Featuring Lauren K. Williams, M.S., RD

Duration: 2 minutes, 3 seconds

For those of you that are training or have trained for things like 10l, half-marathons, marathons or even the ultra-marathon, you probably know how important nutrition is for your athletic performance.

Carbohydrates, our preferred energy source for the body, are extremely important to get the day of and leading up to a competition, as well as through your training so that your body can have sustained energy.

Some examples for you of some really good carbohydrates to include, things like oatmeal for breakfast, things like cereals, breads, toast as well is a great one, sandwiches, your whole grain pastas and brown rices.

Don't forget you can also get some carbohydrates from your dairy group, so things like yogurt or adding fruit to your yogurt. Bananas are also an excellent source of carbohydrates. That's one concern for long distance runners. Also making sure you're getting that protein to repair that muscle that you're breaking down from those long runs.

Protein sources such as chicken, or fish, your lean steaks as well. Getting that red meat in there. Make sure you plan your meal timing in advance, as you know many runners experience gastrointestinal issues. Making sure that when you go to do your workout or your competition that you aren't worried about that, so you've experimented with foods that might work for you.

Assure adequate timing, getting up in advance in the morning to make sure that your food is digested. Also making sure that you're eating every few hours throughout the day and within 30 minutes of that workout or that competition to immediately start that refueling process.

Making sure you're getting enough calories for your body is important as you're expending a lot of energy throughout this.

To put together a great meal plan for you and for more tips for the long distance runner, contact your local sports nutritionist or your local registered dietitian with a sports expertise.

Presenter: Ms. Lauren K. Williams, Registered Dietitian, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Registered Dietitian