Ask Shannon: Fitness and Nutrition Q & A at Her Active Life

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Ask Shannon: Fitness and Nutrition Q & A

Posted June 20, 2008 at 12:00 PM by Shannon Clark

Section: Her Fitness, Her Nutrition

With years of training under her belt, resident fitness and nutrition expert Shannon Clark is ready to help you on your way to a healthy, informed lifestyle. Got a question? her your inquiries, and be sure to check back every week for the latest Q&A.

Q: I’ve been trying to get into endurance running a little more and am wondering about beverages such as Gatorade and the like. Is it a good idea for me to be drinking these types of products? Or should I stick with just plain water?

My runs have been going fairly well, and lately I’m approaching between five km and ten km per session, just depending on what day it is.

I am always sure to eat something about twenty minutes before I head out and also eat something right after I’m finished, both meals consisting of some protein along with carbohydrates.

Any thoughts you had would be great.

Thanks!

A: Great question! Endurance running is definitely going to place a different kind of stress on the body than it’s used to and as such, you will need to pay even more attention to your nutrition both before, during, and after the run, as well as throughout the rest of the day.

The nice thing about Gatorade and other electrolyte replacing beverages is that they supply the body with a quick-digesting form of carbohydrates that it can then use for energy, as well as providing the sodium and potassium that is necessary to keep muscular contractions occurring as they should.

Now, you say that you are sure to eat both before and after the run – which is great.

Chances are for your five km runs this will be enough carbohydrates (assuming the meal contains at least 40-60 grams) and you are not low-carb dieting or anything like that throughout the rest of the day.

While five km’s is definitely a good distance, it isn’t really long enough where water would no longer be suitable for a beverage choice.

For your ten km’s on the other hand, supplementing with an electrolyte beverage may be a good idea.

This again will depend on that pre-workout meal (how large it is) and how many carbohydrates you are eating during the day.

If you are eating a high carbohydrate diet, then you might be able to get away without as you’ll likely be restocking your muscles with the muscle glycogen they need to power you through that full ten km’s.

If though, you find that during this run when you are nearing the end, your body starts to drag a little, feeling quite tired and like you aren’t able to go as hard as you’d like, then it might be time to add in the Gatorade.

Also, if you are running in hotter climates, you’ll likely be sweating a great deal more, which then also means there is a higher chance you’ll be losing those electrolytes that are necessary.

So, take into account a few variables here:

1. What your pre-workout meal consists of
2. How many carbs you are eating the rest of the day
3. The climate you are running in
4. How you feel overall towards the end of the run

If you decide that you would like to try an electrolyte beverage, start with a small amount and see how it goes. Each runner has their own individual preference for what point in the run they like to start drinking them and how quickly they are able to drink without suffering from cramps.

After a few runs of experimentation, you should be able to figure out the best protocol to use.