Food

Rusty Cogs 08

Can't find a thread soley concerning food (for mara training & running).

What does everyone snack on between meals ?

I'm sitting here eating banana chips. Breakdown being per 100g
64.6g carbs of which
18.2g is sugar

29.6g fat of which
27g is saturated

7.8g fibre

(And yes, all this adds up to 102% for the pedants)

One might think eating banana chips is the 'healthy' option over the chocolate machine but there seems to be a lot of sugar and fat in these. Just wondering what other people graze on to stave off the hunger ?

christeb

Rusty Cogs 08 wrote: »

Can't find a thread soley concerning food (for mara training & running).

What does everyone snack on between meals ?

I'm sitting here eating banana chips. Breakdown being per 100g
64.6g carbs of which
18.2g is sugar

29.6g fat of which
27g is saturated

7.8g fibre

(And yes, all this adds up to 102% for the pedants)

One might think eating banana chips is the 'healthy' option over the chocolate machine but there seems to be a lot of sugar and fat in these. Just wondering what other people graze on to stave off the hunger ?

There was a threads on peanut butter not so long ago, the pure stuff just made from crushed nuts is the best. Is use the Kelkin Crunchy brand, with Nutella (I know, tut tut!) on Wholegrain bread. VERY filling and tasty

hunnymonster

My main worry in the banana chips is the high saturated fat content.

Sports nutrition can be as simple or as complicated as you want (I'm an expert in theory but I don't always put the science I know into practise!)

- eat a balanced diet low on processed foods and eat small meals frequently
- eat around your training times and less at other times

MCOS

christeb wrote: »

There was a threads on peanut butter not so long ago, the pure stuff just made from crushed nuts is the best. Is use the Kelkin Crunchy brand, with Nutella (I know, tut tut!) on Wholegrain bread. VERY filling and tasty

Here is the Peanut Butter & Jam thread I think you were referring to

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055380846

cfitz

hunnymonster wrote: »

- eat a balanced diet low on processed foods and eat small meals frequently

That's the main rule I try to follow.

zenmonk

I had some Cadbury rose for breakfast yesterday at work ! No bull
Silly season for sure - I just write off these couple of weeks food wise.

tunney

zenmonk wrote: »

I had some Cadbury rose for breakfast yesterday at work ! No bull
Silly season for sure - I just write off these couple of weeks food wise.

Emmm any idea how much weight you can put on over Christmas by "writing off the weeks"?

I know alot of the posters on this board don't accept the connection between weight and performance but its huge.

MCOS

+1 as do I write off these 2 weeks

Breakfast this morning was 2 bowls of branflakes and a banana, 4 rice krispie buns and a slice of banoffi pie! I felt ill afterwards.. gluttony.

Normal breakfast is porridge or wheetabix with a banana chopped in + honey, an orange and a cup of green tea

Christmas day, like pgibbo I'll be feasting on a selection box for breakfast

Generally speaking HM is spot on. Fresh food everyday. Cook your dinners with fresh food and avoid tins, jars and packets as much as possible. Never skip breakfast (unless doing a light session at 5am!) and eat more smaller meals.

Look at your whole shopping as you put it on the belt before the cashier puts it all through the scanner. How much fresh food have you got overall vs processed food?

Learn how to cook a few fresh meals from scratch.

As for grazing. I graze an awful lot, chocolate and/or biscuits in particular are my downfall. I think that I crave the sugar because I don't eat straight after training. I've started eating cereal bars after a tough session but I will be trying meal replacement shakes in 2009 to get a good carb/protein split. not to replace my meals but as an extra meal after training. If you sit at a desk have a bunch of grapes or strawberries at arms reach for grazing.

Learn to understand the back of packets but don't live your life by them. Focus on fuelling for trainaing rather than eating because you are hungry. I read somewhere once that the best approach to healthy eating is to eat like a caveman would have (or as close to that as possible!)


Its education and discipline. My discipline kicks off again Dec29th

TFBubendorfer

MCOS wrote: »

Fresh food everyday. Cook your dinners with fresh food and avoid tins, jars and packets as much as possible. Never skip breakfast (unless doing a light session at 5am!) and eat more smaller meals.

That's spot on. If you eat fresh food as opposed to pre-prepared food as often as possible, you're going to eat well.

As for breakfast, I used to eat a bowl of cereal before each workout, but changed that a year or two ago. Now I simply run on an empty stomach and eat after I've come home from my run. It works very well for me, and I've never felt particularly hungry. Running basically shuts down your digestion.

