On Saturday August
3rd, Dr. James Lander presented a health talk to Snail’sPace Running Academy at YorbaRegional Park. Dr. James discussed some general nutritional requirements for
distance running.
In case you missed
the health talk – here is a recap:
·
Let’s look at iron.
o Iron is essential for red blood cell
production. Red blood cells are vital for carrying oxygen to your tissues,
including your muscles. With deficiencies in iron, one is prone to anemia and
that means fatigue, slow recovery, and reduced capacity for exercise
performance.
o Interestingly, if you are a heel striker
this means your body sustains an increased load as you run and your body weight
is transferred through your heel. To contrast, if you have ever run barefoot,
notice how much lighter on your feet you are and how naturally you body won’t
let you pound all that weight through your heels. Conversely, you land on your
mid and forefoot without even thinking about it. In heel strike running, the
force that is transferred when one heel strikes is so great that it causes
excess stress on red blood cells, an may lead to a decreased lifespan of the
blood cells. Another important note regarding iron is that the more miles you
run, the more accumulative stress on those red blood cells. Research has shown
that running over 25 miles a week increases one’s chances of anemia.
o So how should one supplement their diet to
optimize the oxygen carrying capacity of red blood cells? Great sources include
spinach, kale and beets. Add these into your diet and soon you will find your
energy, endurance, and aerobic capacity enhanced for your next race.
·
Anti-inflammatories:
o These are also an essential part of the
endurance athlete’s diet. On a large scale, many see inflammation as that
swollen ankle or knee after it is been twisted or injured. Inflammation is also
going on throughout the body, even without that single large traumatic event.
With every bout of exercise, there is microtrauma and resultant inflammation
within our body tissues. We should strive to combat this with our diets!
o Before we get to a couple of dietary
sources, lets get a little more specific. There are essential fatty acids
(essential because our body does not make them and we must get them from out
diet).
o We generally get lots of omega-6 fatty acids
from our diets and much fewer omega-3’s. The problem is, the omega-3’s are the
ones that have an anti-inflammatory effect and suppress inflammation. How do
you know if you have too few omega-3’s? Some common signs include dry hair, dry
mouth, dry skin, and frequent urination.
o Regardless if you have any of these signs,
as a runner or athlete of any kind, it is essential to be proactive! That
means, optimizing your diet to combat the wear and tear of training. Good
anti-inflammatory foods include chia seeds, almonds, walnuts, and cold water
fish, such as salmon. There are also great herbs that can be used to season
your food that can further contribute the reducing inflammation. One of our
favorites is turmeric. Why is turmeric our favorite? Not only does it elevate
the flavor of many foods but research has shown that it outperforms even
pharmaceutical drugs in it’s ability to combat chronic disease without side
effects. The anti-inflammatory properties of Turmeric have been shown to be
preventative against Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, and cancer.
With this brief
nutritional overview, we hope you can start to implement a little bit of
proactive nutrition into your diet to help fuel your training, promote fast
recovery, and power you to your running goals.
For more information or to make an appointment - please visit our website: LanderChiropractic.Com
