From Plate to Performance: Minimizing Digestive Distress During Exercise with Sports Dietitian Leslie Bonci

Experience runner's trots, belly cramping, and/or heartburn and reflux while exercising? You are not alone!  Join us in our latest episode featuring the expert insights of Leslie Bonci, a renowned sports dietitian who has worked with top-tier teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers. Discover why less is often more when it comes to fueling during exercise. Leslie breaks down the myths surrounding fueling for exercise and provides actionable tips to help you train both your gut and muscles for peak performance. 

Fueling for endurance performance shouldn't be a one-size-fits-all approach. In this episode, we delve into the importance of carbohydrates and the benefits of customizable, homemade snacks that cater to sensitive stomachs. Not a fan of the overly sweet gels? Leslie shares delicious recipes for savory energy bites (and more) that can keep you going. We also explore the innovative concept of waterless electrolytes, a game-changer for athletes who struggle with high fluid volumes. You'll also hear valuable insights regarding the role of dietitians in crafting tailored nutrition plans.

Athletic success is about more than just physical prowess—it's about holistic health. Leslie emphasizes the importance of maintaining muscle mass, emotional resilience, and a balanced diet! This episode provides key tips for achieving a well-rounded, mindful approach to exercise, along with essential information about nutritional science and stress management. Join us for an enlightening discussion that celebrates the synergy of the mind, the gut, and the foods you eat for optimum athletic performance.

Learn more about Kate and Dr. Riehl:

Website: www.katescarlata.com and www.drriehl.com
Instagram: @katescarlata @drriehl and @theguthealthpodcast

Order Kate and Dr. Riehl's book, Mind Your Gut: The Science-Based, Whole-body Guide to Living Well with IBS.

The information included in this podcast is not a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider before starting any new treatment or making changes to existing treatment.

Episode Transcript

Kate Scarlata (00:02):
Maintaining a healthy gut is key for overall
physical and mental well-being.
Whether you're ahealth-conscious advocate, an
individual navigating thecomplexities of living with GI
issues, or a healthcare provider, you are in the right place.
The Gut Health Podcast willempower you with a fascinating

(00:23):
scientific connection betweenyour brain, food and the gut.
Come join us.
We welcome you.
Hello friends, and welcome tothe Gut Health Podcast, where we
talk about all things relatedto your gut and well-being.
We are your hosts.
I'm Kate Scarlata, a GIdietitian, and I am Dr Megan

(00:46):
Riehl, a GI psychologist.

Dr. Megan Riehl (00:48):
We have an exciting podcast for you today,
and we are talking aboutexercise-related GI distress, a
common occurrence in enduranceathletes that have high calorie
and nutrient needs to perform attheir best, and also, I'm sure,
that many people like me whoare just chasing some realistic
health goals, like getting in mysteps and some strength

(01:09):
training.
We are in for some spectacularinspiration today.

Kate Scarlata (01:14):
I love that.
So I am so lucky to introduceyou to my colleague, Leslie
Bonsi.
She is a sports expert,registered dietitian, and has
worked with the Kansas CityChiefs for the past 10 years.
Woohoo, how about that?
The Chiefs are the winners ofthe Super Bowl 58 and the

(01:34):
seventh team in league historyto win four Super Bowls.
Of course, I'm a Patriots fan,so we won't get into that.
Okay?
Leslie is the real deal sportsdietitian with extensive
experience working with athletes.
In addition to the Chiefs isthe real deal sports dietitian
with extensive experienceworking with athletes In
addition to the chief.
She was the sports dietitianfor the Pittsburgh Steelers for
21 years.
Leslie has worked with Olympicathletes, baseball teams, hockey

(01:56):
teams, university athletes,firefighters, police officers,
the military and healthcareprofessionals, as well as
working with constructionworkers and real people who are
trying to be fit, fed andfearless I love that as well as
members of the Good Gut Club,which, of course, Megan and I
love that.
So we are so happy to have you.

(02:16):
Thanks for joining us, Leslie.

Leslie Bonci (02:18):
I am thrilled to be here and let's talk about all
things related to gut and whatare those deal makers?
Instead of the deal, breakers.

Dr. Megan Riehl (02:26):
Yes, we want to be a part of the good gut club.
You know this is amazing.
And, leslie, we like to startour podcast with myth busting.
So here is your myth bustingquestion what myth would you
like to bust for our audiencepertaining to the athlete that
experiences GI distress duringor post workout?

Leslie Bonci (02:47):
I think the biggest myth would be that you
need to have as much as you canduring exercise.
That is the deal breaker rightthere.
It's kind of like the baristathing oh I need a sport drink, a
gel, a charm for chew.
We've got all this stuff goingon and then you're gutted and
chaos.
That doesn't work.

(03:08):
So I love the idea of less ismore.
That's really what we want tofocus on.

Kate Scarlata (03:13):
That's very inspiring because I think of
like this protein and we'regoing to get into protein.
But it's like we are in aprotein craze right now and I
can't wait to hear what youthink about that.
Well, I know as a runner andI've run a marathon that GI
distress is common, especiallywith runners, with the bouncing,
with the energy, all the bloodgoing to the muscles instead of

(03:36):
the intestines.
So I know you're going to talkabout that.
But what are some common GIcomplaints that you hear in
athletes?
And I just want to comment withone thing, because I know like
the urge to poop with running iscommon and we had a listener
ask about that like two hoursinto running I've got to find a
bathroom.
So why does that happen?

(03:56):
And what are some common GIdistress complaints you hear
with the athletes that you workwith?

Leslie Bonci (04:02):
First of all, it really varies.
Of what area are we talkingabout?
And the sport.
So, for instance, somebodythat's a cyclist or a rower,
where you're bent over yourequipment, so to speak, that it
tends to be more of the upper GIthing, so the reflux maybe even
like an upset stomach, you'reexperiencing those types of
things, whereas the jostlingthat goes on when you're running

(04:24):
, that's more the lower GI stuff, so it can be more frequent
bowel movements.
Sometimes it's just thisbloating, this discomfort that
people have.
So why is it in running inparticular?
Because you're bouncing up anddown.
This is the way it is.
We've got to run on our legs.
We don't really not like oozingaround the ground like a snail.
It doesn't work that way.

(04:45):
So we've got all the bouncingand this relates back to what I
said is oh, but I need all thesethings to eat.
Well, where are those foodsgoing to go?
If you take in too much, thenit's going to be a problem.
So I am always a very, very bigbeliever in people needing to
train their gut.
We don't always think aboutthat, right.
We think about training ourmuscles for sport my legs, my

(05:06):
heart, my lungs.
What about that GI tract thatneeds to be trained too.
So you have to practice andkind of back to the starting
with the little right.
So there's recommendations outthere.
Everybody has recommendationsyou need 30 to 60 grams of
carbohydrate per hour.
Well, first of all, noteverybody needs that much.
Secondly, it's not if you'reout for three miles.

(05:27):
No, no, it's in the second hourand you start small and you
build up because this is it.
If you have too much in there,that's going to be part of the
problem and that's oftentimeswhat I see.
It's not the first hour of arace, it's longer than that.
Why?
Because you're taking in allthese things along the path and

(05:48):
so we just have to say no tosome of the things that are out
there.
I'm serious, it's a little bit.
Less really can help to preventthat GI disruption.

Kate Scarlata (05:56):
I think about like the intestinal microbiome,
right.
So you're all of a sudden, Iknow when I was training for the
marathon I felt like I waseating was a job in itself.
The calorie needs wereridiculous, especially towards
the end of my training.
It was like a full-time job.
So all of that food that goesin has to come out, and you've
got to figure out a way for yourbody and your microbes to

(06:18):
change too.
You think of like athletes arefueling on carbohydrates and
that's the favorite food sourceof our gut microbiota.
You're training your gut andyou're training those microbes,
or at least letting thatecosystem settle in, right, and
you can't be waiting until.

