Depletion Running: Should You Try It?

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? Yes, of course, but there are times when it may be a good idea to skip it, or at least wait a little later in the morning to have it. Runners know how important it is to fuel their bodies for their runs, especially for those hard and long workouts. It is always advised to have the proper amount of calories and carbohydrates before long runs and races in order to supply the muscles with the glycogen it requires to be able to push through the run. During half and full marathons, as well as ultra races, mid-run fuel is also important to keep those energy stores as high as possible to keep us going. It is during the end of races that we feel the depletion in our bodies from lack of fuel, which creates that ‘zombie-like’ final 10K of the marathon, otherwise known as “bonking”.

What is a Depletion Run?

The concept of depletion runs has grown to be quite popular, especially in the elite world. This is basically when runs are performed in a starved state. This will usually be in the morning after a full night’s sleep when glycogen stores are at its lowest. The reason some athletes do this is to train their bodies to use their fat stores so that come race day, they are able to last longer when energy is low. Many runners swear by this training method but also report it to be uncomfortable and make their runs much harder to get through. If you are willing to go through several runs feeling low on energy in hopes to not hit “the wall” during your marathon, then it may be worth a try.

The Science

When you run without fueling up beforehand, the body will rely on fat stores for energy. This energy, though, will not give you the same feel as the energy from glycogen, which we get from the carbohydrates we ingest. What this will train the body to do is use fat stores during as much of a race as possible and save the glycogen stores for when we really need it—the end of the race. The important thing to remember in order to keep from using any stored glycogen for the first half of your training run is to keep a conversational pace throughout the entire run. Any faster, and you will risk dipping into the glycogen you need to save.

The Method

It is important to have a decently large dinner the night before your depletion run, so that your body can store as much fat as possible overnight. The morning of your run, simply do not ingest anything except for water (although some runners also deplete themselves of hydration, which is a dangerous mistake). For long runs, where you would normally refuel mid-run with gels or chews, you will skip this part on a depletion run. Immediately after completing this run, it is extremely important to refuel with plenty of carbohydrates—at least 50 grams and around 25 grams of protein. An hour later you should have another carbohydrate-rich meal.

When to Practice Depletion

This type of training should not be done with every training run. It is beneficial to perform depletion runs 3 or 4 times for long runs early on in your training cycle when you do not have to worry about practicing your race fueling strategy. Short and easy runs are good times to practice depletion as well, but mostly for the sake of teaching yourself to get used to the ‘not eating’ part. Never try this for speed work or marathon paced runs because these harder workouts require glycogen in order to be able to be successful. If you attempt to run on an empty stomach for hard workouts you will not be able to push yourself as hard and therefore limit any performance gains.

Morning runs are the easiest times to practice depletion since you have not used much energy and it is when you will feel the least hungry. Making sure to hydrate the night before and the morning of will help with any hunger and keep you from getting dehydrated during your run. Only experienced long-distance runners should try a depletion run. If you are not so experienced and want to give it a go, first try cutting your regular pre-run fuel intake little by little over the course of weeks.

Depletion runs are not for everyone, but if you normally feel the ‘bonk’ at the end of your races, it MAY BE worth a try. If you are not a fan of feeling hungry or weak on any type of run, then it most likely isn’t a training technique you should try. This method of training will not cause weight loss or make you a faster runner. It is simply to help with endurance, although there are other, more tolerable, ways to improve endurance. Training the body to rely on fat stores and save glycogen for those last six miles, will allow you to run longer at your goal pace.

Sources

Niels Ørtenblad, Håkan Westerblad, and Joachim Nielsen, Muscle Glycogen Stores and Fatigue, Journal, Dec 12, 2019.

Tips for Eating Out at Restaurants

If only we all were gourmet chefs or at least have the time to create amazing dishes for every single meal of the day, we would probably always eat at home. The eating culture has shifted tremendously over the past few decades, with dining out increasing from 18% of daily intake to 33%. Most of us know how unhealthy many restaurant choices are, especially in the fast food world, but we continue to consume it more than we should. Even the “healthier” items on the menu such as salads and vegetable dishes are loaded with calories from the extra fat and sugar added to the cooking process to make them taste much better than home-cooked meals. The highly processed and fat or sugar-laden foods are what cause eating addiction, which is a reason why more people continue to crave restaurant meals.

