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It is crucial for a runner to stay on an appropriate and good diet plan. Although, the description of a “good diet” varies based on the activity you choose and how often you perform it. Running is no exclusion to this.There are several schools of thought that provides recommendations on the best diet that is most beneficial for runners.  And the diet you decide on will depend a lot on your running goals too.

Generally, long distance runners just like those who run marathons and ultra marathons have a need for higher amount of carbohydrates than a runner who merely goes short distances. So once you have determine what type of diet plan you are comfortable with, you need to consider as well the intensity of your running training and your running goals. Failure to eat enough calories can in fact result in injuries and can affect your overall running performance.

Here are some diet and nutrition guidelines that you can consider.

The Value of Carbohydrates to Runners

Carbohydrates are very vital for the performance of runners, particularly for those who regularly run long distances. The body converts carbohydrates into glycogen which is kept in the muscles and used for fuel during running. However, after a while, those glycogen supplies get exhausted. That is why it is vital for runners to consume a good quantity of carbohydrates. When running long distances, it is also a good idea to grab along something that is high in simple carbohydrates, including sports drinks and gels. After the glycogen in your body is depleted, you will need to restore it with extra carbs.

Carbohydrates Requirements of Runners

A normal diet must compose of 40% carbohydrates. However, for runners,  the figure must be anywhere from 60 to 65%, this is because carbohydrates are a excellent supply of energy. Sodas and candies give carbohydrates, only theirs is the so-called simple carbohydrates or those that give out energy for a short a period of time. What the runners need are complex carbohydrates as these yield energy for long-term use. They can come from pastas, rice, breads, potatoes, and grains. Runners are suggested to take at least three grams of carbohydrates for every pound of body weight everyday. So a 120-pound runner ought to have 360 grams of carbohydrates every day.

Fats

Fats should make up 20 to 25% of the diet. Runners should take their fat requirements generally from mono-unsaturated fats, or those that are liquid in form, as they are believed to meet sports nutritional requirements successfully. Natural oils are good sources of mono-unsaturated fats. Foods with saturated and poly-unsaturated fats, such as red meats, butter, and margarine, are also good, but they ought to be taken in very minimal amounts. Foods with omega-3, an essential fat, must be also incorporated in the runner’s diet.

Protein

To enhance muscle stamina, runners are suggested to take 0.5 to 0.75 gram of protein for every pound of body weight daily. Proteins are not only a reliable source of energy, they also help out in muscle growth and repair of broken muscles. Protein, which ought to be 15 to 20% of a runner’s diet, can be acquired from nuts, eggs, fish, beans, grains, and low-fat dairy products.

Vitamins and Minerals

Latest reports pointed out that a runner’s diet must have the vitamins A, C, and E. All three have antioxidant components that can clear of free radicals. Calcium, which strengthens bones and prevents osteoporosis, and iron, which helps in the delivery of oxygen to all areas of the body, ought to also be included in the diet.  Although most of these vitamins and minerals are obtained from supplements, foods are still the suggested source.

Electrolyte Balance

Runners sweat a lot. As soon as this happens, beneficial minerals are lost which is potassium. The term “electrolytes” refers to the balance in your body between sodium and potassium. A deficiency in potassium can result in problems similar to muscle cramping, that  can affect your running.It is vital to substitute these electrolytes while running. Sports drink is a valuable product to have on hand. Drink a bottle just about an hour prior to each run and try to sip on it whilst running. It also makes a great after run drink. The sooner you replace lost carbohydrates and electrolytes, the easier it will be for your body to recover instantly from your run. Sports gels are also a good alternative to sports drink, simply make sure you drink water with it.

Enough Fluid Intake

Dehydration can be a immense hindrance for runners, particularly when running in hotter temperatures. Not drinking enough water all through the day and during a long run can be hazardous. Dehydration is a major condition and one that can land you in the hospital. To prevent it, sip water right through the day and before and during your runs. You may also want to consume several sports drink to help restore electrolytes.

