Ask The Coach: Why Is a Cool Down Important After a Run?

"Why is a cool-down important after a run?" It's a question I'm often asked. Nobody seems to mind the warm-up, but when I say, "Ok, get your cool-down in?" I often hear moans and groans. Once you finish that last repeat, you're done, right? Well, technically you're done with the repeats, but not quite yet with the workout. 

A cool-down run aids the body in several ways, but here are three that I'm keen on.

1. Faster recovery
2. More effective results from your workout
3. Helps your body return to a state of rest 

Faster Recovery: The easy slow jog after your workout, continues to supply your muscles with oxygenated blood. This helps jump start the recovery process and also avoid sore muscles. Also, during intense speed workouts, the body produces lactic acid and other energy production waste products. The cool-down jog helps your body more quickly flush out these waste products also aiding in a quicker recovery.

More Effective Results: If you're body begins the recovery and rebuilding process quicker, then you're going to see better results from your workouts and quicker. You'll also be better prepared for you next run or workout instead of still feeling sluggish or sore from the previous workout.

Helps Your Body Return to State of Rest: Doing a cool-down jog after a speed workout allows your heart rate to come down slowly, allowing your body systems such as blood pressure to return to normal gradually. This also helps to avoid blood pooling in the legs after a hard workout. Ever felt dizzy after a speed workout? Improper hydration and/or fueling can be the culprit, but blood pooling in the legs is often the cause. A simple cool-down jog can help avoid this. That same cool-down jog can also let your body's cooling system wind down gradually. Have you ever finished a speed workout and as soon as you stopped, if feels like a faucet turned on in your body and suddenly your drenched in sweat? That's because during your workout, your body is working hard to keep you cool. When you land that last step of your speed workout, your body doesn't automatically shut down it's cooling plant. It's still going full force. A cool-down jog gives your brain time to realize that you are winding down and no longer need as much cooling-off support. As your heart rate comes down, that faucet will start to turn to the off position.

The more intense the workout, the more important the cool-down. Most experts recommend a 5- to 10-min cool-down. I usually tell my runners to do a half to a full mile for their cool-down. Remember, the cool down pace should be your easy run pace or slightly slower to be effective. If you're newer to speed workouts and you feel like you just have nothing left for a cool-down jog after your workout, try doing a 5- to 10-min cool-down walk.  Also, keep in mind that short-and-fast is hard and long-and-slow is hard. I've found it very beneficial to do a 5 to 10-min cool-down walk after a long run. It provides the same benefits as that cool-down jog after that speed workout.

Keeping Your Electrolyte Stores in Check?

For short runs, drinking just water after the run is fine, but for endurance runs, it's important to replace lost electrolytes after the run. On runs more than an hour, you need to be sure not only to kick in some fluids with electrolytes during the run, but you need to be sure and replace them after the run too. Not replacing the lost electrolytes can lead to an electrolyte deficit leading into the next run and that's not a good thing. So what are electrolytes? Electrolytes are macronutrients the body uses to keep the body systems working properly. Runners often hear about two electrolytes (sodium and potassium) but there are actually five electrolytes.

The "BIG FIVE": 

1. Sodium is important because it carries the water molecule throughout the body. without sodium, you'll become dehydrated very quickly, even if you're drinking water. Ever been on a run and had a sloshy stomach? If you just drank a bottle of water, it's probably just what you just drank sloshing around, but if you drank earlier in the run and you still have that sloshing around happening in the stomach, chances are your sodium stores are low. You can have a stomach full of water, but if there isn't proper levels of sodium in the body, there's no way for it to get out of the stomach to the rest of your body.
2. Calcium is needed for muscle contraction, nerve function, and strong bones
3. Magnesium like Calcium is needed for muscle contraction, nerve function, and strong bones 
4. Potassium is needed to relax a contracted muscle. Low levels of Potassium can lead to muscle cramps. Potassium also supports heart function and helps keep blood pressure regulated.
5. Chloride is needed to maintain fluid balance, blood volume, and blood pressure

Sports drinks are great for during the long run, but research has shown not only are dairy drinks (chocolate milk) great for post run rebuilding, they are also better at re-hydrating the body after a long run than sports drinks. Chocolate milk is a great post run recovery and rehydration drink. It contains the right mixture of carbs and protein and drinking it within 15-30 mins after your run is idea in helping your body recover and rebuild. Chocolate milk also contains sodium and calcium, two of your needed electrolytes. 

