Cardio workouts and nutrition.

[cowboy]

Every time I train for a marathon I gain weight. Even when I'm not training I eat pretty much anything I want, but when I am training I eat like a freaking lumberjack. If it's in the kitchen and doesn't smell rancid, I'm eating it.

This time I tried something new. I tried to go for quality rather than quantity and see if I could get a handle on my cravings. So far, it's worked, but I'm amazed at the amount of protein and fiber I'm consuming.

I figure that I need 50 grams of protein and 25 grams of fiber as a base, and then for every 120 calories I burn working out (a mile of running) I try to consume another 15 carbs, 1 gram of fiber, 5 grams of protein and no more than 4 grams of fat.

It seems to have worked, and I don't crave much, but it's a lot of effort to cram that much fiber and protein into a diet. Do any of you have rules or guidelines that you follow for training nutrition?

[Katy Lied]

When you're training for a marathon, does your fat consumption (as a ratio of total calories) go up or down, compared to when you're not training?

[Pheidippides]

Every time I train for a marathon I gain weight. Even when I'm not training I eat pretty much anything I want, but when I am training I eat like a freaking lumberjack. If it's in the kitchen and doesn't smell rancid, I'm eating it.

This time I tried something new. I tried to go for quality rather than quantity and see if I could get a handle on my cravings. So far, it's worked, but I'm amazed at the amount of protein and fiber I'm consuming.

I figure that I need 50 grams of protein and 25 grams of fiber as a base, and then for every 100 calories I burn working out I try to consume another 15 carbs, 1 gram of fiber, 5 grams of protein and no more than 4 grams of fat.

It seems to have worked, and I don't crave much, but it's a lot of effort to cram that much fiber and protein into a diet. Do any of you have rules or guidelines that you follow for training nutrition?

I've been doing the same thing and am still tweaking my intake. I eat a bowl of oatmeal after my run every day. I have been eating a lot of whole wheat pasta as well. I also make sure to get my protein, either through fruit smoothies with protein powder added or with a good lean steak.

I'm starting to actually run the figures on what I am eating and I will let you know how it works out - like I said, I'm trying to fine-tune my own diet. I felt really sluggish this morning, and I suspect I did not eat enough carbs yesterday (to replace everything I lost on Saturday).

When you're training for a marathon, does your fat consumption (as a ratio of total calories) go up or down, compared to when you're not training?

Down for me (and I would think everybody), depending on my heart rate. I burn about 50% fat just walking around, but only about 15-20% in my training zones.

Actually, I can give you a very precise answer in four months - I'm taking my cardio test again a couple of weeks before the marathon.

[cowboy]

When you're training for a marathon, does your fat consumption (as a ratio of total calories) go up or down, compared to when you're not training?

I honestly don't know, but I think it goes up. I seriously eat like I'm pregnant with twins. I arrived at my ratios by estimating that at least 33% of the calories I burn are fat calories, so I want to limit the calories of my additional consumption to no more than 33% fat.

[Pheidippides]

I honestly don't know, but I think it goes up. I seriously eat like I'm pregnant with twins. I arrived at my ratios by estimating that at least 33% of the calories I burn are fat calories, so I want to limit the calories of my additional consumption to no more than 33% fat.

I think I misunderstood the question, based on this answer. But I stick by the answer, simply because (on any given day) my training runs account for anywhere between 25% (on a day like today) and 50% (on a day like Saturday) of the total calories I burn. And I know I burn less fat as a percentage of calories on training runs, which has to drag the entire average down. FTR, I've added in intervals into the training with the specific goal of training myself to burn more fat.

[cowboy]

I think I misunderstood the question, based on this answer. But I stick by the answer, simply because (on any given day) my training runs account for anywhere between 25% (on a day like today) and 50% (on a day like Saturday) of the total calories I burn. And I know I burn less fat as a percentage of calories on training runs, which has to drag the entire average down. FTR, I've added in intervals into the training with the specific goal of training myself to burn more fat.

I've always thought that calories burned training in zones 2 and 3 would be about 1/3 fat. Am I mistaken?

[Pheidippides]

I've always thought that calories burned training in zones 2 and 3 would be about 1/3 fat. Am I mistaken?

Mistaken for me specifically, yes. I do go about 25-30% in zone 2, but in zone 3 I definitely go lower (like 15%). I don't know if that's true for the population at large, however. Still, you'd have to think that it would be lower in zone 3 since zone 4 is (by definition, right?) where you don't burn any fat at all.

[BigPiney]

Mistaken for me specifically, yes. I do go about 25-30% in zone 2, but in zone 3 I definitely go lower (like 15%). I don't know if that's true for the population at large, however. Still, you'd have to think that it would be lower in zone 3 since zone 4 is (by definition, right?) where you don't burn any fat at all.

That sucks, cause when I run I spend 90% of the time in Zone 4. I guess biking is where I need to go to lose the fat.

[ewth8tr]

That sucks, cause when I run I spend 90% of the time in Zone 4. I guess biking is where I need to go to lose the fat.

I saw this article a few weeks ago and thought it was interesting. According to their numbers, even though you are bunring a higher percentage of fat calories at the lower heart rate zones, you are actually burning a higher total number of fat calories in the higher heart rate zones.

http://exercise.about.com/cs/cardiow.../aa022601a.htm

[BigPiney]

I saw this article a few weeks ago and thought it was interesting. According to their numbers, even though you are bunring a higher percentage of fat calories at the lower heart rate zones, you are actually burning a higher total number of fat calories in the higher heart rate zones.

http://exercise.about.com/cs/cardiow.../aa022601a.htm

That does make sense, thanks. Crap, now I have no excuse to stop running.