She Runs Eats Performs

Perimenopause and Performance

Perimenopause is a natural life phase, however it’s one where female hormones (especially oestrogen) are fluctuating and that can lead to wide ranging symptoms which may be erratic and even dramatic.

We talk about:

• Perimenopausal challenges female runners experience and how it impacts on their running
• What is driving all of these changes in a women’s body and our recommended approach to managing peri menopause and running performance
• A focus on the impact of poor sleep and hot flushes on running performance

The good news is that regular exercise of moderate intensity appears to help minimise symptoms and alongside nutrition and lifestyle strategies will support a smooth transition through perimenopause.

Show Notes

(00:36)

We share our experiences of perimenopause.

 (05:35)

What is perimenopause?

Perimenopause means "around menopause" and refers to the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years.

Women start perimenopause at different ages, mostly mid to late 40’s but sometimes earlier – oestrogen levels rise and fall unevenly during peri menopause leading to various symptoms

For women under 45 a diagnosis of peri menopause would usually be made based on symptoms i.e. vasomotor symptoms and irregular periods - if you are younger your doctor may check hormone levels

Signs that you may be peri menopausal:

• You may notice that your menstrual cycle becomes irregular – may lengthen or shorten, perhaps heavier flow, or you may skip a period
• You may also experience symptoms, such as hot flashes, fatigue, irritability, mind/mood symptoms, weight gain, sleep problems, low libido, aches and pains

Perimenopause may continue for a few years – different for every woman

Once you've gone through 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period, you've officially reached menopause, and the perimenopause period is over – however some of the symptoms may continue 

(12:11)

We look at the perimenopausal challenges female runners experience such as:

Unexpected Weight Gain – Disturbed Sleep – Hot Flushes and Night Sweats – Unexpected Injuries and Aches & Pains, Low Energy/Fatigue/Poor Recovery, Low Mood/Irritability/Foggy Brain

One of the aspects of perimenopause is the unpredictability of the symptoms which often leads to a woman feeling out of control. I know it all feels very serious, but I believe that if you understand what is going on and a have some personal nutritional and lifestyle management strategies you can feel more empowered to guide yourself through this life stage and minimise symptoms.

(14:41)

Weight gain is common in in perimenopause - especially around the middle or developing a higher fat: muscle ratio will often this affect how we feel about ourselves/self-esteem and how we perform as a runner.

(17:30)

Women also talk a lot about ….

Disturbed sleep often related to night sweats – as we know poor sleep impacts on many aspects of health and performance – particularly the energy we require to get out on our run training sessions.

Hot flushes at any time in the day or night and even during a run training session – sudden changes in body temperature can be unpleasant, shocking, embarrassing and if you are training perhaps a distraction.

(19:18)

More frequent injuries and aches and pains and experiencing low energy and fatigue are also common in runners.

Unexpected injuries and aches and pains in muscles and joints, which could potentially lead to time out of training and races and also demotivation – there is limited research in the area of the effect of oestrogen on tendons and ligaments however it’s thought that oestrogen may have a protective effect on connective tissue and collagen and therefore declining oestrogen may potentially put us at risk of injury.

We need to seriously consider the impact of declining oestrogen on bone mineral density during perimenopause AND post-menopausal years too.

Another common concern is Low Energy, fatigue, poor recovery – so, feeling that you don’t have enough energy to complete your training – this can be attributed to many different factors e.g. poor sleep, not fuelling/eating appropriately, low nutrient status...so not just as a result of peri-menopause.

 (22:35)

Low mood, mood swings, irritability, feelings of sadness, foggy brain, lack of concentration – are again likely to impact on your motivation to train and run.

Running and exercise will support you in minimising symptoms.

Studies (published in Menopause and the Journal of Physiology in 2016) back that up. One found that sedentary women (women who exercised less than three times a week) were 28 percent more likely to experience menopause symptoms than active women, and 21 percent more likely to experience hot flashes.

·In another, the women who exercised more frequently and intensely reported that the average frequency of their hot flashes dropped by more than 60 percent. 

(26:59)

What’s driving all of these changes in our body? We also look at some management strategies.

• Fluctuation of oestrogen levels having wide ranging effects throughout body
• Disturbances in the thermoneutral zone leading to hot flushes, night sweats and potentially dehydration
• Food, drink and exercise triggers
• Having a holistic approach to perimenopausal management

 (34:16)

Foundations of nutrition and lifestyle in place to support perimenopause

 Blood sugar balance, digestion, liver health and stress are all major influences on sex hormone balance.

The most important advice is to get the basics in place:

 SIMPLE STUFF – EVERYDAY HYDRATION and EVERYDAY NUTRITION and a simple SYSTEM for planning and preparation

·      Drink 1.5L water every day

·      Plate balance at every meal

·      30 different vegetable every week

·      Set boundaries around soft drinks, caffeine and alcohol

·      Managing stress

·      Being consistent in your exercise

·      Follow 80:20 approach

(42:04)

One of our listeners, Sally emailed us to ask if we’d cover perimenopause in an episode.

We take a look at Sally’s challenges and make some suggestions on how she may support with nutrition and lifestyle.

 (53:27)

 Key Take Aways

Perimenopause is the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years and typically happens from mid 40’s for a few years – every woman is different.

Oestrogen levels generally decline during perimenopause in an irregular fashion leading to erratic symptoms having effects on many parts of the body.

 You may experience irregular periods and a variety of symptoms such as hot flashes, fatigue, irritability, mind/mood symptoms, weight gain, sleep problems, low libido, aches and pains.

Studies indicate that women who exercise regularly at a moderate intensity appear to experience less severe hormonal symptoms than non-exercising women.

Female runners who have always been fit, healthy and with a good body composition are often really surprised and sometimes shocked at the changes they are experiencing:

• Body Composition changes may affects how we feel about ourselves/self-esteem and how we perform as a runner
• Disturbed sleep often related to night sweats may impact on energy required to run and recovery and hydration status
• Hot flushes at any time in the day or night and even during a run training session –can be unpleasant, shocking, embarrassing and if you are training perhaps a distraction
• Peri-menopausal women may be at risk of injury due to the impact of declining oestrogen on collagen, connective tissue and bone density
• Low Energy and fatigue may affect performance, recovery and motivation
• Motivation to train and run may be affected by mind/mood symptoms

Women may fall into the trap of choosing pieces of advice rather than approaching this life stage holistically, there’s a tendency to look for a magic bullet.

A holistic approach to perimenopause includes personalised nutrition, optimising liver, digestion, blood sugar balance, managing stress and lifestyle.

Ending on a positive note, all of the symptoms we have mentioned may be naturally supported and minimised so that you may transition happily through this life stage and as runners we are really helping ourselves!

