Mastering Your Nutrition for Long-Distance Success

As an endurance athlete nutrition is a crucial aspect of our preparation as it provides the energy we need for running, triathlons, and other endurance sports. In this episode, we'll be focusing on nutrition for long-distance running, but fear not, the insights we share can be applied to various endurance sports like triathlon, swimming, and cycling.

We are delighted to have an exceptional group of experts joining us for this conversation. From Align Modern Health, we welcome Dr. Lexi Mikrut and Dr. Blake Butler and representing Chicago Endurance Sports, we have the pleasure of having Coach Ryan and Coach Amanda on board. Together, their expertise promises to enrich our discussion on endurance athlete nutrition.

If you're ready to elevate your athletic performance through the right nutrition strategy, tune in to this episode for expert advice, practical tips, and inspiring stories from athletes who've been where you are. Together, we'll embark on a nourishing journey to reach your endurance goals.

Thank you all for joining us today. Let's kick off this episode and fuel your athletic aspirations! Stay tuned for a power-packed session!

Episode Transcript

(00:03):
Welcome to the Chicago EnduranceSports Podcast.
This episode features contentfrom our recent information rich
webinar on nutrition forendurance sports athletes,
enjoy.

Coach Ryan (00:15):
Thank you everyone for joining us today.
You're here because you're anendurance athlete and you are
looking for some help figuringout your nutrition plan.
It's a crucial piece to ourpreparation.
Whether it's running or atriathlon, nutrition gives us
energy.
Today, we will be focusing onnutrition for the long distance
running, but a lot of theseideas can certainly carry over

(00:36):
to other endurance sports liketriathlon, swim and bike.
Today we do have an awesomegroup of panelists with us
today.
I have with us from Align ModernHealth, our Functional Medicine
Doctors and Endurance Athletes,Dr.
Lexi Mikrut and Dr.
Blake Butler.
And I have here from ChicagoEndurance Sports, from our

(00:57):
Elmhurst location, Coach AmandaRaz.
And I am Coach Ryan Caturan.
I am a CES Coach up in LincolnSquare.
I'm also the Director ofCommunity Partnerships.
at Align Modern Health.
So thank you for joining us.
If you don't know who AlignModern Health is, we are an
integrative healthcare company.
We have 18 locations in theChicagoland area where we offer
chiropractic sports medicine,functional medicine, and

(01:19):
clinical nutrition, acupunctureand cupping.
and massage therapy.
We take a non surgical, nonpharmaceutical approach treating
from the root cause of ourhealth challenges so that you
can live your best and live yourlife to the fullest.
There's a lot to get through, solet's go ahead and get started.
Coach Amanda, from yourexperience as a coach, and

(01:39):
participants, how crucial is thenutrition piece to endurance
sports?

Coach Amanda (01:44):
You know what I feel like nutrition is
definitely a critical part ofnot only your training, but your
plan to show up on the day of arace.
Definitely individualized foreach person, but if you can hone
in on your nutrition, practiceit along the way, you're gonna
have a successful rest day.

Coach Ryan (01:58):
Absolutely.
How are you on your firstmarathon season?

Coach Amanda (02:01):
You know I'm not gonna lie.
My first marathon was not withCES.
It was back in 2015, ran theRockford marathon and I was very
ill prepared for, didn't reallyknow much about nutrition, all
that kind of stuff.
So, I mean, I was, fueling thatrace on sports beans and salt
tab pills.
And that did not go very well.
Definitely bonked out after thatfirst half marathon component of

(02:23):
it, not my best marathon.
So after then really worked onfiguring out what would work.
So for myself, I've seen successwith it as well as not.

Coach Ryan (02:31):
I'll tell you what, I've experienced both as well.
,My first marathon where I hitthe panic button and didn't
really know how I should beapproaching this and that, you
know, and I was trained with adifferent charity at that time,
not with CES as well.
And then I've had perfectlyexecuted nutrition plans, which
led to just a wonderful race andfeeling much better.
So glad that you're all here andtuning in for this.

(02:51):
Dr.
Mikrut, I want to ask you, whatis the perfect nutrition for
endurance athletes?

Dr. Lexi Mikrut (02:57):
That's a great question and I wish I had the
answer to it, but there is notone perfect plan.
I think that what works best foryou is what can be perfect for
each individual race.
And that may change season toseason based on your body's
needs.
But I do think finding yourperfect plan is not only
inclusive of what you're eatingduring a run, but also during

(03:18):
training and leading up to runsand throughout the week.
It's just as important.
So when you're trying to figureout what your nutritional goals
are, I think it's important totake into mind what your
personal nutritional needs andobjectives are.
Is it important for you to eatplant based?
Is it important for you to eatminimal processed foods?
I think you need to make thosedecisions before heading into a

(03:40):
training cycle.
And then take an individual lookat what are your needs.
Are you getting enough calories?
Are you getting enough proteinfor recovery?
Do you need to avoid or totrigger food?
So that's kind of where theindividualization comes into
finding out how you work best iswhat the perfect plan will be
for you.

Coach Ryan (03:59):
Extremely well said.
Wow.
Dr Butler.
So, what are some factors that,go into a nutrition plan?

Dr. Blake Butler (04:06):
We're all different, and we require
personalized dietary strategiesbased on their individual
makeup.
Therefore, I think it'simportant to understand that our
size, our pace, our age, ourenvironment all influence how we
respond to our fuelingstrategies.
And to do that, we have to beintentional about what works for
us, and we have to practicethese strategies over time so
that we can figure out the bestapproach moving forward.

(04:28):
We know, for example, thatrunners often under consume,
especially during a trainingblock, clinically speaking, I
see it so often we tend to thinkthat this is a time to lose
weight, for example, and we wantto under consume fuel when in
fact that actually slows themetabolism that has a negative
impact on ability to recover andperform, and that can influence
our ultimate ability to maintainthis over the long term,

(04:50):
secondary to consequences ofunder fueling in the endurance
athlete population.
So I think it's really importantto know that we burn
approximately 100 calories perhour on running.
And if you're running, forexample, let's say 50 miles in a
given week, and your generaldietary needs are at 2000
calories a day, you're going toneed an additional 700 calories
a day to support that additionaltraining.

(05:11):
That seems like a lot, but justto maintain the baseline support
necessary for that amount oftraining, we have to really be
thoughtful about how we navigateour food choices.
And that's why we're here todayto have this conversation to at
least bring this to people'sattention so that they can start
to be thoughtful and intentionalabout how they navigate their
food choices.

Coach Ryan (05:28):
Excellent, and I think you touched base on
something really importantthere.
So Coach Amanda, let me ask youthat question.
How often do you see people lookat weight loss as a goal for
marathon training?

Coach Amanda (05:38):
You know, I do feel like you do see that at
times.
I'd say I see that more withlike first time marathoners or
less experienced runners.
They're using it as a tool forweight loss.
I know myself, I did start myworkout running journey, as a
weight loss tool and that's whatI was using.
But, over time I've developed, adifferent relationship with
running and fuel.
So it's more focusing on usingfood to fuel my body as opposed

(06:00):
to using it as I just atesomething and now I need to go
run it and run it off.
It's no, all right, well, whatam I going to need to eat to
feel my best during thisworkout?
So looking at it more as like,You know, a way to help us,
empower ourselves to feel betteron our runs as well as even
like, I think, you know, thatrecovery, I think that's a big
part of that as well too, toprevent injuries.

(06:20):
So proper nutrition, properfueling throughout the runs and
workouts and after is, is key.
You know, weight loss canhappen.
That's definitely not somethingthat we're not going to say if
you're losing weight, that's aterrible thing, but it's not the
main goal of this training andtraining for a marathon.

Coach Ryan (06:37):
You know, I think you actually worded that so
well, and Dr.
Mikrut, I'm gonna send it toyou.
As we kind of going over, likeweight loss, shouldn't be a goal
as part of your marathontraining plan.
However, take it from thestandpoint of how does doing
something like an enduranceevent and train for your first,
maybe it's your first marathon,maybe it's not your first
marathon, but how does thatchange your relationship with
food and with diet?

