Podcast
She Runs Eats Performs
Hosted by Aileen Smith · EN
Are you confused about the science around nutrition for runners? Listen in to learn about the WHY, HOW, WHAT, and WHEN of eating to fuel your running performance.
We are here to help you translate sports nutritional science, into easy to apply tips and plans, helping you enjoy peak running performance. We focus on the FEMALE FACTORS every mid-life woman needs to know to be a healthy runner.
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Why do runners need Vitamin D?
Nov 11, 2021Tap to summarizeVitamin D is often described as the SUNSHINE VITAMIN as it’s produced when skin is exposed to sunshine, or rather, the ultraviolet B (UV-B) radiation that the sun emits – produces Vitamin D3.You may get small amounts of Vitamin D from your diet – it’s thought about 10% of your requirement may come from food. Vitamin D3 form is available from foods e.g. oily fish, butter, eggs.Vitamin D2 found in plant-based foods e.g. mushrooms, fortified soya milk and almond milk, however D2 needs to be converted to D3 by the body and Vitamin D3 converted to its active form (Calcitriol) by the liver and kidneys.We’ll talk about:Why an optimal Vitamin D status is important for runnersHow do you test for Vitamin D and what is an optimal Vitamin D status?Practical suggestions to help you optimise Vitamin D status. SHOW NOTES 05:34) Why is Vitamin D important for optimal health and especially for runners? Vitamin D is important for everyone and especially for runners. Vitamin D has wide ranging functions across the whole body. Vitamin D Receptors (VDRs), which mediate the biological functions of Vitamin D are found across the body in the cells of most organs and tissues e.g. brain, heart, skin, intestines, pancreas, bone, kidneys, prostate and breast, which demonstrates just how widely Vitamin D is utilised. · Runners need to protect their BONES – we want to retain a healthy bone mineral density and protect against fractures E.g. stress fractures or fractures as a result of accidents. Vitamin D has a key role to play in the absorption and utilisation of calcium for strong bones· MUSCLE function is very important for runners – Vit D has a role in muscle repair and remodelling which will help protect against injury and support performance and recovery.· To keep up with training schedules and competition throughout the year it’s important to minimise/prevent COLDS/FLU/UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS which are a common complaint of runners during the colder months. It’s thought that Vitamin D supports the immune system by inhibiting viral replication and microbial entry into lungs.· Vitamin D supports the CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM for heart structure and function – remember the heart is a large muscle!! Vitamin D promotes vasodilation – vital for blood flow and the delivery of extra oxygen and nutrients to the muscles during exercise. (09:52)Is there is any evidence to suggest that Vitamin D improves running performance?· Low vitamin D status could negatively impact the health and training efficiency of athletes – for all the reasons we’ve mentioned earlier· There doesn’t seem to be clear evidence to support maintaining Vitamin D level at “supranormal levels” i.e. >100–125 nmol/L, in order to achieve an improved athletic performance – it appears that optimal status of 75-100nmol/L is recommended for optimal health and good sporting performance (11:45) As runners spend a lot of time outdoors you’d imagine that their Vitamin D status would be good – is this the case?Evidence suggests that trends in Vitamin D deficiency in global populations are similar in athletic populations. That’s because of the risk factors and barriers for a low Vitamin D status.We know that optimal sun exposure is key for Vitamin D production so location and lifestyle will play a factor: · Living in the Northern hemisphere – generally less sun exposure· Covering up with clothes and sunscreen – limiting sun exposure – protection against skin cancer· People who live/work/play/exercise indoors will have less sun exposure There are some other issues to consider:· People with dark skins (the ability to absorb UV light is reduced with darker skin)· Genetics – some people have polymorphism of VDR gene which results in reduced vitamin D binding – those people may require higher dose supplementation and more regular testing· Ageing – decreases the capacity of skin to produce vitamin D3 be as much as 50%· People who are overweight/obese – Vitamin D is stored in body fat making it less bioavailable(16:24) Are there any FEMALE FACTORS to consider regarding Vitamin D status? The 2 main female factors to consider are:· Pregnant/breast feeding women may be prone to deficiency due to increased nutrient requirements· Menopausal and post-menopausal women are at risk of loss of bone mineral density which may lead to the development of osteoporosis and risk of fractures. An optimal Vitamin D status will support your body in absorption of calcium and phosphorus, key minerals for bone health and it also supports a downward regulatory effect on parathyroid hormone level resulting in reduced bone loss. The International Osteoporosis Foundation, say that 1 in 3 women over the age of 50 years will experience osteoporotic fractures in their lifetime. (19:18)Deciding when to test for Vitamin D Status and types of tests availableWe think it is good