MCOS wrote: »

I read somewhere once that the best approach to healthy eating is to eat like a caveman would have (or as close to that as possible!)

I've read that too, and the obvious reply is that cavemen usually didn't live past the age of 30. If that's ok with you, go ahead and copy their live style!

MCOS

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

I've read that too, and the obvious reply is that cavemen usually didn't live past the age of 30. If that's ok with you, go ahead and copy their live style!

Em life would be a tad more dangerous if we had to dodge a T Rex on the way to the Spar shop

zenmonk

tunney wrote: »

Emmm any idea how much weight you can put on over Christmas by "writing off the weeks"?

I know alot of the posters on this board don't accept the connection between weight and performance but its huge.

Tbh I reckon a week or 2 of relaxing training and diet is good for the body who cares about putting on 2/3 pounds?
Most people who run seriously do so 5-7 times a week I'm sure a few weeks of splurging can be atoned for pretty rapidly.

cfitz

zenmonk wrote: »

Tbh I reckon a week or 2 of relaxing training and diet is good for the body who cares about putting on 2/3 pounds?
Most people who run seriously do so 5-7 times a week I'm sure a few weeks of splurging can be atoned for pretty rapidly.

It probably can be atoned for pretty rapidly, but you'd want to be aware that it might not be atoned for in time if you have a race in January.

Though I do agree that taking a scheduled break and forgetting about running for a while can be a good idea (I think it helps me anyway).

shels4ever

I dont see why people would write off Christmas for training, most people will have more time on their hand and for me its a time where I will increase my training and still have some fun,

I'm sure it would be easy to put on 4-5 Kg in 2 week and could take you 3-4 week to get back to where you were.
I want to race in Jan so will limit my nights out over Christmass/ NewYear to 2-3 .

tunney

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

That's spot on. If you eat fresh food as opposed to pre-prepared food as often as possible, you're going to eat well.

As for breakfast, I used to eat a bowl of cereal before each workout, but changed that a year or two ago. Now I simply run on an empty stomach and eat after I've come home from my run. It works very well for me, and I've never felt particularly hungry. Running basically shuts down your digestion.


I've read that too, and the obvious reply is that cavemen usually didn't live past the age of 30. If that's ok with you, go ahead and copy their live style!

Paleo diet for athletes. Dismiss it if you will but recovery rates and capacity for work definitely increase on it.

tunney

zenmonk wrote: »

Tbh I reckon a week or 2 of relaxing training and diet is good for the body who cares about putting on 2/3 pounds?
Most people who run seriously do so 5-7 times a week I'm sure a few weeks of splurging can be atoned for pretty rapidly.

In short no.

3 pounds of fat is about 12000 calories, and that is just from fat. To burn off those calories in the three pounds you'd need to burn about 20000 calories. (kcal). For me a 11km run is about 700kcal. Thats 280km running. Running for which you are not replinishing the calories, i.e. not fully recovering from. I cannot possibily balance weight loss like this with constructive training.

I find that if I "relax training and diet" for a week that is 5 or so pounds and if I truely relaxed over the Christmas period it would be close to 10lbs. I'm not willing to accept that for a lack of disciple. I will "splurge" but only on specific days.

Also as Shels4ever said, I'm looking forward to logging 25+ hours of training for Christmas, bar warm weather camps this is the only time that I can do 25+ hours and get the sleep to recovery properly.

tri111

tunney wrote: »

Paleo diet for athletes. Dismiss it if you will but recovery rates and capacity for work definitely increase on it.

Can you expand on this Paleo diet please? I've never heard of it before and am very curious.

Krusty_Clown

tri111 wrote: »

Can you expand on this Paleo diet please? I've never heard of it before and am very curious.

I presume it's the same as that which is referred to in Wikipedia as the Paleolithic diet.

Wikipedia wrote:

Based upon commonly available modern foods, the "contemporary" Paleolithic diet consists mainly of: lean meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, roots, and nuts; and excludes: grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar, and processed oils.

However, it does include:

Wikipedia wrote:

skimmed milk, whole-grain bread, brown rice, and potatoes prepared without fat, on the premise that such foods have the same nutritional properties as Paleolithic foods.

hunnymonster

tunney wrote: »

Emmm any idea how much weight you can put on over Christmas by "writing off the weeks"?

