Presented by Professionals in Nutrition and Exercise and Sports (PINES) in partnership with PowerBar and Nestle Nutrition Institute.
Attendees and speakers from around the globe came to New York City on Marathon Weekend to advance PINE’S mission of excellence in sports nutrition. As a member of PINES, I was invited to attend this invitation- only conference. Those who arrived early were invited to volunteer at the PowerBar fluid station at the NYC Marathon onNovember 3rd. We cheered on those undertaking the 26.2 miles, and they were used as inspiration for the conference theme: “Nutritional Support for the Marathon Runner”. Speakers as well as their audience sounded like a “who’s who” in sports nutrition. Many renowned names in the Sports Nutrition field presented their research, including Trent Stellingwerff, Luc J.C. van Loon, Louise Burke, Nanna Meyer, and Melinda Manore while the invitation-only audience discussed current issues in the field with them. PowerBar-sponsored elite runners answered audience questions on their nutrition and training strategies.
Nutrition and Exercise Physiology graduate students from my class at Teachers College, Columbia University had the opportunity to rub shoulders with this elite crowd. They planned social activities for conference participants and attended sessions Overall, it was a fantastic experience for me and my students. In this post, I share the highlights of four compelling presentations.
Marathon Training Strategy: periodization and dietary modulation to improve training adaptation
Most elite marathon runners train more than 200km (124 miles) per week. These athletes are constantly increasing stress in an attempt to improve training adaptations. A very easy and accessible method to increase training stress is via dietary periodization. Recent reports from professional cyclists and African runners suggest that some athletes purposely train in a fasted/glycogen depleted state part of the time with the aim of forcing muscles to utilize fats instead of carbohydrates. Dr. Trent Stellingwerff presented his research on the effects of varying carbohydrate intake on training. The research compared subjects in 4 states: over-night fasted training, second training bout of the day on low muscle glycogen, long runs greater than 2 hours utilizing sports drink and fluid, and individualized CHO-fueling plans. His findings suggest that training in a fasted or depleted glycogen state 50% of the time may only be beneficial to elite endurance athletes training for events >30 minutes or middle distance athletes that have nearly maximized their training volume. Dr. Stellingwerff presented a long list of athletes who should not attempt to use fasting and glycogen depletion in their training strategies, including high intensity or high quality training, junior athletes, speed/power athletes, athletes with poor immune systems, and athletes at risk for disordered eating habits. Overall, carbohydrates are extremely important for an athlete in training and purposely stressing the body by reducing or eliminating carbohydrates is not recommended.
Caffeine as an ergogenic aid in endurance sports: What’s new and exciting?
In 2004, caffeine was removed from the World Anti-Doping Agencies list and has since become popular as an ergogenic aid among athletes. Dr. John Hawley presented research on the mechanisms of action of caffeine, who might benefit from using this strategy, the amount of caffeine needed for a significant effect, and practical guidelines for caffeine use during endurance events. It has been previously suggested that caffeine prolongs submaximal exercise duration by increasing the utilization of fats and prolonging the availability of muscle glycogen, resulting in increased time to exhaustion. However, recent research has disproved this theory and instead suggests that the effects of caffeine are mediated through changes in the central nervous system. How much is optimal for enhanced performance? Earlier studies looked at massive doses of caffeine (6-12mg/kg body mass) ingested one hour before exercise, but these doses were more likely to cause unwanted side effects such as jitteriness. More recent research suggests that much lower doses (2-3mg/kg body mass) are just as beneficial to performance. This research also offered the theory that chewing caffeine gum may be superior for performance as compared to ingestion of caffeine in capsule form. Endurance-based exercise is typically enhanced 2-3% with caffeine ingestion, but ingestion protocols vary depending on the intensity and duration of the vent. Lastly, it must be emphasized that every individual varies in their response to caffeine, and for some it may be detrimental to performance.
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Nutrition Challenges of Female Endurance Runners
Female endurance runners face a number of nutritional challenges, and dietary intake and health must be monitored to compete at peak performance. Dr. Melinda Manore presented a variety of potential nutrition concerns for female endurance runners. According to Manore, adequate energy intake is one of the most important issues for female runners. It is not uncommon for a female runner to want to lose body fat in an attempt to increase speed and performance. Unfortunately, reducing calories can have the opposite effect and result in impaired performance. Competitive endurance runners who train 10-20 hours/week may need 4,000-4,500 calories each day to maintain good health and performance. Inadequate energy intake may result in fatigue, difficulty training at high intensities, injuries, and lack of improvement in performance. It is often difficult to determine if an athlete is meeting their energy needs without spending 24 hours/day with them. A coach or dietitian can look for signs of inadequate calorie intake, such as menstrual dysfunction, weight loss, poor growth and injuries, and fatigue and irritability.
Athletes and Dietary Protein: Getting it Right
Protein is possibly the most talked-about nutrient when it comes to athletic performance. A common perception is that protein shake or bars are essential for building muscle. Much research has been conducted in an attempt to fine tune recommendations for optimal protein source, timing, and amount to achieve goals of muscle hypertrophy, strength, and recovery of body tissues after strenuous workouts. Dr. Luc van Loon and Dr. Stuart Phillips, two highly regarded researchers, addressed this issue at the conference.
Dr. van Loon noted that protein is required after both resistance and endurance activities so that muscles can respond by promoting growth and repair. Whey protein has been found to be more effective than soy protein probably due to its high leucine content, but this need not come in the form of a specialized product. Egg and milk provide protein and leucine, which performs just as well. Meat, chicken, fish and lentils are also excellent sources. As for amount, forget those products that offer 45 grams of protein or more per serving. Research has shown that muscle stops responding after 20-25 grams. Greek yogurt with some cereal sprinkled in will be equally as effective as a protein shake, at a fraction of the cost. For best results, have a similar amount of protein 4-6 times a day (depending on your size). A peanut butter sandwich with a glass of milk, 2 eggs and 2 slices of toast, or 3 ounces of chicken with vegetables will all provide these amounts.
Dr. Phillips specifically addressed the issue of protein requirements for athletes and active individuals during periods of weight loss. He noted that increasing protein helps to retain lean tissue while providing satiety. Doubling the RDA of 0.8 grams per kilogram body weight to 1.6 grams per kilogram body weight is recommended and can easily be accomplished by including low fat dairy and lean meats in the diet.