Leslie Bonci (06:34):
Oh, I'll think about this the night before my
marathon and let me eat fivepounds of pasta and hope for the
best.
No, I'm a really very bigbeliever in three days prior.
So, whether we're talking aboutan all day soccer tournament or
swim meets I talked to a groupof swimmers yesterday is you
don't think about it necessarilythe morning of?
You start that process threedays in advance because you're

(06:57):
not stressed right, you're notlike overly worried about things
three days out.
You're right now.
This is the time for thoseOlympians to start to think
about what they're going to bedoing once they actually compete
in their events in the next twoweeks.
And if we do it that way and wehave a chance to maybe consume
a little bit more, then we don'thave to worry so much about
what we are doing the actual day.

(07:18):
So this idea of super saturatingmuscle and liver glycogen,
helping the body to hold morefluid, I'm also a very big
believer in even bringing thesodium up a little bit more, not
necessarily the day of, butwhat you do in advance and as I
mentioned I'll say it againduring training that's the time
that you try the thing.

(07:39):
I can't tell you and I've donea lot of marathons myself spoken
at Pittsburgh Marathon Expoevery year and everybody goes
for the expo.
Oh, let's try an ostrich stick,let's try this, let's try this.
And why do I feel like I'mgoing to vomit the morning of
the race?
Because you put all this stuffin your book that your body's
never had before.

Kate Scarlata (07:58):
Yeah, it's so simple and common sense, and yet
you need to hear it, you needto hear it from the expert that
this is just not going to godown.
So what about refueling,because I know that's a science
unto itself as well.
And electrolyte replacement,and there's so again with the
protein.

(08:18):
Protein's got a health haloright now.
And sugar wow, it's the demon.
And yet we need glucose rightwhen we're refueling.
And those refueling electrolytesupplements should have a
little bit of glucose.
And some of them have fructose,and some people can't tolerate
fructose, like a lot of fructose, especially like myself that

(08:39):
has eight feet of the smallintestine removed.
Fructose is absorbed throughthese transporters in the small
intestine.
So if there's some inflammationor surgical resection, now we
have a lot of patients withCrohn's disease that are running
marathons, that are doing theseamazing feats despite this
really challenging disease, andso there's all these
modifications right.
So for the sensitive belly outthere is there a refuel

(09:03):
electrolyte supplement regimenthat you go for what's best
tolerated.

Leslie Bonci (09:09):
Yeah, and I think, first and foremost, is that
it's not one size fits all,because it's above and beyond
the actual nutrients.
It's also taste, texture, form,all those things that we need
to consider.
And, from a refuelingperspective, first and foremost,
the what we do in thatimmediate period of time, post
exercise, is the appetizer, notthe entree, so it's not like I

(09:33):
have to shovel it all in rightnow.
When I just finished, I know,when I did my first marathon,
the idea of chewing anythingmade me want to cry.
I couldn't even move my mouth,I was so exhausted, and so it's
just a little bit.
That's the tease to start therecovery process, which occurs
over a period of time.
So some people feel morecomfortable just putting fluids

(09:56):
back into their body at thatparticular point in time and
thinking about what are we goingto replace?
Some people are salt losers,right, but they are.
They're very, very saltysweaters.
So you know, rather than say ithas to be these electrolyte
mixes is salt is a really goodthing to do.
So even salt added to what oneconsiders to be a tolerable

(10:18):
beverage that works, to do itthat way to start this recovery
process.
Secondly, yes, we do need tohave some carbohydrate, not just
then, but also what's happeningbefore and during.
For long duration events,carbohydrate is critically
important, but again, what feelscomfortable at that point in
time and it's a little bit.
We don't have to do a lot rightthen and there.

(10:41):
So I think it's reallyimportant for the sensitive
bellies.
For all the products that areout there, it's like oh, all
these bars?
Well, some of these bars aremade with dates and honey.
If you have GI issues, no, youdon't want to do that.
I oftentimes make my own and dothat for my athletes too,
because then I can customizewhat goes in there and minimize

(11:01):
the chance that there's going tobe a surprise that doesn't tend
to sit well with the gut.
And we also think about thatand I think this is very
interesting of what happens withendurance athletes and there've
been studies that have lookedat this is our taste profile
changes over the course ofactivity.
We've worked with a lot of ironmen and women and you know most
products out there that aresports designed are sweet,

(11:24):
everything's sweet, and thatdesire for the sweet actually
goes down.
So you don't just getcarbohydrates in with things
that are sweet, you get them inwith things that are savory,
which oftentimes can be a lotmore comfortable.
So love the idea of doingsomething like a rice ball that
might have a little bit of a soysauce in it Okay, that can be
more tolerable.
Or you a little bit of a pickle, depending upon what somebody

(11:48):
can tolerate, or even a potato.
We've done this a lot potatoesa go go with a potato, cold,
small, with a little bit ofseasoning on it.
That feels a lot better goingdown than some of those other
things that feel sweet and slimyand goopy and yuck, and then it
doesn't precipitate GI symptoms.
So I think there's a lot ofexperimentation that needs to go

(12:10):
on, and that's why it's socritically important to work not
only with a sports dietitian,but a sports dietitian who
understands the gut as well andhas some culinary aptitude.
So it's more than just thefigures.
Nobody understands grams andmicrograms.
Nobody knows what that is.
Just tell me what to eat.
That's really what people wantto know.

(12:31):
Give me the template, show mewhat I should have.
What should I have in myrefrigerator?
What needs to be in my to-gobag?
What is in my sports bag?

Kate Scarlata (12:39):
So tell me a little bit about what if you
make your own refuel, likewhat's in that?
I'm just curious for ourlisteners.
You know, not that you have togive exact amounts, but like
what's in there.

Leslie Bonci (12:50):
Yeah, and so when I'm looking at like the energy
bite type of a thing and I dothem a lot of different ways.
So one of them might have apeanut butter, but not always it
could be an almond butter, itcould be a tahini butter,
depending upon what somebody'stolerance is to item I usually
try and put a little texture inthere.
Rice krispies are typically mygo-to because it's crunchy and

(13:11):
it's mild and it just brings anice little taste to what
happened.
Sometimes a little bit of oat,but I've used other grains as
well, and then I'll change upwhat goes in in terms of the
sweetener.
In some cases it might be alittle bit of jam, something
more tolerated sometimes thandoing a honey or a maple syrup.
I find those are too sweet.
I don't like that.

(13:31):
So I'd rather do something likeeven like a little bit of a
fruit spread to provide someflavor and sweetness.
It's not too much, and gratedorange peel is always my thing.
It just has that little bit ofrefreshment, that little teeny
bit on it.
And they're small, that's theother thing, not the size of our
head.
We're talking about somethingthe size of a quarter, which is
about sometimes as much as youcan open your mouth to get in

(13:53):
when your body is exhaustedafter exercise.

Kate Scarlata (13:56):
Mid-run in my marathon I had a bar and I ate
half of it.
That went down.
It was great.
And then I would suck on hardcandy and that was like my
little.
It was just easy under mytongue while I just kept going
Because, like you said, you'reexhausted, you're running for

(14:17):
hours In that form, a gel.

Leslie Bonci (14:18):
Just the concept of a gel sounded not for me.
And the other thing, and youhad mentioned electrolytes and
the challenge with that is andthere's lots of products
obviously and the sticks and thewhatever but you're only
getting that amount ofelectrolyte in that stick if you
drink that whole volume offluid.
Otherwise you're not right.
I mean, that's a challenge todo that and some people can't
tolerate the whole 16 to 20ounces.