Dr. Lexi Mikrut (06:58):
Absolutely.
So as you start a trainingcycle, you may be more cognizant
of what you are putting in yourbody and how your body is
behaving.
So say you eat a standardAmerican diet.
Currently you're eating out,maybe you're drinking more
alcohol than usual, eatingsugar, things like that.
As you start to train, you'regoing to want to feel as best as
possible.
So your diet may naturally shiftto more healthy, like

(07:20):
anti-inflammatory foods, likemore whole unprocessed foods.
Things like fruits andvegetables, more better quality
protein, maybe less alcoholbecause you're waking up early
to run, so you don't wanna behung over the next morning, like
whatever that may look like.
You may naturally lose weight'cause you're cutting out some
of the junk, so, so if thathappens, absolutely fine as long

(07:40):
as you're hitting your caloricneeds and again, your protein
need for recovery.
I don't think weight loss needsto be viewed as a negative
thing, as long as you are notunder eating and it's happening
in a safe, efficient manner.

Coach Ryan (07:52):
Yeah.
You're all hitting on such greatpoints.
You know, I'll share, my ownlittle journey.
I use endurance sports in a lotof ways to like trick myself
into living a healthierlifestyle, right?
Like I eat much better and Iexercise and I stretch and do
all the right things.
Because I'm in these cycles oftraining and things like that.
And I think there's a wonderfulrelationship that can be formed
when you have kind of the twoworking together.

(08:13):
So great answers.
Dr.
Butler.
Let's start talking aboutnutrition during the week.
How should we approach ournutrition during the week?

Dr. Blake Butler (08:21):
I think it's really important to simplify
nutrition because if you look atthe media platforms available to
us, nutrition can become veryconfusing and the goal is to
really figure out what works foreach of us individuals.
Generally speaking, I try torecommend that we have a healthy
protein source, a healthy fatsource and healthy carbohydrate
source at each meal.

Dr. Blake (08:40):
We call this PCF eating strategies and allows us
to have a balanced plate.
I like to make a half of myplate essentially plant based
with regards to vegetables.
I like to have colorfulvegetables and I don't want to
rely on the same thing alwaysbecause I want diversity from a
phytonutrient standpoint.
I then want to have about aquarter of my plate, a healthy
fat, including nuts and seeds oravocado, for example, and I want

(09:02):
to have a quarter of my plate, ahealthy protein source, and this
is going to differ for differentindividuals, but I think if we
can start with that as afoundation that keeps it
relatively simple, and then youcan play around with different
ratios regarding themacronutrients.
And when I say macronutrients,I'm talking about the
carbohydrates, which are foundin vegetables, fruits, and
grains, for example, in additionto healthy fats and protein.

(09:24):
Protein can come from plantbased sources or animal based
sources, and quality doesmatter, in my opinion, so I
think it's good to be mindfuland intentional about what
you're choosing.
But when it comes to this aswell, I think it's important
that we try to remove a fewpotentially inflammatory foods.
So we have our plate foundation.
We also want to then reducepotentially inflammatory foods.
I think added sugar, artificialsweeteners, in addition to seed

(09:46):
oils.
Those are things that I try toavoid throughout the week,
especially during a trainingblock, because inflammation is
going to be a result of running,and that's not inherently bad,
but if we layer moreinflammation on that fundamental
inflammation as it relates toactivity, that makes recovery
more difficult.
So we want to try to reduceinflammation externally and then
improve antioxidant uptake, andthat's where that half plate of

(10:07):
antioxidant rich foods,including vegetables and fruit,
comes into the equation.

Coach Ryan (10:12):
That's great.
So let me ask you this, when andwhat should we be considering
for the weekend long runs?

Dr. Blake Butler (10:18):
So when eating for the weekend long run, I like
to eat very similarly comparedto previous evening.
I think that this idea that weshould eat well on Friday to
prepare for Saturday kind ofmisses the point.
We should develop good practicesthroughout the entire week and
then continue throughout theweekend with those good
practices as best as possible tosupport the long run.
One key detail, however, afterthe long run, it's very

(10:40):
important to introduce moreantioxidants to help the body
recover.
So if you can really work toincrease your intake of berries
or colorful plant based foodsafter the long run, there's a
lot of value there as it relatesto antioxidant intake, which can
help with recovery.
One quick note.
In the morning, or rather themorning leading up to a long
run, for example, I don'trecommend loading up on

(11:02):
antioxidants at that point intime.
I recommend a relatively simplemeal, and that may be something
we get into here shortly, but Iwould say the antioxidants for
after the run, because there arestudies looking into antioxidant
use pre or post activity, and wefind that antioxidants after
activity provide more benefit,whereas if you were to take that
prior to the activity, that mayreduce your adaptation as it
relates to that run.

(11:23):
And when we run or we're active,we want to adapt to that in a
positive way.
And we don't want to mitigatethat natural body response.
So I think that's important.
Generally the night before along run, make sure you're
introducing carbohydrates that,you know, you tolerate well, I
wouldn't try new things.
I would try to introducebehaviors that are tried and
true for you, just to ensurethat, you know, you're not going
to have digestive upset the nextmorning.

(11:44):
Secondary to try and some newunique combination of grains or
other combinations of food, forexample.

Coach Ryan (11:51):
Yeah, absolutely.
Let me throw this other questionout there as I know a lot of us
are doing, nutritional diariesand as we're testing things out,
like what works well, whatupsets our stomach, what doesn't
upset our stomach, how far backdo we need to reach back and,
and, and like, do we look atlike just what we ate the
morning before or a morning of,or the evening before, or how
far back can food react andcause the upset stomach on those

(12:13):
big long runs?

Dr. Blake Butler (12:15):
Great question.
So if we exclude food allergiesthat typically promote an
immediate response, we can lookat food sensitivity or often
termed intolerances.
And we know that foodsensitivities can take upwards
of 72 hours to demonstrate orcreate a symptom pattern.
So we have to look back two orthree days prior to the onset of
new symptoms to really thenconsider which food may be

(12:36):
contributing to that.
We can start to break down whatmay be different within that
timeline.
We can start to experiment withthat in the future to determine
how we respond to that foodagain, to determine if it is an
issue.
And we can start to use trackingmethodologies to understand
which foods are trigger foodsand which foods are well
tolerated.
So doing that early in thetraining block and really
helpful, really listening toyour body and engaging with your

(12:57):
body from a health perspectiveallows us to learn a lot without
the need for advanced testing.
If there's a significantstruggle and it's very difficult
and ambiguous with regards towhat's going on, that's where in
some cases we can look atadvanced diagnostic testing to
determine how your immune systemreacts to food or the
environment.
We can also look at the gutmicrobiome to see if a healthy
gut or an unhealthy gut morespecifically is influencing our

(13:18):
tolerance as it relates to food.
So that's where we have theopportunity to go a little bit
deeper, but for most of us itjust takes some intentionality
and tracking with regards to howwe respond or our body.

Coach Ryan (13:28):
Great.
So we're kind of leaning moretowards talking about the long
runs and the idea of carboloading, right?
That's a, that's a big, termthat's, used in endurance
sports.
So Dr.
Mikrut, carb loading istypically looked at, and done
with pasta, but there are otherways to look at carb loading.
Am I right?

Dr. Lexi Mikrut (13:45):
Absolutely.
Like I know historicallyeveryone thinks pasta.
When we think of carb loading, Iremember being in high school,
cross country, and we wouldalways go to someone's house
before a three mile race and eatall the pasta.
But when we're doing that, we'remissing out all the other food
groups.
So my viewpoint on carb loadingis absolutely increasing carbs,
but still having some fat andprotein with it.

(14:07):
So you're basically trying toadd.
carb calories, but notnecessarily reducing your fat
and your protein intake.
Ideally you're looking about twoto three days before you start.
Will you start doing this beforea big race?
I absolutely recommend playingwith it, during your long runs.
Like Dr.
Butler just mentioned, there maybe certain foods that upset your

(14:28):
stomach.
So you do not want to introducea new pasta dish the day before
race day, especially if there'sother ingredients, maybe dairy
that's harsh on your stomach orwhatever it may be.
But we absolutely can look pastpasta.
There's carbs and lots of plantbased sources.
So think starchy vegetables.
Things like squashes, zucchinis,sweet potatoes.