Related Episodes:

Resistant Weight Loss for Runners

HWHR Weight Loss in Mid Life

Bone Health Part 1

Bone Health Part 2

Nutrition Basics for ALL Runners

Blood Sugar Balance for Female Runners

 Disclaimer:

The suggestions we make during this episode are for guidance and

advice only, and are not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.

If you have any concerns regarding your health, please contact

your healthcare professional for advice as soon as possible.

Aileen Smith and Karen Campbell met at as nutrition students (Institute for Optimum Nutrition, London) and became lifelong friends and nutritional buddies! Both have a love of running and a passion for nutrition, delicious food and healthy living.

Together they host RUNNERS HEALTH HUB. A place for like-minded runners who are looking for simple ways to support running performance, energy, endurance, and general great health.

We are excited to be able to share our expertise, experience and short cuts with you. We hope you'll join us again. If you'd like to know more about us and She Runs Eats Performs please check out our TRAILER.

If you're ready to make learn more about how you may introduce easy nutrition into your running and training plan join our Easy Nutrition For Healthy Runners Online Programme for short videos, recipes, downloads and LIVE training and Q&A.

As a THANK YOU to you as one of our valued listeners, we have a special offer for you use COUPON CODE POD to get 33% discount off the full price which brings the price to £199.

If you’d like help from Karen and Aileen to design a personalised sports nutrition plan for your running - please contact them at [email protected]

Happy Running!

Aileen and Karen

www.runnershealthhub.com  

Does Dehydration Impair Exercise Performance?

Do you pay attention to your fluid intake? Do you find you sometimes forget to drink? Have you ever thought about what impact your hydration levels may have on your running performance?

 In this episode we explore all these questions and more. We delve into the scientific research to gain an understanding of the current thinking around hydration and exercise performance as well as consider the impact of poor hydration on exercise performance.   

 We also endeavour to help you understand WHY appropriate hydration (euhydration) is important for YOUR running performance and give you lots of hints and tips on how to ensure you are getting adequate fluids into your daily routine 

Show Notes

(05:00)

Outlining the current scientific thinking and research on hydration and exercise performance. Looking at study methodology and its limitations and how scientists are trying to overcome these difficulties. 

Moving on to consider “Involuntary Dehydration” and how easy an athlete could become overtly dehydrated over a short period of time.  

(11:27)

Giving you an understanding of normal fluid regulation within the body so you better understand how dehydration could occur so easily e.g. did you know that water is the most abundant molecule in the body making up between 45% and 70% body mass and is very tightly regulated. 

(14:07)

Discussing some of the health outcomes from severe dehydration whilst also pointing out some key symptoms to observe for which may suggest underhydration e.g. thirst, dark urine, dry lips, mouth, and eyes, and dizziness.

(19:41)

Delving into the impact of hydration status on exercise performance and introducing the condition called hypertonic hypovolemia ie intracellular dehydration. Moving on to discuss the physiological impact of dehydration including: reduced muscle function, increased cardiovascular strain and increase of core body temperature.  

(25:49)

Introducing a new debate in the Sports Nutrition world: drinking to thirst versus planned drinking, We give you our thoughts on this. 

(28:30)

Introducing the Female Factors: 

1. There are no differences in effects of dehydration between men and women. 
2. There no studies that I am aware of looking at women compared to men and the few female only studies carried out show similar results to men.
3. In general, women have a lower body water percentage than men. This is thought to be due to the fact that women have more tissue than men. 
4. The ideal water percentage for adult women will fluctuate between 45 and 60%, while the ideal percentage for adult men will be between 50 and 65% of the total body. 

(36:19)

Outlining some hints and tips to introduce to ensure you are appropriately hydrated on a daily basis AND for your running training. Some ideas include: Remembering to drink fluids before, during and after your run, use a camelback if you like to remain hands free, set a reminder on your phone to drink regularly. 

 (46:41)

Key Takeaways:

1) Hydration is a limiting factor in exercise performance – so could make the difference between you winning or losing in reaching YOUR goals.

2) The current research on hydration status is conflicting regarding how dehydrated an individual needs to be for performance to be impaired

3) Our recommendation would be to remain EUHYDRATED – so appropriately hydrated on a day to day basis

4) Ensure you drink BEFORE, DURING and AFTER training so you do not go into your next training session already in a hypohydrated state.

5) Remember that although the degree of dehydration linked to performance effects is uncertain, it is known that more than 5% dehydration causes cognitive dysfunction and as much as 15% can lead to circulatory failure and death…..but this is extreme.

6) Be on the lookout for any symptoms that may suggest you are poorly hydrated including:

• feeling thirsty.
• dark yellow and strong-smelling urine.
• feeling dizzy or lightheaded.
• …………..But there are many others.

7) There are many factors that will determine how much fluid YOU require on a daily basis….a one size does not fit all.

8) Finally, PLAN your fluid intake for your training AND your everyday hydration using our tips as your guide to ensure that hydration does not become the limiting factor in your running performance.

Related Episodes:

Ep1 Sports Nutrition Foundations For Female Runners

Ep5 Hydration And Running Performance

Disclaimer:

The suggestions we make during this episode are for guidance and

advice only, and are not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.

If you have any concerns regarding your health, please contact

your healthcare professional for advice as soon as possible.

Aileen Smith and Karen Campbell met at as nutrition students (Institute for Optimum Nutrition, London) and became lifelong friends and nutritional buddies! Both have a love of running and a passion for nutrition, delicious food and healthy living.

Together they host RUNNERS HEALTH HUB. A place for like-minded runners who are looking for simple ways to support running performance, energy, endurance, and general great health.

We are excited to be able to share our expertise, experience and short cuts with you. We hope you'll join us again. If you'd like to know more about us and She Runs Eats Performs please check out our TRAILER.

If you're ready to make learn more about how you may introduce easy nutrition into your running and training plan join our Easy Nutrition For Healthy Runners Online Programme for short videos, recipes, downloads and LIVE training and Q&A.

As a THANK YOU to you as one of our valued listeners, we have a special offer for you use COUPON CODE POD to get 33% discount off the full price which brings the price to £199.

If you’d like help from Karen and Aileen to design a personalised sports nutrition plan for your running - please contact them at [email protected]

Happy Running!

Aileen and Karen

www.runnershealthhub.com 

Love Your Liver

There is much more to liver function than just processing alcohol and storing glycogen. The liver metabolises alcohol and medication, it makes fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E,K), it helps to safely eliminate fat soluble toxins such as pesticides and environmental chemicals, it produces bile which is vital for fat digestions and crucially it play a vital role in excreting excess hormones and metabolites.

A sluggish liver may become a big contributor to oestrogen dominance due to a build-up of harmful oestrogen metabolites. Optimal Liver function is key to female hormonal balance and managing the peri menopausal and menopausal symptoms that many women experience in mid -life.