(14:39):
It's just too much for them,even over the course of an hour.
Oh, I'll take a sip, or what wesee all the time.
Let me take a sip and spit iton the ground, which wets the
shoes of the person next to youand waters the ground.
Or I'll pour it on my headuseless wet air.
That doesn't work.
And so there is a new productthat's out in development right
now that is a waterlesselectrolyte, which really is a

(15:02):
pretty cool idea.
So you are getting the benefitof the electrolyte without the
fluid.
So it actually helped toprevent the dehydration over a
period of time, rather than youtake the volume out of the
equation, because that'ssometimes the other issue of the
volume in the equation can justmake it uncomfortable.
But I will say as well, I thinkthere are people that just kind

(15:24):
of like everybody needselectrolytes.
Well, yes, from the food thatwe eat, not necessarily because
it has to be a stick or packetor a particular electrolyte
beverage.
And then the other thing that'shappening more is you know why
not put everything into there,like the kitchen sink?
Let's put caffeine in theelectrolytes?
Let's not do that.
But it's happening in many ofthe products that are out there,

(15:45):
which we really don't want todo, because that in and of
itself can also be GIdisturbance.

Kate Scarlata (15:50):
Yeah, that's a good point.
I think about just the notionthat, again about health halos
salt gets villainized, I know,not so much in the athletes.
I ended up training with awoman that died actually of
hyponatremia and I think becausewe were so encouraged to drink

(16:10):
water and hydrate and no onereally talked about the sodium
needs.
I mean it's tragic.
So I think it's this sodiumbalance and hydration balance is
so important.

Leslie Bonci (16:22):
You know it is.
And certainly you know people,certainly people selectively
hear okay, I heard fluid, sothat's what I'll focus on.
For all the years that I workedat UPMC Center for Sports
Medicine, we'd see these highschool athletes come in with
two-gallon jugs of water.
It's like no, it's likegrabbing them away from them,
like no, you can't have that.
Why I need all this fluid?

(16:44):
It's like no, no, you knowthere is an upper limit to what
the body needs.
Certainly baseline needs, ofcourse we have to get, and then
we have to get what the bodyneeds for exercise on top of
that.
But more is not better.
And especially in people whokind of have this little target
around salt oh, salt is bad andI shouldn't have any so they're
not consuming enough.

(17:05):
And then they are overconsuming of the water.
And yes, I mean we've seen itplay out, unfortunately in the
military, in longer durationevents and even these horrible
challenges online.
It's like, right, the radiothing here, drink as much water
as you can, and it's what motherdied.
I mean it's like, what are wetalking about here?
So it's not just water in andof itself, and during exercise

(17:29):
it is water, it is enoughcarbohydrate and electrolytes.
That's the trifecta, not justone of those things.
All of those things.

Dr. Megan Riehl (17:36):
Well, I think you're giving us so much food
and also liquid for thought, andyou know we're going to dive
into a little bit of NFL talkhere, but I've been watching
America's Sweethearts, which isall about the Dallas Cowboy
cheerleaders, and something thatthey've talked a lot about with
these women that are performingat such a high level for hours

(17:59):
and hours and hours at a time,is that they need to fuel their
body and that they can beobserved to have less energy and
less stamina, and one of thefirst things that coaches bring
up is are you fueling your body?
And in my brain I'm like I hopethey have dieticians available
for these women.
I hope they have psychologistsavailable for these women,
because they're performing atalmost the same exact level as

(18:22):
the athletes that they'recheering for.
They are athletes, but I thinkthat stress for whether you are
a cheerleader or you are aprofessional athlete is likely a
part of the entire picture andhow our body responds to stress.
And so, in working with the NFLand people in the military,

(18:44):
people that are performing atsuch a high level and under
stressful conditions right, howdo you find stress as
contributing to digestivedistress for those that you work
with?

Leslie Bonci (18:55):
Right and there's absolutely no doubt.
So it's very, very different,right On a day that you're
training, or a day that you'repracticing, or a day that you're
conditioning lifting day thatyou're conditioning lifting then
here we go, I'm on the fieldand this is a win or lose
situation, like the Super Bowl.
We have one team going home thevictor and one is the loser.
That's just kind of the waythat it is.
And so typically on a day ofcompetition, competition is a

(19:18):
good thing, but it also isn't agreat thing in terms of eating.
I don't think that I've everworked with an athlete who eats
well on competition day.
They don't, because their mindis somewhere else, their gut is
somewhere else and that's whythey're prepare thing.
So the warmup is not themorning of.
The warmup actually startsthree days out, where the body

(19:41):
really can fuel and nourish andchill and get ready for battle,
so to speak, without that stressat the same time and we're not
going to take stress away,that's there.
The stress of competition canbe a really good thing, but
always that encouragement andreminder you still need to fuel
your body during.
And I will say, having had theopportunity to work with two

(20:03):
teams that really cared aboutboth of those things athletic
training staff fantastic.
Strength and conditioning stafffantastic of making sure not
only that there were things thataround, but even the
encouragement of a little versusnothing.
Just put a little bit into yourbody you're kind of like the
mom message posted everywherecan really really help.

(20:23):
And I think this is also abigger issue for females.
And you know, cheerleaders isnot only are they working hard
and sometimes harder, becauseyou don't take a break in the
middle of a routine.
That's right, you got to do thewhole thing, right.
Football you catch, there's acommercial for five hours and
then you come back again and thepoor cheerleaders are still
there on the field.
But in addition to that, thinkabout what they're wearing.

(20:48):
It's pretty darn scanty, right?
You're not.
Football players aren't dressedin little short shorts.
They're not.
They're covered head to toe.
So there's that issue.
That goes on as well.
But they do work hard.
And so this idea of you've gotto fuel, not only to fuel to
make sure you can get throughthose routines, but over the
course of an entire season.
And unlike the players,cheerleaders don't make that

(21:11):
kind of money.
They all hold other jobs.
Some of them hold two jobs.
The cheerleading is the passionthing, but that's not what
really helps them earn theirkeep, so to speak.
So they're busy all the time.
They don't have time to beinjured and so, really, talking
about that, they need to levelup to the table.
They deserve to do thathand-to-mouth activity as much,

(21:32):
if not more than the big guys do.

Dr. Megan Riehl (21:34):
I totally agree , and I think you're making such
an important point that, as anathlete or really anybody like
we've talked about in thehelping professions, whether
you're a police officer or afirefighter or in the military
it's not about the day thatyou're going out to battle, it's
really about leading up to itand also just healthy,

(21:55):
sustainable practices thatyou're doing on a regular basis.
You're not gonna be assuccessful if you're like oh,
I'm going to run a marathontomorrow and so I better eat
well today.
It doesn't work that way.
That's what you're saying.
And developing those healthyskills over the long term is
going to take practice.
It's going to take tryingdifferent things.

(22:16):
My mind was kind of blownthinking about the savory side
of things and, quite frankly, Imight like that soy and rice
better than I remember.
I never did marathons.
I was a 5K queen and so Ididn't need a lot of the things
that you're talking about for my5K.
I needed to be thoughtful, butI would try some of those gel

(22:37):
products.
The things that are in the expohall and I was just like these
are gross.
So trying different things,even if you're not an endurance
athlete, I think is a good idea,because we want to just be
thinking about healthy nutritionwith exercise all the time.