I don't think anyone who has read anything on the subject can dismiss the strong connection between the correct functional weight and performance, however, the point I make time and time again is that none of us (on this board anyway) are professional marathoners/triathlete's, I for one would much rather have a life, good friends, my sanity.... than be a slave to the perfect weight. Tunney, you obviously take things very seriously. If you don't come back with say sub 9.15 in Austria next year, will you be disapointed? Will you say that mince pie you had at christmas is to blame?

tunney wrote: »

I find that if I "relax training and diet" for a week that is 5 or so pounds and if I truely relaxed over the Christmas period it would be close to 10lbs. I'm not willing to accept that for a lack of disciple. I will "splurge" but only on specific days.

10lbs of real weight is an awful lot! ~40000 kCal.

pgibbo

tunney wrote: »

Paleo diet for athletes. Dismiss it if you will but recovery rates and capacity for work definitely increase on it.

Hi tunney. This book is on my wishlist. Have you read it? If so, would you recommend it? The crossfit & crossfit endurance community seem to swear by it. Cheers.

MCOS

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

I presume it's the same as that which is referred to in Wikipedia as the Paleolithic diet.

However, it does include:

How boring would life be on this diet!! (thats a judgement of course from a food lover;)) If you eat well in general and your diet is mostly made up of fresh food and lots of water you don't need to go to such extremes. For running obviously you just need to take on more calories (protein folks, not just more cereal!) and focus your eating around your training. A little bit of butter, milk, salt and an egg yolk in your mash potato or some creme fraiche in your risotto is delicious. As long as the refined sugar and saturated fats are kept to a moderate intake (and you are training consistantly) you are not going to pile on the pounds. Personally I normally try to eat well 6 days a week and the other day is takeaway day. Since I was 18 my min weight (race weight) was 75kg and I've been 85kg at my fattest 10kg range over 12 years is not too bad and I have more muscle weight now than when I was 18.

Lets leave power/weight ratio aside for a second as I agree with Tunney on this one.

Broadly speaking. When you were in the best shape of your life what were the conditions? Did you sit at a desk? Did you drive a lot? Did you have kids? How did you train? What did you eat? What habits have you changed since?

At 18
I cycled my MTB everywhere and carried people on it if I had to
I walked miles between lectures at college
I trained 10+ times a week
Danced for hours at least 3 times a week
Carried a bag everywhere
Ate lots of takeaways
No responsibilities
Slept a lot and had regular naps

At 30
I drive everywhere
I sit and a desk or at meetings all day
I dance for hours once a month
I train 5-6 times a week
Carry a phone everywhere
I cook a lot
Lots of responsibilites
Sleep 5-6 hours a day

Hmm so what can I do now to drop a few kg....

To lose weight, look at your lifestyle rather than just your diet

Clum

tunney wrote: »

In short no.

3 pounds of fat is about 12000 calories, and that is just from fat. To burn off those calories in the three pounds you'd need to burn about 20000 calories. (kcal). For me a 11km run is about 700kcal. Thats 280km running. Running for which you are not replinishing the calories, i.e. not fully recovering from. I cannot possibily balance weight loss like this with constructive training.

In theory and on paper that sounds about right but I've experienced different in practise. After both a Spring marathon and Autumn marathon this year I took 3 weeks off, put on about 4 pounds during these periods of rest and bad dieting, but lost the extra weight within 3 weeks of resuming training. And because I was resuming training I started out with low mileage, it wasn't straight back in to the high intensity training.

digitalage

+1 hunnymonster, if I was a professinal runner then I would take my diet alot more serious, I enjoy running as a sport and compete against myself, so for the 2 weeks out off 52week year I will let my hair down, the other 50weeks, I can watch the diet. Life is to be enjoyed not endured.

plodder

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

As for breakfast, I used to eat a bowl of cereal before each workout, but changed that a year or two ago. Now I simply run on an empty stomach and eat after I've come home from my run. It works very well for me, and I've never felt particularly hungry. Running basically shuts down your digestion.

It's always been my experience that running with (real) food in your stomach is a fairly horrible experience. But, I've often wondered is there any value in training your body to try to learn to cope with it. Presumably, ultra runners have to do this. But even for marathoners, would it not be beneficial if you could take on a some regular food during a race ?

tunney

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

I presume it's the same as that which is referred to in Wikipedia as the Paleolithic diet.

However, it does include:

Not quite. Close though. Spuds are out completely.

But anything is in really immediately long or hard sessions. Its effectively a very low GI diet with an emphasis on lean cuts of meat and fish.

tunney

pgibbo wrote: »

Hi tunney. This book is on my wishlist. Have you read it? If so, would you recommend it? The crossfit & crossfit endurance community seem to swear by it. Cheers.

