Don't Sabotage Your Workout With A "Reward!"

We are definitely a reward-based society. Every time we do something good, we want to be rewarded
or recognized. Nothing wrong with a reward, but let's save it for the big stuff, like finishing training for your first 5K race, crossing the finish line of a Marathon, or setting a new PR, not for finishing your Wednesday night workout.

We have all been guilty at times of using our "workout" as justification for having that treat. "Oh, I just worked out. Now I can have the beer, candy bar, triple chocolate brownie, sundae, or those fries....oh those fries."

Problem is the general public tends to way over estimate their calorie burn from a workout. To give you and idea of what I'm  (male/5'6"/135lbs/50yrs old) actually burning in a typical 1-hour workout, check out the stats below:
Vigorous weight lifting = 372 calories
Circuit Training-Cross Fit = 518 calories
Vigorous Spinning Class = 696 calories
Running at a 10-min pace = 615 calories
Running at a 8:34-min pace = 704 calories

Keep in mind that the stats above are for 60 minutes of solid working out. Not one hour of doing some reps, talking with a friend, doing a few more reps, talking to another friend, and so on.

Big box gyms often come equipped with a smoothie or juice bar. Nothing wrong with that. I've even played around with the idea of offering them here at my fitness studio. Problem is, if you're not the one making the smoothie, you have no idea how many calories are going into that smoothie.

For example, Smoothie King's 20oz High Protein Chocolate Smoothie has 366 calories. So for my one hour of heavy weight lifting, I netted out with a burn of  6 calories, if I treat myself to this smoothie! BUT.....keep in mind ,the 20oz is their small. When I 've been at Smoothie King, I rarely see a person order a 20oz, unless it's for a kid. Usually patrons are ordering the 32oz or the 40oz. For that same Chocolate smoothie, the 32oz packs 549 cals and the 40oz packs a whopping 732 calories. So, if I ordered either of the 2 larger sizes, I've just taken in 177 or 360 more calories than I actually burned working out. Maybe if I had  run for 60 mins the 20oz would be an appropriate refueling snack post workout. When I do my long 20+ milers, I make a pretty high calorie smoothie. I've burned about 2500 calories on the run and my smoothie that I make myself contains about 565 calories and is about 20oz.

You can quickly see if you're not aware of how many calories your burning and what you're treating yourself with post workout, you may just be sabotaging all your hard work. Now I'm not trying to make Smoothie King or any smoothie shop the bad guy. They have a product to sell and for the most part it's a good product. I've never been in a Smoothie King where they've tried to push the 40oz "The Hulk" strawberry smoothie with  1928 calories on me. It's up to me as the consumer to know what I'm eating or drinking.

So how much should you eat after a run? In her book, Food Guide for Marathoners, sports nutrition guru, Nancy Clark recommends you take in 200-400calories comprised of about 50-100g of carbs and about 10g of protein within an hour of running. I tell my runners to try and get it in within 30 mins of completing their run. Now keep in mind the range of 200-400 calories. 400 calories is more appropriate following a really hard speed workout or long run, while 200 calories is more appropriate following an easy run. My smoothie is a little more than the 400 calorie limit, but like I mentioned earlier, I only drink that after a 20+ mile run. Twelve ounces of 1% chocolate milk has 240 calories and 16g of protein. making it a perfect post-run recovery snack for a shorter less intense run. Other good options include Greek or traditional yogurt with added fruit, a bagel with peanut butter, an energy bar (be sure to read the label for calorie and carb/protein content), a peanut butter and banana sandwich, spaghetti with meat sauce, or a turkey sandwich, etc.

Celebrate the small gains you make in your fitness and running with the satisfaction of a job well done, and save those "treats" for the big long-term accomplishments. Save those extra calories for that celebratory victory meal with your friends and family.

Post-Run Snack Shopping List

Probably the most important thing a runner can do after a run is refuel. Many times, other commitments, the family and kids waiting, not feeling hungry, or just being plain tired, prevents runners from taking that post-run step of replacing the carbs they've burned on the run as well as ingesting some protein to aid in a quick recovery.

A runner can burn close to 1000 calories on a 10-miler. That's a lot of calories. It's important to replace what was lost as soon as possible. Ever fall a sleep right after a long hard run? The nap may have felt good, but did you feel sluggish the rest of the day? The next day? That was probably due to your muscles not having been refueled after your hard run. It's kind of like driving your car past the oil-change date. It starts to run a little rough. Even if you don't feel like eating, it's best to at least down a sports drink soon after the run so you're at least replacing some of the lost carbs.