Leslie Bonci (22:55):
Absolutely, we do.
And again you're thinking aboutpalate, thinking about texture
and trying things out.
I mean, it's easy to do alittle bit of rice.
The potato thing really workswell, you know, even sometimes
the idea of like a savory, likea little bit of a rice cracker,
sometimes like a regular cracker.
It's too dry, it's like oh, myGod stuck in my esophagus and

(23:16):
also kind of the stickinessright, that tackiness, the
feeling on the teeth.
That's the problem sometimeswith the chews.
It's like going like this withyour mouth trying to get it off.
It's not always comfortableduring exercise, so I always say
this when I talk with companiesit's my wishlist Please can you
make something more on thesavory side?

(23:37):
I was just in Southeast Asiafor two weeks in June for some
work and it's a very differentpalette.
We want things that are moresavory, not so much sweet, and
so I said, yes, this is exactly.
Or can we do something tartthat's in there?
Maybe, I don't know a kimchiflavored something.
Maybe, I don't know, somepeople might love that.

(23:57):
Frankly, I would love that.

Dr. Megan Riehl (23:58):
We know that would be good for the gut.
I know I was just going to saythat, yeah.
Well, so professional athletesand people that are at a high
professional level demand.
We know that nutrition isimportant, but also these people
have exceptional emotionalresilience, or at least we hope
that they are receivingstrategies and skills in this

(24:20):
area.
So I'm curious can you sharesome of the strategies or
routines that you've observed inplayers to help manage the
intense pressure and stay attheir best and go out and be the
winner on the field or managethe stress of not winning?
Certainly?

Leslie Bonci (24:37):
Every team has a sports psychologist, if not more
than one, that is there bothfrom an individual perspective
as well as kind of like thecheerleading group kind of talks
, and that's also part of thatcomes from the coaches.
It's not just about the win, itis taking care of the athletes
themselves, and that's really alot of what our player
development staff does is toreally be able to troubleshoot

(25:00):
and fine tune, because you know,just like the rest of us, some
of these athletes and familyissues going on at home or
business investments or you knowsome other things that they
have to deal with.
They're off the fieldactivities that can sometimes
get in the way, and so beingable to have the resources to
work with that is criticallyimportant.
Also, the camaraderie of I'vegot your back, it's a team, it's

(25:22):
not an N of one, it is an N of53 on the active roster and then
an additional 15 as part of thepractice squad of all being
there together to support eachother and as well as working
with the spouses because youknow they are the ones or the
girlfriend that are kind of thebehind the scene, that are part
of supporting their guy who isthere on the field, we also talk

(25:46):
a lot about this idea ofequipment.
Right, If you're playingfootball, there's a lot of gear.
It's your cleats, it's yourshoulder pads, it's your helmet,
it's whatever.
But what's that internalequipment?
What's the internal equipment?
What's your mindset?
What's your eating like?
Do you pray?
Does that help you to center?
Is there something that you doas a hobby that you know?

(26:07):
Some of our guys like to spendtime in the kitchen.
That's awesome.
As long as they don't cut afinger off, all is good with the
world.
You know, spending time withtheir kids.
They give back to the community, whether it's going to a boys
and girls club and reading orsomething else Gardening We've
got some of our players havebeen ranchers and farmers, so
it's what they do that centersthem.

(26:29):
That helps to take some of thatstress away.
So it's not just all the time.
How am I going to do?
Right?
Talent is important, but evenall the talent in the world
doesn't always guarantee a W,doesn't always guarantee a trip
to a Super Bowl.
So there has to be that otherthing.
What's the door number two?
The door number one is showingup every day for practice, for

(26:52):
lifting on the field.
The door number two is yourlife and how do you handle that?

Dr. Megan Riehl (26:57):
Yeah, I mean, you're hitting on things again
that are so relatable for all ofus, right?
You know we love our jobs, butif all we focus on is what we do
for the 8 to 12 hours of a day,you know, whatever the day
might look like, who we comehome to, where we go to give our
thanks, all of that emotionallybuilds us up and also helps to

(27:18):
regulate some of that cortisoland adrenaline that inevitably
has to come down after the endof the working day.
So, you know, we asked Dr MarkPimentel what does he do?
He plays the guitar, you know.
So we've got thisworld-renowned scientist.
And then, you know, we're usingthe other side of our brain,
and so athletes and highperformers have to do that as

(27:39):
well, because we need that forthat emotional stability and
resilience and longevity too.

Leslie Bonci (27:48):
And I think part of that too, especially in that
world, is, you know, turning offthe screens.
You don't have to read everyreview of everything that
everybody says about you.
You know, a lot of our playerseat their meals at home at night
because I thought they haveadoring fans.
But that gets a little annoying.
You're trying to eat your food.
I mean.
I remember when I was hereworking with the Steelers here

(28:09):
and Troy Palamalu he was justawesome and he walked into Whole
Foods to get salmon.
All this poor guy wanted to dowas to get some salmon and it's
like this swarm of peoplecrowding over.
Can I have an autograph?
I said go to your car.
We just happen to go to yourcar.
I'll get you your salmon,because this is it.
You want your time to justdecompress and not have to be on

(28:32):
all of the time.
So that is another thing, aswell as the sleep, and that is
one of the things that, at leastwith the chiefs, we talk about
all the time the importance ofsleep, meaning that you're not
uploading the day, not eating inthe shape of a Nike Swoosh
little little, let's eat therefrigerator.
No is, you'll be able to takethat time before you go to bed,

(28:52):
give your body a chance todigest.
Also, thinking about what'shappening with alcohol.
Talk about it a lot, not thedrink and drive method that goes
over like a lead balloon, buthow it impacts sleep, how it
impacts performance.
And caffeine as well, whichhistorically was never a big
deal in football and now it is,and not always necessarily a

(29:14):
copy of that.
We have an espresso machine.
It's like.
I don't know if that's good orbad, but you know all the drinks
, all the stuff that everybody'sdoing and not really thinking
about that impact or thehalf-life of caffeine and
tossing and turning when you'retrying to sleep.
So it's education.
It's not a question of not do,it's a question of when you
choose to do it, so it doesn'timpact with your ability to be

(29:35):
able to get your Zs.

Dr. Megan Riehl (29:36):
I was able to take a peek inside where the
University of Michigan footballplayers hang out recently, and
actually it was a very cozyenvironment that I think induced

this state of (29:47):
there was areas to watch TV, to chill out to,
you know, big beanbag chairs,there was community tables, and
so I think it just is importantto recognize these guys need
stress relief too, and just asmuch as we all do at the end of
our busy days.

Leslie Bonci (30:05):
And sometimes a little bit more.
So I mean, I'm not saying weall, we all need it, but because
of what they're going to facewhen they go in the next day, or
especially when it was a loss,and you can just see that
collective that's there and theyknow they're going to hear it
from the coaches and if not, youjust played a loss.
Hey, let's watch that film25,000 times to really drum it

(30:28):
into our head.
Boy, we suck, okay, there.
It is those types of thingsthat you have to have the
balance on the other side.
And then the one other componentof this which doesn't get
talked about enough, I think iscritically important, is not
just that kind of stress, butthe stress of the way the body
looks.
You're not necessarily petiteto play in the NFL right, this

(30:49):
is a given and depending uponthe position that you play, you
need to be big because you'reprotecting your quarterback,
you're protecting the one whomakes a lot of money, and that's
the way it is.
But if you're really big, thenthen okay, that's good for
protection.
And then you hear it all thetime.
You hear it from your coaches,you hear it from the athletic

(31:09):
trainer and it's like thisconstant.
You need to lean up.
You need to do this, and I willtell you and I talk to players
individually, I am theiradvocate.
I believe in this strongly.
It is not just about a numberon the scale, because we can't
put it that way, but to reallytalk about how can we do this in
a way that is not going tocause you more stress, that is

(31:31):
not going to make you feelbullied, that is not going to
impact your performance nor yourhealth.
And so oftentimes they go rightto the eliminate.
Don't eat this, don't eat this,don't eat this.
Oh, why am I collapsing on thefield?
And so I think it is just oneof those things that, oh,
they're all fine, they're allhappy all the time.
No, no, they're not.
And I think it's alwaysfascinating when we see players

(31:54):
at the end of their career iswhen they might come to what
would probably be their body'snormal size.
It's like, where did you go?
There's 60 pounds less of them,but they don't have that
continual stress.
Kate, as you said, with themarathon, for the guys that are
lean or are hard gainers,honestly it's a 24-7 proposition
.
Wake up at 3 am to eat Well,that's ridiculous, because then

(32:15):
you're not sleeping and you justfeel so uncomfortably.
Everybody's watching you allthe time.
Did you eat enough?
Did you eat less?
All of that judging it'sexhausting and extremely
stressful.

