Any endurance athlete needs to be conscious of their nutritional requirements. Marathon runners and tri-athletes may ask, is a runner's supplement right for me? Supplements play an important role in two different ways.
The Proper Diet Challenge
Because of the athlete's high demand for energy during performance, getting enough carbohydrates and protein they need every single day can be very challenging. Runner's supplements can help. Sports drinks, energy bars and meal replacements allow an athlete to fuel their body without having to eat a lot of carbohydrate heavy foods.
It seems as if the athlete never quits in their day to day on-the-go lifestyle. The idea of eating 5 to 6 meals can be daunting, if not impossible for some. Carbohydrate supplementation via sports drinks and meal replacements can be a viable option.
The Protein Issue
The protein issue poses another barrier to round-the-clock eating. Protein comes from animal sources such as meat, fish, poultry, and dairy products. Trying to eat 5 to 6 meals a day that include protein is a problem because most people will not carry a chicken breast or a piece of around with them to meet those nutritional requirements. So, this makes sticking to a proper nutritional plan even more difficult.
Protein powders offer quite an advantage. They are easy for the body to absorb, making your daily protein goal much easier to achieve.
Food or Supplements?
Many athletes want to know if they should eat supplements or just follow a good diet. The answer to that question is both. If an athlete is hoping to hit their peak, they need to start with a good nutritional plan. This plan should include high carbohydrates for energy needs and protein for muscle repair and growth and along with small amounts of fat.
Proper nutrition should always be the primary goal for any athlete, so spending a fortune on supplements doesn't have to happen. If you are sticking to a 5-6 meal a day plan, you will probably not need runner's supplements, like sports drinks. If you find yourself skipping meals because you are pressed for time, then you may want to consider runner's supplements.
Vibe Works
Whether an athlete is eating 5-6 meals a day or supplementing their diet with energy bars and powders, a good multi-vitamin is essential to good health.
Vibe for performance is a major development in the area of nutrient delivery technology. Not only does Vibe provide essential vitamin, minerals, nutrients and cofactors needed for the body to thrive, it does so in a nutrient delivery system that makes sense - liquid. Vibe is available atNutrition For Champions
Karen Vertigan Pope writes for Ciniva Systems, an award winning Virginia web design company. Ciniva specializes in web design and SEO. Ms. Vertigan Pope is the Project Support Manager of Ciniva Systems. Ciniva Systems is in charge of SEO for Nutrition For Champions.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
How Can A Cyclist Get Proper Nutrition Without Overeating?
As with any sport, to be the best possible, a cyclist has to know the best foods to eat. It may seem like an obvious fact, but the food a cyclist eats should go down easy and stay down.
Variety and moderation are two words to remember when racing or touring. Moderation means there are no good foods or bad foods, but rather healthy foods and not-so-healthy foods. Variety is important because nutrients are distributed in many foods. No one super-food contains everything you need.
A cyclist will burn more calories than a sedentary person, but that doesn't mean the cyclist has a license to eat anything they want. The correct eating plan will give you energy for an entire race or tour.
A diet of low fat and high carbohydrates will provide the needed energy. While a high carb diet is normally taboo for a normal dieter, they are not evil as many are taught to believe. Carbohydrates are actually the body's preferred source of energy.
Good sources of carbohydrates are fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, rice and pasta. Round out your diet with lean meat and small amounts of fat.
About an hour before you ride, fuel your body with a high carbohydrate snack or small meal. Some fruit and whole grain toast is a good idea or perhaps the athlete's friend: a bagel with peanut butter.
If you are going to be riding for more than an hour, replenish your carbs with a sports drink or energy bar during your ride.
It is equally important to eat within sixty minutes after a ride to replenish lost nutrients and to aid in muscle recovery.
Water is essential for hydration and maintaining fluid balance. To estimate your rate of fluid loss, weigh yourself nude before a race and then again after a ride. This is the amount of fluid you have lost during a race or a tour. Your rate of sweating can exceed a liter an hour in hot weather, so it is difficult to keep up. Drinking on a bike is always a good idea to keep up with fluid loss.