(14:51):
We could dive into some fruit toadd some extra carbohydrates and
not get like inflammatorysugars.
You can play with whole grains,but again, sometimes that could
cause digestive upset because ofthe higher fiber.
And if you tolerate more simpleto digest carbohydrates, things
like rice, potatoes, cereals,pasta, it may be the time and

(15:13):
place to lean into those foodsso then you do not get GI upset.
But again, that's all practicetrying to figure out do the
higher fiber foods that okaywith you, or do you need to lean
into more simple carbs like therice, the pasta, things like
that.

Coach Ryan (15:28):
Nice.
And coach Amanda, what are someways that you've approached,
prepping for a long run and whathas worked for you and hasn't
worked for you?

Coach Amanda (15:35):
That's an excellent question.
And I think this thing's comingup common theme and all,
everything that we've discussedis that practice is key with all
of us.
So trying different things andwhat works best for you.
It definitely start two to threedays prior to a long run, really
getting in that fuel that mybody needs and not going crazy.
Not just having the pasta thenight before, but really
focusing on the night before thenight before, especially so like

(15:55):
the, you know, it says you havea Saturday long run to focusing
on what you're having thatThursday night.
And typically for myself, thingsthat have worked for me in the
past, I might have like astuffed pepper, you know, with
some ground beef and some brownrice in there.
It could be some Banza pastawith some chicken or veggies
mixed in there.
So, again, it's just playingwith a lot of different things,
chicken and rice, things that Iknow do not upset my stomach.

(16:16):
Occasionally I'd like a pizzaand a beer and I'm like, well,
then I don't feel so good thenext day and I know exactly why.
So really it's just trial anderror with that.
I know I'm not going crazy thenight before a run because I
know that can definitely impactthe way I'm feeling.
I might be a little moresluggish.
Might have a little bit more GIissues.
If the night before, let's sayI'm going out and having
something new, like thatwouldn't be ideal in a

(16:37):
situation.
I know people in the past doreally well with like burrito
bowls with the rice, theveggies, the meat.
But really it is a lot of tryingdifferent things and what works
best for you.
I liked the idea you brought upthe antioxidants after a run.
I know that's what I need towork more on is like the post
run, like refueling and,recovery.
So I'm getting a lot of ideasfrom this as well.
Definitely practicing a routine.

(16:59):
and seeing what works best foryou.

Coach Ryan (17:01):
Absolutely.
I love that idea too, that we'reconstantly learning, I know
we've had our number ofmarathons and seasons each year,
there's always a new nugget thatwe can kind of pick up.
Let's talk about hydratingbefore the run.
So, is hydrating just taking inwater or what are the different
ways that we can approach ourhydration strategies, Dr.
Butler?

Dr. Blake Butler (17:21):
Yes, of course you mentioned water and that
plays a major role in hydration.
However, as endurance athletes,we electrolyte intake.
I think we often overlook sodiumand potassium intake and more
detail.
I think we have to really try tounderstand how much we need
based on the activity that we'recompleting.
Ryan, I want to throw this backat you.

(17:41):
I know you and I had theopportunity to do a hike through
the Grand Canyon.
We did some significant planningregarding sodium and potassium.
And at least from myperspective, that made a
significant impact on ourability to function throughout
that difficult environment.
And do you recall how muchsodium we had to take in per
hour?
I'm putting you on the spothere.

Coach Ryan (18:01):
Ooh, yeah, you are putting me on the spot.
I don't know the exact amountwithout looking at our little,
we had a nice little spreadsheetthat we were prepping with when
we did the Grand Canyon and wedid it in July, so it was pretty
hot.
But what we did was we startedout it was cooler in the
morning.
We had our base salt we weretaking, we were taking one lick.
Almost like every hour.
And then once we hit a certaintime in the day and the

(18:23):
temperature hit a certaindegree, we up that to like every
half hour.
And then once we got down to thebasin, where it where it was at
its hottest, then we had, pickthat up to another like every 15
minutes we were taking moresalt.
And I'll tell you what, at theend of the day, we were able to
kind of get through thatwithout, Us two and our
significant others not cramping,no heat exhaustion, nothing.

(18:46):
No one, no one vomited.
We actually got there prettyunscathed.

Dr. Blake Butler (18:50):
Yeah, absolutely.
And we can really apply that topreparing for a marathon or a
long run.
For example, we want around 16to 32 ounces of water per hour
during the activity, and that'sreally heat dependent.
Same goes for sodium throughoutthe Grand Canyon and we started
at around 300 milligrams perhour and we increased up to 1200
milligrams per hour based onheat.
Generally speaking for amarathon, three to 600

(19:11):
milligrams is a good startingpoint, and you have to practice
this when you're trainingspecifically during your long
runs because we can overdo it.
Also, it's important to talk toyour doctor if you have a
history of high blood pressureor cardiovascular disease
because we don't want to overdoit with sodium intake.
And with that, rehydration isessential.
So I tend to be reallythoughtful about pre hydrating
leading up to the long run orthe race event, for example.

(19:34):
I want to introduce about anhour and a half before the
actual run or race, about a halfliter of water, so I think 16
ounces, and then about 15 to 30minutes prior to the race, I
tend to introduce around eightounces.
I don't want to do too muchbecause I don't have to use the
restroom right after the racestarts so I think giving us that
window and introducing our firstconsumption about an hour and a

(19:54):
half prior to the race, and thenhaving some more prior to the
race allows us to reallymoderate our ability to use the
restroom during the run.
And then during the run, 16 to32 ounces per hour.
If it's relatively cool leantowards 16, it's relatively hot
lean towards that 32 and makesure that you are also bringing
in appropriate electrolytes andon race day, you'll have

(20:14):
options.
So I would look at those optionsbased on the race that you're
competing in to make sure thatyou're practicing with those
electrolyte options that aregoing to be available at aid
stations.

Coach Ryan (20:22):
I think on a previous, nutrition webinar that
we did, Dr.
Mikrut, I believe you mentionedsomething, excuse me if I'm
wrong here, about practicing ourhydration strategy so that if we
are scared about having to usethe bathroom prior to the run
because we're taking in toomuch, salt and water, that if
we're actually practicing, weshouldn't necessarily, have that
abrupt need to go to thewashroom before the race.

(20:43):
Is that something we talkedabout before?

Dr. Lexi Mikrut (20:45):
I don't remember talking about that, but
I do agree with that, that ifyour bladder is used to it and
able to like withstand that,absolutely.
And if you can't, maybe you haveto look more into like the
physical structural issues, likeif you have any pelvic floor
weakness or dysfunction.
You should be able to hold in abladder worth of urine or a sort
of stress component likeanxiety.

(21:05):
But again, knowing yourindividual needs is the way to
do that and knowing what you canhandle like leading up to a run.

Coach Ryan (21:12):
Awesome.
Thank you.
And Dr.
Miller, I know we touched a loton salt, but, Talk about adding
salt to our meals.
Like, how much salt should we beadding to our meals?
And how do we approach that?

Dr. Blake Butler (21:22):
Yeah, I often think adding sea salt, for
example, to meals is a greatstrategy to help regulate
electrolytes because oftenduring the week, especially
during our shorter runs, We'renot as good about navigating our
electrolyte intake throughoutthat activity, pre or post
activity as well.
So if we can add sea saltthroughout the week or pink
Himalayan salt more specificallyto our meals, that's a great way

(21:42):
to balance electrolytes andmineral uptake.
Furthermore, we can also bereally mindful of how that
influences blood pressure.
So if you do have a history ofhigh blood pressure, potentially
monitor your blood pressure athome, make sure that you're not
overdoing it with salt.
And if there's a reason to avoidthat, we can find other
alternatives and really try toprioritize salt intake during
the activity or the event.
So I do think it's veryimportant, but also to continue

(22:04):
to beat the same drum.
It's really important that weindividualize these
recommendations too.
So know that blood pressurereally stands out to me or
cardiovascular disease.
If you have concerns there, talkto your doctor before increasing
sodium intake.
And if we're going to increasesalt intake, I'm recommending
pink Himalayan salt or sea saltover table salt.
For example, we tend to seebetter support as it relates to
electrolyte replenishment needswhen introducing those forms.

