Chia seeds

Sub430

Following on from a previous thread, how are people finding the chia seeds?
Fad or not?

My long runs have begun so am looking for an alternative to gels.
Ta.

Krusty_Clown

I don't think they're an alternative to gels. They quite simply wouldn't contain the level of sugars/carbohydrates that you would get from a gel (unless you intent swallowing significant quantities of them!). So if you're a person who needs a gel during a race, you're still going to need a gel during a race. They're certainly not going to hinder you and should in theory provide some benefit. They could hardly be described as a fad either, having been around since 3500 BC, (pre-dating most modern religions!).

Did you know that Chia Seeds are 16 percent protein, 31 percent fat, and 44 percent carbohydrate of which 38 percent is fiber? And that, according to the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Release 20 (2007), most of its fat is the essential omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid or ALA? That's some powerful stuff.

And there is more. Chia Seeds have twice the protein of any other seed or grain, five times the calcium of milk, two times the amount of potassium in bananas, three times the antioxidant strength of blueberries and three times more iron than spinach. They also have boron, which is a trace mineral that helps transfer calcium into your bones, omega 3 and omega 6 which are essential oils for the body. Wow, all that in one little seed, who knew?

I kind of like them, though they do gross out my kids, having the appearance and texxture of frog-spawn. Not sure if they actually provide any benefit for a long run, but I'll be including them in my nutrition for the Connemara Ultra (as said before, they might at a minimum, stop others from stealing my drinks!).

Sub430

Thanks Krusty.
How much did you pay for them, can you remember?
I see them online for €12 for 500g, they were €30 for 500g in Liffey Valley.

Davie_m

I picked up a small bag (180 g i think.. ) in the health shop on Wicklow street yesterday for 3 euros..

haven't tried them yet but planning on mixing a couple into my water for my run on Saturday...

Krusty_Clown

Davie_m wrote: »

I picked up a small bag (180 g i think.. ) in the health shop on Wicklow street yesterday for 3 euros..

haven't tried them yet but planning on mixing a couple into my water for my run on Saturday...

Add them to the water at least 20 minutes beforehand. Takes them that long to absorb water and become gelatinous. I picked up mine in a health shop for around €28 (IIRC).

DULLAHAN2

would there be any benifit to eat a handful and wash them down with water as a snack during the day dont think i can drink the stuff.

BJohnson

I really like the chia seeds on my long runs. I mix a tablespoon in water and a bit of orange juice in my bottle before my long runs, and I've actually found them a good replacement for the gels and sweets I used to rely upon. It could be I've just trained better and harder this year, but my long runs training for the Connemara full have been going very well since using the chia seeds. I also take a tablespoon on a daily basis, so that could help as well.

I know about 5 or 6 other people that have been taking them as well, and find them helpful on long runs and cycles.

I pay €3.35 for a 100g bag at a health food shop here in Galway.

Aimman

I'm going to add it to drinks too for Connemara. I find I'm handling the long runs well with it, even if it ends up being in the mind, but sure why stop if it's doing it's job. Going to try mix it with lucozade sport for the LSRs this weekend to see if the texture is any different and have bottles of it set out along the race route in the drop off boxes.

Krusty_Clown

Well, it's probably worth an update, now that a few of us got to try it during the Connemarathon. For the ultra, I left three 500ml size bottles, containing a mix of 50% water + 50% pomegranate juice + 1 Tablespoon chia seeds (yes, I know it doesn't add up, but you know what I mean!). I used pomegranate juice, as it's very subtle and not acidic like orange or apple juice (LIDL brand).

I have to say I think this mixture worked really well, as after I covered the first 20 miles, in the heat (I think this may have been related to salt-loss) I couldn't stomach any of the gels or other food-stuffs I had brought with me, so the juice and chia seeds would have been one of the few sources of carbs I had on the run. The drink in its entirety was refreshing (even in the heat, when the cups of lucozade sport tasted horrible), and the texture of the chia seeds didn't bother me at all. Two things I would change:
1) For a hot day, I would add a quantity of table salt to the mixture
2) I was using a cheapo Tesco bottle of water with a sports nozzle as a container. One of the bottles nozzles got clogged with chia seeds, as I didn't leave enough room for expansion. So I would leave more room in the bottle for the chia seeds to expand.

Will definitely go with these again, for a similar 'drop-point' race, or long runs longer than 22 miles. I can't prove that they helped, but they certainly didn't hinder my performance on the day.

bart simpson

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Well, it's probably worth an update, now that a few of us got to try it during the Connemarathon. For the ultra, I left three 500ml size bottles, containing a mix of 50% water + 50% pomegranate juice + 1 Tablespoon chia seeds (yes, I know it doesn't add up, but you know what I mean!). I used pomegranate juice, as it's very subtle and not acidic like orange or apple juice (LIDL brand).

I have to say I think this mixture worked really well, as after I covered the first 20 miles, in the heat (I think this may have been related to salt-loss) I couldn't stomach any of the gels or other food-stuffs I had brought with me, so the juice and chia seeds would have been one of the few sources of carbs I had on the run. The drink in its entirety was refreshing (even in the heat, when the cups of lucozade sport tasted horrible), and the texture of the chia seeds didn't bother me at all. Two things I would change:
1) For a hot day, I would add a quantity of table salt to the mixture
2) I was using a cheapo Tesco bottle of water with a sports nozzle as a container. One of the bottles nozzles got clogged with chia seeds, as I didn't leave enough room for expansion. So I would leave more room in the bottle for the chia seeds to expand.

