Running: Redefining "healthy" nutrition (runner edition)
Fact: I told a bunch of runners this week to eat less vegetables.
Also fact: this was the “healthy” move for them given the context of the discussion.
Now let me explain.
The definition of the word “health” has become so skewed in today’s society it seems to have a different meaning every day, especially when it comes to nutrition. A plant-based diet is obviously the healthiest. Wait, that’s not keto though. Whole grains are amazing! Crap, I forgot I’m only supposed to eat cauliflower rice. What about fruit? Is the sugar in fruit unhealthy? Meanwhile, it’s totally healthy to eat vegetables all day long. Or is it unhealthy because some are nightshades? I guess it’s fine as long as you finish eating before 8PM. Or is it 6PM? What about fasting? Is fish healthy? Wait, some fish has mercury. It does have healthy fats though… or wait, is fat bad? I’m so freaking confused about cooking oils. Can someone please just tell me if I should be eating carbs? And what kind, for crying out loud??
I could go on forever, but I’ll stop because I do have a point. One thing I work with my clients a lot on is figuring out what the word “health” means for them in the current moment and for the future, along with dispelling a lot of nutrition myths (some of which are included above). One of the many things that these general rules, recommendations and bits of misinformation all get wrong is that they don’t take the individual into account. What is “healthy” for one person isn’t necessarily “healthy” for the next.
What’s “healthy” for runners?
Runners are not immune to falling into the traps of diet culture, and the influence it can have over food choices. I find it so common for runners, especially female runners, to fall short of their nutrition needs because they are trying to be “healthy” in that general sense, which doesn’t take their unique individual needs into account. The best example I have here is what I alluded to above. Runners need A TON of carbohydrates on a daily basis to fuel their activity and replenish glycogen stores in the body. In order to get these carbs in consistently throughout the day (see my example here!), carbs need to be the star of the show with most meals and snacks. That sort of contradicts what the general nutrition “rules” are for meal structure - vegetables should be half your plate, carbs and protein both 1/4 of the plate. I can’t tell you how much those recommendations were hammered into my head during my education and training to become a dietitian, and there is a place for them. But that place is often not for runners, especially those running higher mileage and doing heavy training.
My point
Vegetables are high in fiber and water content, which makes them quite filling! If an endurance athlete is training for a marathon and trying to consume 5+ servings of vegetables and fruits per day (which is the general recommendation), there is a chance she may be too full to consume the amount of carbohydrates her body needs to support her running. The solution: eat less vegetables and more carbs. That is a “healthy” choice for this runner, at this point in her training. Definitions of health can change with circumstances, though! During off season or downtime, the “healthy” tweak could be eating more of those veggies when carbohydrate needs are not as high.
This is just one example, of course. As women, we often think “healthy” is eating teeny tiny portions, big no carb salads, or various diet foods. None of which are helpful for runners (or in general!). I can’t not say how useful it is to work with a dietitian to help you figure out just what “healthy” means for you in your current training (or not!) situation, and how to maximize nutrition in a way that helps support your body and helps you reach your performance goals.
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