If you would like to find out more about our Healthy Woman Healthy Runner Programme please book a FREE Discovery Call

Book your place on our next FREE TRAINING: Learn all about our Healthy Woman Healthy Runner Method.

You can choose either 12 noon or at 6pm (BST), whichever best suits your lifestyle.

Book for 12 noon GMT, 19:00 AWST, 21:00 ACST HERE

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We love podcasting but we love being with you LIVE even more so we can’t wait to meet you in our ZOOM ROOM!

Show Notes

(02:28)

An overview of the wide range of functions performed by the liver and what areas we cover in this episode:

1.    The impact of sub-optimal liver function on a mid-life female runner.

2.    What potentially could be congesting your liver?

3.    Nutritional support for liver health and hormonal balance

4.    Our top 2 lifestyle tips to help support optimal liver health

(03:54)

We look at how the liver detoxifies and eliminates hormones and toxins

(05:28)

The impact of sub-optimal liver health may be an underlying reason for hormonal imbalance.To be a great female runner, who is energetic, injury free and enjoying their training and racing it goes without saying that you have to be a HEALTHY WOMAN. When we hit mid-life we have a lot going on in our lives, our responsibilities for family and work, and our bodies start to change as we approach peri menopause and menopause. Being a Healthy Woman Healthy Runner requires taking a holistic look at your overall health and adapting your nutrition and lifestyle to support the hormonal changes you’re experiencing and in turn that’ll underpin the health and fitness you require for running.

(08:51)

A look at potential toxins and how they may be contributing to your toxic load i.e. compounds in foods, drinks, medication, plus toxins from packaging, skincare/cleaning materials, and environmental toxins which we may be exposed to where we live or work.

(11:28)

When considering the starting point to reducing your toxic load, it’s all about choosing to do things within your control and every contribution you make will help reduce your toxic load

• Food choices – choose fresh, unprocessed foods and unpackaged foods. By making those choices you’ll be minimising additives and potential toxins from packaging.
• Drink choices – choose filtered water and minimise soft drinks, alcohol and caffeine.
• Cleaning materials or personal care products – check the label and choose one that doesn’t include synthetic chemicals – a great website to check is www.ecw.org it’s a US website with lots of great information which will help you.

(13:29)

Nutrition to support liver function and in particular detoxification pathways and the benefits of a gentle nutritional detox plan.

There are some basic things everyone can do e.g. drink lots of filtered water, eat fibre in the form of fruit, vegetables and whole grains – to promote regular daily bowel movements. More specific suggestions include:

• Eat 3 portions of Cruciferous/ Brassica vegetables every day – e.g. cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, rocket, cauliflower, kale – these foods contain indole-3-carbonol and sulforophane which promote detoxification of excess oestrogen
• Eat Vitamin B-rich foods – whole grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables/salads – used in all detox processes
• Add Bitter Green leaves to your salads and veggies e.g. rocket, dandelion, frissee, kale, endive are some suggestions - to promote bile production which will help with excretion of toxins
• Eating choline rich foods such as eggs and avocado to support to methylation pathway to support clearance of oestrogen and heavy metal toxins
• Having eggs, onions, garlic to support the sulfation pathway also important in the clearance of sex hormones as well as others
• ·Glutathionine is a potent anti-oxidant “known as the master detoxifier “ it’s made up of three amino acids: glutamine, glycine and cysteine, so eating an optimal amount of protein will support production of glutathionine alongside cruciferous veggies, onions, garlic and vitamin C rich foods which will promote glutathionine
• The list of foods is not exhaustive, but these will give you a good foundation to support detox pathways

(19:49)

Our Top 2 lifestyle tips to support optimal liver health:

a.    Reduce your exposure to plastic via food packaging and storage containers. Plastic materials may contain endocrine disrupting chemicals which act as fake hormones and are potentially dangerous.

b.    Add a sauna, lymphatic massage and skin brushing to you weekly routine – this encourage elimination of toxins via your skin – considered to be an important endocrine organ.

 (23:32)

 Key Take Aways:

1.    The 4 foundations of hormonal balance are Optimal Digestive health, Optimal LIVER health, Blood Sugar Balance and Managing Stress.

2.    One of the liver’s key functions is to safely dispose of hormones and toxins that the body does not require using 2 detoxification pathways – known as phase 1 and phase 2.

3.    LIVER FUNCTION may be compromised by TOXIC LOAD i.e. Our toxic load = equals Our Total Toxic Exposure minus Our Ability to Detoxify & Excrete Toxins

4.    When considering reducing your TOXIC LOAD choose to do things easily within your control e.g. food, drink and packaging choices as well as what personal care and cleaning products you use.

5.    Foods such as cruciferous vegetables, bitter greens, whole grains, nuts, seeds, eggs, avocados, onions, garlic and protein rich foods will support detoxication and elimination of hormones.

6.    Avoid plastic packaging – swap to glass containers, beeswax wrappers and silicone bags.

7.    Have a sauna, do skin brushing and magnesium baths to promote excretion of toxins via the skin.

Related Episodes:

Nutrition Basics for ALL Runners

Food For ... Hormonal Balance and Running

Disclaimer:

The suggestions we make during this episode are for guidance and

advice only, and are not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.

If you have any concerns regarding your health, please contact

your healthcare professional for advice as soon as possible.

Aileen Smith and Karen Campbell met at as nutrition students (Institute for Optimum Nutrition, London) and became lifelong friends and nutritional buddies! Both have a love of running and a passion for nutrition, delicious food and healthy living.

Together they host RUNNERS HEALTH HUB. A place for like-minded runners who are looking for simple ways to support running performance, energy, endurance, and general great health.

We are excited to be able to share our expertise, experience and short cuts with you. We hope you'll join us again. If you'd like to know more about us and She Runs Eats Performs please check out our TRAILER.

If you're ready to make learn more about how you may introduce easy nutrition into your running and training plan join our Easy Nutrition For Healthy Runners Online Programme for short videos, recipes, downloads and LIVE training and Q&A.

As a THANK YOU to you as one of our valued listeners, we have a special offer for you use COUPON CODE POD to get 33% discount off the full price which brings the price to £199.

If you’d like help from Karen and Aileen to design a personalised sports nutrition plan for your running - please contact them at [email protected]

Happy Running!

Aileen and Karen

www.runnershealthhub.com  

TRE and running performance

Time-Restricted Eating (TRE) is well known for promoting general health and wellbeing, but have you ever considered introducing it to support your running performance? In this episode we delve into the science behind time-restricted eating before discussing the potential PROS and CONS of time-restricted eating for sports performance. We also outline some questions you should ask yourself to help you determine if it is the correct approach for you. 

Show Notes

(04:31)

Defining Time Restricted Eating before moving on to describe its connection to the body’s Circadian System, which organises metabolism, physiology and behaviour within a daily cycle of circadian rhythms. Outlining the potential benefits to general health and wellbeing including:

• Insulin sensitivity
• Glucose tolerance
• Reduced risk of metabolic disorders including: diabetes, insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease.