Calories

The next thing to be concerned about with regards to individuals who are into running are calories. There are critical rules on the quantity of calories an individual must use on a regular basis. These are based on the person’s recent weight and activity level. For runners who are keen on intense training, these might not be very true. There are plenty of calorie calculators existing online or you can get seek advice from your doctor.

Sample Calorie Scale

An illustration would be a runner frequently consuming 2,500 calories a day and running about 7 to 8 miles daily. If he still feels worn-out, he may have to increase his calorie consumption. If the runner is already at an ideal weight, he ought to attempt to take as much as necessary calories to maintain his weight.

Finally, the quality of the calories consumed must also be painstakingly considered. They have to come from outstanding sources such as whole grains carbohydrates, lean protein sources, and heart-healthy fats.

Keep a Running Diary, Record Your Progress and Learn What Works For You

When you run for a while, you will start to identify what works for you. Most runners develop their own pre-run and post-run rituals in time. They also find that they crave certain foods that they should, like bread and pasta.The critical thing to do is listen to your body.

Consider the outline guidelines but also bear in mind to adapt them to your own requirements and lifestyle. Once you do this, you will observe that you feel much stronger and possess a lot more energy.    Remember that diet and nutrition is a very vital factor in such an activity as running. It is not just a matter of energy but also of healthiness.

If you want to learn how to start running and follow a step by step running guide for beginners, so you’re easily capable of running 3 miles without stopping, you need How To Start Running

It’s a proven and effective way to skyrocket your fitness levels way beyond where they’re at right now and a great read for any beginners. You’ll learn insider runners ‘secrets’ and many more time saving, fitness boosting tips.

You can find out all about it here… How to Start Running

To know more about doctor approved diet plan visit Bistro MD.

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Are you planning to purchase the latest GPS watch for running?  If that’s the case, this short article will provide you valuable information to help you. To start with, this report will lay down and review the benefits and advantages of owning a running watch and then  have a look at a number of the features in which you should try to look for.  And then we will end off with a review of the key brand names and  their price ranges.

If you’re seriously interested and passionate about running, owning a GPS watch is a highly effective instrument for monitoring, measuring and enhancing your overall performance. A sophisticated sports GPS watch can precisely  measure Speed, Distance, Elevation and Heart Rate. Furthermore, most of watches with GPS has the capability to plot 3D maps of the running route you’ve made which can be  later on downloaded to your computer. The obtained data can be then reviewed and evaluated in a custom made computer program and application.

Benefits of Using a Running GPS Watch

Tracking of Your Speed and Pace

Keeping a comfortable running speed and pace is among the most significant factors to improve running. Thus, if you want to improve your running performance then tracking your pace and progress is crucial.

Plotting Your Route

One of the best practices a runner should maintain is making a training and racing plan ahead. Planning does not just include type of running training to implement, running distance and diet but also the route to run. With the GPS system, of the watch you can plan and design a running path that suit your training design.

Never Get Lost

Related to route plotting, one of the advantages of owning a running watch with GPS system is ensuring that you will not get lost and you stay on track.

Heart Rate Monitoring

To emphasize the point on the article Gifts for Runners, a runner’s heart conditioning is very essential for endurance. Endurance is the focal point of a runner’s health, fitness level and running capacity. So, if you are building up you running performance, it is equally essential to track your heart rate constantly.

Running Performance Progress Tracking

As emphasized  in “Pace Running Training Tips” that you always have to track and measure your progress, if you are sincerely committed in running, it is extremely valuable to record all your running performance and training information and then make a comparison of your results constantly every time.

Features of Good Running GPS Watch

Water-resistant

It is imperative that your running watch must be able to withstand water. Sometimes when raining if you’re truly dedicated to your training plan, then you will be running out however the weather would be. Therefore it is important that your new watch is able to resist water.

