Alternative Fuel Sources

 Are you a runner for which fuel sources like gels, Gu's and chews, just don't seem to do the trick. Do prepackaged fuel sources give you stomach distress or maybe you just don't like the taste or texture? Then check out my tips for alternative fuel sources. Some might be right in your cupboard!

Baked Berry Oatmeal

My running friend Cathy Jackson shared this simple to make Berry Baked Oatmeal recipe. It's the perfect breakfast or pre-run fueling for runners! 

Baked Berry Oatmeal 

1 hour - Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups Old Fashioned Oats
• 1/2 cup Steel Cut Oats
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (I used canola oil)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce 
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 cups Unsweetened Coconut Milk (I used 1% regular milk)
• Raspberries
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Chopped Almonds
• Coconut Sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In large bowl stir together rolled oats, steel cut oats, baking powder, salt & cinnamon, set aside.

In medium bowl combine brown sugar, honey, oil, applesauce, egg & milk.  Add to oat mixture & stir until combined.

Pour into a greased 2 quart casserole dish (a 9" x 13" glass baking dish works good too).  Top evenly with berries, chopped almonds & sprinkle lightly with coconut sugar.

Bake uncovered for 40 minutes or until set and lightly browned.  

Serve warm -  top with Greek Yogurt and chopped almonds 

Eat, Eat, What to Eat

Proper fueling is often a problem for runners. Whether it's a time issue, an allergy issue, or a gut issue, runners have to make the time to figure out what works best for them.

One of the most frequently asked questions I get as a running coach, is "What's the best thing for me to eat?" Problem is there is no "best food" for a runner to eat. There are however, some parameters that runners need to keep in mind when fueling for a run. From that point on, it's up to the runner to figure out (by trial and error) what works best for him/her. I always tell my runners that the training period for a race isn't just physical training, it's also mental and the nutritional training. Use those long runs to test out different foods to see what works best to meet your individual hydration and fueling needs.

Often, a runner will come to me exasperated because his/her runs have felt so fatigued and labored. Many times, after talking through various reasons that might be contributing to the lack-luster runs, improper fueling surfaces as the culprit.

Ongoing good daily nutrition is vital to a runner in training for an endurance race, such as a marathon. On a daily basis, runners need a healthy balance of carbohydrate, protein, and fat.

For a while now, carbohydrates have gotten a bad rap. The rising popularity of low- and no-carb diets has given the general public the impression that carbs are their enemy. Carbs are like anything: In excess they can be bad.

Your body needs carbohydrates to function properly. Carbs provide fuel for the body. They also help regulate the metabolism of protein and fat. If the body does not receive sufficient carbohydrates, it could begin breaking down protein for energy production. Protein can be used as fuel, but it’s not very efficient, and when protein is used as fuel, less is available for its main function—rebuilding and repair. The protein-sparing action of carbohydrates protects the body’s stores of protein.

More important, command central—your brain—needs carbohydrates for proper function. Through the digestion process, carbohydrates are converted to glucose. Glucose is the fuel on which the body functions. Unlike other muscles in the body, the brain can’t store glucose. Instead, it depends on a steady supply of glucose from the blood circulating through the body. Ever feel light-headed during an afternoon workout and then realize you skipped lunch? That light-headed feeling might be the result of low blood sugar, which means you’re low on that steady supply of glucose in the blood flowing to the brain. Not a good feeling. When you eat something, that light-headedness usually subsides.

There are “good carbs” and “bad carbs.” It’s the bad (simple) carbs that give the good (complex) carbs a bad rap. Unfortunately, simple carbs are prevalent in our diet. They are found in convenience foods such as cakes, cookies, crackers, breads, and so on. Foods such these are made with refined/processed grains, which are quickly digested and converted to fat in the body unless activity ensues soon after ingestion.

Complex carbs take longer to digest; therefore, the body has more time to use them as fuel. These include vegetables and whole grains. Complex carbs are also high in fiber, which has many benefits for the body.

Forty-five to 65 percent of your daily calories should come from carbohydrates. That’s about 225 to 325 grams of carbs per day. The USDA recommends a minimum of 130 grams of carbohydrates per day. To get a better idea of how that correlates to portion sizes, MyPlate.gov recommends that adults eat 2.5 cups of vegetables, two cups of fruit, and six ounces of grains every day. When working out intensely or training for a race, your carb intake should be closer to 65 percent. On days when you’re not working out or running, your carb intake should be closer to 45 percent.

