The Athlete’s Kitchen
Copyright: Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD June 2011
Nutrition for Injury Recovery: Update from ACSM
Each year, more than 5,000 health professionals gather at the Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM; www.acsm.org). At this year’s meeting (Denver, June 1-4, 2011), exercise physiologists, sports medicine doctors, and sports nutritionists shared their research and offered updates. One of the updates will be of utmost interest to women runners.
Nutrition for Injuries
Unfortunately, part of being a runner seems to entail being injured; no fun. Runners with injuries should pay attention to their diet. If they are petrified of gaining weight (yes, petrified is a strong word, but it seems fitting to many injured athletes who seek my counsel), they may severely restrict their food intake. One marathoner hobbled into my office saying, “I haven’t eaten in two days because I can’t run…”
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by Dr. Cathy Fieseler
For years, distance runners have been told to drink as much as possible. Lately, I’ve heard about runners dying from drinking too much water during marathons. I’m a bit confused; if I don’t drink enough, isn’t dehydration a problem? Do sports drinks protect me from the danger of too much fluid?
For years, the medical community has been concerned about dehydration associated with prolonged running, such as marathons, especially in warm weather. This concern has led to the plentiful aid stations in races and the development of sports drinks. It was felt that consumption of fluids while running would decrease the degree of dehydration.
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The Athlete’s Kitchen
Copyright: Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD May 2011
(Second of a two part series)
The question arises: What’s so bad about cravings in the first place? Is there really something wrong with eating what you truly want to eat? Cravings are not addictions. That is, if you crave a bagel because it tastes good, why should you not enjoy the bagel?
When you eat a food you crave, your brain experiences a biochemical change that signals happiness. Can eating an appropriate portion (as opposed to overeating “the whole thing”) be a bad thing to do?
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The Athlete’s Kitchen
Copyright: Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD May 2011
(First of a two part series)
“If I crave a candy bar, should I eat a candy bar?”
That’s the title of one of my most popular blog posts! Clearly, food cravings and sugar addictions are a source of concern and frustration for many runners who believe that eating one chocolate bar (or whatever food they crave) will lead to eating ten of them, expand their waistlines, and ruin their health. They avoid chocolate like the plague. Instead, they righteously snack on only “healthy foods” like apples and oranges.
While the natural goodness of fruit is indeed the more nutritious and health-promoting choice, some nice chocolate, enjoyed in response to a hankering, can also fit into your sports diet. By regularly enjoying chocolates, you can avoid the strong cravings that lead to eating a sickening amount—not because you are “addicted to sugar” but because you are doing “last chance eating” before you go back into your self-defined food jail.
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by Dr. Cathy Fieseler
I’m a 25 year old female, and have been an athlete all of my life. I have been running regularly for 10 years and have experienced recurrent episodes of pelvic pain while running. This does not occur every time that I run and does not seem to be related to my menstrual cycle. I have altered my diet and the pain does not seem to be related to this. What is causing this problem and what can I do?
There are a numerous possible causes of pelvic pain. Osteitis pubis is an inflammation of the symphysis pubis (where the pubic bones meet in the front of the body). This area will be extremely tender to palpation. Most women who have had vaginal deliveries will have some changes on x-ray without any symptoms, so clinical exam is important. Osteitis pubis can cause pain radiating into the thighs and lower abdomen; it is aggravated by running.
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The Athlete’s Kitchen
Copyright: Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD April 2011
Carbs, Protein & Performance
(second of a two part series)
Train low, compete high?
Should I train with poorly fueled muscles, as a means to teach my body to burn more fat, so it spares the limited glycogen stores?
Training with low glycogen stores (“train low”) drives up the metabolic adaptations to burn more fat. By burning fat instead of glycogen, you’ll spare the limited glycogen stores. Theoretically, this should enhance stamina and endurance because glycogen depletion is associated with fatigue.
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The Athlete’s Kitchen
Copyright: Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD April 2011
Carbs, Protein & Performance
(first of a two part series)
What percentage of my diet should come from carbohydrates? … Should I exercise on empty? … How much protein should I eat after I lift weights? … Is whey the best source of protein?
These are just a few of the questions addressed at the 27th annual meeting of SCAN, the Sports And Cardiovascular Nutritionist’s practice group of the American Dietetic Association (www.SCANdpg.org). Over 400 sports dietitians gathered to learn the latest news from prominent sports nutrition researchers. I hope this information will help you choose a winning sports diet.
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The Athlete’s Kitchen
Copyright: Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD March 2011
When Food Has Too Much Power Over You
“I think about food all the time. I finish one meal and start thinking about the next.”
“I don’t keep cookies in the house; I end up eating them all.”
“I’m afraid if I start eating, I won’t be able to stop…”
If any of those thoughts sound familiar, you are among a large group of runners who struggle with food. I routinely counsel food-obsessed joggers and marathoners alike who fear food as being the fattening enemy. They think about food all day, stay away from social events involving food, give themselves permission to eat only if they have exercised hard, and white-knuckle themselves to one meager portion at dinner.
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Solutions and preventative measures to preserve
the crucial cushioning in your knee
by Dr. Cathy Fieseler
(third in a series)
I am frequently asked questions about meniscus problems in the knee. The meniscus is a cartilage washer situated between the femur (thigh bone) and tibia (large shin bone); a meniscus is located on the inside (medial) and outside (lateral) aspects of each knee. The meniscus distributes the weight bearing stress placed on the other type of cartilage in the knee (and in all joints), articular cartilage, which lines the end of each bone (think of the shiny material at the end of a chicken bone).
The menisci (pleural) also provide some stability within the knee, acting like bumpers. When you hear about a professional athlete having surgery for a cartilage tear in his knee, this usually refers to a meniscus injury. Significant bending and twisting of the knee may cause the meniscus to tear; injury occurs more easily with age.
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by Dr. Cathy Fieseler
Another relatively common running injury is a stress fracture. My experience in my medical practice is that women comprise half of my initial stress fracture cases, but are four times more likely than men to suffer a recurrent stress fracture.
To understand stress fractures, a basic understanding of bone physiology is helpful. When stress is applied to bone (running), the bone breaks down and then rebuilds, becoming stronger than it was initially. The problem arises when too much stress is applied; the breaking down process overrides the rebuilding. This leads to micro-fractures and eventually a stress fracture. With additional impact, a stress fracture can become a complete break.
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