Estelle
was kind enough to invite me to do a guest post for her regarding
nutrition and exercise. While I am not a nutritionist, I am an
athlete who has competed in a variety of sports since the age of
seven. After twenty years of reading, tweaking, and finding my own
groove, I am happy to share my knowledge with you today (and everyday
over at Marathon Mama!)
Estelle passed on a question that had been posed to her, and I hope
that whoever asked it is reading – however it is information we can
all use to improve our athletic achievements.
Does
drinking amino acids during a workout really make a big difference?
The
short answer, No.
In fact, drinking amino acids (which are the building blocks of
protein) may be detrimental to your training if ingesting on the run
as blood would be diverted from hard working muscles to the stomach
to digest them. The best drink to have on hand during your workout is
clear: water.
Water will hydrate your muscles, help lactic acid to flush out of the
muscles, and keep your focus clear.
If
you are embarking on a rigorous training schedule, you are right to
be considering the basics of refueling and how to utilize
carbohydrates to your advantage. If you are training for longer than
one hour, you need to be taking in more than just water (WATER
IS ESSENTIAL
whether you are going for a half hour walk or a three hour run. Drink
up!) There are several supplements on the market to assist you in
your carbohydrate refueling, varying from liquids, gels, powders,
jelly beans (seriously), jujubes (again, I’m serious) and I’m
sure others. You do not however need to go a commercial refueling
route. Try dried and pitted dates, raisins, or apricots (put in a
baggie before popping them in your pocket, or pinning them to your
bra strap.) The
important thing in refueling is to TRY IT OUT and find what works for
YOUR body.
Everybody is different, and what works for one person, may make
another person sick to their stomach – literally.
Base
guidelines for carbohydrate refueling are 30-60g per hour, 30g being
for those on the smaller side, and 60g for the larger bunch.
Admittedly, I do not follow such requirements. I simply experiment
until my body and mental clarity are at top performance. You may also
find it sufficient to have a snack 1 to 2 hours before heading out
the door instead of carting food with you if your workout will be
over before the 90 minute mark. Again, experiment – see what works
for you!
Oh
and if I drink amino acids during my workout do I still need to drink
an isolated whey shake after?
Since
we’ve already debunked the amino acid consumption during your
workout, let’s talk about the post workout window. After you have
ceased strenuous exercise, your body has an optimal refueling window
of 15-60 minutes. This means that the foods you consume during this
time are more readily utilized in the rebuilding of tissue you just
spent so much energy and effort breaking down – pretty straight
forward right? But what should
you
put in your body? What are your broken down muscle fibers screaming
for? Tradition and many “Got Milk?” ads would have you reaching
for chocolate milk. This is something I used to do with great
pleasure - until
it hit my stomach and I remembered why I don’t like cow’s milk
– and a natural extension of that is whey protein. ‘Isolated Whey
Protein’, often found in a powdered form and with an average
protein content of 27-33g, is very popular for a variety of reasons.
In its isolate form, whey protein is low fat with 90+% of its weight
being protein. However, there is no human research linked to whey
protein supplements, despite their popularity amongst fitness
enthusiasts. High protein consumption is not something that has been
proven to have any positive effects on your health, or training, so I
would save your stomach (and wallet) the pain of digesting this, and
stick to something more natural. My nutritional philosophy is simple
– stick
to the basics.
This means, consume foods in their natural, or close to it, form for
optimal nutrition. Think about all the processes involved in creating
isolated whey proteins. Do you think there is a plant growing plastic
tubs of animal by-products? Once I asked myself some revealing
questions, I couldn’t deny the fact that I had bought into the
hype, and glossed over the fact. While I have used the isolate powder
supplements in the past I no longer do; here is my recommendation for
you – and what I have found works even better! Drink a green
smoothie. Yes, GREEN.
Sweet
Almond Smoothie
1
cup non-dairy milk*
1
handful spinach
1
banana
1
tbsp almond butter
1
tsp milled flaxseed
1
tsp chia seeds (optional)
½-1
cup ice cubes
Blend
all ingredients in a high powers blender and enjoy! Add more milk is
desired, or more spinach if you like – this is a flexible recipe,
and delicious in every variation I’ve tried so far!
*even
if you enjoy cow’s milk, after a workout is NOT the time to consume
it as it is not easily digestible
Whether
you are embarking on a marathon training plan, or gearing up for your
first 5k, good luck! Training is a fun and rewarding way to bench
mark your fitness goals, get you outdoors, and keep you focused on
health and well-being. And don’t be shy –
if you have questions, I’d love to help you find your answers!
