American Honey

[Lady Antebellum]

Wow! Really....WOW!

I knew I wasn't perfect at fueling my endurance races and training, but I thought I had figured it out enough. But WOW, I was pretty off.

And I had to learn this post Marathon. [tisk, tisk]

That's a code ID-10-T 

[Did you get that?? It means Idiot!...Dur, that's so lame. It was something my old boss used to say. He thought he was hilarious.]

Tonight's nutrition clinic for the Triology Triathlon Training Club was so enlightening.

I took scattered notes and before I forget I wanted to break them down:

1. Sugar is NOT bad.

2. Fueling is about understanding and using the Glycemic Index.

[Which is also what the Total Health and Fitness weight loss program was based on, too. Guess I need to take it more seriously.]


3. Simple sugars and complex sugars aren't necessarily an indication of a Glycemic Index.


4. Typically high glycemic foods are thought of as bad, because they quickly enter your blood which causes a spike of insulin. That constant spike and drop causes stress, which increases cortisol levels. Blah, blah, blah and on...basically you get fat this way.


[The constant surge of insulin is also what causes type 2 diabetes.]


5.  However, when you workout, insulin is blunted because the sugar is absorbed and utilized by the body before the insulin reacts.


6. Most people have 2 hours worth of stored glycogen. So up to 2 hours, you really don't NEED anything, but you also tap into your stored glycogen and can't maximize your potential by not fueling. This is why you get tired, because your energy source is getting depleted.


7. No matter what exercise length, you should be fueling to restore your glycogen levels. Fuel even on a 45 minute workout.


8. With low glycemic foods, they take longer to enter your blood stream. As they trickle in, the stored glycogen starts to get used. So before you can replenish, you will already start to fatigue.


9. Since your insulin levels are blunted and you need to restore the glycogen, using high glycemic foods during and immediately after workouts only are your best source of fuel.


10. High glycemic foods are absorbed quickly by the body. You don't even really tap into your stored glycogen. 


11. You want to use an 8% solution of Carb, Electrolytes, and Water. So 100 calories of a Carb+Electrolyte fuel + 12oz of water; every hour for up to two hours. Workouts longer than two hours would be 150-750 cal (depending on the athlete) +12oz of water per 100 cal.


12. You get into GI issues when you take slow to absorb or digest food, aka low glycemic food (Fructose is a good example). Your blood is working elsewhere, so it's hard to digest this, which causes the food to just sit in the stomach and cause nausea.


13. Recovery fueling happens during the 30 minute glycogen window post workout. During this time you want to eat a high glycemic food that contains fast absorbing protein and amino acids. Real food terms: Chocolate Milk is a good source!


14. Post recovery fueling, wait until the 30 minute glycemic window is over before eating a regular meal. If this puts your dinner too late, then split your meal up. Eat a small portion before the workout and then a small snack after.

15. 2-3 hours prior to working out, eat your normal meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc). Salt your food during this meal. Then start fueling shortly before your workout. Do NOT eat during a workout, unless the food fits into the category of carb+electrolytes+fluid. Even if the workout is 10+ hours. You'll be hungry, but you don't want to bonk by tapping into that glycogen storage.


16. Outside of working out, keep the glycemic index low. To lower GI, add proteins, fats, and fiber. Look at your total meal to calculate your GI, not just the one item of food.

17. There are 5 types of electrolytes. Make sure you are getting all 5 to avoid cramping.

That's probably all over the place. But it makes sense to me. I guess this means goodbye Coconutz Fuel. But hello, ENERGY!