Studies have indicated that increased intake of foods eaten away from home is linked to a higher body mass index and poorer diet quality. Diet quality in these cases was described as the amount of fruit, vegetable, and processed food consumption. Most studies showed that women tend to make healthier foods choices at restaurants than men by choosing more fruits and vegetables with their meals. Unfortunately, even choosing these healthy foods does not equate to overall fewer calories and fat. By no means should these facts about restaurants keep you from going out for date night or an enjoyable evening with friends. There are several ways to stick with your diet while eating out without too much sacrifice.

Prepare

If you are truly trying to stick to your healthy diet and have the opportunity to choose the restaurant when going out for a social occasion, it is best to take some time to research a few different places with a wide range of menu items. If the restaurant is already chosen, you can still look up the menu ahead of time and select a few dish options that fall into the healthy category. If the choices still seem high in calories, you can plan to eat much lighter meals throughout the day leading up to your outing to compensate. If you are willing to forgo an entree at the restaurant and instead order an appetizer as your main dish, then you will most likely save about half of the calories as long as you carefully choose a healthier option. To make sure that you are satisfied come meal’s end, have a small snack at home beforehand such as a few crackers and cheese, yogurt with nuts, or a protein shake.

Control Portions

This is probably the most difficult task for most people, yet the lack of this task is the reason why most Americans are overweight. At restaurants it is very easy to consume too many calories even with their smallest available portions, so the easiest way to downsize those calories is to choose low calorie foods to begin with. Unfortunately, side dishes such as potatoes, rice, and pasta do not fall into this category, unless you can be satisfied with only a couple of forkfuls worth. Vegetables and salads are the best choices, but it is important to keep in mind that most restaurants will cook the veggies in oil and butter to enhance the taste so they are not as low-calorie as you would think.

Eating out will usually include many more courses than you would typically have at home. Bread will be served, followed by an appetizer, entrée, and dessert. If you choose to have the bread, simply pick just one piece out of the basket and limit the amount of butter or oil you use. Share an appetizer and dessert with your party rather than trying to portion out an entire one on your own. The highest calorie items that are best to stay away from are fried foods, fatty meats, cream-based soups and pastas, and those delicious-looking baked desserts. Opt for small portions of lean meats and fish, vegetable side dishes, and fruit for dessert.

Choose Intuitively

The best advice is to always think before you eat anything. If you truly do not care for something, do not waste your calorie bank on it. Most people end up eating whatever food is on their plate. If you crave meat more than the carb-loaded side dishes, then make sure to order your steak with green vegetables as a side so that you are not tempted to eat potatoes or rice. For those who have an extreme sweet tooth and look forward to dessert more than anything, it’s best to skip the bread, have a small appetizer as your main dish, and indulge in the dessert that you truly enjoy most.

Eat Slowly

You may have read before that eating alone without any distractions such as company, the computer, or television is a smarter way to keep track of portions and eat less overall. Conversing over meals causes us to not pay attention to how much we are eating or drinking. Teaching ourselves to eat our meals as slowly as possible takes some training. Some steps to practice are cutting food into smaller bite-sized pieces, savor the flavors of your food by chewing more times, putting down utensils in between bites, and eating with your non-dominant hand.

Beverages Count

Whether you are into alcoholic beverages or sodas, calories can add up tremendously. A glass of wine equates to around 130 calories, so if you share a bottle with your significant other, you are adding about 300 to 350 calories to your meal. Light beer and hard liquor are lower calorie choices with about 100 and 70 calories per serving respectively. The drinks to watch out for are mixed cocktails and specialty beverage items. Some are mixed with soda adding double the calories, while others can get into the 700-calorie range if you choose a cream-based or sweetened one such as a margarita, pina colada, or a long island iced tea. If possible, stick to just one serving of your favorite lower-calorie drink and have two sips of water for every sip of other beverage you have.