It's a great idea to include electrolyte-rich foods in your daily diet as well as to eat post-run. Sports nutritionist Nancy Clark provides some great food suggestions below to help replenish your depleted electrolyte stores:

Sodium: chocolate milk, peanut butter, bagel, even soup! Also try some deli turkey!

Potassium: bananas, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, peas, beans, avocado, and dried of fresh fruits like oranges, melons, raisins, prunes

Calcium: milk (regular or soy), cereal, yogurt, latte

Magnesium: leafy green veggies, whole grains, nuts, peanut butter, dried beans, lentils

Chloride: olives, rye, tomatoes, lettuce, celery

Smoothies are an easy way to get in your needed electrolytes. No need to drive to the smoothie shop either. Below are some great smoothie ideas from nutritionist, Laura Buxenbaum that are easy to make at home.

Running Refuel Shake

1 cup fat-free chocolate milk

1 scoop 100% whey protein powder

1 banana

Crushed ice

Triple Berry Smoothie

1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

1 cup skim or 1% milk

1/3 cup frozen blueberries

1/3 cup frozen strawberries                                                               

1/3 cup frozen raspberries

Ice

Orange Peach Mango Smoothie

1 cup orange juice

1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup frozen unsweetened peaches

1/2 cup frozen mangoes

Ice

PB&B Protein Smoothie

1 banana

1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter

1 cup 1% milk

1 scoop plain, vanilla, or chocolate whey protein powder

Crushed ice

Blues Buster Smoothie*

1 (6-ounce) container low-fat blueberry yogurt

1/2 cup apple juice

1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1/2 cup frozen sliced peaches

Crushed ice

*Recipe from SoutheastDairy.org

One of my favorite smoothie creations is the "RunnerDude Pumpkin Smoothie."

RunnerDude's Pumpkin Smoothie*

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt

1 banana, sliced into chunks (freezing the banana is beforehand is great too!)

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup skim milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup ice

Note: for a thinner consistency, add another 1/2 cup skim milk. For extra sweetness, add 1 tablespoon honey.

The Importance of Base-Building for Marathon Training

Growing up I remember my mom working hard cleaning the house before the housekeeper came to clean the house. Yep, she cleaned before the housekeeper came to clean. She didn't want anyone to come into a dirty house. I can understand the logic, but it kind of defeated the purpose of the housekeeper. Well, it goes without saying, we didn't keep housekeepers very long. We laugh about it now when we get together as a family and reminisce.

Many runners have a similar syndrome. I call it "Cart-Before-the-Horse-itis." I've worked with a few who have experienced the syndrome. They'll complain about this pain or that. This injury or that. I'm thinking to myself..."your marathon training doesn't kick in until 2 or 3 months down the road. What are you doing to feel like this?" 

With a little probing, I discover that they're doing self-prescribed hard runs (speed work and long runs). When I probe a little deeper, I discover that they're doing this in order to see what they're capable of doing before their training officially kicks in. It's a confidence thing. They want to know they can handle the workouts before they do the workouts. 

Okay, I can understand that, but the problems is that without a proper base and without a proper progression of increased intensity over the period of the "real" training plan, these runners up their chance of injury exponentially not to mention the head-games that can occur this early in the game. 

Between major endurance races, like a spring and a fall marathon, runners shouldn't be doing intense speed work like intervals, hill repeats and tempo runs. Nor should they be doing extremely long runs or logging high mileage weeks before official training begins.