Comfortable

Since you’ll be wearing you sports watch frequently on your running trainings, make sure that your running watch is comfortable enough not to cause any distractions.

Reliable GPS

Any time you’re out there running on all sorts of terrain and climate, you will need a GPS device system that continually record what your location is, whether or not you’re inside woodlands, inside valleys trenches, or perhaps in countryside.

Good Display

A good display should also one of the features you should look for before buying a running GPS watch so you just need to glance and need not to stop just to check on the statistics.

Computer Connectivity

It is desirable to be able to transfer data and statistics from your running watch to your computer.

Bundled Software

Data gathered from your running watch will be useless if you can not make sense of data. Having a good bundled software for your running watch will help you evaluate and analyze what the data means to you and your performance and you can use these as part of your training plan.

Best GPS Running Watch

Garmin

Garmin is the market leader of GPS watches. They have a good range of watches to suit most price ranges and needs.

Price Range: $75-$367

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Polar

Polar, like Garmin, has a good variety of products over a wide price range of prices that will suit your budget.

Price Range: $83-$470

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Suunto

Not quite as nice a watch range as Garmin or Polar, but still some great sports watches here.

Price Range: $87-$600.

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Timex

Provides good range of watches with handy features like heart rate monitoring, etc.

Price Range: $42-$235

Get FREE SHIPPING

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Indeed, there are so many sports, activities and techniques for effectively achieving weight loss. However, did you know that running is considered as one of the most effective strategies of losing that excess weight? It may sound so simple and easy, but be prepared, because losing weight means hard work and some tough self-discipline. Here are some helpful tips on how you might just shed off that weight every time you step on that scale!

Choose the Right Running Shoes for You

First and foremost, make it a point to get a hold of those great running shoes that you think will hold up your feet very well. Since running shoes are made to cushion and prop up your feet every time they stride off the ground, it is important to find that pair that will really do just that. Otherwise, you will immediately stop wanting to run even before you have warmed up. Warming up before starting to run is a very important step in running.

Consult Your Doctor For Safety

Give high priority to seeing your doctor before you set off planning your exercise program or your running regimen. This is even more important if a runner is overweight or if there are any health problems, medical illness or disorders. This way, you will be able to assess or gauge your capacity to run while giving the utmost precautions for your own health and safety.

Brisk Walk for Five Minutes

Initially, do brisk walking for 5 minutes. Only after those 5 minutes can you run longer distances at a comfortable speed. Make sure you do not jog because excessive bouncy movements may actually wear out a runner’s knee cartilage; and thereby, inflicting pain in your knees. This will not be too good, especially for your plans of running since the pain will of course, affect the way you will run. Or worse, the pain might be too excruciating for you that even your manner of waling will be affected.

Do Not Diet and Run

Even if your main objective for running is to lose weight, remember not to diet especially the first time that you will run. Instead, eat healthful food and cut down on your snacks. And equally important is maintaining a good posture while you run. Master the art of relaxing your shoulders, staring ahead of you, never bowing down while running and never clenching your hands into tight fists

Increase Your Water Intake

Drink lots of water regularly to revitalize you since water is a very good source of energy as well. This must be done every hour before and after every run. Obviously, when you run, you will perspire too much letting off lots of fluids from your body. This causes dehydration that is why you need to drink more water than you usually take in to replenish all the lost fluids.

Do Some Strength-Training Exercises

And lastly, it will do you good to increase your strength-training sessions in a week. This part of your running regimen will build more body mass while eliminating unwanted fats in your body. However, this may take longer than what you will expect, because it is more of adding muscles to your body which will make you lose some inches here and there.

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Eating healthy snacks is very important for runners. Sure, there are many benefits that a runner may get out of this strenuous but fulfilling and enjoyable activity of running. However, you must realize that it is not all fun but it also entails a lot of discipline; discipline not only in terms of religiously abiding by your running schedules and routines, but also as far as dieting is concerned.

