Racing Weight: The Pros And Cons Of Workout Fasting
Updated: Sep 21st 2010 10:25 AM EDT by Matt Fitzgerald
Think twice before you “starve” yourself during and after workouts.
Written by: Matt Fitzgerald
Several years ago I used to run on occasion with a female friend who twice qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon. One day when I met her at her house for a run I brought over a canister of a sports drink that I was then getting for free and wanted her to try. When she mixed up a bottle in the kitchen I noticed that she used only half the recommended amount of powder. Bemused, I asked why.
“It’s 120 calories per serving,” she said. “I don’t want all that.”
I was surprised. My philosophy on the use of ergogenic aids during workouts had always been to take in as many calories as I needed to maximize my performance. The idea that the calories I consumed during runs or rides might hinder my efforts to get leaner for racing never crossed my mind. But after witnessing my friend’s “workout fasting” I began asking around and learned that many endurance athletes intentionally restrict their calories during training to promote fat loss.
Is there any validity to the fear that taking in sports drinks, gels, and so forth in workouts makes it more difficult to shed excess body fat? Should you, at least in some circumstances, intentionally take in fewer calories than would be required to optimize your workout performance? Let’s look at the science.
Athletes who fast or are tempted to fast during workouts operate on the belief that the calories in ergogenic aides simply supplement the calories eaten during the rest of the day and thereby increase the day’s total calorie intake. But this is not the case. Studies have shown that when athletes consume carbohydrate during exercise, they eat less during the rest of the day. So by using a sports drink or whatever during workouts you get the advantage of better performance without the disadvantage of increased total daily calorie intake.
The other fear that lies behind the choice to restrict carbohydrate intake during workouts is the fear that doing so reduces the amount of fat burned during the workout. This is true. Your body will burn more carbs and less fat in workouts during which you consume carbs than during workouts in which you fast. But this does not mean that using a sports drink during workouts will make it harder for you to shed excess body fat. With respect to losing body fat, what matters is not the type of calories you burn during workouts but how many calories you burn, and you will usually burn more calories in carb-fueled workouts because you will be able to work harder in those workouts.
The reason it doesn’t matter whether you burn primarily fat or carbs during workouts is this: During the hours that follow a workout in which you burn mostly carbs, your body will burn a lot fat as it spares carbs for use in replenishing your depleted muscle glycogen stores. And during the hours that follow a workout in which you burn mostly fat, your body will burn a lot of carbs as it spares fats for use in replenishing your depleted intramuscular triglyceride stores. Research has consistently shown that the most effective workouts for fat loss are high-intensity interval workouts that burn mostly carbs. Why? Because the body burns a ton of fat after such workouts. So don’t worry about the fact that your body will burn less fat during carb-fueled workouts. You’ll come out ahead in the long run.
So does all of this mean you should never intentionally restrict carbohydrate intake during workouts that are long enough for carb consumption to make a difference (roughly one hour and up)? No. There are benefits associated with occasional workout fasting, but they have nothing to do with getting leaner. It so happens that some of the positive physiological adaptations to training are triggered by depletion of the body’s internal carbohydrate stores. When you consume carbs during a workout, your body’s carb stores become less depleted and there’s less stimulus for positive adaptations. In addition, it has been shown that performing longer workouts without taking in carbs increases the body’s fat-burning capacity during exercise, which aids performance in long-distance races.
It’s not necessary to withhold carbs in every long workout to maximize fitness gains and fat-burning capacity, but it’s a good idea to do it occasionally.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Tips For Surviving Race Week
Tips For Surviving Race Week
Published: Sep 9th 2010 4:08 PM EDT by Training
Use these five simple strategies to make your TriRock race-week experience less nerve-racking.
Written by: Mario Fraioli
There’s only a few days to go until TriRock San Diego and the finger you’re currently using to control your computer mouse might as well be on a panic button right now.
The questions you thought were answered weeks ago are inevitably beginning to arise again at the worst possible time. Did I train hard enough? Should I have done one more brick workout? What will I drink on race day? Should I put speed laces on my running shoes? And so forth. No matter how many laps you’ve swam or how many times you’ve rehearsed the race in your head, uncertainties always seem to find a way to arise during race week.
It’s all part of the game, as they say. Nerves are normal, especially as race day gets closer and the doubts start slipping through the cracks. The key to surviving race week, and the race itself, however, is as simple as trusting your training. No one workout between now and Sunday is going to make you any more fit than you are today. If anything, overdoing it is more of a concern than underdoing it this week. Now is the time to rest your body, and your mind. The real work is done.
And while you think ahead to race day this week, think back on the weeks of preparation that got you to this point. Also, think about the progression you’ve made as a runner during this period. In the two, four, six or more months since you first decided to take your show to San Diego, you’ve covered hundreds of miles, dialed in on your projected pace with laser-like precision, mastered your nutrition and have broken in your race day outfit so well that it feels like a second skin. There’s literally nothing left to do at this point except run the race.
Of course, you still need to get through the next few nerve-racking days, so use these five simple strategies to make sure you get to the starting line feeling relaxed, confident and ready to run your best on race day.
1.) Relax. Nerves will get you nowhere. Rather than worrying the week away and questioning your training, try to take your mind off the race and keep your it occupied with a book, mindless movie or some other non-running related activity. Take a walk, meditate or whatever it is you need to do to offset any penned up pre-race energy anxiety.