practice to test vitamin D routinely i.e. twice a year.As runners, if you notice symptoms of any chronic injury, poor recovery, or recurring stress fractures, then it may be is a time to think about having a vitamin D test. Also consider if your exposure to sunlight is optimal. For example, if you tend to run early in the morning, or late in the evenings, or maybe you do indoor running and training, it might be that your sun exposure is more limited than you think it is. 2 types of tests –a home skin prick test – usually a home test kit and the other involves a blood draw. We briefly talk through the 2 types of tests. (25:04)Understanding your test results If you do a home test kit you’ll probably receive a guidance sheet from the testing company explaining the results and suggesting some actions. They are usually quite simple to read, they’ll detail the standard reference range that your results are being measured against. Reference ranges do vary amongst labs but generally you’ll find a colour coded sheet with results graded from deficient to optimal typically the ranges will be• OPTIMAL – greater than 100 with a safe upper limit of 220 nmol/L• Sufficient – 50-100 nmol/L• Insufficient – 25-50 nmol/L• Deficient – less than 25 nmol/LOur suggested testing companieshttps://betteryou.com/products/vitamin-d-test-kit https://medichecks.com/products/vitamin-d-25-oh-blood-test(27:16) Is it possible to have too much Vitamin D?Vitamin D toxicity is rare. Common symptoms/conditions associated with Vit D toxicity are hypercalcaemia (a high calcium level in the blood serum) and polyuria (condition where the body urinates more than usual and passes excessive or abnormally large amounts of urine each time you urinate, more than 3L per day) and symptoms such as thirst and constipation. If your test result was in the high range of 250 nmol/L you should consult with your medical practitioner. Toxicity may occur if a person supplements with huge doses per day for several weeks or months. (34:30) Practical suggestions to help you optimise your vitamin D status. SUPPLEMENTS· Depending on your test result and Vitamin D Status you may require either a therapeutic dose or a maintenance dose of Vitamin D.· Vitamin D Supplements usually measured in iu e.g. 1000iu – 10,000iu – a maintenance dose is usually between 1000-4000iu per day. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have set the Tolerable Upper Level at 4000iu/day for adults and pregnant women. A therapeutic dose may range from 5000- 10,000 iu/day. In certain cases of deficiency a higher dose may be prescribed medically.· It’s important to take professional advice if your result shows that you are deficient, your medical practitioner may prescribe a very high dose under medical supervision to support you in gaining an optimal result in a timely fashion whilst also investigating the underlying reasons for a deficient Vitamin D status.· High dose vitamin D3 should be taken alongside vitamin K2 (to support calcium homeostasis by directing calcium into bone away from arteries)· Retest after 1-3 months then reduce dose to maintenance· Various types of supplements – tablets/sprays/drops – sometimes Vitamin D is included in multi...
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FOCUS ON Pomegranate
Oct 21, 2021Tap to summarizePomegranate is sometimes described as a superfood. It’s nutrient dense fruit with many potent nutritional properties. It’s been used in ancient medicine and in cuisine around the world, in particular China, India and the Mediterranean region.You’ll find pomegranate in the form of supplements, juice, powders, extracts, and, of course, the fruit itself.Pomegranate Juice has attracted attention in the sporting world.Today we are going to answer the following questions;1. Why has pomegranate been a focus of research in sports nutrition2. A look at the key nutrients in pomegranate3. Practical suggestions to consider when using pomegranate as a food or supplement SHOW NOTES(04:54) An introduction to pomegranate and its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacity. (07:32)We look at a review in 2018 By British Journal of Nutrition:Effects of pomegranate supplementation on exercise performance and post-exercise recovery in healthy adults: a systematic review (British Journal of Nutrition (2018), 120, 1201–1216 doi:10.1017/S0007114518002696 © The Authors 2018)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30350760/The studies chosen examined either the effects of POMEGRANATE intake on exercise performance and/or exercise-induced fatigue, soreness, muscle damage, oxidative stress, inflammation and cardiovascular function. Initially they had a pool of over 900 studies and selected 11 that met their review criteria. The review looked at;Effect of pomegranate on· acute and delayed physical performance· muscle strength recovery· muscle fatigue, pain and soreness· delayed onset muscle soreness - DOMSEffect of pomegranate supplementation· on acute and delayed muscle damage responses· oxidative stress responses· on inflammatory responses· on cardiovascular parametersAll of which would be of interest to an endurance runner.Findings indicate that POMEGRANATE has the potential to:· enhance endurance and strength performance· advance post-exercise recovery· improve cardiovascular responses during and following exerciseThe researchers also point out that positive effects of POMEGRANATE supplementation of juice are