 (08:25)

“Eat like a king in the morning, a prince at noon, and a peasant at dinner”. Appreciating this quote and analysing how TRE could sit alongside this way of eating. 

 (11:04)

Explaining how the circadian system works and outlining the various external factors that may influence its function. Factors including:

• Light
• Feeding - what we eat 
• Physical activity and its timing
• Sleep - quantity and quality 

(15:16)

Thinking about Circadian System synchronicity and how TRE may help maintain the synchronicity between the 2 parts of the system.

(18:37)

Looking at the potential PROS to running performance from introducing a TRE plan including:

• Weight loss
• Energy intake not restricted – beneficial for endurance runners
• Transient hypoglycaemia – may be reduced 
• Use of fat as fuel – preserving glycogen stores

(21:23)

Moving on to address the potential pitfalls of TRE for running performance including:

• Loss of muscle mass
• Poor food choices – energy dense, not nutrient dense
• Poor endurance performance – in runs over 90mins
• Stress response – potentially adding to the body’s stress burden

(26:16)

FEMALE FACTORS:

1. Hormonal Imbalance: for female runners with any sex hormonal imbalance TRE may not be an ideal approach due to the potential stress response, which may further disrupt hormonal balance
2. Pregnancy: Definitely not a recommended approach for any runners who are pregnant due to the additional energy/nutrient requirements of pregnancy. 
3. Half/full/ultra marathon distance: Due to the intensity of training and long distances being run during training TRE wouldn’t be recommended due to the limitations of Fasted State Running, but also the limited ability to take on sufficient energy during the eating window.

(31:25)

Considering how to introduce Time Restricted Eating alongside your running training, but also highlighting the key questions to ask yourself before embarking on this approach to eating. The key questions include:

• Within how many hours will your eating window be? 
• At what time of the day will you start/end eating? 
• How do your timing decisions fit in with your work/home/family situation? 
• How do your timing decisions fit in with when you train? 
• Will it support my training or hinder my running performance? 

 Moving on to think about how to introduce TRE into your plan; take it slowly, ensure optimal everyday nutrition is in place first, ensure your food choices are nutrient dense, maybe begin with 14:10 eating window and build up to 16:8.

(38:06)

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1) TRE is only one form of Intermittent Fasting, however it is the one most studied when relating it to exercise and exercise performance.

2) TRE it is thought to be supportive to health and wellbeing principally because of its potential to maintain the synchronicity of the body’s circadian system

3) Remember, TRE may not be suitable for every runner. Factors need to be considered including:

• Running distances
• Current BS control
• Current stress levels
• ALSO, current health concerns

4) There are several potential benefits of TRE on running performance including:

• Weight loss
• Reduction in transient hypoglycaemia
• No restrictions to energy intake, so could be suitable for some longer training

5) BUT there are some pitfalls to TRE that a runner would need to consider including:

• Possible loss of lean muscle mass
• Potential to over/under eat
• Potential to make poor food choices
• Stress response and the fallout from that including inflammation, increased risk of injury and illness. 

6) Ask yourself these questions before embarking on TRE:

• Is this the correct approach for me?
• Will it support my training or hinder my running performance?

Related Episodes:

Ep18 Intermittent Fasting and the Female Runner

 Disclaimer:

The suggestions we make during this episode are for guidance and

advice only, and are not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.

If you have any concerns regarding your health, please contact

your healthcare professional for advice as soon as possible.

Aileen Smith and Karen Campbell met at as nutrition students (Institute for Optimum Nutrition, London) and became lifelong friends and nutritional buddies! Both have a love of running and a passion for nutrition, delicious food and healthy living.

Together they host RUNNERS HEALTH HUB. A place for like-minded runners who are looking for simple ways to support running performance, energy, endurance, and general great health.

We are excited to be able to share our expertise, experience and short cuts with you. We hope you'll join us again. If you'd like to know more about us and She Runs Eats Performs please check out our TRAILER.

If you're ready to make learn more about how you may introduce easy nutrition into your running and training plan join our Easy Nutrition For Healthy Runners Online Programme for short videos, recipes, downloads and LIVE training and Q&A.

As a THANK YOU to you as one of our valued listeners, we have a special offer for you use COUPON CODE POD to get 33% discount off the full price which brings the price to £199.

If you’d like help from Karen and Aileen to design a personalised sports nutrition plan for your running - please contact them at [email protected]

Happy Running!

Aileen and Karen

www.runnershealthhub.com 

Healthy Fast Food For Runners

Runners often feel they don’t have TIME to prepare and cook. We really understand how frustrating this is and we’d love you to have a healthy food plan to support energy and recovery for your running and racing and keep you well fed!

The focus of today’s discussion is how to make some FAST Healthy Food – that you can cook and eat very quickly.

We are going to chat about our favourite recipes and healthy fast food cooking methods to help us be most time efficient in the kitchen so, we have more time to run, train, stretch, recover and do everything else that is important in our lives and also give us time to enjoy our meals too.

1.    Traybake Suppers

2.    Stir Fry Meals

3.    Parchment Parcels

We’ll look at each in turn talking about the cooking method, why it’s healthy, how it’ll save you time if you cook this way and our favourite recipes.

Show Notes

(03:47)

Insights into the frustrations around finding time to fit in food planning, shopping and meal preparation when you are a busy runner and why the way we cook our food is so important for nutrition.

(07:44)

Talking about Traybake Cooking styles- how to cook this way, why is it a healthy style of cooking and how does it save time, and some ideas on how this works for cooking for ONE or for a FAMILY. 

(10:46)

Traybake preparation tips and how to adapt your carbohydrate intake if required. Recipe ideas include Roasted Chicken with Fennel and Lemon and Aubergine with Halloumi

(17:22)

We chat about Parchment Parcels for cooking, how to cook this way, why is it a healthy style of cooking and how does it save time.

(19:00)

Parchment Parcel preparation tips. Recipe ideas include Ginger Soy Salmon and Mediterranean Pesto vegetables with Mozzarella or Hummus.

(23:12)

How to join our next 5 Step Free Training - How Super Busy Female Runners find TIME to have a Healthy Runners Food Plan

 If you'd love to have a healthy food plan to support energy and recovery for your running and racing BUT you don’t have TIME .... this is for YOU!

We know how you feel ... the frustration at never having enough time to shop for and prepare easy, healthy meals and snacks to fuel YOUR RUNNING.

We know this is such a common problem BUT……. it’s easily solved.

