http://marathontrainingacademy.com/using-plant-power-in-your-marathon-training
How to run faster being plant-powered and reducing sugars
and grains
Plant-powered nutrition has had a very positive effect on my
running - it has provided a foundation of health to support faster and longer
distances, AND I have not experienced any injuries as an endurance athlete. So what does plant-powered mean? In the purest sense, it means not consuming
any animal products (no meat, no dairy, no cheese, etc.). Many people would call this vegan, but I don’t
use that label because vegan is much more than not eating animal products. So why plant-powered? I have followed many athletes who are plant-powered
and they have all inspired me to change to this lifestyle - athletes like Scott
Jurek, Rich Roll, Matt Frazier, and many others. For me personally, I have found that this
lifestyle has allowed me to go from a 245 lb. coach potato to an ultra-runner
in two years!
One of the challenges with a plant-based diet is reducing or
eliminating sugar and grains. This
becomes difficult when you look at your fueling strategy for training and races. The common consensus for most runners is to
eat Power Bars, GUs, Shot Blocks, and drink sugary sports drinks. These products all have one thing in common –
SUGAR (and all its related cousins called by other names!)
One of the most recent changes I made to my nutrition is
eliminating most sugar and grain from my diet.
Why you ask? Because sugar (not
fruits) have a very negative impact on the body. It raises insulin levels and creates an
additive reaction in most people, and causes the body to crave more of it. Ever try to eat just one chip or one cookie? Grains today are mostly processed. It is very difficult to find grains in their
natural form. The way grains are
processed today causes a negative reaction in the body and the result is excess
inflammation, which can lead to chronic illnesses. For plant-powered people rice, beans and legumes
are fine if eaten in reasonable quantities.
By eliminating grains and sugars from the diet, I have had a
much easier time increasing my distances and improving my overall speed -
whether in training or racing. The other
benefits include an increase in lean body mass and faster recovery after long
hours of training. As I write this, I
just finished a marathon on Sunday, ran twice this week and ran a 10 mile
training run with very little soreness at the end of the week. In the past, this would not have been
possible for me to do. I know many
runners may be able to do this type of recovery, but as your eat better - your
muscles tend to recover much faster and there is certainly less fatigue.
There are two things to consider when fueling with a Plant-Powered
No Sugar No Grains lifestyle (PPNSNG).
1.
Training Runs: For training runs (anything
longer than a few hours) consider fruit, nuts, Ucan
(plain), olives, or other sources that are
plant-based or specifically formulated without sugar (or its cousins). Transitioning to this method can take time. You must train the body to reduce it dependency
on sugar for fuel and teach it to run on the body’s own fat stores. This is accomplished by building a solid base
of Zone 2 style training and eliminating sugar from your fuel.
2.
Raceday: Racing takes a bit of time to figure
out. The challenge on race day is you
typically run at a much higher intensity level for an extended period of
time. The body burn through glycogen stores
within 1 - 1 ½ hours. Because of this,
you will need small amounts of fuel to keep your body going. This can be accomplished with the fuels
mentioned above. The trick is to find
what works for you. Not everyone reacts
the same way to his or her fuel.
For me, bananas are a great source of natural energy and have a high glycemic load. For others, they need something in a more pure form like Generation Ucan or Nuun. I would still suggest not using Gatorade or other sports drinks. The pure sugar in these products can have a negative effect on your body during your race - especially if it’s consumed early on in the race.
Finally, some runners, who are fat adapted, do use some form of sugar in the final miles of their race. This is acceptable because of the intensity of the race. You will need additional fuel in your body, but a lot less is required because of all the proper training done before race day.
Background: I began running again 2 ½ years ago after taking
a 14 year vacation from marathon running.
I just let life happen and gave in to the pressures of going full speed
without proper nutrition. Since starting
back to living a healthy lifestyle – I have dropped 75 lbs. I am leaner now than I have ever been in my
life. I have run 3 marathons so far this
year and I have PR’ed all my records from the mid-90s when I was in my
20s. I am focused and enjoy helping
others as I travel along this journey. I
have been a guest on Vinnie Tortorich’s Angriest Trainer Podcast show several
times, and I have a Facebook page and blog where I post information about this
type of lifestyle. You can follow me at:For me, bananas are a great source of natural energy and have a high glycemic load. For others, they need something in a more pure form like Generation Ucan or Nuun. I would still suggest not using Gatorade or other sports drinks. The pure sugar in these products can have a negative effect on your body during your race - especially if it’s consumed early on in the race.
Finally, some runners, who are fat adapted, do use some form of sugar in the final miles of their race. This is acceptable because of the intensity of the race. You will need additional fuel in your body, but a lot less is required because of all the proper training done before race day.
Personal Blog:
http://bjtucker05.blogspot.com/
Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/HealthAndFitnessTheSimpleTruth
PPNSNG Page:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/ppnsng/
Interesting!
ReplyDeleteNo Meat Athlete – The Benefits to Being a Vegan Athlete