In May, thousands of runners will descend upon Pittsburgh to take on one of the biggest fitness challenges of their lives: the Pittsburgh Marathon. You may be one of these athletes, or you have signed up for a Spartan Event, a Triathlon, or even a Tough Mudder this year. As you prepare for these events, you are likely outlining a training plan. Maybe it includes some cross-training like weight lifting, swimming, or even yoga. Have you considered your nutrition in all of these plans yet?
There are three main goals that proper nutrition supports throughout your endurance training:
- Fuel for energy. You will be pushing your body through at least two or more hours of athletic performance in most of these events. This means you need food sources that are easy on the stomach, quickly digested, and rapidly absorbed.
- Preserving lean muscle mass. Adequate protein intake has recently become a hot topic in the world of endurance nutrition. We will review why this is so important. You will also learn what forms of protein you should consume and supplements for those pursuing a vegan or vegetarian diet.
- Optimizing recovery. Training for these events requires high volume, whether it’s on the bike, the road, or in the pool. Your nutrition and hydration will play key roles in ensuring you are ready for the next workout. Even the food you eat will impact how you sleep.
We are excited to announce our first nutrition seminar of several in a performance-focused series! On February 23rd from 11 am-12noon, you will learn fueling principles around endurance sports. In addition to the goals above, we will review race-day nutrition, pre-race day meals, foods to eat while running and biking, and hydration parameters.