Exciting news - I’m now *officially* a Board Certified Sports Dietitian (CSSD)! I’ve been practicing as a Sports Dietitian and helping athletes for many years now, so it is very validating to finally add this credential to my name.

For anyone not familiar with the CSSD, Registered Dietitians (after going through the many years of schooling + internship + RD exam) must practice for at least 5 years as an RD and have accrued hundreds of sports nutrition specific client hours, among other things, in order to be eligible to take the exam.

I’ve been meaning to take it for ages, but always found reasons to delay applying.  I decided to stop procrastinating, give myself a few days to brush up on the exam material, and rely on my years of experience and nutrition knowledge . I’m glad I did - I passed with flying colors, and won’t be so nervous when I have to recertify in 5 years. 

Athletes, I’m here for you - reach out if you need help with your training, racing, or general nutrition planning!

Marathon season is in FULL swing and it is time to talk about your nutrition and hydration plan to ensure you are meeting your needs for training and racing and ready to feel and perform your best. 

Here are some questions I answered posed by the NY Flyers Run Team

Q. In fall of 2021, Lauren was so kind as to meet and chat with The Flyers MTP after a workout in the Park. You had mentioned that potatoes would be a possible “real food” alternative to processed gels and chews. How should I cook a potato and then how to carry to eat during a Half or full Marathon?

           A. I love that you want to try this! The most popular (and easiest) way to try this is to use the small potatoes (fingerling or similar) and boil them, then sprinkle some salt on top and cool them. As for how to carry them while you run, most people will put them into a small (snack size) Ziploc baggie and then take them out as they want/need them. Other real food ideas that work for longer (as easier paced runs) include PB&J sandwiches cut into quarters or strips or salted rice balls. They all contain carbs + salt which = what we need! Let me know how it goes.

Q. Carbohydrate Needs: In a prior presentation about “Nutrition for Masters Athletes & Active Individual,” Lauren and Nutrition Energy had indicated that for ‘Extreme Duration Sports > 4-5 hr/day, like prolonged running, carbohydrate needs are 7-12 g/kg of body weight /day.  What does that mean in pounds of body weight?  And what carbs can I eat and how often during 4-5 hours of effort?

           A.   The move we move, run and sweat the more carbs we need…and will benefit from. 1 kg = 2.2 pounds, so ~ 3-5 grams of carbs/POUND of body weight /day. Either way you do the math, it's a lot of carbs. Great ways to get all of this energy in include bagels, pasta, fruits, burritos, rice, pancakes etc. + sports drinks, energy bars and gels during runs. This is a total for the day, not just during the long run itself. During long runs (*you said 4-5 hours), you’ll want to aim to take in carbs (+ fluid and salt) every 15-20 minutes so that you keep your energy stable.

Q. Protein Needs - Please confirm and can you give examples of how to eat protein 4 times per day - in prior discussions, Nutrition Energy had indicated that Protein needs for Masters Athletes should be 1.2-1-7 grams/kg/ day. Or 10-25% of daily intake. Masters athletes should intake Protein 4 times per day and also pre -training

           A. I am so glad you remembered that as this is really important for endurance athletes/runners. Yes, we all need protein at least 3 but likely 4x/day - especially for those of us that are masters athletes - 35-40 yo +!! Great examples of protein include eggs, Greek yogurt, tofu, beans, fish, chicken, lean beef, turkey jerky, cottage cheese and lentils to name a few.

Q. Fat Needs- Please confirm and can You give examples of how to eat fat- in prior discussions, Nutrition Energy had indicated that fat needs for Masters Athletes should be taking in fat as 20-35% of daily intake, with < 10% of calories from saturated fats. How do I do this in real life and what to eat?

           A. It sounds like you really paid attention, and maybe even read (and studied) my book, High Performance Nutrition for Masters Athletes - and I am so glad you did! Yes we need to eat fat too. All macronutrients (carbohydrate, proteins and fats) are important and we need to eat them all several times/day. You can achieve this by eating something from each macronutrient category (carbs, protein and fat) at most meals and snacks. Foods that are not only delicious, but contain healthy, anti-inflammatory fats include avocado/guacamole, olives, nuts, seeds, hummus, salmon, nut butters and more. Add nuts or nut butter to oatmeal, yogurt or smoothies, add olives and /or avocado to salads, sandwiches etc.

Q. Sodium Drinks/Sports Drinks - If we exercise for more than 60-90 minutes, due to sweat rates we should drink beverages with sodium to maintain plasma electrolyte levels. What are examples of sports drinks with sodium?

