Sometimes I get questions that remind me to question what I think I know. In general vegetables can not be counted on to be a high quality source of protein – meaning nutritionally complete and digestib-ly present protein. They can however, compliment other protein sources to improve total diet protein quality.
Is it possible for athletes to eat enough protein on a plant-based diet?
“As a mom of a kid who can’t eat peanuts, a dietitian, and long-time consultant to the food industry what allergen “claims” speak to you on a package?
The bottom line is flaxseed can contribute a variety of nutrients to your diet and some ALA that can then be converted (estimates are around 3-15% is converted). Just don’t count on it as your only source of omega-3 fatty acids or you will likely fall short.
Do I need a protein supplement? A common mistake many people make is not spreading those protein foods out throughout the day. They skimp out on protein at breakfast, lunch, and snacks and backfill with a big portion of protein at dinner
Blisters are a big deal! I have made the mistake of thinking otherwise but, blisters can impede the ability to train and participate in athletic adventures as much as an injury or illness. My advice is to take blisters seriously especially of you feeling one heating up under foot. Here are a few of my go-to treatments and prevention tools: When have blisters bust: https://www.amazon.com/Spenco-Skin-Blister-Sports-Count/dp/B004UOTUXK/ref=sr_1_8_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1493240870&sr=8-8&keywords=blister+pads I used this and made it through Ragnar Trail Relays with blisters that had popped before the event even started. I also added these where needed https://www.amazon.com/Band-Aid-Advanced-Protection-Adhesive-Bandages/dp/B000Y8W50G/ref=sr_1_4_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1493244021&sr=8-4&keywords=blister%2Bprevention&th=1 Super awesome for blister prevention that I use to reduce friction on new shoes and with my orthotics is this ease, simple solution https://www.amazon.com/Blister-Prevention-Patches-Runners-Athletes/dp/B003URZNW0/ref=sr_1_6_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1493243976&sr=8-6&keywords=blister+prevention
The answer is that it could be both. Muscle cramps are general caused by tired muscles, which is inevitable in distance running. They can also be caused by a sodium imbalance and dehydration. Staying hydrated is a tricky proposition because there are so many variables that impact how much fluid and sodium you sweat out during your run. Intensity, fitness, heat, humidity and altitude are some of the things that will impact how sweaty you get. How much any body sweats can vary between ten to eighty ounces per hour! That is a high amount of variability. The concentration of sodium in that sweat also varies greatly with an average concentration of about one-thousand milligrams per thirty-two ounces. In other words if you lose two pounds of sweat you may have also lose around one-thousand milligrams of sodium that needs to be replaced by drinking and eating sodium! Of course these numbers are highly variable with the environment and individuality. Determining your sweat rate can be a useful tool in bench-marking how much sodium …
Pickle juice has come into view as trending “sports drink” and an aid station item at ultra running event. This is primarily for the salt and perhaps to meet some kind of strange endurance-runner palate craving . The craving and electrolyte may have little to do with why some athletes benefit from pickle juice according to this interesting research. Cramping continues to be pretty allusive and an unsolvable problem for many athletes. I think some cramps, the kind that start as small tingles and grow into major cramp, are likely to be triggered by lack of hydration/electrolytes. Ion muscle-channel activators found in pickle juice and mustard that may serve as an “anti-cramp” by helping to relieve the dramatic, sudden, and paralyzing-type cramps that occur in sport. http://web.outsideonline.com/2026376/could-flex-pharma-be-final-cure-muscle-cramps
Question: I workout first thing in the morning, and lately I’m increasing my workout ( adding strength training and interval training). Normally I don’t eat anything before, but I’ve been feeling wiped out during the longer workouts. I’m wondering when you would recommend eating and of that might help me? Answer? It is no wonder you are feeling wiped out! An increase in intensity and duration of a workout can increase your energy needs, and after an eight hour fast (while you were sleeping), you have little fuel available in your blood stream for immediate use by those muscles. You need to get some quick fuel in to fire up the muscles to work better for you! High in carbohydrate food eaten or drank before you get started can make a big difference in the quality of your AM workouts. If you roll right out of bed and into your workout clothes there will be little time for foods containing fiber, fat, and protein to digest. So keep it simple to limit stomach aches. My …
There was a disturbing time for me when running was more about burning calories than it was about feeling energized and free. It wasn’t entirely my fault. My Mom and Dad’s eating and activity behaviors showed me that calories were something to restrict and burn and, to limit them at all costs. So when a dietitian told me that calories could help improve my running performance I was confused. I actually was so distrusting if this skinny woman with glasses that I had to become a dietitian to study this for myself. Yes, it is true you don’t want to eat more calories than you burn unless you want to put on weight (SOME people DO benefit from putting on weight). More importantly for an active person already at a healthy weight is eating enough calories to energize the body’s potential to run far and sometimes fast(er). Timing those calories has proven beneficial to me as well. That brings me to the topic at hand. I recently did an interview where they asked me this …