Running is not unlike other sports that have periodization or "seasons." Like football, soccer, basketball, or hockey, there's a pre-season, in-season, post-season, and off-season to running. 

If you recently ran or are about to run a spring marathon and you plan to run a fall marathon, then it's best to think of yourself in "Off-Season" or "Recovery" for about 4 weeks after that spring race. Take the first week completely off. During weeks 2, 3, and 4 you can begin doing some light running but nothing intense (pace or distance). This will give your body time to truly heal and rebuild from your spring race.

After the fourth week, you can move into your "Pre-Season" or "Base-Building" phase and start building back your weekly mileage base, but gradually. This will help you condition your body to being back on the road or the trail. During the "Pre-Season" time, work your total weekly mileage back up to 20-25 miles for at least a month prior to the start of your official training. 

To read the rest of the article go to Active.com

What to Look For In A Sports Drink

Water is great for shorter runs, but if you perspire heavily or if you're going to be running over 60 minutes, a sports drink will be a better choice. Sports Drinks serve two purposes—rehydration and muscle fuel. On longer runs you'll use up your glycogen (energy) stores as well as sweat out vital electrolytes such as sodium and potassium.

Carbohydrates along with fat are the two main fuel sources for your muscles. Your body can store about 2000 calories in the form of glycogen which will last about 2hrs for the average runner. So, during a long run of 2+ hours, these carb stores will be depleted. If they're not replaced during the run, then the runner will more than likely "bonk" or "hit the wall." Sports drinks and/or sports gels are a great way to restock the glycogen (energy) stores while on the run. But don't wait until you feel fatigued to begin resupplying or it will be too late.

Sodium is needed to help the body properly absorb the fluids you're taking in. Ever have that sloshing-in-your-stomach feeling during a race? The sloshing is probably not due to drinking too much too fast. More than likely the water is remaining in your belly because you've decreased your sodium levels so much that your body can no longer absorb the fluids, so they're just "stuck" with nowhere to go. Ever have calf or quad cramps? This too is often a sign of dehydration and depleted potassium levels.

There are so many different brands of sports drinks on the market all claiming they're the best for you. So what exactly should be in a sports drink? There are some basics you should look for. As for the "extras" in many sports drinks? For the most part, that's exactly what they are—extra. You'll have to decide whether you need the extras or not.

Staples Of A Sports Drink:
Sodium:
Most experts agree that the sodium levels of sports drinks should be in the range of 110 - 220 mg per 8 fl. oz. A newer brand, just recently available—The Right Stuff— contains no carbs, but it contains much higher levels of sodium and other electrolytes. To read a review of The Right Stuff [click here].
Carbohydrates:
The carbohydrate concentration in a sports drink should be 6-8% or
6 - 8 grams per 100 ml
14.2 - 18.9 grams per 8 oz.
21.3 - 28.4 grams per 12 oz.
Sports drinks containing more than these quantities of carbs should be used for refueling after a workout, but not during.

Sports Drink Extras:
Caffeine:
Energy drinks and sports drinks are often confused. In general, sports drinks don't contain caffeine. The smaller canned (and some bottled) energy drinks (i.e., Red Bull) often contain very large amounts of caffeine as well as sugar or other sweeteners. Research has shown that some caffeine ingested before a race can boost performance (click here for more info), but drinking large amounts of caffiene throughout a race can have adverse effects and cause stomach issues for many runners.
Protein:
Some brands of sports drinks have added protein to their formula. Some claim the protein/carb mixture enhances performance. There is mixed results/opinions on whether performance is actually enhanced. The added protein, however, has been shown to speed muscle recovery. Accelerade, Amino Vital, Endurox R-4, and PowerBar Recovery Performance all contain added protein.
Vitamins:
Some brands contain a wide array of added vitamins. While this may be good for your general health, there's no research to show that they will help with your performance or benefit rehydration.