When on a diet, going out to eat should not be eliminated. There are ways to be able to enjoy your time out with family or friends while sticking with your healthy meal plan. If you go off a bit more than you would have liked, do not be hard on yourself. One night of “bad” eating will not ruin all of the progress you have made. What is an issue with most people’s diets is dining out several times a week. Unfortunately, as much as we try to make the healthiest choices at restaurants, it is important to remember that we truly do not know exactly how the food is cooked, and most are cooked with butter, oil, extra sugar and salt to create those delicious flavors. Enjoy yourself as you dine, keeping these simple tips in mind, so that you can guarantee you will not undo all of that hard work you have put into getting and staying healthy.

Sources

Rebecca A. Seguin, Anju Aggarwal, Francoise Vermeylen, and Adam Drewnowski, Consumption Frequency of Foods Away from Home Linked with Higher Body Mass Index and Lower Fruit and Vegetable Intake Among Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study, Journal, Sept 2019

What is Macro Tracking and How Does it Help With Your Goals?

Many of us have been dieting, or at least trying to, for years. The ultimate consensus to lose weight has been to burn more calories than you eat. Although this may make sense, it takes much more input than that. Consuming 500 calories of chocolate cake does not treat the body the same as 500 calories of broccoli. Due to the different reactions of the macronutrients—carbs, protein, and fat, calories are not all created equal. It may seem time-consuming to not only count your calories, but also every single gram of the macros, but it will end up being extremely useful if you are looking to lose weight or improve your fitness.

Athletes especially are one group who will benefit the most from counting their macronutrients, as the amount of protein and carbs significantly impacts their performance and recovery. Endurance athletes are at the greatest risk of injury and burnout if they do not consume enough carbs and protein at specific times surrounding their workouts. Proteins are known to be the building blocks of muscle, so it is obvious why those who exercise should consume a sufficient amount. High protein diets have been studied and seem to be the way to go for weight loss as well. In order to understand what ratio of macronutrients you should be eating you need to take a look at your goals.

Weight Loss

As mentioned, weight loss comes from eating less than you burn. Of course, a mixture of cutting calories and exercising more is the ideal plan, but most people have the hardest time with the diet part. When trying to lower calorie intake enough to make a difference, many dieters become irritable, develop uncontrollable cravings, and end up with barely any energy to get them through a workout. These are reasons why many people cannot stick to a strict diet.

When incorporating macro tracking into a weight loss diet, you can be sure your body is getting all of the nutrients it needs. Keeping protein high means you will stay full for a longer period of time. Enough carbs should keep your energy levels up. Some dieters get used to trying to cut out carbs completely and end up getting scared to add them back into their routines. Keeping tabs on macros shows how a higher carb diet than what you are used to, say 40-50% carbs, will not contribute to weight gain. This is because you will be more aware of what you are putting into your body. Remember, a 1200 calorie-a-day diet of just bacon and eggs will not let you reach your goals like 1200 calories of lean meats, low-glycemic carbs, and healthy fats will.

Gaining Muscle

When trying to get stronger and leaner, putting the time in the weight room is generally the way to go. In reality, if you do not eat a proper diet for this specific goal than gaining muscle will either be almost impossible or take a very long time. Macronutrient ratios will be different if your goal is to gain muscle rather than to lose weight. Protein intake must be higher as this macronutrient is the building block of muscle. But keeping carbs high is also important, as your body will require sufficient energy levels for weightlifting.

Now, gaining muscle and losing fat at the same time (which is most people’s dream!) can be tricky. Thankfully with a macronutrient tracking diet, you can achieve this goal. The key here is to be in a calorie deficit but not too drastic, in order to keep up with muscle building. A deficit of 10% is a good place to start but must be adjusted along the way. It is especially important to look at your protein ratios to make sure the building of muscle outweighs protein breakdown. Being in a calorie deficit with not enough protein will lead to dropping pounds but losing muscle.

