Protein Part II: How much and when to eat it
Welcome back to another protein-focused edition of Training & Performance! My last article looked at the evidence in support of avoiding protein while you run. Today, I will discuss one of the more common questions I hear at my practice: does protein timing and distribution matter? And should you be consuming protein directly after a […]
Does ingesting protein during a run enhance performance?
I have written many times(1, 2, 3, 4) about the importance of ingesting carbohydrates during a race (if it’s long enough). I’ve also discussed how taking in other sources of fuel, like protein, is not the best move due to it triggering an increased risk of GI distress. The reason: in part, protein is not absorbed and metabolized as […]
Are you maintaining your iron status?
When it comes to performance, there’s no doubt that nutrition plays a significant role. In the past, I’ve really focused on acute nutrition: what you can do directly before or during your run to be faster (i.e. here). An area I have neglected to focus on is what you should be doing from a nutritional […]
Can you train your gut to handle carbs?
I’ve written a few times (1, 2, 3, 4) before about how important it is to ingest carbs while racing a distance that takes over ~40-60mins to enhance performance. There still seems to be some resistance to doing this; some of it is fueled by pseudoscience, but some is fueled by the very legitimate concern […]
Can Vitamin C Help Runners to Stay Healthy?
Last week I spent most of the week with a mild head cold. Nothing crazy, but enough to motivate me to review my old immunology notes yet again to relearn what I already know (it’s always fun picturing the T-cells destroying the bad stuff). Times like these also motivate me to relearn other things, like […]
Is festive sugar-loading a bad thing pre-run?
The holiday season is upon us, which means the sugar content in our diets will be on the rise. No complaints here; sugar is delicious! Plus, as runners, we can get away with eating a lot more than our non-running friends. When we run, as most runners know, glycogen (chains of carbs stored in our […]
The three keys to fueling your marathon
The fall marathon season is almost upon us! With only a few weeks to go for many of you, it’s time to taper, to let the body recover and to get ready for battle. At this point it’s difficult to make any significant fitness gains, so dial back on that running. It is, however, quite easy […]
The Runner’s Plate: Chicken and Root Vegetable Casserole
Winter seems to have hit us fast, which means your outdoor runs have probably been a little bit more chilly than usual at this time of year. Have no fear, because this healthy, nutrient-dense, totally delicious Chicken and Root Vegetable Casserole will help to warm you up in no time. Try making it on a […]
Healthy Recipe: Cherry Almond Smoothie
It’s a little chillier than we’re accustomed to at this time of year, but smoothies are still a super refreshing way to cool off and recharge your hard-working muscles after a hard run or race. This smoothie features antioxidant-rich cherries (which you better buy soon or else they’ll be out of season!), as well as […]
How to Make Your Own Gels and A Special Announcement
[Editor’s note:] Run Waterloo has added a special new blog feature to continue to offer high quality information and to bring you into the conversation! This How-To feature is a series of running advice blog posts on running by runners, for runners. We are looking to crowd source this exciting feature, so if you want […]