Splurging On Eating Because You Are Running?

While some runners get all the reason they can get to justify why they can eat all the sweets they like because they are running and are going to burn the calories anyway, they eat all the high-calories favorite snacks in their “have-long-been-uneaten” list of food, but there are still some who cannot ever call that a benefit.

I would say that the best benefits of running would have to be those of being able to enhance or improve your run, much better than how you did last time while eating a healthful diet which includes nourishing snacks and beneficial foods that will always count.

So, whenever you feel the urge to grab that bag of chips, or that parcel of very chocolaty and sweet cookies in the check-out counter, consider what good it can offer you, if there is any. Here are some healthful tips on what nutritious healthful snacks you may have especially when running.

Apple Slices With Peanut Butter Dip

Ever since we were kids, our parents would always say “an apple a day to keep the doctor away”. This stuck on my head and now that I have my own kids, I always tell them the same thing. And now that I am into running, I become a child once more. The healthy afternoon snacks I give my kids are now what I eat when I have some bouts of running to do.

As we all know, eating slices of apple with peanut butter dip is truly a rich source of nutritious fat and protein. But it will be better to go for the peanut butter that is all-natural to keep yourself away from hydrogenated oils as well as the unneeded sugars.

Chewy Cereal Bars

Before you start running, grab some granola or cereal bars and dump them into your pockets. Cereal bars are a very nutritious option; however, you will need to opt for those that contain less fat and sugar, not to mention those that do not have the unwanted additives.

Delicious Yogurt With Banana Toppings

Everybody knows yogurt is a very good source of calcium, potassium as well as protein found in live and dynamic laboratory cultures. Yogurt is very low in fat content while far above the ground in carbohydrates. And basically what runners need in their diet are carbohydrates and proteins for energy and endurance.

Bananas, on one hand, are another excellent source of carbohydrates and potassium and therefore a perfect healthy snack for running people like you. The higher the potassium content in your body, the more your body is able to alleviate conditions of muscle cramps, and thus, more productive bouts of run for you.

What’s more, the simple sugars in bananas are very easy and fast to digest which makes them a really excellent pre-run snack. However, make sure you allot one and a half hours for it to go down before running.

Carrot Sticks

Did you know carrots make an excellent snack for running? They fill you up despite having low calorie-content and it can gratify your famine and therefore avoid having to look for something else to eat. With all these tips for having a healthy snack before running, you will surely make an excellent runner!

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There are logically numerous weight loss systems these days that are introduced and marketed to help people trim fats and excessive pounds. Many people note that these weight management systems are impressive and are well targeted. The most popular and proven effective are those that involve physical activities like regular walking and running. More emphasis is given to running, which is identified by experts as a good form of aerobic or cardiovascular exercise.

Perhaps, peoples’ greatest concern now aside from earning more money is to have a perfect shape or a sexy body. And because fashion and sexiness have always been associated with well-maintained bodies, people think being skinny or slim is equivalent to being sexy and beautiful. Do not be surprised to see more people running around the open park especially in the morning. Running is a cost effective way to sweat and bring about cardiovascular challenge to the body.

Running is as effective as using a tread mill. In fact, this exercise machine has been developed and manufactured to facilitate running indoors. You must be wondering why tread mills do not fail to be included in basic gym facilities. Indeed, running is a good form of exercise. It is effective in making people sweat and in the process speed up metabolism of stored fats and calories.

Losing weight is not as easy as anyone could think. You would surely assert that it is far easier to gain weight than to lose it. How could you find and get the perfect weight loss systems that would help you attain your target weight? Choose programs that not only focus on diets. Systems with recommended physical activities and exercises like running would truly be more effective.