To ensure proper nutrition without overeating, a nutritional supplement is recommended for cyclists. Vibe is an great choice for an all natural nutritional supplement. This nutritional supplement is great tasting, convenient, and economical. It is a powerful way to get the balanced nutrition an active cyclist requires. More information about Vibe is available at Nutrition for Champions
Karen Vertigan Pope writes for Ciniva Systems, an award winning Virginia web design company. Ciniva specializes in web design and SEO. Ms. Vertigan Pope is the Project Support Manager of Ciniva Systems. Ciniva Systems is in charge of SEO for Nutrition for Champions.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karen_Vertigan_Pope
Variety and moderation are two words to remember when racing or touring. Moderation means there are no good foods or bad foods, but rather healthy foods and not-so-healthy foods. Variety is important because nutrients are distributed in many foods. No one super-food contains everything you need.
A cyclist will burn more calories than a sedentary person, but that doesn't mean the cyclist has a license to eat anything they want. The correct eating plan will give you energy for an entire race or tour.
A diet of low fat and high carbohydrates will provide the needed energy. While a high carb diet is normally taboo for a normal dieter, they are not evil as many are taught to believe. Carbohydrates are actually the body's preferred source of energy.
Good sources of carbohydrates are fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, rice and pasta. Round out your diet with lean meat and small amounts of fat.
About an hour before you ride, fuel your body with a high carbohydrate snack or small meal. Some fruit and whole grain toast is a good idea or perhaps the athlete's friend: a bagel with peanut butter.
If you are going to be riding for more than an hour, replenish your carbs with a sports drink or energy bar during your ride.
It is equally important to eat within sixty minutes after a ride to replenish lost nutrients and to aid in muscle recovery.
Water is essential for hydration and maintaining fluid balance. To estimate your rate of fluid loss, weigh yourself nude before a race and then again after a ride. This is the amount of fluid you have lost during a race or a tour. Your rate of sweating can exceed a liter an hour in hot weather, so it is difficult to keep up. Drinking on a bike is always a good idea to keep up with fluid loss.
To ensure proper nutrition without overeating, a nutritional supplement is recommended for cyclists. Vibe is an great choice for an all natural nutritional supplement. This nutritional supplement is great tasting, convenient, and economical. It is a powerful way to get the balanced nutrition an active cyclist requires. More information about Vibe is available at Nutrition for Champions
Karen Vertigan Pope writes for Ciniva Systems, an award winning Virginia web design company. Ciniva specializes in web design and SEO. Ms. Vertigan Pope is the Project Support Manager of Ciniva Systems. Ciniva Systems is in charge of SEO for Nutrition for Champions.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karen_Vertigan_Pope
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Runner's Nutrition Tips for Peak Performance
It is hard to know exactly what constitutes proper nutrition for a runner, or any athlete for that matter. A ton of information is available online. The hard part is separating the good info from the bad. Some of the information is simply common sense. This article will give you a few pointers about nutrition for runners.
High-Protein Dieting is Wrong for Runners
High-protein diets help people to loose weight. A word of caution, however. High-protein diets are not good for athletes, especially runners. If you are currently on a high-protein diet, don't count on having very much energy. High-protein diets do not fuel the body with essential carbohydrates a runner needs for endurance. High-protein diets often suggest reducing your carb intact, thereby forcing your body to use protein to make sugars for brain fuel.
As a result, the person develops what is called ketosis. Ketosis is basically a partial breakdown of body fats which causes increased loss of fluids. Many people are excited when they first begin a high-protein diet because they loose a lot of weight in the first weeks. This weight loss is mostly a loss of water.
This type of weight loss is devastating for a runner. If weight control is an issue for you, then rather than cutting down on carbohydrates or increasing your protein intake, increase your running distance five to ten miles over the course of the week.
Weight Loss Tips
You have probably heard this before, but it bears repeating. If you are having trouble getting rid of a few pounds, then start a food journal. My preferred method is using a small notebook that fits easily into a pocket or purse. Every time something goes into my mouth, it goes into the journal at the same time. I have been at this long enough that I can estimate the calories in many things I eat on a regular basis. Keeping a running total helps to control what I am tempted to eat later in the day.