All you have to do is join us and follow the steps we teach you LIVE during the 5 days. Our focus is to:      

·      Play to your strengths and your natural way of planning

·      Help you to get some easy foodie inspiration for meal and snack ideas

·      Find small chunks of time to MAKE your Healthy Runners Plan happen

 All you have to do is dedicate 30 minutes a day for 5 days to watch to a short video and take a simple action step. IT’S REALLY EASY! We also do 2 mini FB lives each day – which is an optional extra – we’ll answer your questions and share our tips.

CLICK HERE for our next FREE training date

The last time we did it we had a lot of fun with runners who joined in – we’d love you to join us. Bring a friend too!

 (26:26)

We focus next on Stir Frying Cooking, how to cook this way, why is it a healthy style of cooking and how does it save time.

(29:07)

Two of our favourite stir fry recipes; Mushroom and Broccoli Noodles and Summer Green Stir Fry alongside tips on preparation and cooking.

(31:13) 

Take Aways for Today’s Episode are:

1.    Prepare and cook food with care to maximise the bioavailability of the nutrients in our food.

2.    Be willing to invest 5-15 minutes of preparation time every day to create fast healthy food – it’ll be worth it for taste as well as nutrition.

3.    Check you have a large shallow tray or baking tin, a wok (or frying pan) and a roll of parchment paper alongside a good knife and chopping board and you’ll be ready to go!

4.    Our favourite FAST HEALTHY FOOD COOKING STYLES are Traybake, Parchment Parcels and Stir Frying.

5.    All great for cooking for one or for a family.

6.    You may prepare everything yourself or take advantage of preprepared vegetables – fresh and frozen – it may save you a few minutes.

Related Topics:

Nutrition Basics for ALL Runners

In a Runners Kitchen

Smart Food Prep for Runners

 Disclaimer:

The suggestions we make during this episode are for guidance and

advice only, and are not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.

If you have any concerns regarding your health, please contact

your healthcare professional for advice as soon as possible.

Aileen Smith and Karen Campbell met at as nutrition students (Institute for Optimum Nutrition, London) and became lifelong friends and nutritional buddies! Both have a love of running and a passion for nutrition, delicious food and healthy living.

Together they host RUNNERS HEALTH HUB. A place for like-minded runners who are looking for simple ways to support running performance, energy, endurance, and general great health.

We are excited to be able to share our expertise, experience and short cuts with you. We hope you'll join us again. If you'd like to know more about us and She Runs Eats Performs please check out our TRAILER.

If you're ready to make learn more about how you may introduce easy nutrition into your running and training plan join our Easy Nutrition For Healthy Runners Online Programme for short videos, recipes, downloads and LIVE training and Q&A.

As a THANK YOU to you as one of our valued listeners, we have a special offer for you use COUPON CODE POD to get 33% discount off the full price which brings the price to £199.

If you’d like help from Karen and Aileen to design a personalised sports nutrition plan for your running - please contact them at [email protected]

Happy Running!

Aileen and Karen

www.runnershealthhub.com 

Food For.....Hormonal Balance and Running

Hormonal balance may reduce both PMS and menstrual symptoms at any life phase of a woman which includes peri menopause and menopause – and as runners that’s all about ensuring we have the energy and motivation to enjoy our running every day and not be limited by female hormonal symptoms.

We will focus on 3 food strategies to support Female Hormones and Running

1.    Seed Cycling

2.    Balancing Oestrogen

3.    Promoting Progesterone

We will outline the nutritional properties of each and consider how they may be added as part of your meal plan with some menu ideas.

Finally, we’ll share a 1-day menu plan using these 3 food strategies.

Show Notes

(05:00)

Introducing the reasons it’s key for female runners to balance hormones to minimise PMS, menstrual, peri menopause and menopausal symptoms and how seed cycling may be supportive.

(12:16)

Why having optimal oestrogen levels is key for women in general and especially female runners.

(12:55)

An overview of the 3 types of oestrogen, E1 Estrone , E2, Estrodial and  E3 Estriol and how imbalances may lead to oestrogen dominance and conditions such as heavy periods, fibroids, endometriosis and oestrogen driven cancers.

(17:09)

Nutritional strategies to support oestrogen balance e.g. foundations of optimal digestive health, optimal liver health, managing stress and and balancing blood sugar. Plus, a look at how adding cruciferous vegetables to your daily food plan helps to manage excess oestrogen.

(18:42)

Nutritional strategies to support progesterone levels e.g. first of all balancing oestrogen, then reducing inflammation resulting from high stress and eating foods which contain the nutrients to support the corpus luteum which is the hormonal structure which produces progesterone. Foods containing selenium, Vitamin B6 and Zinc support the production of progesterone.

(21:37)

Menu and recipe ideas for using each of the nutritional strategies discussed.

1.    Food ideas for Seed Cycling: use ground seeds and sprinkle on porridge, yoghurt, soups or drinks, homemade crackers/oatcakes/flapjacks/muesli/granola or protein balls.

2.    Food ideas for Balancing Oestrogen: eat 3 portions of cruciferous/brassica vegetables every day e.g. made into soups, salads or side dishes.

3.    Food ideas for Promoting Progesterone: eat 2-3 brazil nuts as a daily snack for selenium, add a sprinkle of dried seaweed or other seeds to salads, soups or casseroles for zinc and choose Vitamin B6 is found in turkey, tuna, beef, chicken, sunflower seeds, dried fruit, chickpeas and bulgar wheat.

(30:59)

Our suggestions for a 1-Day Menu Plan

(35:00)

Key Take Aways

1.    The nutritional strategy of introducing Seed Cycling is to used to promote production of oestrogen levels in the first part of your cycle and progesterone levels in the second part of your cycle.

2.    The nutritional strategy of Balancing Oestrogen is to promote optimum levels of oestrogen to help regulate your cycle, and particularly for runners to protect bone health, support muscle building and fat utilisation by supporting increased muscle glycogen storage positively support body composition).

3.    The nutritional strategy of Promoting Progesterone is to promote optimal levels for the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and also to balance the ratio of oestrogen:progesterone to minimise possibility of oestrogen dominance  

4.    Key nutrients for Seed Cycling are Flaxseed and Pumpkin Seeds in In Follicular Phase to promote oestrogen and in the Luteal Phase is Sunflower seeds and Sesame seeds to promote progesterone levels

5.    Seed cycling appears to help regulate hormonal balance over a one 1-3 month time frame and supports resolving oestrogen dominance and low oestrogen levels.

6.    Seed cycling can be used by women who are menstruating as well as women going through peri menopause and menopause.

7.    The nutritional foundations for balancing hormones are optimal digestion, optimal liver health, managing stress and balancing blood sugar.

8.    When digested, cruciferous vegetables produce indole-3-carbinol and DIM to block E2 Estrodial and detoxify excess oestrogen – we suggest eating 3 portions of cruciferous vegetable every day.

9.    To support progesterone levels, first balance oestrogen, then reduce inflammation followed by foods which promote the production of progesterone.