Because there are many weight loss systems now available and introduced in the market, all you have to do is to collect and then choose the system that would go with your preferences and lifestyle. There are weight loss systems that are too strict, while there are others that are easier to take. Some weight loss systems would recommend or mandate taking in diet pills or a weight loss supplement to suppress appetite. As mentioned, on top of the drugs, there would also be recommended exercises to be executed regularly, plus nutritional or diet plans.

If you are taking a weight loss system, it would be important to abide by the recommendations. Strictly following instructions and mandates of such weight loss programs would be of great help in ensuring that you would eventually attain your target weight. Incorporate daily, yet simple exercises into your lifestyle. Running in the neighborhood every morning is a good aerobic and cardiovascular workout to help the body accelerate metabolism and fat burning.

To choose the best weight loss systems, you could ask your friends or doctors for recommendation. Other than that, weight loss program providers usually heavily advertise their weight loss systems so you would not miss the programs. Online ad pages would also help you choose and purchase the weight loss system you are eyeing. Take note that the systems would surely help you get that ideal weight you are aiming to have.

If running, walking, or doing simple physical exercises are required by the systems perform the exercise tasks regularly. Nobody said losing weight would be easy. It could be hard to shed off excess weight but it would be obviously and logically be worth it.

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Running and injury, they always go together. That is why it’s crucial to undergo a rigid running training and learn how to run fast with zero injury. It is best if runners would have an automatic reaction to steering away from any accident or serious injury while running. But that is quite near to impossible. Especially when running for a 10K, it is not enough that a runner can run so fast.

What is more important is that he has to learn the principles of how to keep himself injury-free when running training for a 10K. Even coaches admit that it is actually when a runner runs badly that accident happens. That is why the best gear to arm yourself with is precaution and nothing else. Here are some of the principles to guide you in running with zero pain or injury.

5 Principles in Staying Injury-Free

1. Always Warm Up And Cool Down

Warming up and cooling down are two of the basic things you must remember when running. Prepare to run slowly, gradually picking up at the middle, and then gently slowing down at the end. Learn to master these two for they are known to have the ability to avoid damages in both muscle and ligament.

2. Listen To What Your Body Says

Watch out for different types of pain when you run because in running training, your legs and muscles will surely feel tired. But remember, when you feel you have tired muscles or scorching lungs, don’t panic. These are the good pains of running. You can start worrying when you get the bad pains – the kind of pain in your joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons that linger even after a few minutes of running.

Whenever you feel this, or feel hurt, immediately stop and REST! Medical experts have found out that for every minute you do not apply ice on an injury, you are allowing recovery to slow down by one hour. However, if the pain still exists even after having been treated, it would be best to already consult your physician.

3. Train Less

Did you know medical research has discovered that about 95% of marathon runners are almost always over trained? Simply put, these runners would have performed much better were they not trained so much. Because when you run, your body also needs some time to rest to be able to recover. Otherwise, if you keep running despite what your body, specifically your muscles and joints are telling you, then you will surely not make any more progress but worse, you might even break down.

4. Sleep Well

It is rule of thumb that when you are training for running, you must spend at least a day or two off from running per week. You will need to have sufficient sleep every night for two straight weeks when preparing for a competition or race. That way, your body will have all the energy to run the 10K distance!

5. Healthy And Proper Nutrition

Nothing beats having a good night sleep before the competition matched with good and nutritious diet. Try eating bananas before the competition, they are so easy to digest and are rich in potassium which is very useful for preventing muscle and leg cramps. Always remember that you need to gas up with the great demands of running training, so make sure you are always well-rested and well-fed with a healthy diet to stay running until the 10K with zero injury nor accident!

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Running is one of the best ways of losing weight, as attested to by many experts and the hundreds of thousands of runners who had lost weight.

If your immediate goal right now is losing weight, running is one of the best alternatives. It is almost without cost. It might even be the cheapest weight loss program bar none.

The Doctor

The very first person you have to see and talk about your plan of losing weight is your doctor. Only he would know for sure everything about you, your body, your health and the things that may be good or bad for you.