Improving Fitness Performance

Runners, particularly those who race, are vulnerable to becoming “skinny fat”. This means they easily lose weight but all of the running basically eats away at their muscle. This means their macronutrients are out of order. Runners must make sure to be consuming enough carbs, around 60% of total calories, to fuel their bodies for endurance training. Keeping protein at a higher ratio is useful to maintain as much of their muscle as possible. The stronger the body, the faster the paces! Fats also have to be accounted for as they help regulate hormones and keep us feeling full throughout the day. A good ratio of macros for a marathon runner is 60% carbs, 25% protein, and 15% fats.

Although this sounds like extra work besides counting calories, it easily becomes habitual. When you realize how well your body responds by keeping within these ratios, you will want to stick with it. Of course, consuming quality foods as the majority of your diet is most beneficial, but macronutrient dieting allows you more freedom and flexibility. As long as you stick to your carb/protein/fat ratios you can feel free to enjoy foods that you love more often and will not feel guilty when cheating a bit. This type of macro diet is popularly known as the “IIFYM” (If it fits your macros) diet. To make things easier there are plenty of applications for macro tracking, such as Macrostax, that allow you to just plug in the meals you eat and it will show you whether those meals fall within your ratios. Once you see quicker results from macro dieting, you won’t go back to your old ways!

Sources:

Anne-Claire Vergnaud, Teresa Norat, Traci Mouw, et al, Macronutrient Composition of the Diet and Prospective Weight Change in Participants of the EPIC-PANACEA Study, Journal, Jul 13, 2018

Three Weeks to Marathon #6

I am officially three weeks away from my 6th full marathon. The Miami Marathon is my absolute favorite race—not only because it is my hometown race and it’s where I train every day, but also because everything about the events that go on during the weekend, the race organization, and the course is so fun! I am looking forward to seeing all of the familiar faces from every year, as well as so many others I am going to get to meet. I will also be hanging out with the My Olympic Coach team at their booth at the expo both Friday and Saturday, so that will be pretty cool! Before all of this happens though, I need to really focus hard on getting in a few more quality sessions during my last peak week, as well as a proper taper.

I have a few workouts this week that have me feeling excited but nervous at the same time. Since I have had some not-so-good races this Fall, I am missing a bit of confidence to run the paces I need to run for my goal. The Turkey Trot in November, which was my very first 10k race, was the hardest race I have ever done (yes, harder than the marathon!). Most of you read in my recap post that the 10k basically leaves no room to makeup any lost time, whereas in the marathon, if you have a couple of slow miles, you have so many more to speed up on to catch up. I finished that race with a 6:34 average pace—slower than my best half marathon pace! A week and a half after the 10k, I ran a half marathon in West Palm Beach. Thankfully I went into that race with the mindset that I was just going out for a long tempo training run in prep for this month’s marathon. I ran a 1:30:58, which is over 5 minutes slower than my current half marathon PR. This really discouraged me at the time. Since then, I have had some pretty good training runs so I’m back to feeling more confident and I know those upsetting races landed on “off” days.

I am basically done with really, really long runs, so the rest of my workouts will be short to medium runs, with marathon-paced miles in the mix. My coach, Luis Orta, does such a good job planning my training with workouts that challenge my weaknesses. I have always had a hard time with long tempos and holding my goal pace for more than a couple of miles, so I have had plenty of these during this cycle. I’ll keep you updated as I get more of these completed these next couple of weeks.

Nutrition will also be a focus. I do well with my diet, but I tend to wait too long to eat after workouts and sometimes slack on getting in enough calories on my busier days when I am on the road working. I do my best running when I eat a high calorie/carb/protein diet. So, I will be eating A LOT now!

I am so thankful to everyone who has supported my training on Instagram! As much as many of my followers say I motivate them with my posts, it is all of them who truly motivate me to stay on track and keep pushing towards my goals. When I have had a few tough days and I dread my morning runs, all I have to do is log into Instagram and read a couple of posts of those who have gotten up much earlier than I have and accomplished an amazing workout. That pushes me right out of bed and inspires my whole day! So, thank you :)