           A. Yes, as endurance athletes we do need to replace sodium lost to sweat -no matter what the temperature and humidity are! These days (as opposed to when I ran xc and track in HS and college), there are SO MANY great sports drink choices. Here are a few to look up and try: Tailwind Nutrition (310 mg sodium/serving), Skratch Labs Sport Hydration Mix (370 mg/serving), Gatorade Endurance (300 mg sodium/serving). There are also many brands of energy gels that contain higher amounts of sodium which can also really help us get in what we need. Most gels have ~ 40-50 mg of sodium, but some have more (because we need more). Try Maurten gel (85 mg/pouch), Huma plus gel (240 mg/pouch) and many more. Experiment now in training - during both long runs and even some shorter ones -to see which products you like best and sit well in your gut while running.

Q. Recovery nutrition - how much protein, fluids, Salt and carbs should an endurance runner take in after a 3+ hour training or endurance event

           A. Everyone should be thinking about recovery nutrition addition to whatever else they have going on that they are going to do next. Whether stretching, showering, heading to work or running around w/ family, ensuring you take in what your body needs after training will always pay off in terms of better muscle recovery, strength and performance and lower chance of injury long term.

           1. Aim to replace more fluid than what you sweat! If you sweat our 1# of fluid, you’ll need to drink 24oz over the next 1-2 hours to replace that. Over long runs and heavy training weeks it can be easy to get behind/chronically dehydrated and we don’t want to let that happen.

           2. Carbs! Aim to take in 1/2 your body weight in gram of carbs. So if for example you weigh 140#, aim for 70 grams of carbs w/in the first 60 minutes post run. This could be 2 slices whole grain bread (with eggs for protein and avocado for good fat and taste!) + 1 cup fruit OR a burrito with rice and beans OR pancakes + fruit (+ Greek yogurt or eggs for protein)

           3. You have probably guess it-we need protein post workout as well. Aim for at least 20 grams of protein after ALL runs/training sessions. MORE (30-even 40 grams) if you are a masters athlete (40-60 yo+) as our protein needs for muscle recovery and maintain Eve of muscle mass and strength increase as we advance through the decades of life.

I hope that in answering all of your fantastic questions that you feel better prepared to go into your final training blocks for your fall marathon, or whatever training and life adventures you have planned.

If you are looking for more information and personalized guidance on your nutritional needs and plan please feel to reach out-we’d be happy to help!

I know I’m not alone in saying that Fall is my favorite season for running. The leaves are changing, the weather has finally cooled off, and of course, there are so many exciting running events happening every weekend. 

I’m no longer based in NYC, where I lived for nearly 15 years and saw clients at the Nutrition Energy office pre-pandemic. I’ve traded river and Central Park running for beach and mountain trails out here in Northern California, and now see my clients virtually. Trail running is my passion, but my recent trip back to the city reminded me just how exhilarating it is to run in Central Park and along the river during Fall marathon season and especially right before the NYC Marathon. You can’t beat that energy!  

Speaking of which, the NYC marathon is right around the corner! Many of my clients - and I’m sure many of you - are running this amazing, challenging event. So here are some thoughts and tips that I’d like to share, both as a Sports Dietitian and as a fellow runner who has enjoyed this race many times.  Lauren has already covered much of the specific, numbers focused nutrition advice that is so key to creating an individualized nutrition plan - so this is just what comes to mind, in addition to what she already recommended. 

