Nutrition Seminar

So last night I went to the little nutrition seminar that the NYRR put on. I was surprised that it actually did last the full 2 hours! I also found out a lot of really cool stuff. Like: (and I am paraphrasing here)

• Runners tend to focus too much on protein and not enough on carbs. While protein is important, carbs are more important because they give you energy through glycogen. Too much protein actually crowds out the carbs.

• Chocolate milk is one of the best things you can have after a run.

• Men need more fat in their diets than women because fats are what helps with the production of testosterone. Testosterone is needed for building muscle. In general, you can have 1/2 gram of fat per pound of body weight.

• The body absorbs vitamins better through foods then it does through supplements (I know; Nutrition 101. Give me a break though, because I never paid attention in health class).

• 3+ grams of fiber per serving is good.

• Gels should be taken with water, not sports drinks. Otherwise they sit in your stomach, which can upset it.

• You should eat something after your run for faster recovery...however if you don't get it in that "15 minute window" (like they usually tell you) it is okay. That window is for athletes who are training more than once a day...if you have a recovery time of 24 hours you will be okay if you eat later than 15 minutes after your run.

• You can eat something before your run if you are hungry, however, the closer it is to your run, the purer the carbohydrate should be.

I thought all of this was interesting. And they also gave us this really useful chart that told us how much fat, protein and carbs we need according to our weight and how many hours of running we were doing that day. I found that REALLY helpful, because while I may be running for 3 hours on Sundays it's not like I do that every night. They also told us the history of Gels and how you REALLY only need them around mile 17 (when most people hit the wall). Because while it gives you an energy boost it also makes you crash. (That may be true, about I am still going to take more than one with me...maybe I am addicted to them, but I FEEL like they work. And hey, running a marathon is mostly mental anyway. )