Fit Mom's Blog

If you’re thinking of starting an endurance sport- such as running, cycling, triathlon and are in need of a step by step instruction guide as to what to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat- this book is your answer. Published in 2007 by Human Kinetics and written by Suzanne Girard Eberle, a competitive athlete herself,  has written a textbook for athletes on nutrition. She is also the founder of Eat, Drink, Win!

The best parts of this book:
I love hearing athlete stories, testimonies, advice on training, nutrition, sleep, everything. In fact, I can be downright inquisitive when it comes to learning about a sport I enjoy. So, I particularly enjoyed the “Learn from the Best” column in each chapter because it offered a detailed glimpse of an accomplished athlete in their field of endurance sports. For example, Scott Jurek, Ultrarunner offers his advice on how to prepare for your nutritional needs before, during and after the event.

Timing. Familiar with the term “Bonking”? It’s a word that means ran out of fuel or energy.   I have a bad habit of bonking after a race- I always FORGET to bring anything substantial to eat.  Then, I crash (energy-wise) and all the fun celebrations stop until I get some protein in me!  Think about your timing as far as refueling needs, everyday food choices- before, during, and after exercise. If you’re planning on running your first marathon soon, prepare your body to take in fluids every fifteen minutes throughout the race- starting with the first water station. In addition, you will need to consider a gel or a bar for additional sources of fuel. (I took 4-6 gels on all my marathons and was still hungry and cranky at the end!)

Glycemic Index- Foods that are low on the GI scale-such as brown rice, pears, apples grapes, beans, may be better for an athlete prior to an event and may benefit prolonged efforts. (page 73).

Variety: Eberle offers detailed information on fueling needs for many different endurance sports- such as cycling, trail running, duathlon, winter sports, water sports as well as extreme conditions such as mountain climbing and temperature changes.

Endurance Sports Nutrition offers a much needed guide and backs it up with scientific data on how a person should train for endurance sports. As far as hands on useful information, it depends on the user, I think. I tend to be the questionable sort and constantly seek answers, so a lot of this information was not new to me- however, it’s a fantastic reference for specific dietary questions and needs of athletes.