more likely when;· POMEGRANATE juice contains >0·7g total polyphenols/0·5 litre· When large muscle mass exercise is engaged· When POMEGRANATE juice is consumed at least 60 min before exerciseAdditionally the review suggests, the inclusion (750ml/d) of polyphenol-rich POMEGRANATE in the diet of active people prior (60 min) and after exercise (during 48h) could be beneficial for their physical performance and muscle recovery during and following exercise.They also point out that further research is required to assess how chronic POMEGRANATE supplementation (that means consuming it consistently over a long period of time) impacts the physiological and performance adaptations to exercise training. That type of research may to help optimise POMEGRANATE supplementation guidelines for a range of exercise settings. (12:44) The key nutrients in pomegranate;Pomegranates contain Potassium, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Folate. The GL Load of a Pomegranate is 18 which is similar to a small banana or 1/3 of a mango.However, it’s the antioxidant and phytonutrient properties of pomegranates which attract the most attention.The POMEGRANATE fruit has a leathery rind enclosing many seeds and juicy arils which contain the edible part of the fruit which is approximately 52% of the total fruit – and that part is comprised 78% juice and 22% seeds. The rind of the fruit also contains many nutrients which are utilised when juice and supplements are processed.Pomegranates contains many phenolic compounds including;· Flavonoids including anthocyanins and other complex flavonoids· Hydrolyzable tannins (punicalagin, gallic and ellagic acid), which are compounds with high anti- oxidant activity that may offer beneficial health propertiesAround 92% of pomegranate antioxidant activity comes from hydrolysable tannins. (Punicalagin, ellagic acid and gallic acid are the polyphenols found in pomegranate). The main component of pomegranate husk is punicalagin.Punicalagin is responsible for more than 50% of the juice's potent antioxidant activity. It appears that pomegranate juice has high levels of punicalagin because the rind is used in its production. As a dietary source Punicalagin is found in pomegranates only- so it’s unique in that sense – although it is found in some tropical trees which may be a source of the nutrient for supplements but not for an everyday food.Pomegranate juice is a rich source of QUERCETIN shown to help with muscle recovery and improved exercise performance and …Pomegranates are rich in NITRATES which are chemicals naturally occurring in a variety of plant foods and convert to nitric oxide in our body when consumed. Nitric oxide dilates our blood vessels to increase oxygen delivery to working muscles. This process is shown to increase cardiorespiratory performance and improve muscle function. We talked about nitrates in episode 40 Beetroot for Running Performance.(21:33) Practical suggestions to consider when using pomegranate as a food or supplement.Choosing a ready to use pomegranate· Choose a deep red colour that seems to weigh a lot for its size· Look for glossy, blemish-free skin and scratch it gently. If it’s soft and easy to scratch, it’s likely ripe· A heavier fruit also indicates that it’s ripe· A pomegranate with a squared off circle shape means the seeds inside the fruit have reached their juiciest potential.· The best season for fresh pomegranates seems to be Oct-Jan in the sunny regions where they are farmed(22:54)Storing the fruit· Keep it away from direct sunlight· Keep it in a cool, dry place· Or store the fruit whole in your refrigerator for up to two months· Once you crack open the skin and extract the arils or juice, keep them in the refrigerator and enjoy within five days.· if you’re not ready to eat them yet, you can store the arils in the freezer for up to one year(24:03)Preparing a pomegranateMethod 1Roll the fruit first to loosen the seeds.Score around the middle and tear it open into halves. Take care not to cut through into the seeds, just the skin.Hold each half over a bowl, seeds facing down and tap the skin with a wooden spoon, squeezing a little to release the seeds.Method 2Score four lines from top to bottom to quarter the pomegranateSubmerge the pomegranate in a bowl of water and and pull apart the quarters, releasing the seeds with your hands.The pith will float in the water and the seeds will sink.Remove the pith and discard, then drain the seeds.Check out a video!https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-eat-pomegranate(27:13)Considerations when buying ready-made pomegranate juice or as a supplementWe recommend choosing the best quality so you get therapeutic value.JUICECheck the label – choose a pure form of juice that isn’t from a concentrate or is mixed with other juices/liquids or has added sugar, organic varieties are best. A brand I recommend in BIONA.Active Edge do a concentrated pomegranate drink which you add water to - PomegranateActive® is a 100% natural, pomegranate concentrate. Each 473ml bottle is made from the concentrated juice of approximately 27 pomegranates and contains no sweeteners, preservatives, flavourings or added sugar. (28:58)SUPPLEMENTS· Check the label – is it certified organic with no artificial ingredients or preservatives· What does it say about the pomegranate content – is it of therapeutic value i.e. 275-800 mg per serving -...
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