Coach Ryan (22:30):
Let's talk about the morning.
So Dr.
Mikrut, how should we approachbreakfast.
There's a funny concept of maybenot having breakfast before a
run.
Should we always have breakfastbefore the run?
Are there any cases that we canget maybe a shorter workout
without breakfast?
What are your thoughts on that?

Dr. Blake Butler (22:44):
Yeah, so I think most people should be
trying to consume breakfastbefore a run or a workout.
ideally about two hoursbeforehand, you may be able to
tolerate an hour closer to yourrun, depending on your own
digestive track and how muchfood you get stomach before
running.
Again, practicing that andplaying with that to know your
own GI needs.

(23:04):
Intermittent fasting is prettytrendy right now, I would
strongly not recommend startingthe intermittent fasting
protocol during a trainingseason.
When we run, it's a stressor onour system, even though it's
great and it's fun and we loveit.
It definitely can be a stressoron our body.
When you work out fasted, thatimpacts cortisol or stress
hormone further.
So that is two things we'reworking against.

(23:26):
The other part of it too, isblood sugar stability.
If your last meal was dinner,say you had dinner at 7pm and
you're running at 8am, that's avery long time to go without
fuel.
Your body is already going to bediving into your blood sugar
storage in your liver and inyour muscles, which then, you're
already going to be depleted assoon as you start exercise.

(23:48):
So in an ideal world, you'regoing to wake up and eat
something, again, two to threehours before you start your
exercise.
That meal should have some typeof simple carbohydrate.
And maybe some fat and proteinin it.
Some examples to try oatmealcould be really great.
Some oatmeal with some nutbutter and some berries.
Oatmeal has a lower glycemicindex, meaning it releases those

(24:11):
carbohydrates slower.
So actually if you startrunning, you'll have more
storage of glycogen to use up tofuel that run.
You could also keep it simpleand do like a rice cake with
some peanut butter and bananas,maybe a protein bar, depending
on how you feel.
So I definitely think you shouldtry.
If you're one of those peoplewho says, Hey, I can't run.

(24:31):
My stomach hurts.
Maybe it's time to look deeperinto your gut health and figure
out, is there a reason?
Are you eating something that'sactually aggravating you and may
not be aware of that.
So maybe your hydration is off.
Maybe you have gut bacteriaimbalances that are leading to
sensitivity and poor digestioncausing issues.
So if you feel like you reallycan't eat breakfast, it may be

(24:52):
worth exploring the why behindthat, because it can be a
crucial part of running andreally help you get the edge of
your race.

Coach Ryan (24:59):
I love that.
That's a great way to approachgetting to the root cause of why
you can't take something.
So that's great.
Coach Amanda, what have you donein the morning before a workout?
What were some tried and trueways that worked for you and
some things that haven't?

Coach Amanda (25:11):
Yeah.
I know for myself, again, it'sbeen practice, but, lately my go
to has been superhero muffins.
Those are from the, ShalaneFlanagan and Elise Kopecky
cookbooks.
That tends to help me as well asa banana.
That's my typical go to before along run.
I will have one cup of coffee.
I used to not do that but Idecided over the winter season
this year to start introducingthat prior to the run.

(25:32):
And so I've kept that consistentthroughout, the winter, spring
and into the summer, and Ihaven't had any issues with
that, but again, that was tryingit, seeing how it would do
trying with lower mileage first.
So that's typically what I'lldo.
I know in the past, I've got abagel and, uh, peanut butter.
I've run fasted in the past orjust on a banana.
I know, um.
For myself, uh, definitelyhaving some fuel in my body and

(25:55):
a superhero seemed to be whatsuperhero often seemed to us
working right now because I knowif I, for example, Miami half
marathon this year, um, youknow, completely different
environment coming from, youknow, Chicago winter to, um, you
know, Miami, Miami winter isvery different.
So there are a lot of differentfactors going into not only
fuel, but, um, you know, sleepand, you know, you know.
Lack of, you know, likeelectrolytes, things like that,

(26:17):
just based on the humidity.
But I know, like, I didn't planmy fueling strategy ahead of
time.
I didn't plan to bring somethingthat I knew be tried and true
for race warning.
So I had something new.
It was not fun on that race.
I was on the struggle bus.
So I do know that, you know,have having a plan and having
things that, you know, work, um,Ready for yourself prior to a
run tend to help.

(26:38):
And, um, you know, you are goingto have good and bad runs, but I
know like if you, if youpractice and find something that
works, it's going to help alongthe way.

Coach Ryan (26:45):
Yeah, absolutely.
Great advice.
I think I heard you talk aboutcoffee.
So Dr.
Butler, how should we approachcaffeine?
Is it a good thing?
Is it a bad thing?
Or some of us are doing it howshould we approach this?

Dr. Blake Butler (26:58):
Yeah, I think caffeine can be confusing.
I'm not anti caffeine.
Some of us are more sensitive tocaffeine, and specifically with
training, we have to be mindfulabout how that influences our
digestive function during a longrun or a race.
So if you're someone who thrivesoff of a cup of caffeine in
preparation for a long run or arace, and you've practiced that
many times, Go to town.

(27:18):
I think it's really potentiallybeneficial part of supporting
energy and getting you ready forthat race day.
If you're someone who doesn'ttolerate that, be thoughtful
about that specifically as youpractice your long runs.
You could potentially tryalternative like an herbal tea
or a green tea in place ofcoffee if you want to reduce
your caffeine intake, forexample.
And maybe something to workaround with.
I'm not necessarily a fan of thegreen tea prior to the run from

(27:40):
my antioxidant standpoint, butwe have to allow for some
flexibility.
So I'm open to having someflexibility with regards to
coffee intake, but coffee can berich in antioxidants.
I do recommend organic coffee,though, whenever possible, if
that is feasible, just becausetypically we have some concerns
regarding mold and other factorsrelated to coffee beans.
And we want to be thoughtfulabout that, especially in
sensitive individuals.

(28:00):
But that's not always the case.
And that really is more nuancedwith regards to those who are
very sensitive to this.
So we won't go down that path,but I'm pro coffee, especially
if it's tolerated.
And I think with training, forexample, or racing, caffeine can
be a tool that assists the race.
And I learned from you, Ryan,that it's actually very
beneficial to take in caffeinetowards the latter component of
the race or towards the end ofthe race.

(28:21):
Because if you start withcaffeine early, You may have to
sustain intake throughout therace, and that holds true to
that cup of coffee in themorning, so some people may find
that they actually do betterwith caffeinated fuel throughout
the rest of the race if theystart every long run or race day
with a cup of coffee.
So do know that that's worthpracticing and it's worth trying
it both ways with long runs.

(28:41):
If you're going to implementcoffee, it just throws another
layer of complexity into theequation with regards to
preparation.
But that's no big deal.
We've got a lot of time to trainfor a marathon or an endurance
event.
So we have the ability to dothat.
Um, with that being said, I'minterested in other thoughts on
coffee.
I know I'm relatively neutral,but does anyone on the panel
here have any different thoughtsregarding that?
No,

Dr. Lexi Mikrut (29:00):
I agree with Dr.
Butler that it's superpersonalized with it and that
Knowing how you react, like sayyou're an anxious runner, you
have anxious tendencies, maybecut back on caffeine.
That's something I see often inmy practice, that patients might
not realize that they arecaffeine sensitive because
you've been used to doing it.

Lexi (29:17):
You're like, maybe your whole adult life and you may be
on edge or actually anxious orhave stomach issues.
So definitely worthinvestigating cutting back if
you have any of those issues.
Or if you have sleep issues,some people are a lot more
sensitive to caffeine thanothers.
And even if you cut yourself offby noon, it may still be a
matching quality of sleep.
So if you're dealing with anytype of hard to fall asleep,

(29:38):
hard to stay asleep, play withthat coffee intake and see if
that can be a trigger there.

Coach Ryan (29:44):
Yeah.
Let's, let's talk about coffeeas it relates to hydrating.
Cause I know it's made withwater.
Does it count as water or howshould we approach that Dr.
Mikrut.

Dr. Lexi Mikrut (29:53):
It does not count as water.
I would not necessarily ding itfor it if you're not having a
lot.
If you're having an excessiveamount of coffee, upwards of a
couple cups a day or a few cupsa day, definitely make sure
you're off in the wateraccordingly with it.
But I would comment it's neutralwith hydration.
You still need just as muchwater and it's not hydrating.

