Eating for Performance (Nutrition for Runners) was presented at the UCSF RunSafe Clinic in Feb 2012. It shows current nutritional research and data to achieve optimal performance and quick recovery after prolonged exercise, in particular running.

1. Eating for Performance
Andrea Hacker MS, RD
PhD candidate UC Davis
Dietitian UCSF RunSafe

2. Carbohydrates - Review
 What are they and Why they are important
 Carbohydrates are your body’s primary food source
 Carbs restore muscle energy stores depleted by the
demands of training
 Complex vs. Simple Carbs
 Complex carbs are pasta, beans, bread
 Remember to choose whole wheat!
 Simple carbs are sugary sweets – candy, soda, fruit drinks
 Limit these in your diet

3. Carbohydrate Foods
 Most nutritious food
sources
 Bread, bagels, English
muffins
 Pasta, rice, potatoes,
cereals
 Fruit, vegetables, beans
 Tortillas, rice cakes,
popcorn
 Baked chips, pretzels, pita
bread
 Crackers, yogurt, corn,
waffles

4. Carbohydrate vs. Glycogen
 Food to Storage
 Carbohydrate = Glucose=Sugar=Glycogen

5. Glucose Use During Physical
Activity
 Glucose is stored in the liver and
muscles as glycogen
 During activity liver breaks down
glycogen into glucose and
releases into blood stream
 Glycogen stores are limited to
less than 2000kcals of energy
 When muscle glycogen stores
are depleted the muscles
become fatiqued

6. Glucose use during activity
 Diet affects glycogen storage and use
 How much carb a person eats influences how much is stored.
 A high carb diet enhances endurance by enlarging glycogen
stores
 Intensity of Activity
 Moderate activities use glycogen slowly, also using fatty acids
 Intense activities use glycogen quickly
 Lactic Acid
 The product of anaerobic glycolysis (glucose breakdown)
 At low intensities is readily cleared, at higher intensities it
accumulates
 Liver recycles it to glucose

7. Glucose for use during
physical activity
 Duration of activity
 Within the first 20 minutes of moderate activity a person
uses mostly glycogen
 After 20 minutes of moderate activity less glycogen is used
and more fatty acids
 Glucose depletion
 After muscle and glycogen stores are depleted nervous
system function comes to a near halt
 Endurance athletes try to prevent this depletion by
 Eating a high carb diet
 Consuming glucose during the activity
 Eating carbs immediately after activity
 Training muscles to store as much glucose as possible

8. Glucose Use
 Diet affects glycogen storage and use
Copyright 2005 Wadsworth Group, a division of Thomson Learning

9. Recommended Daily
Carbohydrate Intake for Athletes
 Moderate training – exercising regularly, 5d
wk, 45min/d
 5-7g carb/kg body weight
 Endurance training – exercising 5d wk, 60min
to 4hr
 7-10g carb/kg body weight
 Ultra endurance training – exercising 5d wk,
more than 4hr
 11g carb/kg body weight

10. Eating for Performance
Before Practice or Competition
 Eating a full meal at least 3 hours before a game or practice is enough time for the
food to digest.
 A high carbohydrate meal with a little fat is ideal for pre practice or competition
 Eating sugar (candy, sweets, soda) before practice or competition can cause fatigue
and thirst
 Early Morning Event
 High carbohydrate meal night before
 Early AM (6:00 am) light (~500 kcal) meal
 Cereal, yogurt, fruit, sport bar (~70+ grams CHO)
 Events at other times
 Eat every 3 hours as normal
 Have last meal 1.5 – 2 hours before the start
 Meals should be low fat and rich in carbs

11. Recommended Carbohydreate
during exercise
 30-60 g carbohydrate every hour as food and/or
liquid

12. Eating for Performance
During Practice or Competition
 Optimally, 15-20 CHO grams every 20 minutes
 Food Suggestions:
 ½ Power Bar, 1 banana, ½ granola bar
 Optimally, 4-8 ounces of fluid every 20 minutes
 Less than 8% CHO liquid solution (sport drinks are best choice)
 16 oz Gatorade has 30 grams CHO as well
 More during hot & humid conditions
 Plenty of fluids, for events >90 min Carb-based sports
drinks help to replace fluids and electrolytes, delaying
fatigue.
 Remember to eat immediately following to replenish
your muscles!

13. Recovery from Practice or Competition
 Eat as soon as you can after practice or competition.
 Eating a high-carb meal will ensure a quick recovery. The
muscles need the carbohydrate to begin replenishing spent
glycogen stores
 Recommendation
 Eat around 200 calories within 30 minutes of finishing
a long run
 Primarily carbohydrate with some protein
 Suggestions: Chocolate milk, bread + peanut butter,
cereal and milk, banana + almonds
 A small amount of protein added to the post practice or
competition meal will help to increase the muscles ability to
restore its energy stores

14. Hydration & Dehydration
 In healthy individuals water intake
is controlled mainly by thirst. Water
is ingested as fluid and also as part
of foods
 The body can not store water so
the amount of water lost every 24
hours must be replaced to maintain
health and body efficiency
 Signs of dehydration
 Concentrated urine
 Decrease urine output
 Dry mouth
 Increased heart rate
 Poor skin turgor
 Skin tenting on the forehead
 Sunken eyes
.

15. Fluids and Electrolytes for
Physical Activity
 The need for water surpasses the need for any other nutrient
 Water loss of 1-2% can reduce performance
 Water loss of 7%, a person is likely to collapse
 Fluid losses via sweat
 Muscles produce heat as a by product of metabolism
 During activity can produce 15-20 times more heat than at rest
 The body cools itself by sweating
 Each liter of sweat uses 600kcals and prevents an 18 degree raise
in body temp

16. Fluid during Physical Activity
 Fluid replacement
 Endurance athletes can lose 1.5 liters or more of fluid during
each hour of activity
 During warm weather the GI tract may not be able to absorb
enough water fast enough to keep up with sweat losses
 Water
 Everyday noncompetitive active individuals
 Rapidly leaves the GI tract to enter tissues
 Cools body from the inside out
 Sports drinks
 Endurance athletes
 Provides fluid and carbohydrate

17. Fluid during activity
 Electrolyte replacement
 When a person sweats, small amounts of electrolytes are lost
from the body
 Sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium
 In events lasting greater than 1 hr electrolytes need to be
replenished
 Hyponatremia
 Endurance events lasting longer than 3 hours
 Decrease concentration of sodium in the blood
 Exercise intensity, heat, humidity can affect sweating
 Sweat rates can exceed 3 liters per hour
 Drinking large amounts of water causing over-hydration
 Headache, vomiting, bloating/puffiness, confusion

18. Hydration Guidelines for
Performance - Endurance
Before
 Drink at least 8 to 16 oz of fluid 2 hours before practice or
competition
 Drink at least 4 to 8 oz of fluid immediately before exercise
During
 Drink at least 4 to 8 oz of fluid every 15-20 min during training
and competition
After
 Drink at least 8 to 16 oz of fluid after exercise
Daily
 Drink at least 8 oz of fluid with each meal
 Drink at least 8 oz of fluid between meals

19. Fluid and Physical Activity
 Alcohol  Water
 Dehydrating, impairs  Hydrates and cools the
body’s ability to regulate body
body temp, hinders  Sports beverages
performance
 Hydrates and cools the
 Caffeine body, provides glucose
 Not as hydrating as and electrolytes
water, may limit
performance