There are actually three different types of sports drinks available—Isotonic, Hypotonic, and Hypertonic. Some are designed for use during a run, while others are designed for after activity hydration. Listed below is more info about each type of sports drinks.

Isotonic Sports Drinks—Contain electrolytes and 6-8% carbs. Isotonic sports drinks usually contain about 120-170 calories per 500 ml of fluid. Probably the most common type of sports drink, isotonic sports drinks are good for normal replacement of fluids lost through normal sweating incurred during middle and long distance runs. (Examples: Accelerade, Gatorade [original], Gatorade Endurance Formula, Powerade [original], PowerBar Endurance Sport [powder])

Hypotonic Sports Drinks—Contain electrolytes and a small amount of carbs. This type of drink replaces fluids quickly but doesn't provide much of an energy boost. If a runner uses hypotonic sports drinks on a long run, he/she will need to supplement with sports gels to get the needed carbs. (Examples: Gatorade G2, Powerade Zero, Amino Vital)

Hypertonic Sports Drinks—Contain about 10-15% carbs and usually about 240-320 calories per 500 ml of fluid. These drinks are designed to replenish carb levels after exercise or to top off the glycogen stores before an endurance run. Hypertonic drinks are good for marathons or ultraruns. Due to the high levels of carbs, if hypertonic drinks are used during exercise, it's very important that a runner also take in some isotonic or hypotonic drinks too to help replace fluids. (Examples: Endurox R-4, Gatorade Performance Series, PowerBar Performance Recovery, Isopure Endurance)

Funny thing. Scientists have spent a lot of time developing the "perfect" sports drink. Come to find out, nature had made one long ago—coconut water. To find out more about coconut water [click here].

New Contest! Free CEP Compression Running Socks!

Several months ago in the post "Not Just for Grandma Anymore!", I reviewed CEP Compression Running Socks as a means for quicker recovery. CEP running socks are the first scientifically proven compression running socks to maximize power, boost energy, and speed recovery time. CEP Running O2 Sportsocks maximize muscle oxygenation and boost energy with CEP's compression technology for all-day benefits. CEP socks will help you run with less effort, increase your speed, decrease recovery time, reduce fatigue and optimize performance. I tested the socks for recovery purposes and was extremely pleased. To read that review [click here].

Derek, the president of CEP Socks is providing one free pair of their awesome compression socks as a prize right here on RunnerDude's Blog! All you have to do is send an email to runnerdudeblog@yahoo.com and put "CEP Socks Contest" in the subject line of the email. Be sure to put your name in the body copy of the email. That's it! Entries will be accepted through midnight (EST) on September 29th. The winner will be announced on September 30th. So, tell all your running buddies about the contest and send in those emails!

Also, If you're interested in getting an extra pair of the socks, CEP Socks is offering the readers of RunnerDude's Blog a special 10% discount. If you'd like to take advantage of the discount, just click on the special RunnerDude CEP Sock button on the right-hand side under the "Runners Market." Be sure to use the special discount code shown on the button when you place your order.

Runner's Palate September Recipe: Brown Rice Breakfast

I love super simple recipes that taste great and don't use many ingredients and the ingredients you do use are ones you'll most likely have in your pantry. I recently ran across one such recipe—Healthy Brown Rice Breakfast—from Bethenny Frankel of Diet.com. This 5-minute easy-to-make breakfast also doubles as a great post-run recovery snack. Give it a try!

Brown Rice Breakfast
Ingredients:
½ cup cooked brown rice (Note: the quick-cook brown rice varieties work really well. I like to fix a big bowl at the beginning of the week and then it's ready to use for this recipe each morning or after a run)
1 Tbsp. slivered almonds, pecans, or walnuts
1 Tbsp. raisins or cranberries
¼ cup soy milk or skim milk
1 Tbsp. maple syrup or honey
dash of vanilla extract
sprinkle of cinnamon

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients into a small sauce pan and stir until thoroughly mixed. Heat until warm throughout. (May also combine in a ceramic or plastic bowl and heat in the microwave.)
Makes one serving.