Drinking lots of water is a good weight loss trick. Besides drinking water, eat foods that have plenty of water in them naturally, such as vegetables, fruits and low-fat or fat-free milk. Pair them up with fish, poultry or beans, which are low calorie foods that have ample bulk. Soups, stews, casseroles and pasta with lots of veggies will help with your intake of water. Adding blueberries to your breakfast cereal or eggplant to your lasagna will give you more food, and not add a lot of calories.
Low Fat Dieting is Wrong for Runners
The body gets energy from fat, which can mean a loss of endurance if a runner doesn't consume enough fat in their diet. Fat is not a bad food. Vegetables cooked in olive oil may actually reduce your chances of developing various forms of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis. If you are running more than thirty-five miles a week, then 30 to 45 percent of your caloric intake should be in the form of fat. It is a simple concept. Runners need more calories.
These few simple tips can help you improve your performance when running for long distances. VIBE for runners is a great way to add much needed vitamins and antioxidants to your diet. This all-in-one nutritional supplement is convenient, great tasting, and economical. Within seconds after taking VIBE, a full 97% of the nutrients you need for performance are absorbed into your body at the cellular level. It is a powerful way to receive balanced nutrition for an active runner. A more complete, proven combination of healthful goodness in liquid form can't be found. You can get VIBE at Nutrition for Champions
Karen Vertigan Pope writes for Ciniva Systems, an award winning Virginia web design company. Ciniva specializes in web design and SEO. Ms. Vertigan Pope is the Project Support Manager of Ciniva Systems. Ciniva Systems is in charge of SEO for NutritionForChampions.com
High-Protein Dieting is Wrong for Runners
High-protein diets help people to loose weight. A word of caution, however. High-protein diets are not good for athletes, especially runners. If you are currently on a high-protein diet, don't count on having very much energy. High-protein diets do not fuel the body with essential carbohydrates a runner needs for endurance. High-protein diets often suggest reducing your carb intact, thereby forcing your body to use protein to make sugars for brain fuel.
As a result, the person develops what is called ketosis. Ketosis is basically a partial breakdown of body fats which causes increased loss of fluids. Many people are excited when they first begin a high-protein diet because they loose a lot of weight in the first weeks. This weight loss is mostly a loss of water.
This type of weight loss is devastating for a runner. If weight control is an issue for you, then rather than cutting down on carbohydrates or increasing your protein intake, increase your running distance five to ten miles over the course of the week.
Weight Loss Tips
You have probably heard this before, but it bears repeating. If you are having trouble getting rid of a few pounds, then start a food journal. My preferred method is using a small notebook that fits easily into a pocket or purse. Every time something goes into my mouth, it goes into the journal at the same time. I have been at this long enough that I can estimate the calories in many things I eat on a regular basis. Keeping a running total helps to control what I am tempted to eat later in the day.
Drinking lots of water is a good weight loss trick. Besides drinking water, eat foods that have plenty of water in them naturally, such as vegetables, fruits and low-fat or fat-free milk. Pair them up with fish, poultry or beans, which are low calorie foods that have ample bulk. Soups, stews, casseroles and pasta with lots of veggies will help with your intake of water. Adding blueberries to your breakfast cereal or eggplant to your lasagna will give you more food, and not add a lot of calories.
Low Fat Dieting is Wrong for Runners
The body gets energy from fat, which can mean a loss of endurance if a runner doesn't consume enough fat in their diet. Fat is not a bad food. Vegetables cooked in olive oil may actually reduce your chances of developing various forms of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis. If you are running more than thirty-five miles a week, then 30 to 45 percent of your caloric intake should be in the form of fat. It is a simple concept. Runners need more calories.
These few simple tips can help you improve your performance when running for long distances. VIBE for runners is a great way to add much needed vitamins and antioxidants to your diet. This all-in-one nutritional supplement is convenient, great tasting, and economical. Within seconds after taking VIBE, a full 97% of the nutrients you need for performance are absorbed into your body at the cellular level. It is a powerful way to receive balanced nutrition for an active runner. A more complete, proven combination of healthful goodness in liquid form can't be found. You can get VIBE at Nutrition for Champions
Karen Vertigan Pope writes for Ciniva Systems, an award winning Virginia web design company. Ciniva specializes in web design and SEO. Ms. Vertigan Pope is the Project Support Manager of Ciniva Systems. Ciniva Systems is in charge of SEO for NutritionForChampions.com
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