A good rule of thumb is to eat a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein within 45 minutes of finishing a run. Most research says this ratio consumed shortly after a workout is optimal in speeding-up recovery and getting your tired, broken-down muscles the nourishment they need to rebuild and repair. Nonfat or lowfat chocolate milk actually has this 4:1 ratio and makes a great post run recovery snack. Don't worry too much about having exactly the 4:1 ratio. The most important thing to take from this is that for a post-run snack, you need to consume more carbs than protein. Too much protein can slow rehydration and glycogen replenishment.

How much should you eat? Not a lot. Your snack only needs to be about 220-440 calories (200-400 calories [50-100 grams] coming from carbs and 20-40 calories [5-10 grams] coming from protein.) If you've finished an easy short run or a laidback long run, then go with a lighter snack. If it's been a hard quick speed workout or a hard long run, then go with a more substantial snack. After an endurance race such as a marathon, it's a great idea to repeat this snack combo every couple of hours to keep a constant refueling supply to your muscles hard at work repairing themselves. Remember the you're not adding calories on top of your regular caloric intake that will just sit there and turn to fat. You're replacing the calories you used as fuel on your run.

So besides chocolate milk, what are some other foods to have handy for a post run snack? Listed below are just a few of the foods to include on your post-run food grocery shopping list.

Post-Run Snack Shopping List

Fruits—Fruits are a great source of simple carbs. Yep, that's right, simple carbs. Usually when you think of simple carbs you think of the bad carbs like white bread and doughnuts. Fruit contains the simple sugar fructose which is a simple sugar, but fruits are also packed with lots of fiber and they're also nutrient dense with lots of important vitamins and minerals. Fruit makes a great post run snack because the simple sugar it contains is digested quickly and can quickly be converted to energy your muscles need in order to repair themselves after your run. Here are just a few of the great fruits you may want to include on your shopping list.

apples (fiber, vitamin C, antioxidants)

bananas (potassium, fiber, vitamins C and B6)

blueberries (vitamins C and K, fiber)

cherries (vitamin C, fiber, potassium)

cantaloupe (vitamins A and C, potassium)

figs (fiber, iron, calcium, potassium)

raisins (potassium, fiber)

Vegetables—Vegetables are a great source of complex carbs and other nutrients. Listed below are just a few of the many great vegetables to consider for your post-run eating.

beans (i.e., kidney, pinto, garbanzo, edamame, etc.) (protein, fiber, potassium, iron)

carrots (vitamins A and K, potassium, lutein, beta-carotene)

broccoli (vitamins C, K, A, B6; fiber; potassium)

celery (vitamins K and C, fiber, potassium)

corn (fiber, potassium, vitamin C)

leafy greens (i.e., romaine, Swiss chard, kale, spinach, mustard greens, etc.) (vitamins A and K, fiber, antioxidants)

butternut squash (vitamins A, C, E; fiber; potassium)

summer squash and zucchini (vitamins C and B6, potassium, fiber)

sweet potatoes (vitamins A and C, fiber, potassium, beta-carotene)

tomatoes (vitamins A, C, K; potassium, lycopene)

Grains—Whether it's bread or pasta, look for 100% whole grain or 100% whole wheat. If it's not clear how much whole grain is used, check the nutrition label. Low fiber means more processed/refined grains have been used. Also check to make sure the sugars content is low. Then check the ingredients list. The ingredients are listed in order by how much is contained in the product. So, whole grain or whole wheat should be listed as the first ingredient. Sometimes it's hard to find 100% whole grain or 100% whole wheat products. If that's the case, buy products that have the the highest fiber content per serving (3 grams or more). 100% whole wheat products will also have more protein since the grains have not been processed or refined. Avoid products where the first ingredients listed are "enriched flour" or "enriched bleached flour."

100% whole wheat pita

100% whole wheat tortilla

100% whole wheat crackers

100% whole wheat bagels

100% whole wheat English muffins

whole-grain cereal (cold or hot)

pretzels (choose the whole grain variety that's baked not fried; Check the label. Some of the flavored varieties contain extra fat and calories)

100% whole-wheat or whole-grain pasta

Oatmeal (steel-cut is probably the most healthful, but the quick-cooking and instant varieties are good too. Be sure to check the fat and sodium content of the instant varieties.)

Quinoa (Besides soybeans, quinoa is the only other plant that's a complete protein. It's tasty and has the texture of pasta. It cooks quickly and can be used as replacement in many pasta dishes as well as being prepared as a hot breakfast cereal.)