10. Finally remember, balanced hormones reduce both PMS and hormonal symptoms at any life phase of a woman’s life. As runners, we aim to have the energy and motivation to enjoy our running every day and not be limited by female hormonal symptoms.

 Related Topics:

Nutrition Basics for ALL Runners

Managing Menstrual Cycle and Running Performance

Blood Sugar Balance for Female Runners

 Disclaimer:

The suggestions we make during this episode are for guidance and

advice only, and are not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.

If you have any concerns regarding your health, please contact

your healthcare professional for advice as soon as possible.

 Aileen Smith and Karen Campbell met at as nutrition students (Institute for Optimum Nutrition, London) and became lifelong friends and nutritional buddies! Both have a love of running and a passion for nutrition, delicious food and healthy living.

Together they host RUNNERS HEALTH HUB. A place for like-minded runners who are looking for simple ways to support running performance, energy, endurance, and general great health.

We are excited to be able to share our expertise, experience and short cuts with you. We hope you'll join us again. If you'd like to know more about us and She Runs Eats Performs please check out our TRAILER.

If you're ready to make learn more about how you may introduce easy nutrition into your running and training plan join our Easy Nutrition For Healthy Runners Online Programme for short videos, recipes, downloads and LIVE training and Q&A.

As a THANK YOU to you as one of our valued listeners, we have a special offer for you use COUPON CODE POD to get 33% discount off the full price which brings the price to £199.

If you’d like help from Karen and Aileen to design a personalised sports nutrition plan for your running - please contact them at [email protected]

Happy Running!

Aileen and Karen

www.runnershealthhub.com  

The WHY of Sports Nutrition

Do you ever ask yourself the question “Why do I need to bother about Sports Nutrition for my running?” 

Do you ever think about what you eat and if it is helping or hindering your running performance?

In this episode we help answer these questions. We focus on the benefits of running specific nutrition such as:

• Energy to fuel our running
• Reduced risk of running injury
• Efficient recovery from training
• Increased running performance – the ultimate goal.

 But we also outline the pitfalls of neglecting nutrition before moving on to give you ideas of how you could enhance your nutrition to support your running performance.

 We also remind you of the importance of an optimal everyday healthy diet being in place CONSISTENTLY. This is the foundation on which sports nutrition is built. 

Show Notes

(03:50)

Introducing the episode and outlining the key principles of Sports Nutrition to be discussed:

1. General good health
2. Provide energy 
3.  Immune Support
4. Recovery/repair from training
5. Injury prevention
6. Training adaptation
7. Sports Performance

(06:22)

Considering scenarios when sports nutrition may or may not be required; e.g. what type of running? for what time are you running? At what speed are you running? Does it include skill-based running?? These and many other factors will determine whether Sports Nutrition is appropriate for your running training. Could it be that an optimal everyday diet is sufficient for your training? We discuss that here.  

(10:42)

Considering the benefits of Sports nutrition in supporting the immune systems and highlighting the fall-out to health and running training if the immune system id suboptimal e.g. low energy, poor recovery from training, increased risk of injury and illness. 

 (18:06)

Looking at the impact of sports nutrition on training adaptations with a particular focus on body composition; thinking about food timing, energy balance, and adequate protein.

 (21:26)

Focusing on the consequences of poor sports nutrition and its impact on running performance linked to low motivation, injury and recovery. A brief introduction to Overreaching and Overtraining syndrome is also given.  

 (25:27)

Introducing the Female Factors:

1. Women tend to be more susceptible to AI conditions, therefore may be at more risk of compromised immunity. This could increase their risk of injury and illness in training if nutrition is not addressed
2. Women appear to be at increased risk of injury besides men, especially of the lower limbs.  One study noted that over a 2yr period 73% of women and 62% of men sustained an injury.
3. There appears to be an increased risk in women age 50 or older and a lower risk among those 30 or younger – this could be linked to peri/menopause and the changes in hormone balance and bone density. 
4. Menopause can have an effect on body composition leading to some weight gain. This is because fat cells are known to be one of the principle Sources of oestrogen production following cessation via the reproductive system.
5. Also, as we get older it is more difficult to lose weight, which may be linked to a reduction in Resting Metabolic Rate.

(33:45)

Considering some key nutrients and foods that would support ALL runners in reducing their risk of illness, injury and suboptimal running performance. Key considerations include:

• Vitamin D
• Omega 3 Fatty Acids
• Beta-glucans

(39:19)

Introducing some additional nutrients to support soft tissue and collagen production including:

• Vitamin C
• Manganese 
• Protein

(45:08)

Key Takeaways:

1. There are so many benefits to Sports Nutrition, however we have highlighted several specific to running including: Immune Support, Recovery/repair from training, Injury prevention
2. An everyday healthy diet is the best place to begin….but remember this needs to be in place CONSISTENTLY before considering nutrition specific for your running
3. Remember Nutrition specific to Running may not be necessary for everyone, it will depend on so many factors including: distance, time out running and type of running e.g. easy/technical, 
4. If nutrition is neglected then it could potentially result in time out of running due to injury/illness, reduced energy and motivation to run, development of Overtraining Syndrome 
5. There are many key nutrients to consider for the prevention of injury, illness, poor recovery from training etc including: Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Protein, Manganese, and Omega 3 FAs. So, ensure you include the food sources of these nutrients in your diet on a regular basis.
6. Finally, The ultimate goal of SN is to enhance Performance…..so whatever your running goals are remember that what you eat may be the factor that decides whether you achieve that goal or not.

Related Topics:

The Performance Effects of Overtraining Syndrome

Nutrition Basics For All Runners

Endurance Running and Immune Support

Disclaimer:

The suggestions we make during this episode are for guidance and

advice only, and are not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.

If you have any concerns regarding your health, please contact

your healthcare professional for advice as soon as possible.

Aileen Smith and Karen Campbell met at as nutrition students (Institute for Optimum Nutrition, London) and became lifelong friends and nutritional buddies! Both have a love of running and a passion for nutrition, delicious food and healthy living.

Together they host RUNNERS HEALTH HUB. A place for like-minded runners who are looking for simple ways to support running performance, energy, endurance, and general great health.

We are excited to be able to share our expertise, experience and short cuts with you. We hope you'll join us again. If you'd like to know more about us and She Runs Eats Performs please check out our TRAILER.

If you're ready to make learn more about how you may introduce easy nutrition into your running and training plan join our Easy Nutrition For Healthy Runners Online Programme for short videos, recipes, downloads and LIVE training and Q&A.

As a THANK YOU to you as one of our valued listeners, we have a special offer for you use COUPON CODE POD to get 33% discount off the full price which brings the price to £199.

If you’d like help from Karen and Aileen to design a personalised sports nutrition plan for your running - please contact them at [email protected]

Happy Running!