2.) Drink water. Chugging a gallon of water on race morning isn’t going to help matters much if you haven’t been drinking in the days prior to the event. Keep a water bottle within arms reach at all times in the days before the race and sip from it several times an hour. It can take several days or even up to a week or more to hydrate properly. Make sure to fill your tank well ahead of time.
3.) Wake up early. If you’re not an early bird already, learn to be before experiencing a rude awakening on race morning. Since you’ll be starting at 7 am and positioned in your corral much earlier than that, you’ll want to know what it’s like to be out of bed well before the break of dawn. The last thing you want to do on race day is be rushing around with only seconds to spare, so give yourself plenty of time to wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast and get to the start line.
4.) Make a list, check it twice. You wouldn’t leave home without your favorite credit card, you shouldn’t leave home without your wet suit, rear wheel, water bottles, running shoes, gels and hydration belt. Make a list of race-day essentials and keep these items on or close to you at all times. If traveling from out of town, pack the important stuff in your carry-on luggage. You’ll be fine if you lose your favorite slippers or misplace your shaving kit, but you’re nothing without your racing kit.
5.) Enjoy the expo, but not too much. The TriRock Expo will be quite the experience. There’s so much to see, lots of food to sample and scores of interesting people to meet, but spending too much time on your feet the day before your biggest race of the year isn’t the soundest strategy for success. If possible, get into town early, enjoy the expo experience for all that it has to offer and then get out of dodge. Grab your race packet, scope out the scene for a bit and then get off your feet and relax for the rest of the day.
And in the end, remember that surviving race week comes down to trusting your training. The race itself is just a reward for all the hard work you’ve put in since you decided to sign up for this event many months ago. Don’t let those deceiving doubts take away from the enjoyment of the experience. Develop a pre-race plan, execute it to the best of your ability and have the confidence that you’re ready to swim, bike, run and rock on race day!
Published: Sep 9th 2010 4:08 PM EDT by Training
Use these five simple strategies to make your TriRock race-week experience less nerve-racking.
Written by: Mario Fraioli
There’s only a few days to go until TriRock San Diego and the finger you’re currently using to control your computer mouse might as well be on a panic button right now.
The questions you thought were answered weeks ago are inevitably beginning to arise again at the worst possible time. Did I train hard enough? Should I have done one more brick workout? What will I drink on race day? Should I put speed laces on my running shoes? And so forth. No matter how many laps you’ve swam or how many times you’ve rehearsed the race in your head, uncertainties always seem to find a way to arise during race week.
It’s all part of the game, as they say. Nerves are normal, especially as race day gets closer and the doubts start slipping through the cracks. The key to surviving race week, and the race itself, however, is as simple as trusting your training. No one workout between now and Sunday is going to make you any more fit than you are today. If anything, overdoing it is more of a concern than underdoing it this week. Now is the time to rest your body, and your mind. The real work is done.
And while you think ahead to race day this week, think back on the weeks of preparation that got you to this point. Also, think about the progression you’ve made as a runner during this period. In the two, four, six or more months since you first decided to take your show to San Diego, you’ve covered hundreds of miles, dialed in on your projected pace with laser-like precision, mastered your nutrition and have broken in your race day outfit so well that it feels like a second skin. There’s literally nothing left to do at this point except run the race.
Of course, you still need to get through the next few nerve-racking days, so use these five simple strategies to make sure you get to the starting line feeling relaxed, confident and ready to run your best on race day.
1.) Relax. Nerves will get you nowhere. Rather than worrying the week away and questioning your training, try to take your mind off the race and keep your it occupied with a book, mindless movie or some other non-running related activity. Take a walk, meditate or whatever it is you need to do to offset any penned up pre-race energy anxiety.
2.) Drink water. Chugging a gallon of water on race morning isn’t going to help matters much if you haven’t been drinking in the days prior to the event. Keep a water bottle within arms reach at all times in the days before the race and sip from it several times an hour. It can take several days or even up to a week or more to hydrate properly. Make sure to fill your tank well ahead of time.
3.) Wake up early. If you’re not an early bird already, learn to be before experiencing a rude awakening on race morning. Since you’ll be starting at 7 am and positioned in your corral much earlier than that, you’ll want to know what it’s like to be out of bed well before the break of dawn. The last thing you want to do on race day is be rushing around with only seconds to spare, so give yourself plenty of time to wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast and get to the start line.
4.) Make a list, check it twice. You wouldn’t leave home without your favorite credit card, you shouldn’t leave home without your wet suit, rear wheel, water bottles, running shoes, gels and hydration belt. Make a list of race-day essentials and keep these items on or close to you at all times. If traveling from out of town, pack the important stuff in your carry-on luggage. You’ll be fine if you lose your favorite slippers or misplace your shaving kit, but you’re nothing without your racing kit.
5.) Enjoy the expo, but not too much. The TriRock Expo will be quite the experience. There’s so much to see, lots of food to sample and scores of interesting people to meet, but spending too much time on your feet the day before your biggest race of the year isn’t the soundest strategy for success. If possible, get into town early, enjoy the expo experience for all that it has to offer and then get out of dodge. Grab your race packet, scope out the scene for a bit and then get off your feet and relax for the rest of the day.
And in the end, remember that surviving race week comes down to trusting your training. The race itself is just a reward for all the hard work you’ve put in since you decided to sign up for this event many months ago. Don’t let those deceiving doubts take away from the enjoyment of the experience. Develop a pre-race plan, execute it to the best of your ability and have the confidence that you’re ready to swim, bike, run and rock on race day!
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