The total calories (using soy milk and almonds) is about ~317 which is perfect! A pre-run breakfast should be around 300 calories. The protein content is ~7.5g and the carb content is ~54g which is also a great ratio of carbs to protein for after running recovery. Gives you the carbs you need to restock the glycogen stores you've just used for the run and provides you with some protein to help rebuild muscle tissue. So, eat up!!

Do you have quick-n-easy healthy recipes that would make a great breakfast or recovery snack for runners? If so, send them to runnerdudeblog@yahoo.com for possible posting on the blog!

The Protein Myth: More Is Not Better

If you go into any supplement shop you'll see protein this and protein that! If you pick up any muscle or fitness magazine, you'll find ads pitching products loaded with protein that promise to build bigger and stronger muscle. Hate to burst their bubble—protein's good, but not that good.

Protein is vital to life. It provides the amino acids needed for building and maintaining your body tissue. There are 20 amino acids. Eleven of these amino acids (dispensable) can be made by the body. Nine of them however (indispensable amino acids), come from a variety of food sources. Foods that are high quality or complete protein sources have all nine of the indispensable amino acids. Animal food sources are complete proteins. Soy is the only plant food source containing complete proteins. Other plant food sources are considered incomplete proteins because they are missing one or more of the indispensable amino acids. Combining plant food sources can create a complete protein such as combining beans and rice or peanut butter and bread.

So, now that you know all about where protein comes from, what do they do for the body? Protein makes up the bulk of muscles, internal organs, brain, nerves, skin, hair, and nails. Protein is also a part regulating substances like enzymes, hormones, and blood plasma. In addition to protein playing a part in tissue building, it also helps regulate energy, water balance, metabolism and the immune system. So, bottom line...protein is important. The question is how much do you need? Will more be better for you?

Well in the case of protein, more is not better. Basically if you are a sedentary person, you only need about .8g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. If you are an endurance runner you'll need about .8-1.5g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. If you are a resistance trainer, you'll need 1.5-2g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. So if you weigh 150 pounds that's equivalent to ~68kg. If you're a sedentary person at that weight, you'll need 54g of protein per day. If you're an endurance runner at that weight and in heavy training for a marathon you might need the higher end of the .8-1.5g. So you'd need ~102g of protein per day. If you're a heavy resistance trainer you might need the higher end of the 1.5-2g. So you'd need ~136 of protein per day.

This may sound like a lot of protein, but remember you're getting most of this throughout the day from the foods you are eating. That's why supplements may not even be needed. For example, 3oz of white-meat chicken breast contains 26.7 g of protein. 3 oz. of Tuna (canned in water) has 21.7 grams of protein. 2 scrambled eggs have 13.6 grams of protein. So if you had these three food items for breakfast, lunch and dinner you've already eaten 62g of protein. This isn't even counting if you drank milk (8g for 1cup) with your eggs, had Greek yogurt for a mid-morning snack (15g for 8oz), had bread with your tuna to make a sandwich (10g for 2 slices of whole grain bread). Now you're at 95g of protein. And what about the almonds you had for your afternoon snack (6g for 1oz), the corn you ate with your chicken (2g) and the lowfat chips you had with your tuna sandwich (2g)? Now you're at 105 grams of protein! Guess what? If you're an endurance runner in training for a marathon, you've just reached and surpassed your 102 grams of protein for the day without any supplements.

Research has shown that going beyond the 2g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day has no benefits. Once the body has received it's dietary requirement of protein, any extra protein is deaminated (the nitrogen is removed) and what's left is either stored as fat or used as energy. Protein does not build muscle. Only exercise with the required amount of protein will build muscle. Excess protein can also cause kidney problems because it puts extra work on them in trying to get rid of the excess nitrogen.