Will definitely go with these again, for a similar 'drop-point' race, or long runs longer than 22 miles. I can't prove that they helped, but they certainly didn't hinder my performance on the day.

would you have enough confidence the chia mix to use it instead of gels for a long run

Krusty_Clown

bart simpson wrote: »

would you have enough confidence the chia mix to use it instead of gels for a long run

My plan during the ultra was to take 8 isotonic gels. I only managed three, so in a way, I was using them as a replacement for gels. The thing is (and this is why I will only take them on very long runs!), they come in seed form, and need to be mixed with water, which obviously doesn't compare to the convenience of carrying an isotonic gel. I've gotten out of the habit of carrying any liquids with me for long runs (though I do stop for bottles of water for 17+ mile runs). If you wanted to use chia seeds, you would need to pre-mix it and carry the bottle, or leave it somewhere.

Secondly, the amount of carbs is not very high. While the concentration is high (43g per 100g), you're only adding a tablespoon to a 500ml bottle of water. Not sure how many grams there are in a tablespoon of chia seeds, but it wouldn't be a huge amount!

Aimman

I had 3 bottles of Lucozade Sport waiting for me at the 13, 26 and 32 mile mark with Chia seeds in them. I also had 5 Powerbar gels with me.

I found the lucozade mix very heavy to drink because it warmed up in the sun and had a bit of stomach cramp for a little while after the first two bottles, but when I got the the 32M mark, my bottle wasnt there, because all the 32M stuff was left at the 29M point and vice versa by mistake. I wasnt running 3 miles back to pick it up, lol.

But I did have a water belt on me with four small bottles with just water and a teaspoon of chia in each, just for emergency. I had taken three gels up to 28 miles, but I just concentrated on the water and chia for the last 11 miles and I was more comfortable running. I agree with Krusty, I'd look to adding a little salt and probably another source of carbs into water to get the sums right. I wont be having Chia laced Lucozade sport drinks waiting for me along the way in the future, although they seems ok during training. I'd love to have seen the face of the poor person that found my abandoned bottle at the 29M table and discovered the Chia in it. I had them all wrapped in Christmas paper to make them easy to spot.

pgmcpq

I have been using the chai seeds for a few months. I don't take them on the run as I am not sure how practical it is. I take then as a drink and on porridge before a run. Going on memory of google : the main benefit is in helping keep you hydrated - I think they are supposed to "retain" water. So I use before the run - short of carrying extra bottles nto sure how you'd use them during.

During a run I use pinole (yes, more "Born to Run" inspired experiments ) which is high on carbs. I mix this with my usual sports drink and carry one small bottle cliped to my shorts. I like the taste and can mix lightly so that I still get hydration.

Murta

pgmcpq wrote: »

I have been using the chai seeds for a few months. I don't take them on the run as I am not sure how practical it is. I take then as a drink and on porridge before a run. Going on memory of google : the main benefit is in helping keep you hydrated - I think they are supposed to "retain" water. So I use before the run - short of carrying extra bottles nto sure how you'd use them during.

During a run I use pinole (yes, more "Born to Run" inspired experiments ) which is high on carbs. I mix this with my usual sports drink and carry one small bottle cliped to my shorts. I like the taste and can mix lightly so that I still get hydration.

Where do you purchase the pinole from?

pgmcpq

Wow .. an old thread. I get it online. I cannot really give you specific suggestions as I am not in Ireland.

statss

Three years on from the opening post I thought I'd up this, rather than start a duplicate thread, to check if current posters still use chia seeds? I have recently bought my first bag as part of a diet overhaul, to try out recipes from the book "the thrive diet" by brendan brazier. Wondering if people are continuing to find benefits from them?

Ososlo

statss wrote: »

Three years on from the opening post I thought I'd up this, rather than start a duplicate thread, to check if current posters still use chia seeds? I have recently bought my first bag as part of a diet overhaul, to try out recipes from the book "the thrive diet" by brendan brazier. Wondering if people are continuing to find benefits from them?

use 2 heaped tablespoons of milled chia seeds in a smoothie every morning. Feel pretty good in general since I started taking them, but started taking them when overhauling diet in general so can't put it down to them in particular. Can't do any harm anyways... But they are expensive:rolleyes:

tunguska

statss wrote: »

Three years on from the opening post I thought I'd up this, rather than start a duplicate thread, to check if current posters still use chia seeds? I have recently bought my first bag as part of a diet overhaul, to try out recipes from the book "the thrive diet" by brendan brazier. Wondering if people are continuing to find benefits from them?

Like Ososlo I find it hard to know if the seeds are making a difference by themselves as I've made a lot of other dietery changes at the same time. But having said that I'd rather take them than not.
Im a big fan of Thrive myself and a lot of the dietery changes I mentioned came from that book. I take a spoon full of chlorella directly after training and I think thats made a big difference to my recovery. Overall though the cleaner my diet is the better I feel in general, it makes a massive difference.

Ososlo

http://www.brennansbread.ie/chia-wholegrain/

Thought some of you chia seed eatin' folks might be interested. Discovered this in Eurospar the other day and was :eek:
It's really tasty too