Kate Scarlata (32:26):
I know it's say like risk for disordered eating.
Right?
So we know athletes are at riskfor disordered eating.
Think about the cheerleaders intheir little scant outfits and
having people throw eliminatethis, eliminate this, you're too
big, you're too little, you'rewhatever.
As a dietician, I know youagree with me.

(32:48):
We just want people to enjoyfood and have a good
relationship with food, andthese add layers to that
relationship with food, for sure.

Leslie Bonci (32:54):
Well, absolutely they do.
And sometimes I think, well,there would never be disordered
eating.
Eating disorders in a footballplayer?
Yes, there are.
This is not just for what wemight think of like the teeny,
tiny gymnast, or even a lot ofthe tour de france bicyclists.
You're doing some really funkythings because you want to be as
light as you can when you'reclimbing through the alps that's

(33:16):
the way that it is.
Or weight class sport, soanother issue of the cycling,
all of those things, rowers,same, all of it.
So it is so important that wekind of take it away from the
numbers and really the focus onwhat can you do, what will you
do, what do you like to do.
That takes away a little bit ofthat stress not entirely, but a

(33:39):
little bit less stress.
I'm always talking aboutpermission over omission.
I think it is a much, muchbetter way to talk about things.

Kate Scarlata (33:48):
I love that.
So listeners, take heed toLeslie's advice.
Permission over omission, Ilove it.
Let's switch and talk a littlebit about diet again.
I mentioned the whole proteinhype and I see it just even at
the grocery store high proteinbread, high protein, this.

(34:08):
And are we getting enoughprotein?
And we're talking about protein.
And how much protein does theaverage Joe need?
And I know, I'm a dietician, Iknow a small woman at 55
probably needs a little lessthan a football player at 350
pounds.
But what are we talking about?
What are the needs?

Leslie Bonci (34:27):
So we kind of look at this a couple of ways.
So the first way is lookingaccording to the dietary
guidelines, and what are thoserecommendations right now and
this is based upon people thatare not athletes, you know,
people that are more sedentaryis as the guidelines are right
now.
It's probably looking at alittle under a half a gram of
protein per pound body weight.

(34:49):
That may be adequate.
That might not always beoptimal, and the reason for that
is certainly as we get older.
Well, you know, we want tomaintain our muscle.
This is all about preservation,not loss, and so we have to
have enough there, or that ideaof living hail, not frail.
It's like my mother is in awheelchair.
She's 92.
And I look at her and say youknow, not doing that Plus, my

(35:12):
kids would never take care of meanyway, so forget it.
I got to keep myself strong.
I know them well enough, but,like mom, forget it.
You're on your own and so wemight have a little bit higher
need there.
If we are active and this isn'tjust about those that strength
train, this is about any type ofphysical activity you are
breaking down muscle when you'reexercising.
What happens when you run?

(35:32):
Foot strikes against the groundbreakdown, breakdown, breakdown
, breakdown.
So you have to do the build.
You're going to lose muscle andso the needs become higher.
And so in that case, actually,if we compare an endurance
athlete to a resistance trainedathlete, they both need the same
.
So then we're looking, maybe,about point seven grams of

(35:52):
protein per pound body weight.
Yeah, there are somerecommendations right now that
for older individuals I like theword seasoned, I don't like the
word older, seasonedindividuals but it may be up to
one gram per pound, but thatdoesn't mean everybody has to be
there.
That's the first part of it iswhat amounts might be.

(36:14):
Second part of it is how we eatit.
So it is the distribution ofprotein, and that's why I always
take issue with this concept ofmacro.
That really tells you nothingother than a number and a
percent.
People don't know what that is.
You don't walk into the grocerystore and see macros posted
everywhere.
You don't.
So how we eat that protein.
So if somebody says, all right,I think I need 80 grams of

(36:37):
protein a day, so maybe forbreakfast I do a piece of toast,
little.
Maybe for lunch I do saladbecause I want to be more
plant-based, okay, fine, and butyou know, I have all these
veggies there, but that's it.
And then for dinner, well now,what do I do?
Oh well, I'll have a whole 16ounces of tofu you could.

(36:58):
But now we've kind of skewedthat right.
So now we have all the proteinat the end of the day.
Nothing during the day, and mostpeople are not physically
active, necessarily at 8 pm.
Sometimes soccer teams are icehockey because it's when they
get rink time.
We know that, but in generalpeople exercise during the day.
So if you short change yourprotein during the day when your

(37:20):
body's physically active,that's not what we want to see
happening.
So distribution is as importantas the number.
So really, I'm a very bigbeliever is I'd like the idea of
probably like smartphone sizethat amount as part of every
meal.
However, we do that.
So if people are an avocadoaficionado I'm not I have

(37:40):
nothing against them.
I find them slimy.
I just I can't even fathom.
But it's like avocado on abread.
Where's the protein?
It's not there.
Could you put an egg on there?
You know?
Could you do a lactose-freecottage cheese?
There's something there to putsome protein in.
Same thing at lunchtime enough,and at dinner.
So really, that consistencyacross the day is what we're

(38:02):
looking at rather than overdueand I do think, Kate and Megan,
that yes, there are a lot ofpeople that overdo.
Does anybody need protein water?
That would be no.
You can have the fluid and youcan chew the protein, or you
might have a drink that hasprotein in it, but it does
become a little bit overkill andthe biggest issue with it is,

(38:23):
if that is the emphasis, thenguaranteed there's going to be a
deficit of other things thatneed to be part of the play.
Or athletes would say I'mhaving all this protein, I'm not
seeing what I want to see inthe gym.
I said yes, because you'reshortchanging your carbohydrate
and it is the marriage of bothof those nutrients that are
critically important to see thegains in the gym.
It's not just about the proteinto the exclusion of all else.

Kate Scarlata (38:46):
Yeah, and I always say like balance plate,
balance body, so like have allthose components.
And the other thing is thatprotein can be malabsorbed.
So if you're taking in a hugeamount at one time, your body
has a capacity and some of itwill be malabsorbed and that can
lead to hydrogen sulfide gas,stinky rotten egg gas.

(39:07):
So just if you notice that youmight be overdoing protein at
one meal and maybe even somenegative metabolites like
indoles and ammonia and thatsort of thing.
Not getting too micro into thegut health piece of it.
But overdoing protein may havenegative effects on the gut
microbiome and I think that'simportant, like more isn't

(39:27):
always better, which you'vereally drilled in to our
listeners today and I thinkthat's important.
We also know when we eatcarbohydrates with fiber and
protein that the microbes goafter the carbohydrates with
fiber and they won't ferment theprotein as much.
So that's kind of interesting.
So, again to your point, ifyou're having the toast with the

(39:47):
avocado, which you will nothave, and an egg, that's going
to be better balance anddigestion and gut health
oriented.
So balanced plate, balancedbody, spread out the protein.
That's important.
And so you're 150 pound man andyou're an athlete maybe 150 or

(40:10):
less grams of protein.
If it's point seven, it wouldbe less right so, but in that
range you don't need more thanprobably 150 grams of protein.