Aileen and Karen

www.runnershealthhub.com  

Blood Sugar Balance for Female Runners

Blood Sugar Balance is a foundational part of great health and if not in balance may lead towards many healthy concerns. As female runners there are 3 areas which potentially can affect any of us if blood sugar balance is out of sync i.e.

ENERGY DIPS – feeling that we haven’t got the energy we require to enjoy our running

WEIGHT GAIN especially around the middle – which may make us feel heavy and sluggish and impact on running performance

Disrupted FEMALE HORMONES resulting in symptoms such as PMS, Period Pains, Heavy Flow, and conditions such as PCOS, Endometriosis and Fertility Issues – all very concerning and potentially disruptive to our running plans throughout every month.

Balancing blood sugar is a foundational nutritional strategy you may implement to support female hormone health. An imbalance in female hormones may lead to a disrupted menstrual cycle with PMS, pain, cramps, heavy flow all of which leads to a disrupted running schedule. Address these imbalances you may have a much smoother cycle and be able to enjoy your running throughout the month without interruption.

SHOW NOTES

(00:14)

How hormonal imbalance has impacted on Aileen and Karen with regards to daily living and running.

(06:42)

An introduction to our topic today

(08:24)

An overview of blood sugar balance, how imbalance occurs, the blood sugar balance rollercoaster and typical symptoms.

(17:03)

How blood sugar imbalances affect sex hormone imbalance and how we are aiming for balance and harmony with all hormones.

(20:24)

Considering how a blood sugar imbalance is contributing to chronic inflammation, high testosterone levels, oestrogen dominance and a suppression in sex hormone binding globulin.

(28:03)

Key nutritional and lifestyle steps to support hormonal balance and blood sugar balance.

Eating Habits and WHEN you eat

• Eat Regularly – for most people than means 3 meals a day approx. 4-5 hours apart
• Don’t graze between meals – eat enough at your meals to satisfy you so you don’t need snacks
• Use snacks strategically i.e. if you know a meal time will be delayed beyond the 5 hour point or to support your running schedule
• Encourage a non eating window of at least 12 hours between dinner and breakfast

Everyone is different and may have slightly different requirements but eating regularly and leaving gaps between meals and snacks not only allows a rest and digest cycle but also allow insulin to switch off – if we are constantly grazing sugary foods and drinks then we may get into that insulin resistance state we talked about earlier.

Next steps would be to:

• Eat Protein at every meal and snack – protein slows down the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream supporting the even blood sugar balance we are aiming for
• Follow Plate Balance – the starting point would be ¼ plate protein, ¼ plate of low GL carbohydrates and ½ plate of non root vegetables – we covered this is E 11 Nutrition Basics for ALL Runners and it’s a key part of our Easy Nutrition For Easy Runners Programme
• Focus on portions – particularly choosing LOW GL carbohydrates

It’s important to:

• Choose Wholefoods – avoid processed foods – the highly refined foods e.g. white flour/bread/pasta/cakes/pastry. These refined foods get converted to glucose very quickly so may lead to a blood sugar high. Whilst the wholefoods take longer to digest, keep you fuller for longer, are more nutrient dense and will help to keep blood sugar even.
• Minimise Stimulants like alcohol, caffeine, refined sugar as they can lead to a spike in blood sugar
• Manage stress – remember that can spike blood sugar and insulin.
• Have a regular bowel movement every day – eat natural sources of fibre – vegetables, fruit, wholegrains and be hydrated – all to support the excretion of excess sex hormones.

(37:43)

Following a Low GL eating plan, insights into high GL foods and Low GL Foods, Plate Balance and how you may adapt carbohydrate portion sizes to meet your training requirements.

(44:48)

Key Takeaways from today’s episode:

1.    Balancing blood sugar is foundational to good health and may support a female runner particularly in the areas of energy, body composition and balancing female sex hormones.

2.    An imbalance in female hormones may lead to a disrupted menstrual cycle with PMS, pain, cramps, heavy flow all of which leads to a disrupted running schedule.

3.    Typical signs that you may be experiencing Blood sugar imbalance are

a.   Body composition – overweight/weight gain around the middle/High VF rating/TOFI

b.   Cravings for carbs and sugary foods and drinks

c.    Energy slumps 1-2 hours after eating

d.   Tired all the time

e.    Low Mood and Irritability

f.     Female Menstrual symptoms

4.    Some of the potential hormonal issues that a BLOOD SUGAR IMBALANCE may impact on female sex hormone balance are:

a.   Chronic inflammation

b.   High Testosterone

c.    Oestrogen Dominance

d.   Suppressed Sex Hormone Binding Globulin

5.    Introduce a Low GL Food Plan to balance blood sugar and alleviate menstrual and hormonal symptoms

6.    Adjust your carbohydrate intake in line with your run training requirements

7.    Many female runners find that their run training is disrupted every month by their periods due to hormonal imbalances. Address these imbalances you may have a much smoother cycle and be able to enjoy your running throughout the month without interruption.

Related Topics:

Nutrition Basics for ALL Runners

Managing Menstrual Cycle and Running Performance

 Disclaimer:

The suggestions we make during this episode are for guidance and

advice only, and are not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.

If you have any concerns regarding your health, please contact

your healthcare professional for advice as soon as possible.

Aileen Smith and Karen Campbell met at as nutrition students (Institute for Optimum Nutrition, London) and became lifelong friends and nutritional buddies! Both have a love of running and a passion for nutrition, delicious food and healthy living.

Together they host RUNNERS HEALTH HUB. A place for like-minded runners who are looking for simple ways to support running performance, energy, endurance, and general great health.

We are excited to be able to share our expertise, experience and short cuts with you. We hope you'll join us again. If you'd like to know more about us and She Runs Eats Performs please check out our TRAILER.

If you're ready to make learn more about how you may introduce easy nutrition into your running and training plan join our Easy Nutrition For Healthy Runners Online Programme for short videos, recipes, downloads and LIVE training and Q&A.

As a THANK YOU to you as one of our valued listeners, we have a special offer for you use COUPON CODE POD to get 33% discount off the full price which brings the price to £199.

If you’d like help from Karen and Aileen to design a personalised sports nutrition plan for your running - please contact them at [email protected]

Happy Running!

Aileen and Karen

www.runnershealthhub.com  

Beetroot for Running Performance

Do you like beetroot? Have you thought about using it strategically to enhance your running performance? 

In today’s episode we discuss the nitrate compounds within beetroot (and other foods) and how they could potentially support your running training as well as keep your heart healthy. 

 We begin by determining what nitrates are, how they work within the body and how they support health.  We then delve into how these nitrate compounds may impact your running performance and then we end by looking at which foods contain nitrates and sharing some meal and snack ideas for you to introduce into your nutrition plan for your running.

