FALL 2023: Autumn Eats for Endurance Athletes
It’s not always easy to see the summer racing season come to an end. However, autumn in the PNW is such a great time of the year. The weather is cooler, the leaves are changing color, and there are plenty of seasonal delicious and nutritious foods to fuel your fall training. If you're looking for some new fall recipes to try, here are a few ideas:
Breakfast
Pumpkin oatmeal: This classic fall breakfast is packed with complex carbohydrates and fiber, which will give you sustained energy for your morning workouts. To make pumpkin oatmeal, simply combine oats, water or milk alternative, and pumpkin puree in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the oats are cooked through.Then, stir in your favorite toppings, such as nuts, seeds, nut butter, dried fruit, yogurt, or a scoop of protein powder.
Sweet potato and black bean hash: This hearty and flavorful hash is a great way to start your day. It's packed with protein, fiber, and complex carbohydrates, which will help you power through your workouts. To make sweet potato and black bean hash, simply sauté sweet potatoes, black beans, onions, and garlic in a skillet until the sweet potatoes are tender. Then, season with your favorite herbs and spices, handful of greens and serve with a fried egg or avocado.
Lunch
Lentil soup: This hearty and flavorful soup is a great source of protein, fiber, and complex carbohydrates. It's also very easy to make. To make lentil soup, simply combine lentils, vegetables, and broth in a pot and cook over medium heat until the lentils are tender. Then, season with your favorite herbs and spices and serve with a side of crusty whole grain bread.
Quinoa salad with roasted vegetables and chicken: This salad is a great source of protein, fiber, and complex carbohydrates. It's also versatile and can be customized to your liking. To make quinoa salad with roasted vegetables and chicken, simply roast your favorite vegetables in the oven. Then, combine the roasted vegetables with quinoa, cooked chicken, and your favorite dressing.
Dinner
Salmon with roasted sweet potatoes and asparagus: This healthy and delicious meal is packed with protein, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids. To make salmon with roasted sweet potatoes and asparagus, simply roast the sweet potatoes and asparagus in the oven. Then, cook the salmon in a skillet or on the grill. Serve the salmon with the roasted vegetables and a side of quinoa or rice.
Chicken stir-fry with brown rice: This quick and easy meal is a great way to get your protein and vegetables. To make chicken stir-fry with brown rice, simply stir-fry chicken, vegetables, and your favorite stir-fry sauce in a wok or large skillet. Serve the stir-fry over brown rice.
Snacks
Apples with almond butter: This classic snack is a great source of protein, fiber, and complex carbohydrates.
Yogurt with fruit and nuts: This snack is a great source of protein, calcium, and probiotics. Top with your favorite seasonal fruit.
Homemade pumpkin based muffins and breakfast cookies
Trail mix: This snack is a great source of protein, fiber, and healthy fats.
These are just a few ideas for fall recipes that are perfect for endurance athletes. Checkout some of my favorite go-to cookbooks and fall recipe links below.
Run Fast Eat Slow cookbooks: Superhero Muffins and Superfoods soup are two recipes I make throughout the fall season.
Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies: These are a great option for a midday snack or breakfast on the go. I add some extra nuts and seeds to boost the protein
Whole Bowl Cookbook: My go to pre-run dinners is the orecchiette with beets. Works great with gluten free pasta too!
MAY 2023 TIP: HYDRATION FOR ATHLETES
Summer is just about here, and so are the hot temperatures. Whether you exercise or not, staying hydrated is important. However, staying hydrated is critical for athletes! When you are on top of your hydration it helps with heat regulation during hot training days, aids in digestion and plays a big role in maintaining athletic performance. Losing as little as 2% of your body weight during a workout can lead to dehydration, which can reduce your performance by 10%.
Signs and symptoms of dehydration
Nausea
Dizziness
Lightheadedness
Headache
Fatigue
Dark urine
Excessive sweating
Increased thirst
Rapid heart rate
Muscle spasms
Decreased exercise performance
Irritability
How to assess your hydration status. (Remember the acronym, WUT)
WEIGHT → Weigh yourself daily. If weight is fluctuating > 1% day-to-day, this can be a sign of poor hydration status
URINE → Monitor your urine status. Urine should be pale in color. The darker your urine, the more dehydrated you are
THIRST → If you note increased thirst sensation or dry mouth, it’s time to start hydrating
Know what’s in your sweat?
The average athlete loses 1-3 L of sweat per hour. Sweat is primarily made up of water, but also several electrolytes. The primary electrolyte in sweat is sodium. Potassium, calcium and magnesium are present in lower concentrations. When choosing an electrolyte product be sure that it is rich in sodium.
Tips to stay well hydrated so you can reach peak performance
Your hydration goal during exercise is to match your fluid losses and avoid losing more than 2% of your body weight.
If exercise duration is > 90 minutes, include electrolytes as part of your hydration plan.