Leslie Bonci (40:20):
You don't.
And then the other thing aboutit that I always think is so
interesting is depending uponwhat people are choosing.
Right, it's that protein source, and particularly when we're
looking at the bars or powdersor shakes or whatever is, if you
have a wonky gut, then youreally need to think about what
you're doing.
Some of the bars and some ofthe shakes that advertise high

(40:40):
protein are also in the fineprint or not so fine print low
carb, but they still taste sweet.
Right, nothing tastes like apork chop.
So, okay, what else is in thereto provide the sweetness?
And that might be contributingto some of the GI distress as
well as the when we have them.
So, for instance, okay, I'mgoing to sit down and have a
meal and I need a protein shakewith you.

(41:02):
No, that's redundancy.
Maybe not Eat the food that hasthe protein in it.
If you really feel you're alittle short on your protein,
then maybe move the time of thatshake and maybe that's the
thing you do before bed.
But take a look and picksomething that isn't isolate, so
that the only thing you'regetting there is the protein
itself, nothing competing inthere.

(41:22):
You mix it with something thatis comfortable to your gut to
have and you don't exceed thedose.
If it says one scoop, there'sno need for 25.
One scoop it'll also lastlonger.
It's a lot less expensive to doit that way.

Kate Scarlata (41:36):
Yeah.
Now what about your eliteathletes?
Are they relying on proteinpowders?
Or is it just like a thing,Like do they need it?
Or is it just kind of like thisis cool, I'm putting my protein
powder in my smoothie.

Leslie Bonci (41:49):
You know what?
We actually have very few thatdo and interesting, so I can
only speak to the teams thatI've worked with.
But before the pandemic we had,like this fueling bar that was
down in the weight room andplayers could make their own
shakes after working out.
So let alone the food safetyissues.
It's like, oh my God, but otherthings.
When they made their own, theblender sat for days, it's like

(42:11):
you know, and then during apandemic, that all went away,
thank God, because nobodythought it was safe to do that,
and it hasn't returned.
So we have our smoothie station,so to speak, in the cafeteria,
and if guys want something,somebody's making it for them,
which I think is always better,because you don't know where
those hands have been beforethey like no, and, however,

(42:32):
maybe a handful of guys that do,and it's primarily the guys
that A, they don't really have abig appetite, they don't really
feel like eating, so they justwant something to drink or are
hard gainers.
Most everybody else they don't,they just don't.
So even though those things arealgebraic, oh, all professional
athletes use them no, theydon't.

(42:53):
But we also have great food.
We have great food.

Dr. Megan Riehl (42:56):
So that really helps.
You're hearing the science ofall of this right, and so to our
listeners, if you are somebodythat's making your way from 5K
to half marathon to marathon, oryou have a kid that is in
travel sports and doing a lot onthe weekends and throughout the
week, think about a consultwith a dietician just to make

(43:19):
sure that you're on the righttrack and, you know, also just
to give a lot of different ideas.
That's what I always take awayfrom my amazing dietician
colleagues is you guys have theideas of ways to get this in and
, I think, also dispelling someof the myths or even just the
pressure of oh, you have tospend this much money on the
protein and the supplements andthe you know all these different

(43:41):
things.
You might be able to get itespecially from what you're
saying just by eating.
Eating food is part of theequation here.

Leslie Bonci (43:49):
You know I would agree, and I think you know the
dietitian really the sportsdietitian in particular and if
somebody's having underlying GIissues those that have the niche
in understanding digestivediseases is that should be part
of the fuel kit.
You know that's as important asthe cleats, the goggles, the
skates, the stick, the whateverelse it is that athletes need is

(44:10):
to really think about it andkind of ask yourself the
question of the why.
Before we buy, especially whenit comes to the supplement, look
and see what is in thoseproducts, because there may be
something there that might notnecessarily give somebody the
outcome that they're looking for.

Kate Scarlata (44:26):
That's right, it's outcome and it's also from
a symptom standpoint.
But also, too, when you'reeating food, you're getting so
much else with it.
I always say that with fiber,and I would like to talk about
carbs and fiber next.
But I encourage my patients toeat the food with fiber the chia
seeds, the kiwi fruit, thestrawberries, the raspberries

(44:47):
because they're gettingpolyphenols and they're getting
other antioxidants and vitamin Cand all this other important
stuff to keep us going.
So let's talk about fiber andcarb needs in the competitive
athlete.
We know that fiber fuels ourgut microbes and, of course, as
a GI dietitian, I'm all aboutfibers, different types of

(45:07):
fibers, different types ofplants.
We always talk about just fiber, but it's really.
There's fibers, there'sdifferent kinds and they do
different things.
So what are your tips to helpthe people that you work with
the elite athletes to get theircarbon fiber needs?
What are some of the ways youdo that?

Leslie Bonci (45:26):
Okay.
So, and first of all, you haveto kind of tag team to what you
had just mentioned.
When it's the food thing and wesee this play out all the time
If you were eating a plate offood, you're using a utensil and
chances are your behind is inthe chair and you're eating.
When you're just grabbing a baror a shake, you might be
walking around, you've got yourbeets on, you're doing all this

(45:46):
other stuff, you're not relaxed,you're not in that frame of
mind.
So I think there's reallysomething to be able to sit, to
chew, to swallow, to relax.
That really really helps.
So, from the fiber perspective,lots of different things, and
again I think kind of thatconcept of people hear fiber, oh
, let's go more, let's becareful about what we do, let's

(46:08):
think about ways that we mightmix them in, and so I'm always a
very big believer and we startwith the familiar, especially
with my plate.
Some of them have a palate, likemaybe a two or three year old.
So the choice of foods is maybefive to six and they're done.
One of the foods they love ismac and cheese.
Love it, love it.
That's a comfort food.
Mom or grandma made it growingup.

(46:29):
It's like okay, this is what Iwant.
So you know, we're not going toreplace that with shredded kale
, because A it's green and Bthey won't, but you know.
But I take the mac and cheeseand actually puree cannellini
beans so it doesn't look anydifferent.
So it's a way of bringing upthe fiber and putting this
flavor into something.
So now we've added some morefiber, but we've done it in

(46:52):
something that still looksfamiliar to that individual,
doing things like oats.
I mean, that really works.
A lot of our guys find thatincredibly comfortable to eat
oats.
They like them, and that to meis also a vehicle for how I
might get protein in.
So I can do overnight oats andin that regard it's like doing
something like a Greek yogurt.

(47:13):
Although we don't do themovernight, we do them the
morning of in a little mason jar.
It's very cute, they'll eat it.
And pumpkin is also one of mythings is, you know they won't
always have pumpkin pie, butwhen the pumpkin is in the
overnight oats, that looks cooland they'll eat it like, yes,
and it's a vegetable and it's afiber, and it's just an easy,
easy way to ramp things upwithout changing the taste or

(47:36):
the texture, which oftentimes isthe thing that we need to be
aware of, you know, in additionto that is, yes, we always talk
about fruits, but most of theguys and I don't think it's just
the cheese.
If you give them theopportunity for here's a bowl of
fruit, will they take that?
No, if you cut it up for them,yes.
So one of those things.