As a runner it's more crucial to replace the glycogen supplys with simple carbs shortly after an intense workout rather than load up on protein. Protein may help speed up recovery but you only need a small amount. A good rule of thumb is 4:1 (4 grams of carbs to every 1 gram of protein) some studies say a 7:1 ratio is good too. Taking in too much protein after an intense run can actually slow down the absorption of the water with which you're trying to rehydrate your body.

I'm not bashing protein drinks, shakes, or powders. Just be sure however that when you're using them, that you're not exceeding the .8, 1.5, or 2g per kilogram of body weight per day rule depending on your activity level as well as what you're already getting from regular diet.

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Returning to Running After an Injury?

Picture in your mind a runner who has been recovering from an injury sitting on the exam table talking to his doctor. The doctor says, "Well, Joe Runner, you're healed. You can run again." Joe Runner gets a huge grin on his face slips on his running shoes he's been hiding under the table and strips off his shirt and pants to reveal running shorts and a singlet. He says "Thanks Doc!" as he runs out of the room at lightening-bolt speed. If you're a runner, you're probably chuckling and thinking, "Yep, that would be me!"

If you've had a running injury, you're well aware that the recovery period can be more frustrating than the injury itself. Imagine all of the sudden not being able to do the exercise you love the most—running—for several weeks or sometimes several months? A few years back I was told by my doc not to run for about three months while a heel fracture mended. I went just about bonkers during those long three months. I was gradually able to add back some exercise such as walking and using the elliptical, but it just wasn't the same. Luckily my doc specializes in sports medicine and is a long-time runner himself. After my recovery, he warned me against attempting to start back at the same level of running as before the injury. He said it would take time to get back to my previous level of fitness and if I didn't come back gradually, I could risk re-injuring my heel or possibly even injuring another part of my body.

It was hard. Damn hard, but I listened. That recovery period was during January, February, and March of '07. By the end of April I was getting back to my regular base mileage. Late May I ran a 5K, just for fun (not an all out effort), but it helped me mentally to "get back in the game." Funny thing is that by late summer, I was running faster and better than ever. That summer, I finally broke 2o minutes in a 5k and I set a PR for the half marathon (1:30). I firmly believe that my forced time off, allowed my body to recover not only from the heel fracture, but also allowed my entire body time to recoup.

Toward the end of my recovery period, I was walking a lot. I think my longest walk was 6-miles while my running buddies did our regular Saturday long run. The walking I did actually made me sore! Come to find out, you use different muscles when you walk. I believe all the walking I was doing helped to make me a stronger runner.

So, if you're injured, listen to the doc and allow your body time to heal. Also, if you're able to participate in other activities such as water running, using the elliptical trainer, cycling, swimming, or walking, do so. And don't think of it as, "well this is all I'm able to do." Think of it as an opportunity to let your injury heal as well as a time to strengthen muscle groups you don't normally use ultimately making you a stronger runner.

When it's time to get back to running, RRCA (Road Runners Club of America) recommends that you...

• phase out of the alternate activity, don't just jump right into running.

• have 10 miles of pain-free walking a week before returning to running.
• mix some walking into your running for a gradual return to full running.

• initially run at 25-50% of your pre-injury pace. Gradually work your way back to full speed.

The Power of Protein!

As a runner you probably hear a lot about the importance of carbohydrates, especially complex carbohydrates for a good energy source. Protein is another essential that plays an important role for runners, but it's often overlooked. Protein is found in muscles, bone, blood, hormones, antibodies, and enzymes. Protein helps build and repair body tissues. Protein also helps regulate the water balance in the body, helps transport nutrients, is used in brain function, and helps make muscles contract. Protein also helps keep the body healthy by fighting off diseases. Important for runners, protein helps produce stamina and energy which can keep fatigue at bay.