When shopping for complex carbohydrate products such as bread or pasta, look for 100 percent whole grain or 100 percent whole wheat. If it’s unclear how much whole grain a food contains, check the nutrition label. Low fiber means more refined (or processed) grains. Also check to make sure the sugar content is low. Then check the ingredients list. The ingredients are listed in order of how much the product contains. “Whole grain” or “whole wheat” should be listed as the first ingredient. If you’re still not sure, buy products that have the highest fiber content per serving (at least three grams or more).

Products that contain 100 percent whole wheat will also contain more protein since the grains have not been refined. Try to find products offering at least eight grams of protein. Whole-grain foods also provide many important vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin E, iron, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus, just to name a few.

Avoid products made of “enriched flour” or “enriched bleached flour.” That means refined grains have been used. These grains have been stripped of most of their fiber, vitamins, and minerals. “Enriched” sounds good, but it really means that some of the vitamins and minerals have been added back to the flour. Fiber, however, can’t be added back to the flour.

As previously mentioned, raw or cooked vegetables are great sources of complex carbohydrates. Technically, fruits are a simple carbohydrate, but that doesn’t mean they are bad. Whole fruit is full of fiber and is nutrient dense, so while the body may digest it more quickly, whole fruit is a great source of both carbohydrates and fiber. Go light on fruit juice. Even if it’s 100 percent fruit juice, this very concentrated version of the fruit greatly increases the sugar content. Whole fruit (fresh or frozen) is a better choice. Dried fruits are also a great choice. Dairy products such as skim milk and cheese are more good sources of carbohydrates.

Protein is easily one of the most overused supplements. Supplement advertisements have the public believing that protein makes muscle bigger. This is very misleading. Protein doesn’t zoom to your muscles and magically make them grow bigger. Protein does, however, help rebuild and repair muscle fibers. After a hard workout, protein is a necessary ingredient in the muscle-rebuilding process, which makes muscles stronger. Protein is found in muscles, bone, blood, hormones, antibodies, and enzymes. Protein also helps regulate the body’s water balance and transport nutrients, supports brain function, and makes muscles contract. Protein also helps keep the body healthy by fighting off disease. Important for runners, protein helps produce stamina and energy, which can keep fatigue at bay.

Protein is definitely a key ingredient for a strong, healthy body, especially if you’re in training. Research has shown, however, that the body has a limit at which it stops using extra protein. Studies have found that the body maxes out at two grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. If you take more than that, your body voids it, unused, as waste. Only individuals such as bodybuilders doing heavy resistance training need that higher level of two grams per kilogram of body weight. Endurance runners need protein in the range of .8 to 1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight. Sedentary people need only .8 grams per kilogram of body weight.

An average male runner who weighs 175 pounds needs 64 to 119 grams of protein per day. That might still seem like a lot of protein to ingest during a day, but remember that one cup of tuna has almost 40 grams of protein. A cup of black bean soup contains about 12 grams of protein. It doesn't take long to get enough protein just by eating a healthy diet. Vegetarians may have to be a little more diligent in making sure they get the required daily amount of protein.

If you’re eating a well-balanced diet with a variety of fruits, vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, and healthy fats, then you’re probably getting everything that big canister of powdered protein has to offer. So why not go the natural route?

Below are some suggestions for different types of foods to try for before the run, during the run, and after the run. These are only suggestions and by no means is a comprehensive list. 

Before Your Run

90 minutes to 2 hours before running:

Eat 30 to 80 grams of carbs.

• Bagel with peanut or almond butter
• English muffin with peanut butter or almond butter and fruit preserves
• Waffle with peanut butter or almond butter
• Banana sandwich with peanut butter
• Graham crackers with peanut butter or almond butter
• Oatmeal with added nuts and fruit
• One egg on an English muffin
• Hard-boiled egg and toast with preserves
• Dry cereal and fruit (Add milk if dairy doesn’t bother you on the run.)
• Energy bar with sports drink
• Greek or traditional yogurt with fruit and/or granola
• Small container of yogurt and a banana slathered with peanut butter
• Yogurt fruit smoothie

Oatmeal with added dried fruit, walnuts, banana slices, and a dollop
of peanut butter mixed in to thicken up the oatmeal and lessen the "slime."

