Women's Four Miler Training Program: Sports Nutrition... you gotta be stronger

Charlottesville Women's Four Miler Training Program (W4MTP)

Sports Nutrition
... you gotta be stronger

Week 3 – July 3, 2010

Speakers: Robin Schroyer, Sports Specialized (CSSD) Registered Dietitian (RD) and Melanie Brede, Registered Dietitian and Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (Nutritionists)

Speakers debunked some common myths about food and exercise programs:

Carb loading is good for you. It is better to eat healthy foods. Stuffing yourself with big plate of spaghetti or the equivalent only makes it harder to run the next morning.

Shouldn’t/can’t eat before I run. Not eating at all before exercising is not a good idea. Body needs fuel just like your car. Better to have something on your stomach, even if just juice or energy drink. If only a few minutes before a run, eat lightly. If 2 hours before your run, then eat a little more – like a bagel, egg and cheese sandwich.

Gatorade or equivalent is needed when exercising. This is only true if sweating profusely or running long time or distances. Otherwise, eating a balanced diet is a better option for getting calories. In other words, keep in mind that Energy Drinks are loaded with calories as well as minerals and sugar and food is a much more satisfying way to get calories.

Running requires a specialized diet. Eat a healthy mix of vegetables, fruits (fresh if possible) and whole grains is all you need. This is much better than eating or drinking something “special” for your runs.