Where do proteins come from? Well there are two kinds of protein—complete and incomplete. Complete proteins such as beef, chicken, fish, eggs, milk (just about animal food source) contain all of the essential amino acids. Incomplete proteins come from food sources that do not have all of the essential amino acids—vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds and nuts. Vegetarians can get complete proteins from their foods by combining various incomplete proteins.

Complete Proteins Include:

chicken breast

turkey breast
egg (whole and the whites)

egg substitutes

fish (flounder, tuna, salmon, trout, cod, halibut, haddock, etc.)

steaks (round, sirloin, flank)

roast beef (the lean deli variety)

ground round or sirloin (buy the leanest available and/or drain the fat after cooking)

Canadian bacon

ham (trim fat)

pork tenderloin (trim fat)

pork chop (trim fat)

cheese (choose the 2% milk fat, lowfat or nonfat varieties)

cottage cheese (lowfat or nonfat)

milk (2% or skim)

yogurt (lowfat or nonfat; )

Incomplete Proteins Include:

grains (barley, oats, rice, etc.)

corn meal
pasta

whole grain breads

beans

lentils

soy products

seeds (sesame, sunflower)

nuts (walnuts, peanuts, cashews)
green leafy veggies
broccoli
peas

The recommended daily allowance of protein is 0.8 grams of protein for every 1 kilogram body weight. To calculate your daily protein needs multiply your body weight in kilograms by 0.8-1.8 g/kg. (To convert your weight from pounds to kilograms, multiply your weight in pounds by 2.2) There's a lot of debate over what's the exact number between 0.8 and 1.8 to multiply by to determine your daily allowance. What I could gleam from the debate was that basically if you're a sedentary person you'll probably multiply by 0.8. The average active person would probably multiply by 1-1.2 and if you're exercising at intense levels for long periods of time, then you'd probably multiply by 1.2-1.8. Most of the sources agreed that you didn't need to go over the 1.8 unless you were a super competitive bodybuilder.

Protein is a key ingredient in recovery for runners. Most research says that a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein 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. Be careful to keep the protein to 4:1 ratio after a run because too much protein can slow rehydration and glycogen replenishment.

There are lots of "canned" varieties of protein available at your local grocery store, gym, or vitamin/supplement shop. Some brands are made from soy others made from whey. As always there's some debate over which is better for you. Some research shows that 100% whey protein may be better for muscle growth and repair, but soy is still an excellent source of protein especially if you're a vegetarian or lactose intolerant.

The bigger thing to consider than whether you use should buy whey or soy is what else has been added to the one you are buying. Be sure to check the ingredients. Some varieties really pack in the sugar and fat. Find a brand that has the amount of protein you're seeking, but also is low in sugar and fat (especially saturated fat). I've used several brands and found a few that I prefer. Pure Protein made by Worldwide Sport Nutritional Supplements, Inc. is good and contains 23g of protein per serving, only 2 grams of fat and only 1 gram of sugar. The sodium content is pretty low as well. Body Fortress 100% Whey Protein is also good, containing 23g of protein per serving, 1.5g of fat and only 2g of sugar. Body Fortress also makes Super Advanced Whey Protein which contains 26g of protein (the 52g on the bottle refers to a double serving), 2g of fat, and 3g of sugar.

Muscle maintenance is crucial to endurance athletes who depend on muscle mass to train for long distance events, so be sure you're eating your daily required needs of protein as well as using protein in the right proportions for recovery after your workouts.

CEP Socks Update

Earlier in the month in the post "Not Just for Grandma Anymore!", I reviewed CEP Compression Running Socks as a means for quicker recovery. CEP running socks are the first scientifically proven compression running socks to maximize power, boost energy, and speed recovery time. CEP Running O2 Sportsocks maximize muscle oxygenation and boost energy with CEP's compression technology for all-day benefits. The company says that you’ll run with less effort, increased speed, decreased recovery time, reduced fatigue and optimized performance.