Working my way through. Some very sound sensible advice. I'd recommend it.

Bambaata

Wow no spuds! Id be lost without my potato! Fair play to you. I don't add anything to them anymore (i.e. no butter or gravy etc) but i don't know if i could cut them out completely

Stupid_Private

digitalage wrote: »

+1 hunnymonster, if I was a professinal runner then I would take my diet alot more serious, I enjoy running as a sport and compete against myself, so for the 2 weeks out off 52week year I will let my hair down, the other 50weeks, I can watch the diet. Life is to be enjoyed not endured.

I don't think anyone is saying anything against taking time off during the year. Everyone gets a break at some stage. The real thing is whether or not to write these two weeks off. If it's all part of your training plan, then fine, 2 weeks off, enjoy them. However, if you're in the middle of your season then you probably shouldn't completely let go.

More than likely I've 2 races between now and the end of January, maybe 3, so I can't take time off just yet. After they're out of the way I'll probably give myself a week off, drink and eat what I want then, before starting into a new plan.

The whole food thing isn't too much of a concern for me over Christmas, it's the drink. Every night out seems to be a full blown session...

tunney

hunnymonster wrote: »

I don't think anyone who has read anything on the subject can dismiss the strong connection between the correct functional weight and performance, however, the point I make time and time again is that none of us (on this board anyway) are professional marathoners/triathlete's, I for one would much rather have a life, good friends, my sanity.... than be a slave to the perfect weight. Tunney, you obviously take things very seriously. If you don't come back with say sub 9.15 in Austria next year, will you be disapointed? Will you say that mince pie you had at christmas is to blame?


10lbs of real weight is an awful lot! ~40000 kCal.

Firstly I've 12 Superquinn mince pies at home and a few bottles of mulled wine I've every intention of treating myself this Christmas! But there is treating yourself and a two week binge which is okay "because its Christmas".

No none of us are professionals, but I do think that most Irish people that do triathlon (and indeed at runnin road races) are overweight. Alot of them are just overweight, not for athletes but for normal people. Most just overweight for athletes. At international races you can spot the Irish a mile away.

Time and time again I've said that while we are not professionals why invest so much time and energy into training and completely ignore the elephant in the room - excess fat.

As for sub 9:15 - not a chance. Sub 11:00 is more like it.

TheRoadRunner

tunney wrote: »

No none of us are professionals, but I do think that most Irish people that do triathlon (and indeed at runnin road races) are overweight. Alot of them are just overweight, not for athletes but for normal people. Most just overweight for athletes. At international races you can spot the Irish a mile away.

I agree with this myself. I don't know if I would say most people are overweight but a significant proportion do seem to be carrying excess weight. However looking at the great progrees people have made on the "before and after" thread on this board i always hope that most people are in the process or starting to trim down.

I also agree that weight is closely linked to optimal performances. They just go hand in hand. Every PB I have ran I was about 8 pounds lighter than I am now. I lost this extra weight by cutting out the little rubbish I eat now and again.

Obviously there is no use crash dieting but a sensible diet is needed if you want to get the benefit from your training. I'm just saying there is no point in running an extra 20 miles per week if you are not going to cut out the junk

I have never followed a specific diet as those described above but I'm lucky in that I enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables etc. My sister calls me Max Wild in fact.

pgibbo

Although some of the competitors are overweight, at least they are getting out there and being active. It would be a lot worse if they were sitting at home being a couch potato!

TheRoadRunner

true, fair play to them for getting out and hopefully by getting out they will see the benefits weight wise also

shels4ever

tunney wrote: »

Firstly I've 12 Superquinn mince pies at home and a few bottles of mulled wine I've every intention of treating myself this Christmas! But there is treating yourself and a two week binge which is okay "because its Christmas".

No none of us are professionals, but I do think that most Irish people that do triathlon (and indeed at runnin road races) are overweight. Alot of them are just overweight, not for athletes but for normal people. Most just overweight for athletes. At international races you can spot the Irish a mile away.

Time and time again I've said that while we are not professionals why invest so much time and energy into training and completely ignore the elephant in the room - excess fat.

As for sub 9:15 - not a chance. Sub 11:00 is more like it.

+1

Have to agree with you on everything you have said. To be hones for me over the last 10 year Christmas would have been a 2 week party, drink , food , more food , TV and food again...

