What to eat before, during and after training
I’ve had my fair share of nicknames in my time - some good, some unhelpful and some plain ridiculous.
I won’t reveal them all, but I will live to regret putting these three words in print - ‘‘Two Pie Liv’’.
I laugh now reading this, but as a young one I was partial to a pie or two. The name originating from my older brothers after mum brought home an eight pack of the nutritious goodies from the supermarket for a family nosh-up, and with there being just the seven of us, there was one left over. ‘‘Who wants it’’? - too late mumit’s already been claimed, by yours truly. Survival of the fittest perhaps? Luckily my pie eating habits have died and I take my health a bit more serious nowadays - especially leading in to the Kathmandu Coast to Coast in just two weeks.
A big apprehension of mine if running out of fuel on this race and becoming ‘‘the writer who flopped’’ so to make this less of a possibility I went to a good friend and Christchurch nutritionist Abby Shaw for some nutritional advice.
Shaw is no stranger to race events - last year she completed the Wanaka Challenge and Sunshine Coast half ironman. She knows well the dedication it takes to prepare for a race and says your diet is not only the most important part of your preparation, but it’s actually the most fun. Really? A diet that is fun?
This is the part where you can eat as much of the good stuff as you like and even some of the stuff you usually stay clear of. Carbohydrates are no longer your enemy, they are your best friend, says Shaw.
Her advice is to keep your every day diet well-balanced with a good combination of quality carbohydrates (fibrous vegetables, grainy bread, wholemeal pasta, brown rice etc.), seasonal fruit, quality protein (lean meats, eggs, fish, tofu and legumes etc.) and healthy fats (avocados, oily fish, nuts etc.).
‘‘Listen to your body and don’t ignore hunger cues.’’
That doesn’t mean a resurgence of Two Pie Liv, but eating wholesome food and of substantial portions.
Many athletes starting out can often be scared to overeat because they don’t want to put on weight. But if you don’t eat right you are undoing your training and doing your body a huge disfavour in recovery, sometimes even harm, says Shaw.
‘‘When choosing fuel for your body when training there are many different factors to take into account, such as gender, muscle mass, fitness level and training conditions. A good place to start is to ensure you are fuelling correct before exercise.’’ Her guidelines were is training for one hour try a small, high carbohydrate snack beforehand, such as a banana, peanut butter on toast, quality muesli bar. If training over the hour try to have a good quality carbohydrate meal an hour before, such as a cup of porridge, toast with banana, a sandwich or a wrap.
If training for more than two hours add food o the go. The general rule of thumb is that athletes require between 30 – 60g of carbohydrate per hour during endurance training. For longer training days (four hours plus), look to have more substantial meals with protein and fat also such as a filled roll or wrap.
Within 30 minutes of finishing your training have a protein/ carbohydrate snacks. Follow this with a high protein, vegetable rich meal one to two hours after exercise.
When it comes to energy and getting the most out of our bodies carbs should make up about 60 - 65% of your total calorie intake. This is because in long endurance events, our bodies rely on glycogen as fuel.
Protein rich foods are important for muscle replacement and recovery, maintaining energy requirements, blood sugar levels and boosting the immune system. Protein should make up about 15% - 20% of your daily intake.
Shaw said it is also important to include ‘good fats’ into your diet as they help with growth and development, skin health, hair growth, metabolism, reproductive system health and cell membrane integrity.
Foods such as nuts, oils, and cold-water fish provide essential fats called Omega 3’s. These omega 3’s help with delayed onset of muscle soreness, joint pain and cartilage tissue.
‘‘At the end of the day you should try to eat high quality foods most of the time and limit refined foods such as fizzy drinks, juices, sweets, processed meats.’’