Category Archives: Sports Nutrition Blog

Exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome About 30 to 50% of endurance and up to 90% of ultra-endurance athletes experience some gastrointestinal distress during events such as a marathon, Ironman, or any long distance event that requires several hours of fuel and fluid replacement.  One reason is that during hard exercise blood is moved away from our gut  Continue Reading »

Fuel and Hydrate Just Right the Morning of the Marathon Like many marathoners you likely spend your final days before the race enjoying high carbohydrate foods. But an optimal race nutrition plan doesn’t end with a plate of pasta or rice the night before. Your pre-race breakfast is just an important, as it will restock  Continue Reading »

Beyond Pasta- Eat right during your marathon taper and maximize your muscle glycogen stores Enjoy your upcoming taper for the Chicago Marathon (or any other Fall marathon) and use this time to follow a pre-planned carbohydrate loading menu. Consuming enough carbohydrates during decreased training and resting can maximize your muscle glycogen stores. That in turn  Continue Reading »

Recheck your sweat rate to fine-tune your hydration and fueling plan With the Chicago Marathon just over three weeks away this is a good time to gather some data to fine -tune your race hydration and fueling plan. You can then prepare your race nutrition plan for your remaining long runs.  At this point in  Continue Reading »

Fine tune your race fueling and hydration in training Runners, both new and seasoned, preparing for the Chicago Marathon on October 7th (and other early Fall marathons) likely have a 20 mile training long run on the calendar in the next several weeks.  This is an opportune time to test out your race nutrition plan  Continue Reading »

Carbs provide precious fuel! Endurance athletes do need to focus on carbohydrates in the heat of the training season for the marathon and Ironman races because: Carbohydrates provide fuel for your brain. They help with focus and motivation during hard workouts. Muscle glycogen (stored carbohydrate) is golden, you burn it during endurance and speed workouts.  Continue Reading »

Customize your smoothie for your training and nutrition program With Ironman and Marathon preparation for the 2018 season underway many endurance athletes need to consume food on fly. Smoothies often fit as they can provide important recovery nutrients like fluid, carbohydrate, and protein in a tasty package that can be quickly consumed before or after  Continue Reading »

De-clutter, eat fresh, set goals By Monique Ryan, MS, RDN, LDN, CSSD Spring has finally arrived to the Chicagoland area and with more outdoor runs and bikes ahead you likely are contemplating your plans for the 2018 season. Nutrition and body composition goals are usually part of this equation for both health and performance benefits.  Continue Reading »

Get your diet organized for 2018 training season Step 1: Evaluate Training for the 2018 season is ramping up and it is time to get your nutrition plan organized. Triathletes and marathoners are well aware that optimal fueling supports your training efforts. To begin, evaluate how your nutrition planning went last season. What areas do  Continue Reading »

Endurance Sports Nutrition Please listen to my latest podcast on That Triathlon Show. Learn about common mistakes athletes make with their nutrition, estimating energy and carbohydrate requirements, hydration, and GI issues during training and racing. Endurance Sports Nutrition with Monique Ryan | EP#99