Running on Empty

By Dr. Aaron Case BSc, DC (July 2007)

Counting calories does NOT work in the “long run”

When it comes to satisfying hunger, maintaining or losing weight and running longer or faster, your body requires nutrients, not empty calories (that have been refined, denatured at extreme heats, bleached, preserved chemically and enhanced artificially).

Counting (empty) calories will eventually backfire and force you to continue eating until you get the satiety (feeling of fullness/satisfaction) from NUTRIENTS (vs. calories) that you need to fuel your running.

How Much to Eat:
  • Eat from smaller bowls, plates and glasses (except for water).
  • On any given day, the nutrient requirements of your body vary and are impossible to accurately ‘count’.
  • Although many diets recommend “grams of”, if you follow the what to eat and when to eat guidelines below, your natural mechanisms of hunger should more accurately and effectively control your appetite in the long run.
When to Eat:
  • Within ½ hour of waking up.
  • Every 2-3 hours thereafter.
  • Stop eating or reduce portion size 2-3 hours before sleep.
  • Small frequent meals (5-6/day) will properly maintain lean muscle and keep metabolism high. Eating large, infrequent meals promotes fat gain, muscle loss, lower metabolism and sluggish runs.

Interesting Fact: Sumo wrestlers take advantage of the fat converting/storing capability of the body by purposely eating as much as possible before they sleep or nap in order to gain the extra fat necessary for their sport.

What to Eat: Protein
  • Why?The longer you exercise, the more protein you use. Since the main source of protein in your body is stored as muscle, the longer you run, the more protein is taken from your existing muscle mass. So unless your are eating frequent and adequate sources of protein and cross training with some upper body activities, running may eventually lower your resting metabolism by depleting some of you muscle, particularly in the upper body. The pounding of running forces a high degree of muscle breakdown through eccentric muscle contraction (muscle lengthening under a load) which is then either used as a fuel source and/or excreted from your body.

Interesting Fact: Long distance runners often require more protein than weight lifters just to maintain their muscle mass/high metabolism.

  • How? Small frequent meals (mentioned above) should always contain a source of protein.
  • What? Good sources of protein include lean meat/fish, low fat (1% fat or less) dairy products (milk, cottage cheese, and yogurt), egg whites, nuts and seeds, soy products, and lentils (beans, peas).
What to Eat: Carbohydrates
  • Why? To ignite the fat burning furnace during exercise.
    To improve endurance.
    To prevent your muscle/protein from being burned instead of carbohydrates.
  • How? Eat more fibrous carbohydrates with a lower Glycemic Index (GI)*.
    Lower the GI effect (spike in blood sugar) by adding a source of good fat or protein to a high GI food.
    High GI foods should be eaten within an hour or so before a run, within ½ hour after the run (with protein) and during exercise lasting longer than 1 hour.
  • What?*For more information on carbohydrates, please see www.glycemicindex.com.
What to Eat: Fat
  • Why? The kind of fat you consume influences whether you gain, maintain or lose weight. Different types of fat are more or less likely to be metabolized into useful energy vs. being stored as fat.
    Fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E and K) need fat as part of a meal to absorb into your body.
  • How? Your small frequent meals (mentioned above) should contain a source of good fat. In addition to the reasons mentioned above, you will be more satisfied and less likely to eat empty carbohydrates and bad fats (hydrogenated, excess saturated fats).
  • What? Better Fats: Polyunsaturated essential fats: Omega 6s (tend to be too high in most people’s diet but a small amount is required), Omega 3s (nuts and seeds, salmon) and monounsaturated (ex. extra virgin olive oil).

Interesting Fact: Many athletes add several tablespoons of essential oils (omega 3s, flax oil, Udo’s oil, etc.) to their diet each day during training to keep their metabolism high, recover faster between runs, and reduce inflammation and injury potential. Other sources of good fats include soy products, nuts and seeds, and avocados.

What to Drink: Water
  • Why? To prevent dehydration AND to improve endurance by allowing the body to store more carbohydrates. Carbohydrates need water to be stored in the muscles.
    “Running on empty” can often be due to the subtle effects of dehydration. One of the major keys to running speed and endurance is core body temperature regulation. A dehydrated body will limit a runner’s ability to sweat. This can have a profoundly negative effect on performance.
  • How? The key to staying hydrated during a run is to hydrate properly the day before and the day of the run.
Summary

By considering yourself a “runner/jogger/walker” when making dietary choices, often the decision of what and when to eat becomes much easier. In other words, before your next bite or drink, ask yourself, “as an athlete, is this food helpful or harmful to my next exercise session?” If you ask yourself such a question, it will help you analyze if you are putting the right kind and amount of protein, carbohydrates, fat or liquid into your body.