Runners Recovery Nutrition
By Stephanie Gaskell, runner and director – Nutrition Strategies.
www.nutritionstrategies.com.au
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So often the focus for runners can go into their nutrition preparation for racing or training runs but spend little time on their post recovery nutrition. Or they have good intentions but then lose track, get busy and forget about rewarding their body with good recovery nutrition.
Think about all the time you spend into your training – what is the aim of your training – is it not too help develop training adaptations? So does it not make sense to provide
your body with key nutrients that help support these training changes? Key nutrition practices that help you respond to your training even further, help you back up double session days and keep you healthy.
Yes
So start thinking about what you eat/consume after your training runs or races? Does it fit in with some of the key factors we look at in recovery nutrition such as the below.
Key Aims of Nutrition Recovery 4 R’s
- Replacing fluid and electrolytes lost in sweat
- Replenishing muscle glycogen (carbohydrate) stores used duringtraining/racing if suitable
- Repairing any muscle damage caused by your training/racing and buildingnew muscle as a response to the stimulus of the exercise you have done, development of metabolic changes, enzymes, hormones
- Re-energise – keep your immune system working well – general healthyeating including foods that provide overall nutrition – vitamins/minerals/other nutrients
Replacing Fluids
- You will finish some sessions with overall fluid loss.
- It is good practice to learn what your average individual fluid losses are – aguide can be by checking your changes in weight during sessions.
- Monitor your fluid losses in training/races during the season if suitable
- Generally aim to replace 120 – 150 % of fluid loss over the next 4 – 6 hours.
- Consuming water with food will help you retain the fluid better due to electrolytes in the food.
Replenishing Muscle Carbohydrate Stores
Ingesting some carbohydrate post session will help replenish your muscle glycogen (carbohydrate) stores – this is important for muscle recovery and to help prevent fatigue. It can help you be able to perform at a high intensity in your subsequent session. It may also assist in helping your immune system recover.
What foods provide you with carbohydrate? Your home work. Aim is for nutrient dense carbohydrate foods.
Protein and Muscle Repair and Metabolic Changes/Enzymes/Hormones
After your training/race it is important to provide your muscle with the building blocks for repair and to help promote muscle protein synthesis (making) for not only muscle but enzyme and other metabolic changes.
Where do you get protein from in foods? Lean meats, chicken, fish, turkey, eggs, milk, yoghurt, nuts/seeds, legumes, lentils. What do I mean if I said ‘quality protein’?
Some Recovery Options:
- Banana Fruit Smoothie – blend 1 x banana, with 300ml milk, cinnamon, 1 Tbsp honey, 1 Tbsp cocoa
- Untoasted muesli with small tub greek natural yohurt topped with berries + bottle water
- On the run:
- Meat/salad wrap + bottle water
- Yoghurt + fruit + handful nuts + bottle water
Stephanie is a highly accomplished distance athlete in her own right, she knows what a runner goes through as she is one!
From general questions to tummy troubles to full blown Ironman and Ultra marathon nutrition and hydration programs for training and race day – Stephanie can help you.
For any questions don’t hesitate to visit the website and drop Stephanie a line.