Dr. Blake Butler (30:11):
Just to build on that actually regarding
sleep, we know the quarter lifeof caffeine is eight hours.
So eight hours or rather 12hours with a quarter life after
you consume that cup of coffee,you're going to have caffeine
within the system.

Dr. Blake (30:22):
So say your bedtime is 10 PM and you have your last
cup of coffee at noon, thatcaffeine is going to influence
adenosine receptors upwards tomidnight.
So we know that caffeine canreally influence sleep.
And if you're struggling to fallasleep or stay asleep, or you're
waking fatigued often, Look atwhen you're having your last cup
of coffee or caffeine, becauseclinically we see that all the

(30:43):
time.
And it's very hard to pick up onfor many people because it
doesn't make sense to many.
If you have your last cup of 12,how does it influence you into
the middle of the night?

Coach Ryan (30:51):
Great point.
Great points by all.
That's awesome.
All right.
So let's talk about racenutrition and, you know, I,
we're, we're in the middle oftraining, right?
We're like right in the, in themiddle of everything so let's
talk about how you, how you kindof practice with it.
So coach Amanda, let's talkabout practicing for race day.
What's your general good idea topractice?
Um,

Coach Amanda (31:10):
Yeah, practicing is definitely key in this and
it's a lot of trial and error.
I'd say if you're going to mess,I'm not messing around, but try
different new nutrition.
I would try that on a shorterrun, just in case you end up
having any GI issues with it.
But once you find some fuel thatworks for you, sits well with
your GI everything.
I know, on a typical long runneron race day for myself, I find
that taking less fuel morefrequently is what works for me.

(31:34):
I'm not a big fan of, gels andGUs.
They just, the texture andconsistency of it just does not
work for me.
And I know that, but I know thatworks well, for a lot of people,
a lot of fans of Huma as well asother forms of, those gels, GUs,
for myself, I found, more oflike the Clif blocks or recently
I've been really into the GUblocks chews.
They're a little bit smaller,uh, and they seem to have

(31:55):
worked.
I use them last year on mymarathon and that tried and
true.
So it worked for me.
But a typical serving size forthose like the Clif blocks or
the GU block more than youthink, you know, so eight of
these goo boxes, technicallylike the serving size to get you
that, um, you know, the, thewhole, um, you know, effects of,
you know, that proper.
Fueling, I don't try and thinkof the right words for it, but,

(32:16):
you know, so getting that amountof fuel that you need for, for
myself, instead of taking itevery 45 minutes to an hour, I
just take it every three hoursand that, or that three hours,
oh my goodness, every threemiles.
And that seems to work for me.
And I've practiced that tried itthroughout training runs.
I definitely sip on waterthroughout the race, a good
marker for me is at least everymile.

(32:37):
I want to be sipping on water.
If not throughout that mile,that's just a, that's just a
good reminder.
So that way, if I am forgetting,sometimes it happens on a run,
you're thinking about otherthings you're distracted by
everything going on.
So just having those cues alongthe way helps as well.
You could set alerts on yourGarmin watches as well.
If you have one of those, I'msure with, I, you know, like
Apple watches as well, you cando that.
So that's a good tool to helpyou with those reminders and

(33:00):
prompts to, keep properlyfueling throughout.
Don't ever take any type of fuelwith any type of Gatorade or
electrolyte, that tends to havea lot of those GI issues.
I know, I've done it in thepast.
It's not fun.
Thank goodness for porta pottiesalong the way.
You know, it does happen, but,try not to do that.
But if I am going to take anelectrolyte, I typically start
between like mile seven to nine.

(33:21):
With marathon training and Iwill do it within, a mile before
or a mile after I take in myfuel, just so that way I know
that it's in my system.
I don't have to worry about itmixing, so just really trying to
take in, take in that fuel andhydration consistently
throughout it.
But I think for myself, it'sjust having those prompts and
cues so I know every mile I'mtaking some type of hydration

(33:42):
every three miles I'm getting insome type of fuel.
So for myself, those are myprompts and cues to keep
reminding me.
Cause I know like if you sayevery 45 minutes, well, I'm not
going to be watching to see fouror five minutes on my watch, but
I could set a prompt a beep orreminder on my watch as well, so
that's what works for me, onrace day and in training as
well.

Coach Ryan (34:01):
Yeah.
I love that.
And we were talking about thisearly on, about being very
intentional about, the nutritionwe take and not waiting until
you bonk.
So having that prompt reminderand knowing how often you take
it to sustain that energy isreally key and I think you
touched base on this a littlebit, but Dr.
Mikrut, why do we want to,follow most race nutrition with
water versus an electrolytedrink.

Dr. Lexi Mikrut (34:22):
Yeah, like, so how Coach Amanda just mentioned,
if you don't do that, it couldlead to stomach upset.
You could even get some, like,nausea or feel dizziness.
We need water to absorb theelectrolytes and the
carbohydrates that are containedwithin those nutrition products.
So, chews, gels, GUs, all ofthose contain electrolytes and
sodium.
In order to drive it into ourcells to utilize it, you need

(34:45):
water.
If you don't, you run the riskof bloating or...
Poor retention.
So really make sure that youconsume them with water.
And then if you likeelectrolytes throughout your
run, that will be like on theoff cycle.
So if you're doing a gel every45 minutes, do that with water.
15 minutes later, have a sip ofwater.
15 minutes later, maybe a sip ofGatorade or whatever that looks
like for you.

Coach Ryan (35:05):
Coach Amanda.
So, why would it be a good ideato know what's available on the
course?
What if I'm not even trainingwith the stuff that's on the
course, why is it good to know

Coach Amanda (35:13):
It's good to know because, That might be, that'd
be something you've triedbefore.
So you might want to try itahead of time to see how your
body reacts to it.
You can also forget things onrace day, you know, I know we do
plan and prep ahead of time,but, you could forget something
along the way and need to grab,a water or a chew or a gel along
the way.
I know for myself, I like tocarry my fuel as well as my
water on me.
But some people don't like to dothat for the runs.

(35:34):
Do they know there's an aidstation, a water station, every
so many miles.
But definitely no one wantsalong the course helps you
prepare and helps you practicewith those things.
So that way your body.
Knows how it reacts to thosethings.
I know a big thing is like,don't take anything new on race
day.
So if you've never had, youknow, Gatorade, chew or gel, it
might not be the best idea tograb one at, mile 15 on the

(35:55):
course, because you're not surehow your body's going to react
to that.
So knowing what's available onthe course, gives you that time
to try it, see how it works withyour body and kind of give you a
little plan along the way.
If say, for example, maybe youcan't stomach your gels or GUs,
cause I mean, it does happensometimes and you're like, well,
I have done,, Gatorade GUs orgels before, maybe try a little
bit, see how that sits in mystomach this time around.

(36:16):
Don't necessarily want to mixthings, but you know, things do
happen on race day.
Much as you plan and practicethere's a lot of factors that
come into race day, but knowingahead of time, what's available.
Doing your best to prepare, it'sgonna help you, feel more
prepared,, just having a betteridea of having a strategy and
knowing what's available oneway.

Coach Ryan (36:34):
Absolutely.
You know, I can tell a funnystory.
One of my marathons I did in LasVegas, and for some reason the
pockets that I had, as I wasfumbling around, how I was going
to carry them in the pockets ofwhich were velcro sealed, they
came undone.
And within the first mile, allmy nutrition somehow came out of
my pockets.
And I,then had to take what wason the course.

(36:54):
And thankfully what I had whatwas on the course in my pockets,
but it was a different flavor.
So I just had to deal with adifferent flavor, but at least
it was dealing with exactly thenutrition that's on that course
and just know like, you know,everyone, if you're, especially
if you're a new marathon oryou're doing different races and
things like that, every race isa little bit different, they're
going to have Gatorade is not asponsor for every single race,
and nor is, GU gels are going tobe at every single race.

(37:15):
So it's good to know to tune inand say, and see exactly.
What is on the race course?
And then maybe if you don't wantto carry everything in your
pocket because they might fallout of your pocket in mile one,
that you know that where it's,where all the different, aid
stations are that do have thegels, and you can, pick up more
gels along the way.
Thank you so much for that,Coach Amanda.
So let's talk about strategizingfor our goal races.

