Whether it’s an individual running client or a whole classroom full of them, one of the first questions is usually, “Will running help me lose weight?” Of course it will, but there is more to the question. While many runners yearn to be leaner and lighter, the truth is that finding the correct weight is a very complicated process when the desired result is better running.

An estimated 60 percent of women and up to 19 percent of male runners struggle with finding the right balance of food and body fitness. The issue is not limited to your neighborhood runner but is even more predominant with elite runners. Up to 94 percent of top-notch athletes report extreme dieting or weight control measures to achieve what they think is their desired weight. These stats come from the IOC Medical Commission.

Over the years of my own competition, I was one of the athletes who was forever concerned that losing another pound might mean my race times would drop even more. This statement is true, but only to a point. If your food abuse is long term, training and competition performance will suffer. I used to regularly celebrate what I called “negative days,” a 24-hour period that would include enough exercise to offset my total caloric intake. If I ran 20 miles and rode a stationary bike for an hour, I wouldn’t eat more than 2,500 calories. That was a huge mistake! After all, you can only compete at your best if you can train at your best. Long-term food restriction is not the answer.

Here are a few tips from Nancy Clark, registered dietician and former world class marathoner. Over the years of my own training and competition, I have followed Nancy’s career both as a runner and as a columnist and author whose primary focus is sharing proper nutrition. She helped me and can help you too.

• Find a health professional who can monitor your body fat. If you are a man, do not drop below 5 percent body. Women shouldn’t drop below 12 percent body fat.
• To take the guesswork out of calculating your personal caloric budget and to design an effective food plan, consult a sports nutritionist or a registered dietician. These folks are hugely effective with providing help right off the bat. I incorporate one into our classroom series with the Beginning Runners Classes.
• Use your resting metabolic rate to simply tabulate the amount of calories that it takes to be you, just breathing and being alive. You can roughly estimate this rate by multiplying your body weight times 10 calories per pound. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you need about 1,500 calories to simply exist. Most individuals who moderately exercise for an hour a day should add about 50 percent to that total for daily activities and training.
• Surround your workout with fuel. If you are a morning runner, eat something before you go out the door. Plan to eat recovery foods soon after your workout. To avoid extra calories, simply back your workout into your meal. An example would be running from 5 to 5:45 p.m. and going directly to dinner instead of eating recovery foods first and then your full meal an hour later.
• To minimize loss of muscle, try to consume 20-30 grams of protein every three to four hours — not just once a day as most people do. Eggs, yogurt, tuna, cottage cheese and chicken breasts fill the need.
• Include carbohydrates to fuel the muscles. For the average runner, carbs drive the workouts. An active runner’s diet should include about 225 grams of carbs per day. Enjoy oatmeal with the eggs, banana with the cottage cheese and rice with the chicken.
• Also, add a little fat to each meal to curb your hunger and help you feel full. Avocado, peanut butter, almonds and salmon make great choices.

These are just the basics. Good nutrition is always a work in progress. Bottom line, you will not be a good runner unless you take care of your body and fuel it properly.

Join us on Friday evening for the United Way Sunset Run 5K Run/Walk and fun run. Get your fall racing season off to a great start! For more information, go to www.salisburyrowanrunners.org

 

David Freeze is a nationally certified running coach and president of the Salisbury Rowan Runners. Contact him at david.freeze@ctc.net. Learn more at www.Ulearn2run.com