Toasted English muffins topped with peanut butter and then either
bananas and honey or preserves.

30 to 60 minutes before running:

Eat foods that are quickly and easily digested.

• Animal crackers or Teddy Grahams with water or sports drink
• Sports drink
• Energy bar (Eat bars that are low in fat/protein soon before running.)
• Energy gel
• Fruit (A medium orange is great; choose whole fruit over juice.)
• Small container of traditional yogurt with fruit and/or granola
• Handful of pretzels
• Peanut butter crackers (two or three)
• Fig bar

Greek yogurt (I like the pineapple) with added walnuts
and banana slices.

During Your Run

Typically during a long run, it's recommended that a runner ingest about 100 cals about every 45-60 minutes. The individual prepackaged gels, chews, beans, chomps, etc. each have around 100 calories. The chews and sport beans are great because they can be rationed out, but the entire contents of the chew or bean packet needs to be ingested within that 45-60 mins. Runners often make the mistake eating one packet over the course of the entire run (say like 15 miles). That means they're only getting an extra 100 calories in during that 15 mile run. Not going to be enough.

Keep energy stores topped off during long runs with the following:

• Energy gels, chews, beans
• Sports drink (drink water when washing down an energy gels, chews, or beans)
• Gummy bears or jelly beans
• Tootsie Rolls
• Pretzels
• Energy bars (low-fat, low-protein varieties)
• Fig bars
• Gingersnaps
• Rice Krispie treats
• Bagel

A few examples of pre-packaged "during-the-run" fuel. Remember,
other foods like pretzels, ginger snaps, and fig bars work
great too!

After Your Run

Refueling within 30 minutes after running is vital for providing your body with the energy required to begin rebuilding. Select foods that provide a four-to-one ratio of carbs to protein (about 40 to 80 grams of carbs and 10 to 20 grams of protein).

• Eight ounces skim or low-fat chocolate milk (Note: Alternative milk products such as soy, almond, etc. can be used, but check the label, many do not have the same ratio of carbs to protein as dairy milk. Some alternative milk products have versions with extra protein added that may be a better choice, but still read the label to be sure that what you're purchasing is what you want.)
• Peanut butter and jelly sandwich and skim milk
• Bagel with peanut butter, almond butter, or Nutella
• Whole-wheat crackers and peanut or almond butter
• Brown rice pudding and a banana
• Bowl of cereal and milk
• Turkey sandwich
• Hard-boiled egg, toast, and fruit or juice
• Peanut butter and banana sandwich
• Fruit and yogurt smoothie
• Fruit smoothie with protein powder
• Energy bar and sports drink
• Trail mix

Chocolate fruit smoothie with 1% chocolate milk, Greek yogurt,
and fresh fruit like strawberries and/or bananas, and ice. Frozen
fruit works great too and then you don't have to add ice!

Gu or Not To Gu, That is the Question

For this round of race training, I have quite a few runners new to training for the half-marathon and
full-marathon distance. I love working with newbies to distance racing. They have so many questions and are so eager to learn.

One question that has surfaced over and over during this training cycle is, "What about GU? Should I be using sports gels? When should I use them?

Each of my runners gets a training packet that's several pages long and in that packet is information on and "rules of thumb" for pre-run fueling, during-the-run fueling, and post-run fueling. But like most of my race trainers, the sections of the packet that gets viewed the most are pages 1 and 2--the training schedule and the workout descriptions and their personal training paces. LOL!

I think another reason these questions keep surfacing is that they keep hearing other information from their running friends...."Well, I use this." "I take that." "I use Gu this many times during a run." "Oh, don't use that." "You don't need this." "You should do this."

And you know the problem isn't that these well-meaning runners are giving them bad information. The problem, is that they are giving these new distance runners solutions for what works for themselves. With so much and such diverse information, my new-to-distance runners become overwhelmed and not sure what to do. Also, as a new distance runner, and well, like most anybody, they want "the" definitive answer. There in lies the problem. There isn't one answer.

