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“I used to be skinny when I was a runner in college. Look at me now. My BMI says I am “obese.”

 

With a couple of more months of hot weather running many athletes are looking forward to the fall with cooler temperatures. Don't forget to drink plenty of water before and after your runs. This is especially important during the hot and humid summer days.

The average American, spends 24 hours a week online. That includes many runners who spend a lot of time surfing the Web, looking for answers to their nutrition questions. They generally find way too much conflicting information and end up more confused than ever. Hence, the goal of this article is to offer science-based answers to a few popular sports nutrition questions and share some food for thought.

Intestinal Distress: Gutting It Out - While some runners have cast iron stomachs and few concerns about what and when they eat before they exercise, others live in fear of pre-exercise fuel contributing to undesired pit stops during their workouts. Be it stomach rumbling, a need to urinate or defecate, reflux,nausea, heartburn, or side stitch, how to prevent intestinal distress is a topic of interest to athletes with finnicky guts. Here are tips to help you fuel well before and during runs, races and workouts while reducing the risk of gastro-intestinal (GI) distress. For more in-depth information, you might want to read The Athlete’s Gut by Patrick Wilson or listen to this podcast: https://www.scienceofultra.com/podcasts/16  

I often think about a statement that one of my college cross-country teammates used frequently. He would always say, “The good runner is always prepared”. While I knew this to hold certain truths, little did I know it would mean so much to me as a Sport Psychologist.  In all aspects of running, a plan of action is needed. Training, racing, traveling, eating all require some planning if you are to perform your best.

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