Ask an elite athlete how nutrition factors into her performance, and she鈥檒l likely tell you that it鈥檚 just as important as her training plan. In many cases, she may even call it the most important factor. But the increased effort levels during training can make sticking to your diet tough since even healthy regimens often include eliminating classic performance foods鈥攍ike lean proteins if you鈥檙e vegetarian聽or carbs if you鈥檙e paleo. If you fall into one of these camps, rest easy. A few small tweaks will give your body what it needs to crank at its full potential. We spoke with two sports dietitians who work with high-performing endurance athletes鈥擧eather Mangieri, spokesperson for the , and Barbara Lewin, sports dietitian for the U.S. Olympic Registry鈥攆or the details.
If You鈥檙e Keto鈥
Keto dieters get about 75 to 85 percent of their calories from fat and eat very few carbohydrates (generally fewer than 50 grams a day). Although revered by many endurance athletes, the keto approach to healthful eating can backfire if you aren鈥檛 deliberate about finding your fuel elsewhere, getting adequately diverse nutrient intake, and tracking whether your body is adapting to fat burning.
Emphasize Diversity: You need a lot of vitamins, minerals, and natural antioxidants when you鈥檙e training. Without a careful approach to keto, you risk micronutrient deficiency, Mangieri says. Make sure you鈥檙e not eating the same rotation of foods. Instead, rely on easy swaps to ensure you鈥檙e putting a variety of vitamins and minerals into your body without having to take a supplement.
Monitor Your Performance: It鈥檚 been the silver bullet for many athletes, but the keto program doesn鈥檛 have the same impact on every individual, so it remains debated. Many people can run a marathon or do a tri while following the keto rules of thumb, but science shows that increasing intensity typically requires carbohydrates, Lewin says. She recommends keeping a journal to monitor what you鈥檙e eating and how you鈥檙e performing in your training. It鈥檚 key to see if you鈥檙e falling off pace or exerting more effort to clock in at slower times without necessarily noticing it.
If You鈥檙e Gluten-Free…
Gluten-free athletes avoid foods that most others consider essential to their training. Thankfully, 鈥渆ating gluten-free is a breeze these days with so many healthy choices,鈥 Lewin says. But there are still a few pitfalls to watch for.
Skip the Packaged Foods: A diet packed with gluten-free bread, crackers, and pastas isn鈥檛 inherently healthy or useful for fueling hard training, since those foods often have added sugar or fat to make them more palatable. Instead, 鈥渆at naturally gluten-free foods like quinoa and starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes or corn,鈥 Mangieri says.
Go for Variety: Gluten-free dieters often eat a lot of rice products鈥攔ice bread, rice crackers, rice pasta鈥攕o they get a limited nutritional panel on repeat. Instead, switch up your alternative-carb products so you get a longer list of macros (and prevent stale taste buds). Try bean-based pastas, buckwheat pancake mixes, or corn tortillas instead of flour.
If You鈥檙e Vegetarian or Vegan鈥
Plant-based diets have become the darlings of the health world and the hallmark of many exemplary endurance athletes, but it鈥檚 surprisingly easy to eat a very unhealthy diet even when cutting out animal products. It鈥檚 less about what you aren鈥檛 eating and more about what you are eating, Mangieri says. 鈥淭o really perform your best, you need to be a well-rounded vegan or vegetarian.鈥 That means your pantry can鈥檛 be filled solely with energy bars and protein powder.
Pay Attention to Protein: Get your protein from real plants. There is a lot of amino-rich produce out there鈥攜ou just have to be a little more conscious of making sure you鈥檙e getting enough. It may be worth using a food-tracking app at the start to guarantee that you鈥檙e getting the recommended 90 grams a day. Besides beans and legumes鈥攍auded as plant-based protein sources鈥攃hia seeds, wild rice, oatmeal, and even potatoes contain that can be easily incorporated into your meals throughout the day
Be Mindful of B12: Strict vegans need to be sure they鈥檙e getting enough vitamin B12, which is naturally found only in meat and is essential for red blood cell production. Try incorporating fortified cereals or alternative milks a few times a day. If you鈥檙e really struggling to hit the mark, pop a B12 vitamin daily.
Time Your Fiber Wisely: 鈥淚 recommend that triathletes and runners reduce their fiber for two days prior to their race, eating fewer big salads and the like. This may actually reduce their weight by a few pounds and will reduce GI issues and the chance they have to find a restroom along the way,鈥 Lewin says. That鈥檚 tough for anyone who abstains from meat, but it鈥檚 important for being race-ready.
If You鈥檙e Paleo鈥
Athletes who fuel themselves on this ancestral diet eschew agricultural-era foods such as grains, legumes, dairy, and refined foods while focusing on meat, fish, fruits, and veggies. It鈥檚 pretty easy to be a paleo athlete as long as you time the carbs you do eat for adequate fueling and recovery.
Enjoy Those Well-Timed Potatoes: allows high-glycemic carbs like potatoes around your training and racing times to ensure you have adequate glycogen stores for high-intensity efforts and recovery.
Make Your Own Sports Drinks: Commercial sports drinks will be off-limits, but you can make your own from raw honey, sea salt, lemon juice, and water.
If You鈥檙e Practicing Intermittent Fasting鈥
Some athletes believe this approach helps them stay lean and fast. 鈥淭here is good research that this pattern of eating can be beneficial. You just need to practice it wisely,鈥 Lewin says.
Eat Enough: For athletes, the goal of intermittent fasting isn鈥檛 to go into starvation mode or to shed pounds quickly. Instead, it鈥檚 meant to increase your strength-to-weight ratio by triggering your body to burn fat stores. When you do eat, you want to make sure you consume enough to maintain muscle mass, restock your glycogen store, and stay fueled.
Time It Right: Schedule your high-intensity sessions close to your last meal so you have fuel on board. Avoid prolonged fasts of more than two to three days just before races so you don鈥檛 go in with depleted glycogen stores.
If You鈥檙e Eating Only Raw Foods鈥
Raw-food practitioners, notably , fill themselves with foods that haven鈥檛 been cooked, believing that modern cooking deleteriously alters food鈥檚 nutritional content. The foods you choose and how you prepare them can have a major impact on how well (or not) you do as you train.
Prioritize Protein: It鈥檚 easy to feel satisfied on uncooked foods yet miss out on getting the protein you need. Raw, less-processed food fills your stomach faster even if it doesn鈥檛 give you lasting energy. To combat this effect, eat a large variety of nuts, seeds, legumes, and vegetables, rather than just munching on raw crudit茅s and trail mix, to get all your essential amino acids without filling up first.
Think About Fiber: Fiber hits harder with a raw-food diet because your body has to do all the work of digesting it without the help of cooking, which might ordinarily kick-start the breakdown process. 鈥淎 high fiber pre-workout or pre-race meal doesn鈥檛 sit very well and usually doesn鈥檛 provide adequate calories,鈥 Lewin says. 鈥淭he same is true for recovery. Eating a high-fiber recovery meal means that you miss the window of 20 to 30 minutes after your workout where the body is able to most efficiently restore muscle glycogen levels and rebuild muscle.鈥 Juicing some of your foods will help eliminate some of the fiber while still providing nutrition.