(37:36):
What are some ideas and howsomeone can strategize their
long runs to adapt, to whatthey're going to do,on race day.

Coach Amanda (37:42):
I'd say for myself, having a thought out
plan ahead of time.
And it's important to have thatbecause then, That's holding you
more accountable along the run.
You know, you're excited, you'reout there, there's so much going
on, there's the crowd cheering,you got music, you got so much
stuff going on that, having aplan in place is going to help
you stick to it.
Whether that is just knowingevery mile you're going to be
doing something, setting alertson your Garmin, Just having that

(38:05):
idea of when you want to takethat nutrition, when you want to
take that fuel is going to behelping you.
And again, make you feel a lotmore confident along the way.
And you can do that while you'repracticing as well along your
training runs.
When you find yourself in thosetough situations along the way,
planning the fuel hydration, howyou're going to even approach
the race.
Those are really important andare going to help, have a more

(38:26):
successful, more enjoyable raceday as well.

Coach Ryan (38:28):
We are so lucky that we have Fleet Feet Chicago, with
all these nutrition options.
I want to see if we can kind ofbreak these down and kind of
talk a little bit more aboutthem.
So, let's start here.
Dr.
Butler, what can you say aboutNuun hydration?

Dr. Blake Butler (38:44):
Yeah, Nuun has a great sodium potassium ratio.
So if you look at Nuun, it'sreally going to cover your
sodium potassium needsspecifically every 30 to 60
minutes during activity.
Also, Nuun is wonderful from arecovery standpoint, we can
really replenish electrolytesafter activity, or from a pre
hydration standpoint, I tend touse noon in that 16 ounces an

(39:05):
hour and a half before my longrun or training event.

Dr. Blake (39:08):
So noon is a wonderful formula that has less
than one gram of sugar and wecan rely on our other fuel
sources to get ourcarbohydrates.
So we're really relying on noonfor our electrolytes more
specifically.

Coach Ryan (39:18):
That's good.
So if that doesn't havecarbohydrates in contrast, let's
talk about Maurten what doesMorton have?
What doesn't have Dr.
Butler?

Dr. Blake Butler (39:24):
Yeah.
Maurten's got a relativelysimple ingredient profile.
Maurten also has the consistencyof jello and approximately 40
grams of carbohydrates.
So I tend to actually run withMaurten.
You can choose caffeinated oruncaffeinated.
I run uncaffeinated with Maurtenand I take in one every 45
minutes when my runs exceed 90minutes.
So anytime I know I'm going outfor more than 90 minutes, I tend

(39:45):
to fuel every 45 minutes withMaurten.
And if you choose to gocaffeinated, make sure that you
once again, are mindful abouthow that influences you at
different times during a run.
Oftentimes I would recommendintroducing that later in the
run to give you that additionalboost.

Coach Ryan (40:00):
Yeah, because it has a significant amount of caffeine
in it, correct?
Yes, so you have to be verycautious with that one.
Yeah, and the other thing itdoesn't have is, electrolytes,
is that right?

Dr. Blake Butler (40:09):
Correct, it's a relatively simple formula.
I find that it's well toleratedfrom the GI standpoint, so if
you're not a fan of the typicalconsistency of the more common
GUs or gels, Maurten is a nicealternative.
I use it for the simplicity ofthe taste, but also the texture
consistency.
I find that it goes down mucheasier for me.
And I think there's a lot ofgreat options out there.

(40:30):
So this is just my own biasbased on my practice and
experience.
All of these products are reallywell designed.
They're very well formulated andvery intentional with regards to
supporting endurance athletes.
So know that you can find whatworks best for you and stick
with it.

Coach Ryan (40:43):
Yeah, absolutely.
And Dr.
Mikrut, what can you tell usabout Huma?

Dr. Lexi Mikrut (40:48):
I really like Huma as far as like a
preservative blend it has morenatural options to it.
So the big concept of it is abraid Chia seed, which is pretty
cool because it has a higherfiber content, which is a more
of a slower releasingcarbohydrate.
So if you feel like you're proneto blood sugar crashes, some of
the more high sugar profileproducts may lead to like you're

(41:10):
feeling like jittery quickly,but the Huma's may be a better
option because of that fiber.
They do contain electrolytes andtheir electrolytes are sea salt.
So like we were chatting aboutearlier, how sea salt can be a
great electrolyte profile.
That's what Huma uses.
It's also.
sweetened with real cane syrup,as well as brown rice syrup.

(41:30):
So if you're sensitive to somelike those additives, artificial
sweeteners, Huma may be a betteroption for you from a GI
standpoint.

Coach Ryan (41:37):
And then can you just tell us like a little
differences about gels versuschewables?
Is it just a preference thing orwhat else is there to it?

Dr. Lexi Mikrut (41:45):
Yeah, so like Coach Amanda touched on earlier
some of the chews, it is complexfor block.
So you sure you're reading theingredients and seeing what the
serving size is.
That's something to be cognitiveof.
You may have to eat all sixchews to equal one gel.
So note stomach can tolerate.
As far as taste preference goes,some people prefer the chews or

(42:08):
like start with the chew ifyou're doing a marathon to like
ease you into a gel.
Just because the gels are a veryweird consistency and it's not
really like any food you've everhad, so you may prefer the
chews.
Also the chew are less messy.
The gels sometimes are hard toget open during a race.
What I personally do, I'll cutthem open like a tadd bit so
it's easy for me to tear becauseif I'm mid race, I'm sweaty, I'm

(42:30):
feeling weak, like I'm not gonnaget that GU open.
So really play with it.
See what she likes.
Preference is really key there,but also be cognizant of the
nutritional label to know thatyou're getting the right amount
of carbohydrates that you'reexpecting to get.

Coach Ryan (42:44):
That's such a huge advice.
I definitely had to open someoneelse's nutrition during the
course of a run because theysaid that like it was so humid
out their fingers like sausagesthey couldn't grip the blocks,
which is amazing.
What if someone wants to createtheir own nutrition at home?
have you had any experience withthat, Dr.
Mikrut, what are your thoughtsabout that?

Dr. Lexi Mikrut (43:00):
Yeah, I played with it a little bit.
Now I will say as much as I loveto eat real whole food.
as much as possible.
There's a time and place forprocessed products and this is
one of them because all of theseproducts have been engineered to
have the right amount ofelectrolyte ratios as well as
carbohydrate ratios and to beeasy on your digestive tract.
If you want to play around withwhole foods, sometimes it's hard

(43:23):
to carry but you can get somelike squeezable applesauce
packets like those baby foodpackets can be a great whole
food option during running.
You could make your ownelectrolyte blend with sea salt,
some fruit juice, and water.
Coconut water could come intoplay here if you prefer whole
foods.
So really it's preference andlike where your food philosophy

(43:43):
sits.
But I personally do think likethis is the time and place for
processed foods if you're okaywith that.

Coach Ryan (43:49):
That's amazing that, you know, that's rare.
You ever hear that, right?
There's a time and place forprocessed foods.
And I think Coach Amanda, youshared a little bit what you
take, but let's, let's hear itagain.
One more time.
What, what is your go to rightnow?
For, marathon nutrition.

Coach Amanda (44:00):
Yeah.
My go to right now is the GUBlocks.
But like we were talking about,you really have to pay attention
to how much that fuel you needto take to actually get the
total amount that you want.
So I do know in particular forthat one, it's eight shoes to
actually get the full amount ofthat serving.
And a trick I use with the theblocks, and I've done that with
any of these blocks is I'll openthem ahead of time from the
Ziploc baggie.

(44:20):
And I know with the Clif blocks,when I was using those, I would
actually cut those blocks inhalf.
That would make it easier tochew along the way.
Opening packages along the wayis not very easy.
If you're going to take a HoneyStinger, a Clif block, a GU
block, any of those, openingthose ahead of time from a
Ziploc baggie.
That's a lot easier to open.

Coach Ryan (44:36):
And what I do love about the blocks and chews is
that it's easy for you tomodulate those When I do use
those, I don't have to take themall at once, I'll like two at a
time and kind of hang out withit two at a time and hang out
with it for a little bit.
So it's good to modulate those,so,

Coach Amanda (44:48):
mm-hmm.

