Runner's Oasis | Racing | The Science of Running
The Science of Running

Nutrition is the science that deals with food and the way the body uses them. It's important for runners to know and understand how their body uses the nutrients that they eat. This way you will understand what foods are good and most beneficial to your running.

Nutrients

  1. provide materials for building, repairing, or maintaining body tissues

  2. help regulate body processes

  3. serve as fuel to provide energy IMPORTANT!!!

    4. Everyone needs the same nutrients, but the amounts needed vary from person to person. A runner or anyone who does a lot of physical activity will need more energy and therefore more nutrients than someone resting.

    CARBOHYDRATES are the starches and sugars in foods. They can be found in bread, breakfast cereals, and pasta.

    WHY IT HELPS RUNNERS When you eat pasta (or any food with carbo's) glucose surges into the bloodstream. The pancreas then releases insulin which causes sugar to enter muscle cells so that it can be burned as fuel.

    PROTEINS are necessary for growth and maintenance of body structures. They also provide energy. Foods that contain protein are: cheese, fish, eggs, meat, beans, and vegetables.

    VITAMINS are also essential for good health. They are in foods that you eat. Vitamins function as catalysts in the body. They accelerate certain chemical reactions that occur in the body and are essential for health.

    Calculating Fat
    Fats are in most foods. They are a source of energy, but fats are stored energy unlike carbohydrates which are immediately burned as fuel. Obviously you don't need a lot of fats in your diet. It is recommended that fats make up no more than 30% of your diet.

    Here's a chart for monitoring your fat intake, it shows where your upper limit of fat intake should be.

    Average daily caloriesMaximum Daily Fat Grams
    1,20040
    1,50050
    2,00067
    2,50083
    3,000100
    3,500117
    4,000134

    Want to figure out your daily calorie needs?
    The Harris-Benedict Equation determines your metabolic rate. Here's the equation:

    Female BMR=665+9.6W+1.7H-4.7A
    Male BMR=66+13.7W+5H-6.8A

    W equals weight (in kilograms), H equals height (in centimeters). and A equals age.
    To convert your weight to kilograms, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2.
    To convert your height to cm. multiply your height in inches by 2.54
    When you figure out your BMR, if you run add 100 calories per mile that you ran. Also, if you are active during the day add about 100 calories per 15 minutes of activity.

    The right nutrition is important to every runner, because to get the most out of your runs it's best to be healthy!

    YOUR MUSCLES

    Ever wonder how your muscles work?
    We have a short explanation on what muscles are and what exercise does for them.

    There are 2 types of muscles: skeletal and smooth.
    Smooth muscles are found in the organs of the body. The muscles that affect us while we are running are the skeletal muscles. These muscles adapt to exercise in special ways. When a person runs for long periods of time each day, these muscles increase their ability to produce energy to keep up muscular work. Working out on a regular basis will strengthen them.


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    Copyright Runner's Oasis, 1996.
    Last updated: 8/15/1996