Have you heard of carbo loading?  It’s a potential energy booster for endurance athletes – but for everyday exercisers it could lead to weight gain.  Here’s the lowdown on carbo loading.  

If you were to sit down for dinner with a bunch of runners the night before a marathon, chances are good they’d be chowing down on carbs – lots of them.  You’d be surrounded by people eating heaping piles of spaghetti, rice, potatoes and bread – all in an attempt to top off their fuel tanks before the race.  Most endurance athletes know that it takes a lot of carbs to keep their engines running – so there’s always a big push to pack in as much as they can the night before an event.  But many endurance exercisers that I talk to don’t think about what they’re eating for the last few days before a race – which is too bad, because it could make a big difference in how well they perform.

Read more »

As professional cyclists are racing down the coast in the Tour of California this week, I wanted to share these ideas from Dr. John Heiss of Herbalife on how to ‘Eat to Compete – 5 Reasons Why Endurance Athletes Need Fuel 24/7.’

1.  Athletes need to fuel up in the morning, since their stored fuel reserves will have dropped during an overnight fast.  Training and racing take a toll on the body, and starting the day with a healthy meal balanced with carbohydrates, protein, vitamins and minerals provides a solid nutritional foundation for performance.

Read more »