Dairy—Dairy products are an excellent source of calcium which is needed for strong bones, but most people are unaware that calcium is also a key ingredient in the energy production process for muscle contraction. Just be sure to select the low-fat or no-fat varieties. Milk is also fortified with vitamin D which helps build a strong immune system.

skim milk

part-skim mozzarella string cheese

1% or fat-free cottage cheese

low-fat or fat-free yogurt

low-fat or fat-free Greek yogurt (contains twice the protein of traditional yogurt)

low-fat chocolate milk (has the perfect 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein)

Meat, Fish, Eggs and Meat Substitutes—Meat, fish, eggs, and meat substitutes are great sources of complete proteins. Fish containing Omega-3s (healthful polyunsaturated fats) help improve cardiovascular health and can help reduce blood pressure. Lean meats and poultry are also high in iron, B12, zinc, and phosphorus. It's no longer taboo to eat eggs. Research has shown that they're not the bad health culprit as once thought. Eating an egg a day is fine. Eggs are high in protein, iron, B12 and folate.

turkey breast

chicken breast

lean cuts of red meat

deli-sliced turkey, ham, roast beef (Watch out for high levels of sodium and fat. Not all deli meats are equal. Some are made with lesser quality and higher-fat meats. A good trick is to have it lean deli meats shaved or sliced very thin. That way you can pile it on your sandwich and it looks like more than the same serving size of a thicker cut.)

ground turkey or chicken (make sure it's lean white meat)

tuna (select varieties packed in water; the new pouches are great!)

salmon (select varieties packed in water; the new pouches are great!)

veggie patties (there are a wide variety of veggie burgers and black bean burgers as well as soybean-based chicken flavored patties in the frozen foods section that are low in fat, high in protein, quick to cook, and pretty tasty.)

eggs and egg substitutes (the yolk contains the fat including the omega-3s as well as vitamins A, B12, and E. Because the yolk contains the fat it contains about 3/4 of the egg's calories. The egg white contains more than half of the protein, iron, and selenium.)

Nuts and Nut Butters—Nuts are a great source of protein, vitamin E, folate, and magnesium. They also provide a small amount of fiber and iron. They're a great source of heart-healthy fats (mono- and polyunsaturated). Keep the serving size small (about 1 oz). Be sure to eat the raw or toasted varieties that contain no additional oils or salt.

almonds (great source of Vitamin E)

walnuts (contains more omega-3s than any other nut)

peanuts (1 oz packs 8 grams of protein)

peanut butter

almond butter

Miscellaneous

tomato-based pasta sauce (tomato-based sauces provide potassium; vitamins A, C, and K; and antioxidants. Meat varieties will provide some protein too. Select sauces with less than 700mg of sodium per 1/2-cup)

hummus (made with chickpeas and tahini [sesame paste], and is a great source of protein and calcium)

guacamole (avocados are a good source of potassium, vitamin E, heart-healthy unsaturated fats, and folate)

trail mix (skip the candied variety; focus on ones mainly consisting of dried fruit, granola, and nuts.)

dark chocolate (choose varieties that are made of 70% cocoa or higher. Keep the serving size small. One square of a 70% Dark Chocolate Lindt Bar and 1 oz of almonds make a great snack)

energy bars (be careful. Some are loaded with fat. Select ones with 6 grams or less of fat, 200 calories or less, 25-30 grams of carbs, and 5-10 grams of protein.)

sports drink (for post-run refueling be sure to select varieties that are not low in carbs.)

There are hundreds of different combinations for snacks using the foods listed above. Here's just a few.

Post-Run Snack Ideas:

English muffin with peanut or almond butter

apple slices and a mozzarella cheese stick

apple slices and peanut or almond butter

apple, pear, or peach slices with low-fat cottage cheese

baby carrots with peanut butter or hummus

leftover chili makes a great post-run snack

wheat crackers with hummus

wheat crackers with tuna salad (made with lowfat mayo)

turkey wrap (lean turkey wrapped in a tortilla)

pita bread with hummus

pita or tortilla with tuna

pasta with meat sauce

pasta with tuna

scrambled egg and 100% whole wheat bread sandwich

sports drink and a mozzarella cheese stick

So, stock your cupboard and your fridge, train hard, and don't forget to refuel. You're tired muscles will thank you for it!

FATIGUE.....It's Such a Drag!

Fatigue...It's a dirty little 7-letter word. We've all experienced it and the source of it can be almost too numerous to count.