After you get your doctor’s permission, begin to implement your plan of losing weight through running – gradually at first. For some, walking for a short period of time is a good start.

Walking will first help you improve your cardiovascular health. After which, you may begin to do some slow jogging. Follow this up with running after a time.

Your body needs to be familiar with the new regular activity. Your trainer and your doctor could give you a timetable.

Slow and gradual

Once you are into regular running according to plan, you do not do sprints right away in the hope of losing weight faster. Also wrong would be to overdo the length or the time limit of your running, again in the hope of losing weight faster.

Starting out slow and gradual in your running program can give you the room to modify, change, or scrap some parts of your program until you are comfortable and satisfied with it.

Changes

Changing your workout routine is one very important consideration in your weight loss program. To those who do not understand this, there is a big tendency that runners might abandon their running routine at this time.

After some time when a runner had already been deep into his running program, the body stops losing weight.

The simple explanation is that the body readily adapts to any new situation and can become accustomed to a running program. By this time, the body becomes very efficient and only requires fewer calories to do the same amount of work.

The unfortunate side effect is that the body stops losing weight as well.

After weeks of running, and after losing some amount of weight, you may find that your weight loss slows down. Sometime later, you will notice that your weight stays as is, unable to lose a single pound.

One way to resolve this is to vary the distance, length or intensity of your running. You may increase the length to about 3 to 4 miles, or lengthening the time each day, or perhaps running at a faster pace.

Doing this can challenge the muscles anew. The body cannot become more efficient and has to burn some calories to complete the new additional requirement.

In addition, you can help challenge the body by doing some changes in your diet. A potent combination in losing weight is increased activity levels and dietary changes.

All in all, keep to your schedule and your program. After a while, your weight goal can be achieved and you will stile enjoy the activity of running.

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You’ve finished the race. You’ve beaten the rest. Took home the award for the distance running category. You’re elated. You’re so happy you want to shout to the whole world, jump around with joy and basically celebrate until you feel your bones drop. All these are normal. Whether it was your first or twentieth marathon, you ran over all those miles, conquered the pain and ache of your muscles. Now, it’s time for you to take a few days of rest to recover and rest. Here are a couple of reminders you may want to take advantage of to ensure that you’re hale and hearty even when you’re off the field.

First things first: drink. Drink plenty of fluids and water, energy drinks are great too. You need to replenish all the sodium, fluid and electrolytes you lost during the race. This is important. Not doing so may produce an electrolyte imbalance in your body and would lead to adverse effects for you. So remember to drink lots of water after a race. And to drink it right.

After restoring the proper balance of fluids and electrolytes inside your body, if you can handle it, try taking an ice bath a few hours after the race. If you think your muscles are still too sore for that, try doing it after a few days. The cold water will do wonders for your aching muscles, especially for your joints, your quads and knees.

If you’ve been running for a long time, chances are, you’ve also been eating healthy for a long time. It’s even more crucial to make sure that you’re on a healthy diet after finishing a race. You need all the protein as well as good carbohydrates that you can get to repair the damage to your muscles and joints caused by the strenuous exertions required by the race.

If you want to go through your morning routine, just keep everything loose and light. Stretch your muscles easy. No vigorous exercises yet.

Sleep a lot. Don’t worry about it. Your body needs to recover from the fatigue that competing in a race has brought on. It’s normal. After a few days, the fatigue will be gone and you’ll feel good as new and even more prepared to tackle on new adventures.

If you can, go for a massage. There’s nothing else that beats having a professional work out all the kinks on your legs, arms and back. This is a great way to remedy the stiffness in your joints after a grueling race.

Know that it’s normal to feel a little lost and sad after a race. Imagine having to restructure your daily routine around your training and the preparation you did for weeks just to ensure that you were ready for anything on the field. Well, imagine not needing to go through all that anymore or having no goal in sight might make you feel lost. The best solution to that is to find yourself a new goal. Get yourself something else you can pursue. You’ll only be out of sorts if you’re not busy.