I tested the socks for recovery purposes and was extremely pleased. To read that review [click here]. Derek, the president of the company encouraged me to try the socks while running too. So that's what I did this past week. I ran an 9-miler and a 5-miler wearing the socks. Both times I was pleasantly surprised with how good they felt. It's hard to describe, but your legs, the calves especially, just felt solid. I suppose that's due to the compression. My calves, especially the left one tends to tighten up, especially on longer runs. I experienced no tightening on the 9-miler.

The 5-miler I ran was a very last-minute kind of run. My daughter has been home sick for the past three days, so I haven't been able to run. On Thursday, however, my 13-year old daughter offered to watch her little sister, if I wanted to run. I wasn't sure which to be happier over, that my 13-year old offered to watch her little sister without any prompting or the fact that I was able to run. Both were great! So, I yanked on my CEP Socks and running shoes and flew out the door. I decided to make this a 5-miler a tempo run so I could get back to my nursing duties. Man, I'm not sure if it was the adrenaline rush from being able to run, or the socks, but between the two, I was quit speedy! I felt the same support as on the long run.

After each run, I took a quick shower and put the socks back on for a couple of hours for recovery. My kids tease me about my new black "dress socks" that I wear around the house (my CEP Socks are black). I really did have strong reservations about wearing "socks" when running and how effective they'd be, but I'm a believer now.

The chart at the left shows you the benefits of wearing CEP Socks and how they compare to the competition.

If you're interested in getting your own pair, now is the time! CEP Socks is offering the readers of RunnerDude's Blog a special 10% discount. The company has a great 30-day money back guarantee, which is great so you can test them out and see what you think with really nothing to lose. If you'd like to take advantage of the discount, just click on the special RunnerDude CEP Sock button on the right-hand side under the "Runners Market." While you're at the Runners Market area, also check out PaceTat, The Stick, and RoadID for some other really cool and useful running products.

Ice, Ice, Baby

It's amazing how something so basic can be such an amazing cure-all. I'm talking about ice. Even with all the anti-inflammatory creams and oral medications on the market, ice remains one of, if not the most, effective anti-inflammatory treatments for sports related injuries as well as to impede recovery from intense workouts.

The first thing many runners want to do after a long intense run is to hop in a hot shower or a warm tub, especially in the winter. But, that's actually the worst thing a runner can do. Although it may feel really good to slip those worn out legs and tired little toes into a warm bath, what actually happens may make things worse and slow down your recovery. The hot water actually increases the blood flow increasing swelling worsening the inflammation. Ice does the exact opposite. The coldness helps to decrease the blood flow, decreasing the chances of swelling. That's why when you sprain your ankle you put an ice pack on it—to keep the swelling down.

Runners can benefit from applying the same basic principle after an intense workout or long run. An ice pack can be applied to a specific area or you can take an ice bath. You don't need a fancy store-bought ice pack. In fact, a zippered plastic baggie filled with ice or even a bag of frozen peas works much better because it will conform better to the area. Frozen peas work well because the individually frozen peas stay cold longer and there's not as much condensation on the outside of the bag like you get with the ice cubes in the zippered bag. I'm actually sitting on a bag of frozen lima beans as I write this (I'm out of peas). I did a long run this morning and my lower glutes are feeling it. Apply the ice for about 15 to 20 minutes. If at all possible, it's best to apply the ice pack immediately after the workout.

Ice baths are great for decreasing inflammation in both legs at once. This is very effective after an intense speed workout or after a hard long run. It's the same basic premise as the ice pack, just on a grander scale. Fill a tub with enough water to so that when you sit in the tub your legs will be covered when sitting flat, legs outstretched. Then add an ample amount of ice. Next, sit in the tub and slowly stretch your legs out in front of you until they are fully submerged. Be prepared. It's COLD!! 10-15 minutes max is all you need.

Below my contribution to the July 2010 Runner's World "Ask the Experts" feature on using Ice Baths. Check it out!