Coach Ryan (44:50):
Now we're going to talk about caffeine a little
more specifically during thecourse of the run.
So, Dr.
Mikrut, how should we approachcaffeine during the race?

Dr. Lexi Mikrut (44:59):
So we touched on this a little bit already,
but...
Once you start it, you really,really should try to continue
it.
Now, it really depends ontolerance, whether that's from
an anxiety standpoint and or aGI standpoint.
If you start caffeine, if itstarted your race, it may be too
much of refueling to docaffeine, but maybe once an
hour, do something with caffeinein it.

(45:21):
But really play with this, useit to your advantage.
Ryan, I know Dr.
Butler already mentioned thisearlier, but your story was
really like thriving on caffeinethe edge of that and push
feeling like burned out t be areally powerful tool So really
playing with it tolerates seeingwhat you tolerates.

(45:42):
And if you can handle it leaveit at the end it as a pick me
up.

Coach Ryan (45:47):
Absolutely.
When I did my last Ironman in2021, I had someone worked with
me very specifically on my, mycaffeine and they were saying
wait until the end and I waiteduntil the last half marathon of
the Ironman to take the highestform of caffeine.
And it was incredible after 12hour race, I was feeling
extremely strong and energeticat the end of the race.

(46:10):
And that was cause I waiteduntil the second half of the
bike where I started taking alittle bit of caffeine and just
amped it up until the end.
So I think that's a really goodstrategy to consider.
All right, Dr.
Butler, why do some people getstomach problems during the run
or during events?
And how can we avoid it?

Dr. Blake Butler (46:27):
During runs or activity, too much fat or
protein intake, especiallyleading up to that activity, can
make it very hard to supportnormal digestion.
So be very mindful about theamount of healthy fat or
unhealthy fat that you'rebringing in prior to the event.
We want to make sure that we'reusing meals, as outlined by Dr.
Mikrut earlier, to support ourpre race fueling.
Furthermore, food trigger orfood sensitivity can also

(46:49):
contribute to GI distress duringthe run.
So if you are experiencing foodsensitivity to something along
the lines of wheat, gluten, ordairy, that could be an issue.
Additionally, changes in the gutmicrobiome, which reflects the
bacteria and yeast makeup of ourgut health, can really influence
our ability to tolerate Manyfoods, even healthy and well
tolerated foods, and that couldalso influence our digestive

(47:10):
function during activity.
We know that other factorsrelated to stress and underlying
issues related to anxiousnessleading up to a run can actually
further worsen our digestivefunction, especially if you have
what we would describe as asensitive stomach.
That's something that can bereally important to address, and
I think there's greatmindfulness activities and
things that you can do leadingup to a run or a race to help

(47:33):
support that to make sure you'rein the appropriate mindset.
I also think if you'reexperiencing these things
consistently and you've reducedthe amount of that intake,
you've dialed in yourappropriate hydration and
electrolyte strategies andtiming, and you've done all
these things we talked about,you probably need to work with a
physician that better understandwhat's going on, because in
those situations, there'spotentially some underlying
issue that would require furtherdiagnostic testing to better

(47:54):
understand.

Coach Ryan (47:55):
Good point.
So now, let's talk about postrun, right?
Nutrition is all about recoveryas well.
So Dr.
Mikrut, how does water, supportus after a run?
Why is that important after?

Dr. Lexi Mikrut (48:05):
Yeah.
We are very, very dehydratedafter running.
To recover adequately, youshould consume at least 24
ounces per pound of body weightlost.
Now, I know you're not going tohave a scale at a race day, but
I would say that that at longruns, weigh yourself before and
after a long run and see howmuch weight you're losing.

(48:25):
It's not bad.
It's not bad.
fluid retention that you'relosing at that point.
And of course it will varydepending on temperature and
climate changes during each longrun.
But if you tend to lose like apound or two, it's really,
really important to replenishthat hydration that you have
lost.
Now step mindfully, you may beparched and ready to still like
chug a bottle of water.

(48:46):
Your stomach will not like that.
So really be mindful and sipslowly, but it is extremely
important to rehydrate, not onlyfor how you're feeling and to
avoid dehydration, which couldbe very dangerous, but it can
also help with like musclecramping and muscle recovery.
So you can think about your nextevent that you want to do
afterwards.

Coach Ryan (49:04):
How does coconut water different from that?
Or how does that improveanything?

Dr. Lexi Mikrut (49:08):
Yeah, coconut water is actually full of
natural electrolytes, so ifyou're sick of your Gatorade or
whatever you were consumingduring the run, it's great to
replenish.
It also has some carbohydratesin it.
Now the one thing to be mindfulof with coconut water is it does
not contain a high amount ofsodium like made electrolyte
drinks do.
So in that case, I would addsome extra salt to it or be

(49:30):
mindful of consuming some saltwith it, so you're replacing
that sodium as well.

Coach Ryan (49:36):
Dr Butler.
I know that chocolate milk is abig go to for a lot of endurance
athletes.
What are our thoughts aboutthat?

Dr. Blake Butler (49:43):
Chocolate milk does in fact have a great ratio
of carbs to protein from arecovery standpoint.
However, I find that for manyindividuals, dairy protein can
cause or drive inflammation.
So it's really not my first lineof defense.
I'm biased because I have acow's milk sensitivity.
I just don't tolerate milk.
So it's just not something thatI play around with.
However, if you know youtolerate that well, and you have

(50:06):
attempted that with success inthe past, it does have a great
ratio of carbohydrates toprotein from a recovery
standpoint.
It can be a great.
tool to introduce from arecovery point of view.
I, like other strategies, I liketo focus on introducing food
specifically after a run.
In fact, culturally speaking, Ithink there's a lot of value to
then sharing a meal with otherswho have also engaged in that
activity.

(50:26):
That's one of the beauties ofrunning.
We have this awesome communityof individuals who like to
suffer together.
So I'm a big proponent ofactually introducing whole foods
in combination with veryspecific hydration, like Dr.
Mikrut had recommended, withwater intake based on the amount
of potential a little bit lossthat occurs within the run, in
addition to electrolytereplenishment.
And then furthermore, beer.
I can see that's missed on thelist.

(50:48):
Beer gets a bad rap as itrelates to recovery, and it
should.
Alcohol is not a health food byany means.
However, thank goodness forscience, we have some data that
would indicate that one beer,when consumed post exercise, is
not deleterious to our overallrecovery or our long term
training.
More than one beer, that's acompletely different story.
And if you're consuming a beer,make sure that you a tolerate

(51:11):
wheat gluten, for example,because that can be a concern
for some, and make sure thatyou're consuming with food,
specifically a food that wouldcontain appropriate protein,
healthy carbohydrates andantioxidants.
So a Mediterranean bowl, forexample, is a great option with
an nice craft beer after a longevent.
Knowing that if you can keepyourself to one beer, you're
probably not going tosignificantly manage your
recovery.
If you exceed one beer, you'reprobably going to detrimentally

(51:33):
influence your recovery andsleep that evening.

Coach Ryan (51:35):
Thank goodness for science.
We could have that one beer.
I love that.
That should be put on our shirt.
What do you think about almondmilk or almond chocolate milk?
Does that have the same ratio,what are your general feelings
about that?

Dr. Blake Butler (51:46):
Yeah, the ratios even look slightly
different.
Off the top of my head, Icouldn't give you that.
I don't drink almond milkpersonally, that's just in my
taste profile, but overall, ifyou have a cow's milk
sensitivity, it's a greatalternative.
Personally, I think you'rebetter off really focusing on
water intake, electrolyteintake, and then introducing
whole foods.
That's my bias, but almondmilk's a great option to play

(52:07):
around with if you do have acow's milk sensitivity or if you
are lactose intolerant, forexample, because you may really
enjoy that.
And part of After one, thefeeling is enjoying it because
you just did something very hardand it's fun to indulge in
something that maybe you doreally like.

Coach Ryan (52:21):
Nice.
And coach Amanda, what is yourgo to hydration recovery after a
run?