1. Day before the race: I think most of us know that we need plenty of carbs leading up to race day. The other thing to remember is that we also need salts - predominantly, sodium. It’s tempting to drink loads and loads of plain water the day before the marathon, thinking it will help you start the race hydrated. Fluid is great - but if you’re not including salts with your water, then you’re not helping yourself at all. In fact, you’re putting yourself at risk of starting your race in a mildly hyponatremic state. So, be sure to include carbs AND salt in all meals and snacks to help your body retain the fluid you are drinking - you can add 1-2 (or more, for certain products) servings of sports drink during the day to help with that (e.g. Tailwind, Precision Hydration, Skratch, Nuun etc). On race morning (if you’ve practiced this before), you can also add sports drink to your morning meal.  
2. Bring plenty of food/drinks that you’ve practiced with for race morning: Logistically speaking, NYC is one of the more challenging marathons out there. The time changes, giving you an extra hour (great for sleep - but the race already starts pretty late - especially if you’re not in the first wave). You still have to get up very early to take many forms of transportation to get to the starting village, where you’ll be waiting for many hours. What does this all mean in terms of your nutrition? It means that your plan for race morning may look different than for other races that have less complicated (and earlier) starts. Instead of your usual race morning breakfast, you may need two breakfasts, or your meal + 1 or more snacks. Consider what time you start and bring extra food/drinks. Obviously we never want to do anything new on race day, so consider what you have practiced and you can always include some additional sports nutrition products that you know you tolerate (sports drinks, gels, chews, bars etc). 
3. Go into your race with a nutrition plan, but remain flexible: By this point, hopefully you have already formulated a solid nutrition plan that meets your needs for carbs, fluids and salts, based on what you practiced during your long training runs. Try your best to stick to that plan - be consistent with your fueling (ideally going by time and not miles, since NYC obviously is not a flat course), from when the gun goes off. Remember that the harder you push, the faster you will burn through your carbohydrates and the more nutrition you will thus need. Pace yourself according to your training and goals, listen to your body, and remain flexible with your nutrition plan as needed, especially if the weather is warmer / cooler than anticipated and you end up needing to make some changes on the fly. 
4. Carry extra nutrition: I know, it’s hard enough to carry everything you need in limited pocket space, but I am a big believer in carrying extra fuel (gel, chews, etc) - just in case you need more, drop one, or you can’t find your loved one in the sea of spectators who was supposed to give you stuff (please, do not rely on spectators for nutrition!). If you’re using the same gels that are on course and you’re ok with whatever flavors are on the tables, fine - that can be your extra. But everyone else - bring your own extras. You just never know if you’ll need it. 
5. Hydration on course: Again, your hydration strategy (water and/or gatorade) should be something you have practiced extensively by now. How much, and how often. But have you thought about your approach on race day, where there are aid stations at nearly every mile? This is something to consider in advance, esp if you’re used to carrying your own fluids. Some questions you can ask yourself include: Do you plan to stop at every station for water? Or will you alternate water and gatorade? Or are you carrying your own fluid and then refilling or switching to aid stations once it’s done? Do you tend to wait until you get thirsty or do you drink on a schedule? Hydration is a much bigger topic than I can address here, and we do not yet know what weather the big day will bring which obviously affects sweat rate and salt losses - but you should have some plan in mind as to how you will be approaching aid station strategy so you don’t waste precious mental energy on the day and can put that energy into your performance! 
6. Post-race recovery: Let’s be honest - I don’t think many of you are going to cross the finish line and immediately say, “I’m so hungry! I can’t wait to eat!” It likely will take some time to get to that point, and some of you may feel like you don’t want to or can’t eat for awhile after. That said, it’s crucial to start your recovery as soon as you are able post-race, with fluids, carbs, and protein. If you’re checking a bag, see if you can throw some bars/drinks or any other non-perishable snacks in there so you can access something you know you like. If you’re not checking a bag, see if there’s anything you can tolerate in the post-race offerings, or try to make your way to a local store to pick something up. If you’re meeting up with loved ones, have them bring you something (you can rely on them for food now!). Bars, shakes, etc are fine. Just try to get something in that helps replenish your carb stores, the fluids/salts that you lost, and protein to help your muscles recovery. You’ll be tired but you don’t want to wait for hours until you’re ready for a real meal. And a banana or salted pretzels just isn’t enough. 



Have so much fun out there and please reach out if you’d like to work with me for a specific event or any other nutrition goals you have! I’m accepting new clients virtually and would love to help! In the meantime, I'm back on the trails and excited to race my next 50k on Mt. Tam the week after the NYC Marathon! Good luck to all of us. :) 

Best,

Claire

November 6th is Marathon Day here in New York City.  The annual TCS NYC Marathon is always a spectacle of athleticism, competition, and community engagement.  While the past couple years haven't been the same with C-vid restrictions, this year seems to resemble the event of years past - and we look forward for the city coming alive again to cheer on the runners from around the world (2021 had runners from 91 countries!)!

Remember to train in your gear and have your nutrition plan locked down.  Get plenty of sleep the night before (prepare for the jitters and go to bed earlier than expected!) and give yourself plenty of time in the morning.  Eat your breakfast, stretch and warm up, and trust in your training.  Remember to ENJOY the experience.  You made it!

Good luck to all our runners!  Please reach out and share your stories of the day - any highs or lows, how you prepared, and how you felt you did. We look forward to celebrating with each of you!  Contact us on Twitter @NutritionEnergy, Instagram @NutritionEnergy and @NutritionEnergy_Fuels, or Facebook!

Sincerely,

Lauren Antonucci

Director

Nutrition Energy