Hey there!
Last week while practicing an especially rocky triathlon swim exit, Alex and I struck up a conversation with another competitor who was sitting on the beach pulling on his wetsuit. After exchanging a few pleasantries and commiserating about the pain our feet would be in while running barefoot over the jagged edges under the murky water, the conversation drifted to nutrition—as it often does when triathletes get together… (as long as they aren’t deliberating and debating training strategy and gear). The man immediately started talking about all of the homegrown, grass-fed, non-GMO, organic, and pre-and probiotic-rich foods he had consumed that day and what he planned to consume on race day (including during his race). Alex listened intently while nodding and declared in self-satirical defiance, “I had a Pop-Tart today!” I watched Alex mow through it in the truck on the drive to the lake—never being one to let a second go to waste. The man responded with a very melodramatic groan, insisting that surely it had to at least have been an organic one!
I’m not here to bash any dietary choices…at least not today. ;) If you like grass-fed beef, great! If you don’t eat beef at all, that's fine too! Nutrition is both complicated and simple at the same time.
Nutrition is complicated because, well, physiology and metabolism, and pathology, and biochemistry are complicated, and there is still so much research that is being done that is uncovering more about the field of nutrition and how it impacts health and performance.
Nutrition is “simple” (kind of) because a major takeaway that most of us need to remember is that, for healthy people, consuming a wide variety of mostly whole, minimally processed foods with lots of fruits/veggies, lean protein, fiber, and less saturated fats is generally a good strategy. Most people know this. Often endurance athletes, however, are so serious about eating healthy that it actually backfires, leading to underfueling, decreased performance, and in some cases can turn into patterns of orthorexia or RED-S (relative energy deficiency in sport). The truth is, if you are putting serious mileage and hours of training in each week, it's going to be extremely difficult to get the fuel and especially carbohydrates you need if you are relying solely on “clean” foods or things like cauliflower rice, or quinoa to meet your needs.
I’m not saying that you should neglect eating healthy foods outside of your training window, and I’m also not saying that Pop-Tarts are a “healthy food”. What I am saying is that “bad” foods (i.e., more processed food with less fiber and more simple and easily digestible carb sources) have their place in an endurance athlete’s diet.
Yes, you can choose organic, non-GMO, etc. Pop-Tarts (after all, Red 40 dye isn’t adding to your performance!), but please, make sure you are prioritizing giving your body the fuel it needs and not only focusing on avoiding the “bad” things.
📺 Want to learn more about carbs and endurance performance? Check out the links below!
~Michelle
💬 Have questions or looking for extra help?
Have any nutrition questions or need help prepping for an event? Schedule a consult call with Alex here!