Consider drinking at a scheduled interval during exercise rather than drinking to thirst. Sometimes thirst perception can be skewed during exercise (if you are thirsty, it may be too late!)
Generally consuming ~ 16-20 oz fluids in the 2-4 hours prior to exercise is adequate. However, you can fine tune your fluid goals by aiming for 2-4 mL per pound of body weight in the 2-4 hours leading up to exercise
General hydration recommendations during exercise range from 0.4-0.8 L per hour, or ~13-27 oz.
Get in the habit of weighing yourself before and after exercise (wear the same clothes, or ideally with as little clothing as possible). For every pound of weight lost during exercise, consume 1.25-1.5 L of fluids.
Post-exercise hydration plan should include some electrolytes, in addition to plain water, to prevent hyponatremia. This occurs when the body holds onto too much water and dilutes sodium levels in the blood. Some symptoms of hyponatremia include nausea, vomiting, headache, confusion, drowsiness, fatigue, restlessness, muscle weakness and muscle cramps.
Include electrolyte-rich foods in your daily diet and as part of your performance fueling. Foods like bananas, oranges, coconut water, potatoes, avocado, dairy products, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, dark leafy greens and add some salt to your food.
Experiment with different electrolyte products and hydration strategies to see what works best for you. Everyone's sweat rate and hydration needs are different.
Happy training and stay hydrated!
APRIL 2023 TIP: The Three R’s of Recovery: Post-Workout Fueling
After a long grueling training ride, a tough track session, or a full day spent running the trails we often find ourselves STARVING and ready to inhale just about anything we can get our hands on! It’s not uncommon to spend more time planning for our training sessions and forget to put together a post-workout recovery plan.
The purpose of post-workout nutrition is to REFUEL (think carbohydrates), REBUILD (think protein) and REHYDRATE (think fluids and electrolytes)... also known as the “Three R’s of Recovery Nutrition”. This practice is essential for maximizing your training effects.
Refuel: Carbohydrates
Exercise depletes our energy that is stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles. Depending on our body size we store about 300-400 gm of glycogen (1200-1600 calories) and 75-100 gm of glycogen (300-400 calories) in the liver. It can be pretty easy to deplete our glycogen stores as an endurance athlete, which makes recovery nutrition even more important. Glycogen synthesis rates are highest immediately following exercise when glycogen stores are depleted. Replacing glycogen stores soon after exercise prevents our body from trying to get energy elsewhere (by breaking down muscle). Consuming carbohydrates post-workout also helps with muscle protein synthesis and decreases muscle breakdown.
Rebuild: Protein
Exercise causes muscle breakdown and we need protein to rebuild and repair damage to muscle.
Rehydrate:
Rehydrate means we need to drink fluid to replace the fluids and electrolytes we lost in sweat. It can be easy to become dehydrated if we don’t stay on top of our hydration during exercise.
Putting the Three R’s of recovery into action
The goal is to eat as quickly as possible post-workout, but ideally consume a snack within the first 45 minutes ideally
If you find it difficult to eat after training, consume a smoothie vs solid food
Aim for 1.0-1.2 gm/carbohydrates/kg/body weight in your post-workout snack
To determine your weight in kg, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2
Ex: 150 lbs / 2.2 = 68 kg
68 kg x 1.0-1.2 gm/carbs = ~70-80 gm carbs
Aim for 15-25 gm of high quality protein post-workout
If you prefer to fine tune your protein needs, aim for 0.25-0.3 gm/protein/kg/body weight in the immediate post workout window
Ex: a person weighing 68 kg = 17-20 gm protein
While all proteins can fit into the post-workout snack, whey protein is the quickest digesting protein and is rich in leucine, a BCAA that helps to stimulate muscle protein synthesis
Weigh yourself if possible before and after exercise. For every pound of body weight lost, consume 16-24 oz fluids. Be sure to consume some electrolytes in addition to plain water
Consume fluid until your urine color is pale yellow to clear in color
Follow your post-workout snack with another large snack or balanced meal within 1-2 hours.
Post-workout snack ideas:
Smoothie made with protein powder, fruit and milk/milk alternative
Smoothie made with Greek yogurt, fruit and milk/milk alternative
Carbohydrate boosters for homemade smoothies: rolled oats, cooked quinoa, fruit, cooked sweet potato
Ready made smoothie - easy to grab-and-go at the store
Low-fat chocolate milk
Greek yogurt + fruit + granola
Protein bar that contains carbohydrates and protein (Ideally in a 3:1 ratio carbs: protein)
Homemade protein bars
Berry Recovery Smoothie:
8-10 oz milk of choice
1 scoop whey protein (chocolate or vanilla)
2 TBSP flax meal
1 cup frozen berries
⅓ frozen banana
Ice
Instructions:
Blend all ingredients in a blender.
If you’d like, toss in a handful of spinach or kale to get an extra serving of veggies for the day!