Coach Amanda (52:27):
Typically it's water.
I do like to do some type ofelectrolyte drink, sometimes
it's a Gatorade or nuun orliquid IV that definitely helps.
I'm a heavy sweater.
So I do know pre run and postrun replenishing those
electrolytes is key for me.
I do like a good cup ofchocolate milk after a nice long
workout as well, as well as apost run brew.
But I know this is something Idefinitely need to work on,

(52:48):
especially the food component ofit.
Cause not necessarily justreplenishing hydration, but also
food wise.
I know that's something I needto continue to work on, but,
chocolate milk and beer aredefinitely my kind of go to
recovery.

Coach Ryan (53:01):
Very nice.
Very nice.
All right.
So as we're talking aboutnutrition and, and we've alluded
to a lot of anti inflammatoryfoods, Dr.
Mikrut, how should we approachnutrition for recovery?

Dr. Lexi Mikrut (53:11):
Absolutely.
So like Dr.
Butler mentioned earlier on thatthose antioxidants, this is
their time to shine.
So antioxidants are found inproduce, so things brightly
colored fruits and vegetables indifferent colors have different
vital nutrients with differenttype of anti inflammatory
properties.
So really, at the point ofrecovery, eating the rainbow,

(53:32):
eating a colorful salad, fruitsalad, really come into play
here, maybe a recovery smoothie.
Since when you run, you're goingto naturally create
inflammation.
Try to avoid other inflammatoryfoods.
So things like certain type ofgrains like gluten, processed
meat, those seed oils, friedfood, certain types of meat, do
not have a place post run,unless of course you enjoy it

(53:53):
and you're going to have it inmoderation, but maybe for one
meal, not all of your meals atthat afternoon.
And then really ramping uphealthy protein too.
So finding the balance betweenprotein.
Okay.
Transmitting into accidents,well sourced protein and some
healthy fats to help your bodyrecover and start to heal.

Coach Ryan (54:10):
Dr.
Butler, we can't always get ournutrition amounts from food and
hydration.
So what are some key supplementsthat can be suggested to add to
someone's nutrition plan?

Dr. Blake Butler (54:20):
Great.
We do try to take a food firstapproach.
We want to be mindful aboutbringing everything we can from
whole foods, not necessarily therestaurant, but general foods
that you find at the perimeterof the grocery store.
In many cases, we have thebenefit of doing blood testing
to take a look at trends relatedto nutrient imbalance.
And I often find vitamin Ddeficiency, omega 3 essential
fatty acid deficiency, magnesiumdeficiency, in addition to other

(54:44):
antioxidant imbalances based onmore advanced testing.
So in those cases, especiallywhen our demands are increased
with regards to training, we canbenefit from nutritional
supplementation.
I will note that not allsupplements are created equal.
Quality does matter and dosematters.
So if you introduce anything inparticular, make sure that
you're working with a provider,make sure that you understand
contraindications orinteractions with medications,

(55:06):
and make sure that you have agood understanding as to whether
or not this is actuallybeneficial because they're not
there's some truth thatmultivitamins may not be
helpful, especially if you'regetting over the counter
multivitamins with inexpensiveraw materials in appropriate
forms at a low dose.
But when you do this well, whenyou have appropriate guidance,
when you have the appropriateplan outlined based on data,
these strategies can reallyinfluence our ability to

(55:28):
regulate inflammation.
We know, for example, tumericfrom the whole food stores can
be very helpful to manageinflammation.
If we can concentrate that andincrease the dose significantly,
we can really see more benefitsfrom an anti inflammatory
standpoint, and we can do thatthrough supplementation.
We also know essential fattyacids, omega 3 or fish oil
derived fats are very beneficialfrom an inflammatory standpoint.
They downregulate inflammation,and they can also help support

(55:51):
cardiovascular function andbrain function.
in addition to hormone healthand a variety of other things
that are important in theoverall healthy human beyond
just the athlete.
So we have a lot of optionsrelated to nutritional
supplementation.
I'm not recommending anyone gopick anything up over the
counter because I think it doesrequire personalization and some
knowledge and intuitionregarding what that individual

(56:11):
needs.
And this is where data andtesting really makes all the
difference in my opinion.
Generally speaking, though, Iwould request testing related to
vitamin D.
I would request testing formagnesium and B vitamins because
we see so commonly these areabnormal.
In my experience, not manypeople are having this testing
done and not many providers knowhow to work with the endurance
athlete because you need to lookat iron, you need to look at B

(56:31):
vitamins, you need to considerinflammation and nutrients that
would influence that.
So with that, just be reallyintentional, work with someone
and be cautious with regards toyour medications and introducing
something new without support.

Coach Ryan (56:44):
Awesome.
So I think the big key themesthat we've been talking about
throughout this whole, webinaris practicing to figure out what
your perfect nutrition gamemight be.
So definitely take the next few,weeks as we approach our bigger
long runs to have a successfulrace day.
I do wanna say thank you to ourpanelists for their time.
That was a lot of information.
I know it can be overwhelming.
So if you can, can you givemaybe one piece of overall

(57:08):
advice to our audience to makethis more digestible?
Coach Amanda, let's start withyou.

Coach Amanda (57:12):
Oh, that's a tough one.
One thing, man, you guys know Ilike to talk.
I think a big thing is, I mean,you're gonna say it again, but
it's that practice.
I mean, this is a lot ofinformation, but pick one thing,
I guess that's what I'll say,try one thing, you know, whether
it is you want to focus on,improving your fueling this time
Improving your hydration,improving your recovery.

(57:33):
Pick one thing this trainingcycle, focus on that and see if
that helps you and benefits youin the long run on race day.
This is a lot to take in and ifyou're trying to change you're
fueling your hydration, yourrecovery, your weekly, like if
you're trying to change all ofeverything too much at once,
you're probably not gonna haveas much success.
This is silly, but my secondgrade teacher said, inch by
inch, it's a cinch yard by yard,it's too hard.

(57:54):
That's really a philosophy I'vetaken on and I think it's really
pertinent in running.
And I think that is true.
Little by little, you know, wecan do great things, make
improvements, see growth, but ifwe try and do too much at once,
it's going to be harder, andwe're not going to be able to
see all that growth, and wemight get overwhelmed and quit.

Coach Ryan (58:09):
I love that.
I love that term.
I never heard that actually.
Inch by inch and yard, yard'stoo hard.
That's wonderful.
Dr.
Mikrut, any, last minute adviceyou want to give everyone?

Dr. Lexi Mikrut (58:17):
My biggest thing to focus on is eating
enough.
It's so easy to fall into thattrap of under eating, and that's
not only going to impact yourday of run, your week of run,
but it won't.
impact your longevity withrunning, they're more likely to
get burned out or lead to otherhealth issues, like especially
with females, it can impact yourhormones very significantly.

(58:38):
So really, really try to makesure you're eating enough to
fuel all the extra runningyou're going to continue to
build up towards.

Coach Ryan (58:44):
That's wonderful.
That's beautiful.
Dr.
Butler, how about yourself?

Dr. Blake Butler (58:48):
I couldn't agree more with Coach Amanda and
Dr.
Mikrut.
These are wonderfulrecommendations.
I think one takeaway from myperspective would be to use this
as an opportunity to build afood philosophy and to create
sustainable long term healthyhabits and a healthy
relationship with food.
It doesn't have to be perfect.
We're learning along the way.
We're making adjustments basedon what works well for us.
But try to establish anunderstanding of how food can

(59:11):
fuel you and support youractivity for the rest of your
life.
Because if you're like me, Iwant to be running and doing
these things for a very longtime and food plays an important
role.
And I eat a certain way to allowme to do that.
So establish that foodphilosophy.
Use this as a chance to learnand make mistakes early and
often, knowing that you're goingto get better with time and
repetition.

Coach Ryan (59:27):
So thank you everyone for tuning in.
We hope you were able to takeaway at least one piece of
knowledge to help you on yourtraining journey.
We hope that this serves as agood baseline and that you're
able to make some tweaks hereand there to fine tune it,
whatever your nutrition game is,just remember that everyone is
made up a little bit different.
And that, the best way to reallytruly find out what works for
you is just to practice.

(59:48):
Have a great training season, welook forward to seeing you all
out there.
Take care.
Thank you for listening to thisepisode of the Chicago Endurance
Sports Podcast.
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So you don't miss a singleepisode.