Another thing that you must absolutely do, after winning that distance running medal is this: enjoy your win. Jump for joy if you want to. Do the rhumba. Sing hallelujah. Whatever you want, enjoy it. Relish your winning moment. You deserve to.

And after that, move on.

DISCOVER HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR RUNNING SPEED

Running World is a resource center for runners providing running tips for beginners, basic running training guides and program. It aims to provide information and form a community of runners around the globe.

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Unlike other sports people, distance runners need carbohydrates for their nutritional needs in the endurance sport of distance running. While other sports like, say weightlifting that rely mostly on proteins, runners depend heavily on carbohydrates.

The main reason, of course, is that different sports have different goals. Weightlifting, for instance, puts a heavy premium on proteins because proteins help build muscles and bulk up a person’s body better and faster than other food. Distance running needs food that builds stamina and strength.

Carbohydrates

One of the most studied topics is the role of carbohydrates in sports performance. Most practicing sportsmen now know that carbohydrates are best for strength and endurance. Scientists are now also taking a look on the link between low carbohydrates intake and exercise-induced free radicals that leads to impaired muscle function. Every athlete knows that carbohydrates can improve endurance, while the lack of it reduces glucose supply to the muscles which, in turn, leads to fatigue.

Fatigue is normally seen as the loss of the body’s overall force-generating capacity. This may be caused be a lot of reasons, but scientists believe it is the loss of muscular ATP, a high-energy molecule that fuels muscle contraction generated by glucose.

A high-carbohydrates diet while training ensures a good store of muscle glycogen long before competition time. Glycogen, the body’s carbohydrates store, is the fuel for endurance. The carbohydrates could be taken in as fluids (such as juices) or in solid forms (fruits or starches).

However, a long and hard exercise sometimes drains the muscles of stored carbohydrates (glycogen). Eating right away (the best time is within the first hour) food rich in carbohydrates combined with protein is best. The proteins would help in muscle repair broken by the strenuous exercise.

Commercial energy bars both have carbohydrates and proteins but they are expensive and mostly tasteless. A peanut butter sandwich is okay, washed down with some sports drink. Best, of course, would be some cereal with nuts and dried fruits in them.

Fluids

No other factor is more important in the success of a distance runner than maintaining enough fluids in his body. Running, in training or in competition, produces body heat more than in normal circumstances. This heat is then released through sweat, which in turn, depletes the body’s fluids. When the body is dehydrated, general fatigue sets it. To maintain the body’s water status, runners should develop the habit of regular and fixed fluid consumption (every 10 to 15 minutes) during practice runs, whether thirsty or not. The amount is around one-half to one liter of fluid per hour on mild conditions. (The amount should be more, of course, if conditions are more severe.) In hot and humid conditions, a combination of water and sports drinks (to provide carbohydrates and electrolytes like sodium) is best.

Fibers

During scheduled runs (practice or competition), many runners suffer from bowel problems. One way to avoid this is to stay away from food high in fiber content as well as those rich in fat. You can also buy commercial liquid meals formulated for athletes and convalescents. Make sure they have high carbohydrate content. You may also make your own formula using skimmed milk powder, fruits, and regular milk.

Caffeine

It is not very clear how caffeine appears to enhance endurance performances in athletes. It could be that it is a central nervous system stimulant. It stimulates the release of adrenaline that increases heart rate and blood pressure, blood flow to muscles and the release of glucose by the liver. Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, and chocolates (cocoa). It is also added to cola drinks and other beverages. Normally, caffeine is a natural diuretic (with a 31% hike in urine production.) During competition, however, it loses its diuretic effect but may improve your capacity to have that extra kick at the end of the race. All in all, the two things distance runners have to remember about nutrition is carbohydrates and fluids. These are the top two important nutrition needs for the sports.

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