(47:56):
Okay, if the berries are in alittle cup and I don't have to
take the little stems off thegrape or whatever, I will eat
them.
If there are little spears ofwatermelon, we do this with
freezy pops.
We just puree some fruit andput it in a little freezy pop.
On these days and it's going tobe hot in Kansas City or St

(48:16):
Joe's in the next two weeks.
That's really refreshing andit's getting some additional
fiber into them in a form thatalso is functioning as a fluid.
So I love the idea where we canmultitask with what it is that
we eat.
And the other thing is thesneaking in of the vegetable
into some of the beverages.
If I asked these guys to eatbeets, they would run away and

(48:38):
cry.
I'm telling you now.
I'm like oh, my God, no, but wedid something and I took all my
recipes, so they don't havethem.
Now they can still use them.
Is the idea of a smoothiesmoothie.
So in that there is some beetsbut there's also some spinach
and there's a little bit ofpineapple and it's a little bit
of grated turmeric and ginger,and when you blend it all up,

(49:00):
you're not really tasting thebeet, but it's actually giving
them some vegetable.
It's giving them some fiber,it's giving them some
phytonutrients, so they'regetting these other benefits
that are there.
That is much more than theywould get out of a soda or an
energy drink or a sports drinkor anything like that.

Dr. Megan Riehl (49:18):
That sounds delicious.

Leslie Bonci (49:21):
It really is.
Even my partner in crime in ourother business.
She hates beets.
I said, just try this.
She said, oh my God, that'sgood.
So there we go.

Dr. Megan Riehl (49:29):
Well and you're talking about eating is about
your eyes and what feelsfamiliar, and that you're not
just gonna eat a can ofcannellini beans, but if it's
worked into something that isfamiliar and tastes good, then
it gives you what you're lookingfor from a nutritional
perspective, but also you likeit, and that's important with

(49:51):
food is that it tastes good.
Right, ultimately, that's ourgoal.

Leslie Bonci (49:54):
Well, and if we look at something, I don't like
the way that looks, that'salready starting the stress,
stress up here and the stress inthe gut is oh, that's not going
to go over.
Well, and because football it'sall about collision.
Nutrition.
Right, this is a contact sport,this is not flag football.
It's all about being asuncomfortable as you can when

(50:14):
you're on the field.
So when you walk in to eat, itbetter be about comfort,
familiarity, nurture.
Those are the three big thingsthat we try and hit.

Kate Scarlata (50:23):
It's like welcome to our kitchen, take a load off
, sit down, enjoy how it looks,how it smells, how it tastes,
all those things Critical and itkind of kicks in that
parasympathetic nervous systemwhich is you know, megan is the
expert here on this, but youknow that is the expert here on
this.
But you know that's your restand digest.
So I love, love, love the ideaof sitting down and that a fork,

(50:47):
a plate encourages you to dothat.
Take a, you know, somecleansing breaths, relax your
gut so it can really prepare todigest that food rather than
eating a bar on the run.
You know, digest that foodrather than eating a bar on the
run.
You know, I've been on thisplanet a long time and when we
wanted nine kids we never had acup holder or anything in any of

(51:09):
our vehicles.
We didn't have seatbelts,really, let's be honest.
But you know, throw the kid inthe back of the hatchback and go
down the road.
You know that was kind of howwe traveled.
So now it's like I feel likewe're so in tune to getting
fueling on the road and havingto have a beverage God forbid,
we're going for an hour car rideand it doesn't really encourage

(51:33):
that relaxation and digestionprocess and there's so much that
happens.

Leslie Bonci (51:38):
I think it's fitting.
And when these guys, they don'treally have a lot of time to
chit chat when they're on thefield because they have to be
doing other things, but when yousit and you eat and you can
joke about things, or you know,maybe we don't ever put the
football games on when they areeating lunch because it's like
no, it's something funny, it'slike a cartoon, it's a whatever,
it's just relax.

(51:58):
But they talk to each other,right, that's the other thing
that happens at mealtime.
You have conversations andpeople are usually smiling or
they're sharing pictures oftheir kids or whatever it is.
It's like, yes, that'sprecisely what should be going
on.
It is the comfort zone, that'sexactly what we are looking for.

Dr. Megan Riehl (52:17):
Well, so that comfort zone, that laughter,
love in the air maybe.
So I have to ask, Leslie,whether you are a fan of Taylor
and Travis or not.
The world is buzzing about thislove story that really played
out in Kansas City's ArrowheadStadium, so what's the

(52:39):
atmosphere been like aroundthere?
I'm sure that that got thelocker room and kitchen talking.

Leslie Bonci (52:45):
Yeah, I mean, it's always.
When you see a player with sucha big smile on his face like
smitten, it's adorable FromTaylor's perspective.
Has she gotten more women to beinterested in football?
Absolutely.
Has she gotten more fans inKansas City to be interested in
the Chiefs?
Absolutely.
Should she have her own number?
She should have her own number.

(53:07):
I mean, I think it is allincredibly positive.
The only thing I will say is,when I'm watching a football
game, I want cameras on thefield.
I don't want them anywhere else, I want them on the field.
That's just me.
But other than that, I thinkit's wonderful.
We will see what plays outmoving forward, but it certainly
made for an interesting year.

Dr. Megan Riehl (53:27):
That's for sure .
I probably turned into a fewmore games than I would have
this year, and you know what?
That's all right.

Kate Scarlata (53:34):
That's all right, definitely, definitely.
It was fun.
You know, they do seem to bethe most adorable little couple,
so it's been a fun love storyto watch unfold, during a Super
Bowl no less, with her flyingback from Japan or wherever in
the middle of the night to bethere above and beyond what
happens on the field.

Leslie Bonci (53:54):
They support each other, but they need we're
talking, I think, before we wentlive is the idea of the pit
crew.
And the pit crew is not justthe professional staff that
works with the players, theirfamily, their friends.
Everybody is part of that pitcrew to allow them to do what it

(54:15):
is that they need to do.
Excellent, that's right.

Kate Scarlata (54:18):
All right.
So let's switch gears onceagain, and I just last question
from the nutritional realm.
But what are some of the likecommon mistakes, diet mistakes,
attempts that athletes maybeembark on, like you know, are
they doing gluten-free, and I'mnot saying that gluten-free
might not work for some athletes, I'm not going to judge that.
But you know what are somedietary mistakes that you kind

(54:41):
of uncover and go outside of theones that you've already
mentioned.

Leslie Bonci (54:45):
Okay.
So the first thing I always sayis I don't want elimination
without justification.
So you know, if you do not havea reason to cut gluten out, we
don't want to do that.
And first of all A because itlimits the choices.
B it limits the availability.
So for athletes that travel allthe time, you might find it a
little bit of a challenge to beable to find a gluten-free pasta

(55:07):
when you're in the middle ofthe country in some teeny, tiny
town.
Right, that is a concern.
And then the cost as well.
Secondly is, you know, sometimesdairy is kind of this
assumption that, oh, if I dohave dairy, it's going to cause
more phlegm and mucus duringactivity Well no.
Or it's going to causeinflammation Well no.
And some people don't toleratedairy, that is true.

(55:28):
But across the board, if you'rejust taking it out, then what
is the replacement?
And this is the concern, thesame thing with the gluten.
If you take it out, what is thereplacement?
You're probably having lessfiber, and if you hadn't been
optimal with your protein, thennow this is another issue is
where are we going to replacethat from?
Third is the people that areenamored with as low as we can

(55:50):
go, kind of the limbo approachto carbohydrate.
Well, that's bad and just don'thave it and let's just be keto.
Let's not if we are an athlete,because carbohydrate is the
primary fuel substrate forexercise.
It is 50% of the fuel substrate.
For endurance activity, it is100% of the substrate.
When we are looking at highintense activity, protein is not

(56:13):
really the desired option there, so that can be a problem.
Plus, the role of carbohydrateplays in fluid balance, so you
know this is double screwed ifyou minimize your carbohydrate
intake.
And then you know, I think thefourth is maybe an undue
reliance on supplementation, andpart of that is the advertising
of them is oh, if I use this, Itoo will have an arm that looks

(56:35):
like a tree trunk.
And so you know, the purpose ofsupplements is to complement
eating.
It's not a replacement for andI think sometimes people forget
about that or I don't eat well,but I take a lot of supplements
and you have a well-supplemented, crappy diet and there's
obsession with collagen.
It's a poor quality protein.

