FOOD FOR….. DURING TRAINING
The key strategy behind eating during training is to maintain glucose/glycogen levels, so the types of foods you eat are VERY important. This is where quick release, glucose rich sugar foods can be used strategically to maintain performance.
Also, it is important not to eat foods containing fat and/or protein at this time as this will slow down the digestion/absorption rate of the sugars, which will delay utilisation that could impact performance.
It is not always necessary to eat during a run. It will depend on how long you are running for, the distance you are running, the intensity of the run, your metabolic rate amongst other individual factors. As a rule of thumb, if your run is less than 90mins then there is no need to eat DURING a run. BUT this may not be the case for everyone, E.G. someone with diabetes may require additional feeding.
From a health and nutritional view-point as a runner, our aims during running are to ensure we have sustained energy throughout so we can maintain performance, BUT also to help reduce the risk of injury and illness and support speedy and efficient recovery following training so we are ready and energised for our next run.
Show Notes
(02:49)
Introducing the 4 foods we will spotlight in this episode:
· Medjool Dates
· Raisins
· Mango
· Bread.
(03:39)
Medjool Dates
We have chosen medjool dates in particular because their natural sugar content per date is very high. To make a comparison:
· 1 medjool date contains 18g of CHO of which 16g is sugar
· 1 Deglet Noor date (another type commonly eaten in the UK) contains only 5g of CHO of which 4g is sugars.
So, you would need to eat approximately 4 Deglet Noor dates to get the equivalent quick release sugar content. As runners, we want to achieve maximum natural sugar content from as little food as possible during a long run so a medjool date is a great choice of quick release carbohydrate.
Another important nutritional property of dates is their soluble fibre content i.e. Beta-D-Glucan fibre. This may be beneficial to runners who suffer from runner’s tummy, as Beta-D-Glucan is known to absorb and retain water as it travels through the GI tract, thus adding bulk and softness to the stool. There may be a need to consider your hydration as a result of the absorption of water by dates.
(05:53)
Raisins
We have chosen raisins for their natural sugar content for running and a small 30g box contains approx. 23g CHO of which 21g is sugar.
Raisins are an excellent source of Boron, a trace mineral which has an important place in supporting health. For runners, its principle function would be to support bone health, although boron is also known to support immune function, help balance sex hormones and optimise vitamin D metabolism to its active form.
Studies have found that it helps in the regeneration of bone by reducing urinary excretion of calcium and magnesium, both of which are key in the maintenance of bone mineral density. Calcium and Magnesium are linked to bone health, vitamin D would be key here too as boron is needed for the metabolism of vitamin D.
(10:00)
Mango
Mango is delicious and like all the other tropical fruits (e.g. pineapple, papaya, banana) it is incredibly sweet.
The Carbohydrate content of fresh mango is 15mg per 100g weight of flesh (so roughly a large slice of mango) of which 14g are sugars. The problem with mango is it is not very transportable for a runner, so possibly dried mango may be more practical. A 42g pouch of dried mango contains roughly 33g of CHO of...