Most of the time the source of the fatigue is temporary—late nights at work; a new baby in the house; exam time; a stressful relationship. Regardless of the cause, if you don't get on top of it, and set in place some steps to counteract the fatigue, you'll may go into that non-functioning zombie state from pure exhaustion.

Runner's can experience fatigue as well. It can be the stress-of-life-induced fatigue, but there can also be many other more running-specific sources for the fatigue.

One of the main causes of fatigue in runners is overtraining. Overtraining happens when you don't provide your body ample amount of recovery time. This often happens with runners using and over zealous marathon (or any race distance) training program. A good rule of thumb to follow when training is to alternate hard and easy days. Hard and Easy don't always refer to distance. The terms also refer to intensity. A short run can be "easy" if it's a 3-4 mile run at a conversational pace. Or short can mean "hard" if it's an interval workout at the track. Long can be "easy" if it's a leisurely 10-miler or it can be "hard" if it's a 10-miler at race pace.

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Throwing in a day or two of cross-training is a great way to give yourself an aerobic workout while giving your "running muscles" a break. And even a complete day of rest (meaning not doing anything) once or twice a week is much more beneficial that going full steam 7-days a week.

Overtraining can also be due to repetitive exercise when resistance training. If you don't vary your workouts and you're constantly subjecting your body to the same stress over and over, those muscles can become overtrained. A good rule of thumb is to wait at least 48 hours before working the same muscle groups again. So for example, if your do a chest/triceps workout one day, you should wait at least 2 days before working those muscles again. Professional bodybuilders will often workout a muscle group so hard in one workout, that they'll wait an entire week before working that muscle group again.

An elevated pulse is a good indicator of possible overtraining or even sickness such as a respiratory infection. If your waking resting pulse is elevated more than a few beats, you could have an infection or be suffering from overtraining. In either case, taking a day off may be the best thing. Rest is the best thing for overcoming overtraining. If rest doesn't do the trick, schedule an appointment with your doctor.

Improper hydration can also be a source of fatigue. Most people in general don't get enough water (2-3 liters) each day. If you fall into that categore and you're also not replacing the water you're losing through perspiration from running, you're risking dehydrated. A sure sign of dehydration is fatigue. In addition to your normal daily hydration requirements, you should drink 12-16oz of water about an hour before your run. One good way to determine how much you need to drink after your run is to weigh yourself before your run, then weigh yourself immediately after your run. For every pound lost, you should drink 16oz of water or sports drink. Of course you can't do this after every run, but if you do it on a mild day and once on a really hot/humid day, then you'll have a frame of reference to help you determine how much to drink after runs in various conditions.

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If you're running less than an hour, water is perfect. If you're running an hour or longer, a sports drink will be a better choice especially on hot/humid days because it will help replace vital electrolytes lost through sweating.

Lack of sleep, is a big-time cause of fatigue. Your body does most of it's repair and rebuilding while you sleep. If you're not getting enough sleep, then you're not giving your body time to heal. Plain and simple. Sleep requirements can vary from person to person. Teenagers need about 9 hours on average (mine seem to need about 15!). Most adults need 7 to 8 hours a night for the best amount of sleep, although some people may need as few as 5 hours or as many as 10 hours of sleep each day. Fatigue can result when your normal sleeping hours are shortend for whatever reason—stress of a new job, a new baby, or that heartburn you got from the 5-meat pizza you ate just before bed. If you're not getting your normal amount of sleep, then you need to back off on your training until your sleep hours are back to normal.

Low iron levels can be another cause of fatigue. If you've ruled out other possible causes of fatigue, it may be worth having your doc take a blood test to check your iron levels. This can especially be problematic for some women during their menstrual cycle. Sometimes just a change in diet can help boost your iron levels, but sometimes an iron supplement may be needed. (Check with your doctor before taking an iron supplement.) Good food sources of iron include: turkey, clams, enriched breakfast cereals, beans/lentils, pumpkin seeds, blackstrap molasses, canned beans, baked potato with skin, enriched pasta, canned asparagus

Sometimes you may not experience the fatigue during your run. For some the fatigue may come after the run. Insufficient post-run refueling can be the culprit. If you've had an intense workout, it's normal to feel tired, but if you're feeling fatigue that just won't go away, you may not be giving your body enough refueling carbs and protein after your run. A good rule of thumb is to consume a 4:1 ratio of carbs and protein within 30-45 minutes of finishing your workout. Oddly enough, lowfat chocolate milk has the optimal ratio of carbs to protein to help refuel tired muscles.

So, if you're experiencing fatigue, whip out this list and see if you can narrow it down. If this list doesn't pin down the cause for you, make an appointment with your doc.