This year i will enjoy it as much but will only have 2-3 days where i will go a little over board, but this won't be into majoy excess.

Christmas day i will drink a little , but i know i've a 10 mile to do up the hill of howth the next day so i can see a 10pm bed time this year...

I've spent the last 6 months trying to get in shape , Still 10kg at least to go before i'm at a racing weight , So for me its i will not risk the enjoyment i've had in my training over the last 6 months for the sake of a few days.

I think your right i don't know many people who run/play football that are actually in shape i'm sure there are some, but for me a lot of it is down to habbit if you get into the habbit of training eating well then you will get there, the same has to be said for hte habbit of beer and burgers..

Running Bing

Im planning to continue my training as normal over Christmas (will probably do a bit more if anything) but I wont even think about diet for about a week tbh. I wont binge but there will be plenty of chocolate, cake, duck fat roasties and other treats;)


I think the difference good diet makes cant be emphasised enough though. Ive lost a fair bit of weight (for me) over the last couple of months and the difference in my times is huge. I havent made drastic changes either...no need to starve yourself just gradually phase out the junk and try to use healthier alternatives. I found the following changes the most effective:

Instead of full fat milk I use skim milk
Instead of a processed sugary breakfast cereal that leaves you starving an hour later I have porridge
Instead of a chocolate bar I make a drink with Green and Blacks Cocoa powder and a sugar substitute
Instead of a big calorie filled sandwich at lunch I now have a small subway with beef and turkey and get it filled it veggies (very tasty, filling and low on calories)
If I get a craving for something sweet Ill have some berries (Fresh or frozen they are absolutely delicious and one of the best things you can eat)


Once you get used to the changes you dont even think about the things your going without.

Peckham

Think it all comes down to differences in attitude and priorities. Personally my attitude is that I run to live, I don't live to run (although Mrs Peckham thinks I view it the other way round!).

I eat like any sensible person, and enjoy my few beers/glasses of wine. I avoid sugary sweets during daytime, but would be partial to a few biscuits watching TV in the evening. Would have at least one takeway per week. Everything in moderation.

Sure I could cut a lot of the junk, but I don't see the benefit personally. Am happy with were I am, and life would be too regimented and dull if I took it as a rule as to what I can eat and what I can't.

As a 175cm 31yr old male weighing 68kg, I'm probably a little bit overweight, but am happy with it.

cfitz

Peckham wrote: »

As a 175cm 31yr old male weighing 68kg, I'm probably a little bit overweight, but am happy with it.

But would you be happier with 2:59:59?

tunney

cfitz wrote: »

But would you be happier with 2:59:59?

Best post of the year.............

--amadeus--

cfitz wrote: »

But would you be happier with 2:59:59?

Harsh!

Funny, but harsh!

I'm with Peckham though, running is a factor in your life & lifestyle, I wouldn't point fingers if someone makes different choices, it's just about having a different set of priorities.

There are obviously general guidelines (fresh food, low fat, low salt, etc) but I'd also imagine that food is one of the most personal of factors in training. We all know that if we do more speed work we'll run faster (for example) but one persons ideal performance diet might not work at all for someone else.

Another question - apart from gains made by weight loss are there other gains from a healthy diet?

Krusty_Clown

As I read this thread, I'm dunking some ginger-nut biscuits in my cup of coffee. :eek: The only thing this thread proves is that everyone is different. For some, every ounce counts, in the pursuit of those vital seconds. For others, running is about the miles, instead of the seconds. For me, running allows me to eat and drink whatever I want. It just so happens that my diet is mostly unprocessed*, healthy, tasty food (I know, because I do all the cooking). On a marathon training plan, I can't understand how anyone could put on weight. According to my Garmin, I'm putting out about 4-8K calories a week, on exercise alone (1,200 at lunch-time today). I have to eat lots of junk food and drink lots of beer just to keep my weight up.

*: Except for the gingernuts, junk food and beer.

tunney

--amadeus-- wrote: »

Another question - apart from gains made by weight loss are there other gains from a healthy diet?

Huge.

For IM athletes its all about fuel efficency. Long term diet is one of the three pillars of fuel efficiency.

Then there is the issue of cortisol levels - which a poor diet can affect. Hindering massively your recovery capability.

Fuel efficiency, recovery and speed - things a good diet can aid with.

TFBubendorfer

--amadeus-- wrote: »

Another question - apart from gains made by weight loss are there other gains from a healthy diet?

Err ... better health?

--amadeus--

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

Err ... better health?

