind kind of starts to wander. You think about other things and you kind of get in your head. So what nutrition can do, consuming the appropriate fruits and vegetables, lean protein, low fat, can really help you concentrate during a race, which is what I think is important oftentimes, like I said, before our minds start to wander.
Melanie: So, in just the last few minutes, Kayla, it's such important advice, give your best advice for people training for an event and where nutrition fits into that whole picture.
Kayla: So, I would say overall, ask yourself a couple of questions. What is your type of activity? Are you running 45 minutes or are you going to run four hours? So, what's your duration? What's your intensity? Are you preparing for a race? Are you going out on a leisure walk or a run? Is it competitive? And then, as far as your nutrition, how you are going to feed your body is what's convenient for you. As I mentioned before, is it convenient to pull out a sandwich in the middle of your race? Probably not. But, if that's what's consistent for you and that's how you've been training, you want to keep it the same and don't change things on your body.
Melanie: Thank you so much for being with us today. If you'd like to learn more about nutrition services at Bryan Lifepointe, you can go to bryanlifepointe.com. That's bryanlifepointe.com. You're listening to Bryan Health Radio. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.
Eat to Compete: Nutrition for the Training Athlete
Melanie Cole (Host): Bryan Health hosts a community run every October to further their commitment to wellness and mental health, for more information about this event, go to bryanhealth.org/run. This special podcast series is brought to you by Bryan Health and the Kim Foundation. As you create a plan for your athletic endeavors, you should also be considering how your diet needs to adjust as your training changes. Like a car, your body won't run without the right fuel. My guest today is Kayla Brandt. She's a registered dietician with Bryan Lifepointe. Welcome to the show, Kayla. So, how can proper nutrition help a runner increase their performance or any athlete, really?
Kayla Brandt (Guest): Yes, interesting you mentioned the fuel in a car. That's exactly how I explain it. Imagine if you put diesel or really cruddy gas in your car, it's not going to run very nice, and, so, if you put that premium gasoline in your car, it runs nice and smooth. So, I explain that the same way with food. If you're putting a lot of fast food and high-fat foods in your body, and then you go try to train for a marathon, it's probably not going to run overly nice. Nutrition is super important when you're training for a marathon or really any type of activity. It will help you train harder, delay fatigue and, more importantly, enhance your concentration while you are training for that.
Melanie: So, the question people always have is when should they start, really, the nutrition to train and as they get closer to their event, are they still carbo-loading? What are they doing before, during, and after the event? Kind of give us that whole low-down on when you should be using nutrition for your training and as you get closer to the event, what do you do then?
Kayla: Overall, I would make sure to remain consistent with your intake with whatever regimens you decide to use. So, if you're training and consuming one thing and then on race day, you decide "Oh, I'm going to have this," your body's not really going to like that. Number one, make sure you're consistent; make sure it's something that your body likes. As far as before you're training, you're going to want to have increased carbohydrates, low-fat, low-fiber and the reason because of the fiber and the fat is you don't want to come up with any digestive issues during your train or during your run. As far as consumption right before the race, approximately two to three hours before, try to get in anywhere from 200-500 calories to give yourself some energy there. And then, as you get closer to the race, to an hour before or so, make sure you decrease the amount of carbs and something that's going to give you quicker energy. So, maybe a little cup of lemonade or applesauce, or a little peanut butter. Something just to kind of get you kick started. You also want to make sure you include some protein in there. What protein does is it helps you stay fuller longer, so you don't want to be hungry during that race. So, make sure you're including a little protein there. After the race, it's really important to promote recovery. So, we've depleted lots of glycogen stores and our muscles are wanting some energy, so increasing that recovery through rehydration—water or Gatorade, maybe--and, refueling with a type of snack that's going to fill you up a little bit and then increasing that protein for your muscles is going to be important, as well.
Melanie: So, they're also recommending things like chocolate milk for after activities, what do you think about that?
Kayla: I'm on board with that. Really, anything that's going to give you some protein and also nutrients and vitamins. Whereas, your sports drink has lots of electrolytes and fluid in there, it's not always giving you the nutrients that milk is going to give you. So, it's really an individual preference. If the milk is something that you're liking, go for that. If it's not something that you like, do something more like a Gatorade or a lean protein for a little snack afterwards.
