A woman recently got involved with ultra distance events and asked me about drinking Pepsi and eating Fig Newtons. These two items were provided at her first event and thus she assumed that they were the ideal fuel for doing such an event. However, she's now getting terrible leg cramps and can't finish her events. In her mind, everyone else seemed okay during the events, so she concluded that the problem must not be her fuel. Though there are several reasons that can explain her experience, I want to highlight the nutrition issues. It may come as a surprise to both new and experienced athletes that what is served at events for refueling and rehydrating isn't always the best thing for you to be consuming. It is critical to your own personal success to understand your unique nutritional needs and learn how to develop a strategy that works for you.
Unique Diet
We are each unique individuals with unique dietary needs that determine how our bodies are affected by the food we eat. For example, some of you may love eggs in the morning, feeling full and energized until lunch. But if I had eggs, I'd end up in a lot of pain and feel as if I was having a heart attack. Though a bit dramatic, the old adage of 'One man's meat is another man's poison' actually holds a lot of truth here. Thus, it's completely okay to make your diet unique for you.
The idea of eating 'normal' is being thrown to the wayside these days as an increasing number of people are opening up to new types of food as well as finding more food allergies and intolerances. And though it's great to look to articles and other athletes for reference, you make the final decision of what works for your body. If you don't feel well after eating something, don't consume it. There are always other options out there that can make all the difference between feeling wonderful (good health) and horrible (dis-ease). So find a diet that energizes your system and allows it to operate optimally.
Consider the Middle
I've found that most people are so concerned with what they are doing and eating just before, during and just after an event that they've completely overlooked all the time in between events. No one seriously considers biking a 200-mile ride or running a marathon the night before the event with no training whatsoever. So why do most of us only consider our nutrition during this short window of time? Meals are a critical part of your training as they determine how well prepared nutritionally your body is for more vigorous and challenging activity. Supplements and other nutrition products such as bars, powders and shakes serve a purpose, but they should never replace real food or meals. Building muscle and increasing endurance is critical to meeting goals, but how do you actually expect your system to do that when your cells are only fed sugar, caffeine, chemicals and other random overly-refined items with little nutritional value? How can your cells operate optimally when they are malnourished? So make a promise to yourself right now that you'll take meals seriously.
Product Placement
Brand exposure is key to marketing. If you constantly see the same logo and product everywhere you go, it becomes recognizable to you and ideally seen as a 'safe' choice. Products served at events are often donated by sponsors meant as both support and advertisement. Don't get me wrong here. I'm not saying that all products are bad and their respective companies are solely out to brainwash you. But we must always be critical of what is placed in front of us by asking questions. Become your own advocate and learn about where the food and fuel you use comes from. Make informed decisions that are best for you.
Learn the Lingo
Begin reading labels and educate yourself about the ingredients. Most people have no idea what all these chemical and fragmented ingredients do to the body or where these ingredients come from. Pick something that you eat/drink often and google the ingredients that are not easily identifiable. Find out if there are negative side effects. Also, keep in mind that ingredients are listed from the greatest to least amount found in the product. Beware when the ingredient list looks very long. Often times it's a sign of many food fragments mixed together to create something that really isn't good for us.
