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Lead Stories: Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Race Longer with a Low-Glycemic-Index Meal

Posted November 3rd, 2006 at 7:00 AM by Martha Jones

Section: Running & Training, Nutrition, Race Prep & Recov, Training Tips, Health & Fitness, Exercise

The Glycemic Index measures how high blood sugar levels rise 30 to 120 minutes after eating a particular food or combination of foods.

A study from Loughborough University in England shows that athletes in sports events lasting more than a couple hours may benefit from a pre-competition meal that has a low glycemic index (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, August 2006).

How long you can exercise a muscle without hurting depends on how much sugar you can store in that muscle and how long you can keep that sugar in the muscle during competition.

Just about everyone agrees that taking extra carbohydrates for two or there days prior to an endurance competition can help fill your muscles maximally with stored sugar and therefore increase endurance. [Read more about Carbo-Loading].

Since it takes up to 24 hours to fill your muscles maximally with sugar, the pre-race meal is not used for that purpose. This new study showed that a low-glycemic index meal taken three hours prior to competition may help an athlete to exercise longer by causing muscles to use more fat, and less sugar, for energy. Read the rest of this entry »

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Carbo-Load for Charity at DeCecco’s “Pasta for the City” Program in NYC

Posted October 31st, 2006 at 12:00 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: Announcements, Nutrition, Race Prep & Recov

Live near NYC or planning to be in town for this weekend’s ING New York City Marathon?

Then stop-by Cipriani Le Specialita (110 E. 42nd Street, opposite Grand Central ) for the “Pasta For The City Program” presented by Italian pasta producer DeCecco.

The program is a week-long sampling event where the top-chefs from Cipriani will be creating delicious dishes with DeCecco products .

Best of all - NYC Marathon runners (who present their bib numbers) will be offered a free dish of pasta - MOLTO BENE!

For every sample served, DeCecco will make a donation to City Harvest, “the world’s first and New York City’s only food rescue program.”

So stop by Cipriani’s from 12pm-5pm on 11/1-11/3 and 11/6-11/7 to enjoy some great food and help a wonderful cause. DIVERTITI!

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Carbo-Loading 101

Posted May 26th, 2006 at 10:40 PM by Allyson Rosen

Section: Nutrition, Race Prep & Recov

Atkins and the South Beach Diet ? Not when youre an endurance runner! Is your race only a few days away? It is time to begin carbo-loading, so bring on the pasta and bring on the bread!

What is carbo-loading?

Carbo-loading is a term frequently used by runners for carbohydrate loading or super-compensation. The purpose of carbo-loading is to take action to prevent the onset of fatigue during your race. In addition, carbo-loading also means tapering, or reducing your mileage and intensity in workouts, getting plenty of rest - yet remaining sharp. Tapering allows your muscles to accept the glycogen coming in. The extra glycogen will help delay any fatigue and help you avoid “hitting the wall.” Interestingly, the tapering will allow your body to naturally store up reserves of carbohydrates.

Note: During this time, try to follow your normal balanced diet and try not to over-eat. Because tapering includes fewer miles and less intensive runs (burning 600 to 1,000 less calories), you may put on a few pounds. Luckily, each pound of glycogen you store will hold about three to five pounds of water which will be available during the race helping to reduce dehydration.

Why is it important to Carbo-load?

Glucose is a product of carbohydrate breakdown and is the primary fuel used for the repetitive muscle contractions that help drive the body forward. Glucose comes not only from blood but also from a substance very similar to glucose called glycogen (the stored form of glucose). Glycogen is stored in your skeletal muscles and in your liver. The more blood glucose and muscle/liver glycogen your body can make, the longer fatigue will be delayed.

Two hours of exercise or a long distance run (i.e. 20 miles), can weaken liver and muscle glycogen levels (or your stored carbohydrate level). When glycogen levels begin depleting, you may experience tired muscles, complete fatigue and may perform poorly.

Read on for more information about carbo-loading and race-prep . . . Good Luck! . . .

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Crunch Time - ‘Worry, Set, Go!’

Posted May 23rd, 2006 at 8:00 AM by Arthur Rosen

Section: Running & Training, Motivation, Training Tips

I train endless hours climbing up and down the hills, the speedwork, the tempo runs, the long runs, the recovery days. How many miles did I log this week? Sixty? Seventy? The humidity got to me this week, I felt like I was dragging myself. The rain helped cool me off but it did raise some blisters that will need my attention for at least a week. My legs aren’t fully recovered from last week’s mileage, my knees hurt, what’s that pain I feel in my arch? Will my lower back ever stop hurting? Will it heal by marathon day? I must go on. I’ve put too much into my training not to run the marathon next month. I swear it will be the last one. I will be prepared. I am ready to prove to myself once again how much I have in me, that I am ready, that I will be the best that I can be.

“The marathon is the reward for all of this training” they say.

Finally it’s taper time. Let’s bring down the mileage. I need that. My legs so badly need that. I am starting to feel a bit antsy as I’m not running as much as I have the last few weeks. I’m feeling fat. I want so badly to run more and damn the taper! Stay lean, stay healthy, keep hydrating, keep that “edge”. Did I carb-load enough? Did I eat the right foods? Did I do the past eighteen weeks all right, will someone tell me if I did it right damn it! I don’t know! I’m confident but I’m nervous, so nervous that I hardly got any sleep last night. Drink, go to the bathroom, drink some more, go to the bathroom some more. Are my laces knotted right? Is the chip on properly? Everyone standing around me is running, stretching, drinking. Why does everyone look more fit than me? Am I really deserving to run in this race? I’m feeling pumped, my stomach is in a knot, but the day is here and it’s a perfect day. Pace right, drink often, run your race. Ready, set, go!

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