Remember, up in paragraph two of this post, I mentioned that in each runner's training packet, I provide them with "rules of thumb" for fueling? Well, that's really as specific as it can be. Rules-of-thumb, guidelines, a set of parameters. Each runner, then has to use the 14-18 weeks of training to figure out  (based on those parameters) what works best for them.

I had one runner that in the marathon race, she used a gel about every 10 minutes. I would not recommend that to anyone, because for most that would cause stomach distress. But for her, it worked. She determined that for herself through her training. Whether it was more of a mental security factor or a physical need, I'm not sure, but nonetheless, it worked for her.

So, unfortunately I can't tell my newbies, "Here do exactly this." But, what I can provide them with the following parameters.

During training, eat a well balanced diet of approximately 45-65% high quality complex carbohydrates, 20-35 % polyunsaturated fat/monounsaturated fat (and yes a little bit of saturated fat), and 10-35% protein (from lean meats and plant sources).

Your body can store about 2000 calories of glycogen (fuel) in the muscle. This is your primary source of fuel on the run. If on a regulare basis, you're eating a good balance of the macro-nutrients listed above (Carbs, Fats, Protein), then you should be keeping your glycogen stores in good check.

Sports Gels, chomps, blocks, chews, etc. are designed to help you keep from completely depleting your glycogen stores during longer runs. If you're running an hour or less, you really don't need sports gels and the like. If you're running 1.5 hours or more, then it's a good idea to start supplementing with an additional fuel source.

Most fueling supplement companies suggest taking their product every 45-60 mins, but again that's just a recommendation. I personally take one about every 5 miles, but again, that's what works for me. The true key is listening to your body and getting into a routine of taking such supplements in a regimen that provides you with fuel before you feel like you need it. If you wait until you are fatiguing to take something, then more than likely it won't get into your system in time for it to really do you any good.

The other thing to keep in mind is that gels, chomps, chews, bars, etc. are not the end-all source of fuel. I began running marathons back in 1997. Back then then only fuel I know of that was available (at least where I was in NC) was PowerBar. It basically was a nasty leather bar that you chewed on and chewed on and chewed on. I think I'm still chewing on the first bar I took back in 1997. LOL! Not too long afterward, PowerBar started making PowerGel. But before that, about the only thing available was Gatorade for fuel.

Somehow runners prior to the 2000s were able to run distance without these handy little packets. That's the key word....Handy. Usually a serving of fuel is about 100 calories, These products are convenient, easy to carry, 100 calorie packets of fuel. It takes out the guess work. Simply open and eat.  However, you can use real food too and it be just as effective. Here again, you have to experiment with what works for you. I have one runner who eats dates on the run. Another eats an oatmeal cookie (kind of like a ginger snap). Another runner carries a little baggie of pretzels. And still another makes little pbj sandwiches for long runs. They all have around the same number of calories comprised mostly of simple carbs for quick and easy digestion.

Gatorade and similar sports drinks provide basically the same thing as sports gels. So when taking a sports gel or your homemade energy food source, it's best to wash it down with water not sports drink? Why? Well, since the both provide essentially the same thing, you're basically getting a double whammy of carbohydrates. For some this can cause stomach distress. So rather than risk that, wash down your energy foods with water and save the sports drink for a hydration stop when you're not taking a supplement.

So, again, many are probably still frustrated that I haven't provided "The definitive Fueling Solution," but you have some guidelines. Use your training time to experiment and discover what works for you. Each runner is unique and you have to discover your own tricks of the trade.

The Orange: Great Last Minute Pre-Run Fuel

Ever realize 15-30 minutes before a run that you forgot to fuel up? Grab an orange! An orange has 100% of your daily Vitamin C needs. Vitamin C helps prevent muscle injury by replacing collagen in the muscle fibers that bread down during running. Oranges provide needed simple carbohydrates, but they're low on the glycemic index so their natural sugars won't cause your blood sugar to spike and crash. Oranges also contain quercitrin, a citrus flavonoid, that some research shows helps to

increase tolerance for exercise, quicken recovery time, and increase performance. Eat a whole orange not orange juice before a run. Orange juice has a much higher concentration of the natural sugars and may cause GI issues in some runners. So, keep a few oranges on hand for those times you forget to fuel or just want to give yourself an extra boost.