(56:56):
That is not the same thing asusing proteins that actually
have quality in them.
There have not been studies thathave demonstrated that it helps
at all from a musclepreservation, maybe a little bit
from the chondrocyteperspective and cartilage
regeneration, but there havebeen a very few studies and they
haven't all shown that that isthe case.
And even when we're looking atwhat's happening with our

(57:18):
appearance, well, that's also anissue of question is how
effective is collagen?
And the price, and that's theother thing.
I think the myth is you have topay a lot for it, no, and then
you do and guess what?
You don't have the money leftover to do the other things that
you really need to do with youreating those are my big myths.

Kate Scarlata (57:36):
I love that.
And for clarification, formaybe just a little intel on
hydration and sodium needs howdoes an individual know that
they're hydrated?
Do you rely on their pee color?
Do you rely on weight checkspre and post?
And then sodium I'm a hugesweater.
I run.
I'm bright red in the face.

(57:57):
It's just always been that way.
I played field hockey.
I was always really justripping.
Am I just because I'm brightred in the face?
It's just always been that way.
I played field hockey.
I was always really justripping.
Am I just because I'm sweatingmore?
Do I need more salt?
Are there some indicators thatsome of us need more salt than
others?

Leslie Bonci (58:10):
Yeah, I played field hockey.
I played field hockey in highschool.
I was awesome, very fun Amillion years ago.
First of all, with thehydration how do we know A
million years ago?
So, first of all, with thehydration, how do we know?
I always quote what Dr BobMurray says.
He's one of the experts inhydration in the world and his
take is that we need to bevoiding at least five times a
day, not counting the first onein the morning.

(58:31):
So when none of us are camelsoh, I went once over the day
that should be a cause forconcern.
And typically our morning urineis going to be darker, more
concentrated.
If we slept all night long, wehave a long period of time
without fluid.
When we are looking at thecolor of fluid, with the
exception of the morning, voidis ideally more the color of
lemonade.

(58:51):
So if somebody's urine is thecolor of apple juice, again red
flag, that is a concern.
So really looking more lightand lots not necessarily clear,
devoid of color, but definitelyenough fluid.
And to me, a really importanttime is what's happening in that
hour or two before you exercise, when you void.
If your urine is dark andscanty, you better start sipping

(59:14):
.
That's really important to putthat fluid in.
So there actually was an app.
It was called See your Pee.
It's not available anymorebecause I think people peed on
the phone and then it's like youknow what do you do when you go
to AT&T.
So, anyway, we can use our owneyes and we don't necessarily
have to post that for the worldto see.

(59:34):
There are a lot of urine chartsout there.
They're available online.
We have them posted in thelocker rooms all the time so
that everybody can see the colorof their urine very, very well
From the sodium loss perspective.
And then, yes, there are somepeople that are salty sweaters.
So when we sweat, what are welosing?
We are losing fluid.
We are losing sodium is theelectrolyte that's lost in the

(59:56):
largest amount in the sweat.
We're also losing somepotassium, a little bit of
calcium, a little bit of zinc,magnesium, other things, but
they're in relatively smallamounts.
So that's also a point whenpeople are looking for product.
Oh, I bought something with nosodium but it has a lot of zinc.
That's not going to be helpful.
So salty sweaters and that'susually me, I mean, I feel like

(01:00:16):
I'm crusty when I am doneexercising.
I can, my skin is gritty and Idon't live near a beach.
My clothes sometimes have whiteon them.
I remember working with one ofthe baseball pitchers for the
Nats and his entire brim and capwhite.
That's not dandruff, it isdandruff.
I said, no, that's not dandruff, that is salt.

(01:00:37):
Your sweat burns your eyes, ittastes very, very salty in your
mouth.
Those can all be telltale signsthat you are a salt loser, and
so that means you actually haveto consume more things with salt
, and what I typically recommendin that regard and we see that
with a lot of our enduranceathletes, the ultras, the
triathletes, et cetera is cookyour rice in a chicken broth or

(01:01:01):
a vegetable broth that adds somesodium.
Use soy sauce in something youknow.
Add salt to the foods.
Pick something like a saltineit has salt in the title or the
little goldfish crackers orthose types of things, and I'm a
very big believer in thoselittle packets of salt.
They're so cheap to do that.
That's a really easy thing toadd a little bit of salt to your

(01:01:23):
beverage as a way of helping tooffset.
You're not going to replace 100%the losses during exercise,
because it would be nauseating,but we can do a better job of
like pre-salted what's happeningin those days leading up to the
events or long runs or whatever, because if we don't, we
usually feel pretty miserable.
And if we don't a lot of water,not enough salt what happens

(01:01:44):
when you're running?
It's like, oh, what's thatnoise?
Oh, it's a lake in my stomach.
You just kind of feel like oneof those clown things like in
the middle.
All this stuff that's goingnowhere.
That's incredibly uncomfortable, so we want to stay on top of
it.
Pickles is another one.
We have to be our big picklefan.
This weekend is Picklesburg andthis bird every year.

(01:02:04):
Is pickle in any way.
Shape imaginable.
The fermentation nation, herewe are, but nonetheless is the
idea of all those things arereally important.
Salt is not the enemy,especially if you are a salt
loser.
You got to be vigilant about it.

Kate Scarlata (01:02:20):
Yeah, I love that , because I definitely see that
white crust when my husband'sworking out not to call him out,
he's, he's a salt sweater and Iam definitely lose a lot of
sodium so and I crave salt, so Idefinitely crave it.
So I think, yeah, that's alsocan be a little telltale.
All right, well, we have takenso much of your time.
I just have one last question.

(01:02:41):
What do you do to prioritizeyour health and well-being,
keeping yourself in check day today?

Leslie Bonci (01:02:48):
Okay, I love that question.
So first of all, I think,working with athletes, you do
need to walk the walk becauseotherwise you get called out
immediately.
So I have in my life been a bigtime runner and also big time
brist walker.
I've taken up rowing in thepast couple of years and love it
.
I also strength train regularlyand I dance.

(01:03:09):
Those are things that make mehappy.
From a fitness perspective, I dotry and take a little chill out
time daily I'm not great aboutit but I'm getting better which
is divorce from the screens inany way, shape or form and just
kind of sit and chill and centerand calm.
And from the eating perspective, I really love to find that
intuition in the kitchen andhaving fun.

(01:03:30):
I'm all about creating newrecipes.
I truly, the original spicegirl, is just trying new things
and getting the little onesinvolved in the kitchen as well.
This is what my husband and Ireally like to do, because then
it's a chance to sit and createand cultivate.
So all of those things with amore positive message and also
realizing at the age of almost68 at this point, I don't need

(01:03:54):
to be what I was in my 20s and30s.
It's not about that it's notkeeping up.
It is keeping on.
That is my attitude every day.

Dr. Megan Riehl (01:04:01):
I love that.
You're amazing.
Keeping on, yes, yes.

Leslie Bonci (01:04:08):
Oh my God, this was great, loved it.

Dr. Megan Riehl (01:04:10):
It was perfect and you're giving us holistic
health.
It's mind, body, spirit.
So thank you to all of ourfriends out there.
Thank you so much.
Please subscribe and follow, aswell as like The Gut Health
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(01:04:42):
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