Melanie: So, back to carbo-loading for a second, Kayla, because people really are confused about this and they hear bagel and peanut butter day of the run or pasta a couple of days before, so really clear that up as far as what constitutes a carbohydrate and how much of them you should be eating before an event.
Kayla: So, in reference, a typical recommendation for carbohydrates is about 300 grams in a day, for a typical person. So, if you are training for an event or a run of some sort, you're going to want to increase that a couple of days before. So, two to three days before, increase that. And, the specific recommendation that they say is about 7-10 grams per 2.2 kg of body weight. So, if you're a 125-pound person that would equal around 400 grams. So, as you can tell, that's significantly more than what the average recommendation is. That is basically to store up that glycogen for your race. The confusing part with that is oftentimes, with a longer race, if you're doing that, and in an inappropriate way, you'll get to about mile 20, 22 and hit that wall because your glycogen is done. So, more importantly is probably during the race, what you're taking in as far as gel packets and carbs and that kind of thing. But, I think you're right, it's a very confusing thing for people. I would always recommend meeting up with a dietician for individual purposes. So, what I would recommend for you might be different than what I would recommend for Joe Smith down the street. I think recommendations and meeting with a dietician is really important as well but, overall, two to three days before is when you're going to want to do "carb-loading" but I think that is a very loose term these days. It is a confusing thing.
Melanie: So, those gel packets, the goo that you're talking about, is that just for long-term events?
Kayla: Primarily. So, any exercise or event that's going to be less than an hour in duration, the only thing you really need is water. Water is going to replenish those fluids that have been lost. If you are training longer than that, or if you are running a race longer than an hour, you're going to want some type of a carbohydrate. You're going to want to get those energy stores back and you want that energy for yourself. So, like I said before, you want to stay consistent. So, if you're training and you're using the gel packets, you should probably run the race using the gel packets, as well. There are a million different types of gel packets, so that's something you really have to work on label reading and seeing what you want to put in your body. The positives of the gel packets over conventional food like a banana or you know, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, is the convenience. So, you’ve got to think about that when you're training or running in a race, are you going to want to pull your banana out of your backpack or have somebody waiting at mile 17 with a banana? You might not want to eat that whereas a gel packet's going to be a lot more convenient and you can have that right in your belt.
Melanie: That is really great advice, Kayla; you've cleared that up so beautifully. Now, what about fat for runners? Again, this confuses people. Good fats; bad fats. If you're an athlete, are there any bad fats? Is your body just using it up as you work on your event?
Kayla: Good question. I would always recommend lean protein, low fat, especially while you're running right up to before the race, because you have to think about your digestion during a race. If you are running a marathon, you don't want to have to stop and use the restroom. So, one thing to keep in mind is what is your body going to tolerate during that race? You know, GI stress can be a major issue for runners, so making sure you have your lean protein and your low fat just so you don't have any digestive issues during the race.
Melanie: Training can be hard on your body, Kayla. Can nutrition help keep you mentally focused for your event?
Kayla: Yes. I would think nutrition for any person, training or not, is really important--to have your fruits and your vegetables; things that are going to help you concentrate. Oftentimes, during a race or during training, your mind kind of starts to wander. You think about other things and you kind of get in your head. So what nutrition can do, consuming the appropriate fruits and vegetables, lean protein, low fat, can really help you concentrate during a race, which is what I think is important oftentimes, like I said, before our minds start to wander.
Melanie: So, in just the last few minutes, Kayla, it's such important advice, give your best advice for people training for an event and where nutrition fits into that whole picture.
Kayla: So, I would say overall, ask yourself a couple of questions. What is your type of activity? Are you running 45 minutes or are you going to run four hours? So, what's your duration? What's your intensity? Are you preparing for a race? Are you going out on a leisure walk or a run? Is it competitive? And then, as far as your nutrition, how you are going to feed your body is what's convenient for you. As I mentioned before, is it convenient to pull out a sandwich in the middle of your race? Probably not. But, if that's what's consistent for you and that's how you've been training, you want to keep it the same and don't change things on your body.
Melanie: Thank you so much for being with us today. If you'd like to learn more about nutrition services at Bryan Lifepointe, you can go to bryanlifepointe.com. That's bryanlifepointe.com. You're listening to Bryan Health Radio. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.