Do You Have a Perfect Pre-Exercise Food?

What is your perfect pre-exercise food or mid-run fuel source?

For some of you it is gel or gu, while others prefer sports drinks, sports candy (like Sport Beans or Shark Bites), or bars. Many folks are not able to use these standard sports products due to sensitive digestive systems, and others choose not to use them for a variety of reasons. If you are someone looking for an all natural pre- or mid- exercise fuel source, then consider dried fruit. Dried fruit is easy to consume, easy to digest, and travels easily in a gym bag, fuel belt or pocket.

San Diego State University researchers found that runners who consumed raisins 45 minutes prior to endurance exercise got performance benefits similar to those who consumed energy gels. Dried fruits are smart fuel during a run, as they are easy to digest and provide working muscles a quick influx of carbohydrate energy.

Note: Dried fruits are more calorie dense than fresh. For example, a cup of grapes has 62 calories vs. 434 calories in a cup of raisins.

For a big pre-exercise energy boost give the following a shot: Raisins, Craisins, Mixed Dried Fruit, Dried Apricots, Dried Mango or Dried Pineapple.



To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie
Triumph Training
Nutrition Coach & Fitness Trainer

Nutrition Tips for the Traveling Athlete (& Non-athlete)

Remember nutrition can make or break your race and when traveling to a race there are many additional factors to consider. Follow these guidelines in order to ensure you are properly fueled and hydrated. Take responsibility for your own success. (If you are not an athlete nutrition while traveling is still important and the following suggestions apply to you as well.)




· Bring your own food with you on the trip so you don't have to rely on vending machines, snack shops, convenience stores, or fast food outlets. This is especially important if you have special food needs, dietary limitations, and or a sensitive digestive system.


· In route to your destination, if you are flying you can request special meals for the plane ride, just ring the airlines about a week prior to departure to put in your order. Be sure to bring your own healthy snacks for the plane.


· Keep well hydrated on the plane and WATER is your best means of hydration. Humidity is around 10-15% on a plane and moisture is drained from you. Drink often.


· It is a good idea to avoid coffee and tea on the plane as these can act as diuretics and lead to dehydration.


· Long hours of traveling and sitting on a plane and/or in airports can upset anyone’s digestive system. Constipation is very common, so be sure to drink lots of water and eat plenty of fiber-rich foods (fruits, veggies, & whole grains).


· When you arrive at your destination, organize a group food shopping trip for additional snacks, breakfasts, and any other meals. Remember to get some fresh fruits and vegetables.


· When eating in restaurants, do your best to make the healthiest choices. Avoid deep fried foods, high fat meats, cream sauces, lots of cheese or cheesy sauces, rich & sugary desserts and highly- refined foods. Ask your server how specific dishes are prepared and remember it is your right to have it made YOUR way. You can always ask for certain ingredients to be left out, substituted and you can even ask for a custom-made meal.


· Avoid consuming alcohol prior to your event, as it is a diuretic and impairs mental and physical capacities. The effects of alcohol can be detrimental to race day performance, so if you choose to drink, save it for the post-race celebration.


· By now you should have your pre-race breakfast dialed in. Be sure that you either take this breakfast with you on the trip or you have the ability to purchase those foods prior to race morning. You do not want to leave this to chance.


· If you do not know what fuels will be provided on the race course, NOW is the time to find out. If you are not familiar with them and/or have not used them with success before, then race day is NOT the time to experiment. So be sure you bring your tried and true fuels with you to the race.


· Be sure you have your nutritionist’s phone number with you at all times while traveling. If at any point you require a life-line, call her and she will gladly answer your questions and guide you through making healthy choices while eating away from home. She is committed to your race day success!

Foods That Travel Well
Dehydrated or freeze dried fruit, raw nuts & seeds, healthy whole grain cereals including granola, healthy trail mix, nut butters (i.e. peanut butter, almond butter, etc.), pouches of tuna, beef jerky, healthy bars (i.e. Lara Bar, Pro Bar, Clif Bar, etc), bagels, protein powder, oatmeal (dry), whole grain pretzels and crackers, healthy popcorn, dehydrated soup packets, freeze dried meals (in packets), some fresh fruits (apples, oranges), fruit cups (in their own juice), v-8 juice…just to name a few .