Well there is that I suppose...!

I guess I was asking in the context of marathons and performance. Talking my own example I would eat fairly well in my main meals (veggie, lots of rice, pasta, moderate amounts of fruit, not too much booze, salt or fat). But I graze on the worst possible food - crisps and peanuts in the main. Since I'm 6' tall and weigh between 140 and 147lbs I'm not carrying any excess weight (though I'm sure Tunney will disagree!). So I'm happy enough to eat crap because I know I'll burn it off. Same goes for portions - my plate often has 2 or 3 times as much food as anyone elses.

So I was interested on hearing about any benefits other than weight loss

TheRoadRunner

--amadeus-- wrote: »

Harsh!

I'm with Peckham though, running is a factor in your life & lifestyle, I wouldn't point fingers if someone makes different choices, it's just about having a different set of priorities.

Definitely. The point I was always try to make though is if you are trying to shave seconds off your pb, tackling parts of your diet may be easier than bumping up your training.

Believe me, I am a 'hoor for junk food at times but when I get caught up in times I see the most benefit when I eat properly.

TheRoadRunner

--amadeus-- wrote: »

Well there is that I suppose...!

I'm 6' tall and weigh between 140 and 147lbs I'm not carrying any excess weight (though I'm sure Tunney will disagree!).

Jaysus if that's the case I'm a sumo wrestler.

hunnymonster

tunney wrote: »

Huge.

For IM athletes its all about fuel efficency. Long term diet is one of the three pillars of fuel efficiency.

Then there is the issue of cortisol levels - which a poor diet can affect. Hindering massively your recovery capability.

Fuel efficiency, recovery and speed - things a good diet can aid with.

agree with this and more.

hunnymonster

I think we're arguing the same point to some extent but coming at it from two different directions. No one can dispute the literature into the effect of diet on performance but we come down on different ends of the scale where one extreme is performance no matter what it takes and enjoyment no matter what it takes and there are lots of positions in between. A happy middle ground is probably best but the discussion is interesting.

One point to note is that the ideal performance weight is not the ideal health weight. It is much less than the ideal weight for longevity and diesease avoidance. Take me for example, if you go by the various metrics out there, I should be about 45-47 kgs (I hover around 60) to do well in races, but when I was suffering from anorexia (25kgs) and on a re-feeding programme, the minimum weight I needed to be discharged from hospital was 48.5 kgs. The wanted me to maintain a weight of 52-54 kgs for optimum health. Would I like to lose weight, yeah sure! but I'm not going to let it dominate my christmas, let alone my life.

cfitz

If you look after yourself well and you only stay at performance weight for your competitive years, would it have a significant long-term effect on longevity etc.?

Also, surely everyone's ideal healthy weight would be different? I can understand how you could but a basic figure on things like body fat percentage, but how and why would you put an exact figure on weight?

hunnymonster

cfitz, yes BW % is one of the most important indicators but weight itself (irregardless of the source of the weight) can be important. The example most people are familiar with is T2 scores and weight bearing exercise in the prevention of osteopenia and osteoporosis. Bone doesn't care if it is carrying muscle, fat or bar-bells in terms of loading the muscle to create the networks that strengthen bone (although msucle will of course support the bone so muscle is better than fat)

To answer the other part of your question on only maintaining competitive weight for competitive years only; to a large extend it depends on how many years and your age when you are competing. Gender has a big effect also. Teenage/twenties women with low body weight are particularly susceptible to all sorts of problems in later life by having low body weights. The literature tends to say quite forcefully that these are the biggest risk group by a long margin but I'm not entirely convinced. I think people have seen the hormonal/weight/Ca2+ issues with anorexia nervosa patients and made the connection with athlete's to study and the same research has not been done on other groups of athletes. Personally, I would love to get my hands on groups or Rugby players over a longitutial study. There are so many questions a whole squad could answer over say a 10 year period.



The other factor is that (with the exception of people who plan carfully) many people eating calorie restricted diets to maintain low weights are missing out on essential nutrients. This is less significant in real life than the media and if you analyse the diet of your average McDonalds junkie he'll be doing worse than the athlete.

cfitz

Thanks for that. How is your healthy weight calculated? Is it given as a range or an exact figure?

hunnymonster

It was defiantly a range of about 2 kgs for me, I imagine a tall man would have a wider range than a squirt like me. Can I get back to you on how it was measured, I used to be poked and prodded so much, I can't remember what each measurement was for and will have to ask.