Running Without Injury: Nutrition

Ellis, Joseph. Running Injury-Free: How to prevent, Treat, and Recover from Runner's Knee, Splints, Sore Feet, and  Every Other Ache and Pain. Rodale, 2013.

Have you ever eaten something then ran or did some sort of physical activity right after and felt sick? I certainly have. One time, before my family and I went out on a hike, I ate a hamburger and a tray of fries and I felt so, so sick during, after, and even a little bit before the hike.

Okay so eating eating fast-food or any kind of oily food is bad before running. I guess I won't eat anything before I exercise then. WRONG! In the book, "Running Injury-Free: How to Prevent, Treat, and Recover from Runner's Knee, Shin Splints, Sore Feet, and Every Other Ache and Pain” by Dr. Joseph Ellis, it states,"You don't have to eat a lot, but get some food into your system so that your body has something to feed off of. otherwise, you start to break down muscle. That's precisely what you don't want to happen, since your goal is to build more muscle, not lose it. Muscles create efficiency. Fat is your enemy" (Ellis, 227).

But what do I eat then? Later, the author wrote, "'Not all calories are alike,' Gina told him. A candy bar is not the same as a nutritional bar or a protein shake, even though they all might have the same calorie count. Good protein and complex carbohydrates were the keys. The complex carbohydrates--like whole grains, vegetables, and certain fruits--have great nutritional value, especially compared to simple carbs like refined sugars and white flour" (Ellis, 228).

A water bottle

Okay cool, so I just need to eat complex carbohydrates before I run and I'll be set. But wait! There's more. The author also wrote, "While most of us take water for granted, water is essential to ensure proper digestion, lubricate the joints, and carry nutrients to the tissues. It also helps regulate body temperature--a very important factor in running" (Ellis, 229).

A pear

As much as I love eating food that are high in sugar and calories, if I want to make the most out of my exercise, I need to eat healthy foods and drink lots of water before and after my exercise.









Do you have a certain food or drink that you consume before doing a physical activity? If so what are they? And will you change that food or drink after reading this?

Necessary Nutrition for Running

Next what I learned for running is the nutritional foods necessary for the body. Of the many things our body needs, the ones I'm going to mention are carbohydrates, fats & lipids, and proteins.


My book describes carbohydrates as "... made up of the so-called simple sugars (monosaccharides), the best known of which is grape sugar (glucose)..." (Wessinghage, 115). Glucose in the body acts as the primary source of energy. As glucose releases the most energy, and in the quickest manner, glucose is used before other energy stores and as short-term energy up to 40 minutes at most under workload. Food that contains carbohydrates would include potatoes, fruits, vegetables, and rice to name a few.


On the other hand, fats "... consist of glycerin, in which three fatty acids are combined" (Wessinghage, 116). The purpose of fats in the body is to most importantly store energy and only to be used in the long-term. Runners would use fats for energy on workouts over 40 minutes after all the carb energy is depleted.


Finally, proteins "... On the molecular level, they are composed of amino acids, some of which (the essential amino acids) must be taken in with foods" (Wessinghage, 117). Proteins carry out many functions in the body such as contracting muscles and as carriers for nutritional substances and metabolic products. Proteins are important to athletes as they foster muscular development needed to perform well in their activities.

Spaghetti with Meatballs

One of the many dishes was spaghetti with meatballs. This dish was important because of the balance of the carbs in the pasta and the protein in the meatballs was necessary for the body to use. Along with an extra fact, pasta would be a good dish to consume on the night before a big run.

Beef Stew with Mashed Potatoes

Oxtail with Wheel-Shaped Pasta

        

These other dishes meet similar criteria with the spaghetti as both have a balance of carbs and protein in each dish.

Would you agree that eating the right food is important for working out and performing at your best?

Wessinghage, Thomas. Running: Detailed Advice on Equipment, Technique, Training, Competitive Running, and Sports Medicine. Barron's Educational Series, 2001.