To Your Success,

Melissa Guthrie
BSc Nutritional Science
BSc Exercise Physiology
ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician
Triathlete/Runner
Healthy Cooking Enthusiast

Pre-Race Sports Nutrition Tips

We are days away from the PF Chang's Rock 'n Roll Marathon in Phoenix, Arizona on January 18, 2009. Not only will I be running the marathon with a goal to qualify for the Boston Marathon, I am also assisting my Team Chances running team in being nutritionally prepared for a stellar race experience. (For more info about Team Chances go to www.chancesforchildrenaz.com)

Whether you are running a 5K, 10K, 1/2 marathon, marathon or participating in a multi-sport race, what you do or do not do nutritionally these final days can have a significant effect on your race. So remember a few things…Choose nutrient rich foods and steer away from empty calories. Your body requires pure nutrition to heal, repair, and prepare for the physical demands it is about to undergo. For example if you have the choice between a snack of a chocolate chip cookie or an apple – choose the apple!

What, When & How Much Should I EAT the morning of my race?



If you are not sure what to eat before the race, you’ve got a couple more days to figure it out. I hope you know by now what foods work best for you before running: Maybe it is one of the following: oatmeal & fruit, bagel & fruit, english muffin/toast & fruit, a (non-dairy) smoothie, a Bakers Breakfast cookie, pizza, turkey sandwich, peanut butter & banana sandwich, pancakes & fruit, cereal & fruit with rice, almond or oatmilk, whole grain muffin & fruit, chicken noodle soup, etc.? Go with what is familiar and with what you know agrees with your digestive system.

Second, now that you’ve determined what you’ll be eating for breakfast you want to determine how much you should eat and at what time. Remember that not only will the type of food you eat effect your race positively or negatively, but also the volume of food. It is better to eat a little bit lighter pre-race breakfast and then do a booster (light snack – like a banana, half a bagel or a GU) 30-45 min before the race and then do more fueling during the race RATHER THAN eating TOO MUCH for breakfast and feeling like you have a brick in your stomach from the start of the race (been there done that – uuugh!!). For example: You’ve determined that you’ll have a honey whole wheat bagel w/ 1 TBS almond or peanut butter and a whole banana as your pre-race breakfast. You have determined you need to eat breakfast 3 hours before race start in order for digestion and absorption to be complete.



Does It Matter What I Eat 48 Hours Before The Race?


This is also the week to pay close attention to what you eat the last 48 hours before race day. Determine what foods will work best with your body – remembering to avoid super spicy foods, a lot of dairy, too many high fiber foods (especially if you are not use to eating a lot of fiber), heavy meats, and high fat foods. I recommend keeping your meals light and clean. Carbs that typically settle well are rice, pasta, potatoes, light wheat breads, pita bread, tortillas, etc. Stick with vegetables that don’t upset your digestive system like salad greens, green beans, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, jicama, etc. (i.e. some people have a hard time with cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, onions and bell peppers). Go with light protein sources – fish, chicken, tofu, small portions of lean beef or pork. Beans & legumes may work okay for some people because they are an awesome source of complex carbohydrates and plant-based protein (however they can cause some digestive upset for some people – if these cause even minor gas or digestive upset please don’t eat them until after the race). You also want to time your pre-race dinner appropriately. It is best to not have this meal be too heavy, eat to the point that you are comfortable to slightly, comfortably full, and try to have this meal 3 to 4 hours before bed time. It is a really good idea to stay away from alcohol for at least 48 hours prior to race day (if you must drink save that for post-race).







Finish Line Nutrition for Optimal Recovery


Remember that post-race nutrition is extremely important as well. You will be tired, depleted and you will either not feel like eating anything or you’ll feel like eating anything and everything. Plan your post-race meals now. Your body requires high quality, pure nutrition as much after the race as it does before the race. You will want to balance carbohydrates and proteins in every meal post-race. Most importantly remember to get nutrients in your body as soon as possible after the race. If you do not feel like eating – a smoothie, chocolate or strawberry milk are a great post race beverage. Avoid the tendency to load up on high sugar, high fat, nutrient poor foods like cookies, candies, burgers & fries, & deep fried anything. Whole grains, lean meats or plant-based proteins, fresh fruits and veggies and healthy fats (like raw nuts, avocadoes, olives, etc) are what your body requires the most! Some salty foods will help to replenish the salt lost through sweat and will help your body absorb fluids to properly rehydrate. If you rehydrate with sports beverages these will have sodium in them. Alcohol is not the rehydration beverage of choice - it actually dehydrates the body, it hinders proper carbohydrate and fat metabolism, and provided plenty of empty, non-nutritional calories.



Eat Right! Train Smart! Perform GREAT!

Melissa Guthrie
BSc Nutritional Science, BSc Exercise Physiology
ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician
Triathlete/Runner
Healthy Cooking Enthusiast