Show Notes

(05:00)

Defining nitrates found in certain foods and outlining how they are metabolised to Nitric Oxide and utilised in the body to support heart health and sports performance. The impact of oral microbiota (mouth bacteria) on the conversion of nitrates to their bioactive form are considered whilst also focusing on potential lifestyle factors leading to reduced quantity and diversity of mouth bacteria. Factors such as: antibacterial mouthwashes and chewing gum 

(11:23)

Summarising what has been discussed before moving on to delve into the impact of nitrates on sports performance, which includes: 

• Greater power output, 
• Improved VO2Max
• Reduced oxygen cost of low impact exercise

all of which will support overall sports performance.

Current scientific research into the subject of nitrates and sports performance are also discussed. We also deliberate their outcomes and what that means for us as amateur/recreational female runners. 

(18:17)

Outlining how nitrate supplementation through food/beverages could be introduced into a nutrition plan to maximise the ergogenic effects.

(21:28)

• Introducing the Female Factors:
• Insufficient research into this topic on female athletes
• Women generally have increased levels of nitrates in the body besides men
• Following consumption of nitrates women appear to experience a greater elevation of blood nitrates and nitrites besides men
• Following nitrate supplementation, women have a lower resting blood pressure than men 

(27:56)

Moving on to discuss how nitrate rich foods could be introduced into the diet to support your running training. The foods being discussed are: 

• Beetroot
• Rhubarb       
• Spinach

Lots of lovely meal and snack ideas are shared

(36:45)

Key Takeaways:

1. Nitrates are compounds found in various vegetables including beetroot and rhubarb that are known to have benefits in supporting heart health, reducing the risk of stroke, lowering BP and increasing sports performance
2. Optimal oral microbiota is needed to support the conversion of nitrates to nitrites and certain lifestyle factors are thought to reduce its levels and diversity including the use of mouthwash and chewing gum
3. Nitrites are metabolised into Nitric Oxide, which is thought to have the most performance enhancing effects. 
4. Remember nitrate intake needs to be between 6 mmol to 8mmol, which is the equivalent of 500ml beetroot and this needs to be consumed approx 2–3 h before exercise for enhanced effects
5. The performance enhancing effects of nitrates include: Greater power output and improved tolerance to high-intensity exercise BUT no studies have yet shown any performance benefits during prolonged endurance exercise. So the benefits to your running may be around the strength and HIIT exercise you complete to support your endurance running.
6. Finally, there are many delicious foods out there containing nitrates including beetroot, rhubarb and spinach. Have fun in the kitchen producing some delicious meals and snacks that will also support your training.

Related Topics:

Food For...Winter Running

 Disclaimer:

The suggestions we make during this episode are for guidance and

advice only, and are not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.

If you have any concerns regarding your health, please contact

your healthcare professional for advice as soon as possible.

Aileen Smith and Karen Campbell met at as nutrition students (Institute for Optimum Nutrition, London) and became lifelong friends and nutritional buddies! Both have a love of running and a passion for nutrition, delicious food and healthy living.

Together they host RUNNERS HEALTH HUB. A place for like-minded runners who are looking for simple ways to support running performance, energy, endurance, and general great health.

We are excited to be able to share our expertise, experience and short cuts with you. We hope you'll join us again. If you'd like to know more about us and She Runs Eats Performs please check out our TRAILER.

If you're ready to make learn more about how you may introduce easy nutrition into your running and training plan join our Easy Nutrition For Healthy Runners Online Programme for short videos, recipes, downloads and LIVE training and Q&A.

As a THANK YOU to you as one of our valued listeners, we have a special offer for you use COUPON CODE POD to get 33% discount off the full price which brings the price to £199.

If you’d like help from Karen and Aileen to design a personalised sports nutrition plan for your running - please contact them at [email protected]

Happy Running!

Aileen and Karen

www.runnershealthhub.com  

Managing Menstrual Cycle and YOUR Running Performance

As female runners if we understand what is happening in each of menstrual phases during each month, we can adapt and adjust our training plans and food plans to support our hormonal balance and our overall running performance.

Show Notes

(4:00)

Outlining our discussion areas regarding managing menstrual cycle and running performance

• Outline the scientific thinking around the subject of the menstrual cycle and athletic performance
• Discuss the current research on potential performance effects during the menstrual cycle
• Touch on the impact on performance of oral contraception
• Introduce some foods/nutrition ideas to support running performance throughout the menstrual cycle

 (07:46)

A definition from British Association of Sport Exercise Sciences of a “normal” menstrual cycle and an overview of the phases within the menstrual cycle. The menstrual cycle may have an effect on:

·      Emotions

·      Training ability and performance

·      Drive you to eat certain food groups – have cravings

·      Energy levels

·      Body composition

·      Symptoms such as pain, cramps, bloating, flow of blood loss, changes in bowel habits ie loose stools or constipation

·      Many uncomfortable symptoms which can impact on our training plans and enjoyment

(12:36)

As female runners if we understand what is happening in each of these phases during a month we can adapt and adjust our training plans and food plans to support our hormonal balance and our overall running performance.

(13:46)

A look at the current scientific thinking about the menstrual cycle and its effect on performance.

(14:42)

An overview to a nutritional therapy approach to resolving hormonal imbalances and the impact on training.

(22:16)

Insights into the performance effects of the menstrual cycle. The menstrual cycle potentially affects exercise performance and it can work vice versa I.E. strenuous and endurance exercise is known to affect the menstrual cycle.

High energy expenditure during exercise with a concurrent low energy intake may lead to overall low energy availability. Basically, not eating enough to fuel our training may affect our menstrual cycle and in extreme cases periods may stop which is very serious. Being underweight is a clear risk factor to having no periods.

Having periods can interrupt our training and race plans but we have to remember that with good nutrition and conscious planning of training activities we can be a heathy woman as well as a high performing runner.

We look at some key effects such as fluctuations in body composition, fluid retention, positive effects of oestrogen E.g. supporting muscle building and playing a role in increased muscle glycogen storage. Performance enhancements and benefits tend to be linked to the phases of the menstrual cycle when oestrogen levels are naturally higher than progesterone.

(22:37)

Suggestions on how athletes may exploit the benefits of oestrogen during different phases of menstrual cycle.

 (36:39)

Exploring the potential effects of the Oral Contraceptive Pill on sporting performance.

(43:46) Nutrition

The role of phyto oestrogenic foods and cruciferous vegetables in supporting balancing oestrogen levels and foods to promote progesterone.

(54:22) Key Takeaways

1.    A “normal” menstrual cycle can vary between 21 and 35 days and a cycle may vary between woman but may also vary each month for each woman.

2.    It is recommended women become self-aware of their own cycles so they can understand the changes in physical and emotional wellbeing that may occur throughout their cycle and how that links to their exercise performance

3.    The potential performance benefits associated with the menstrual cycle appear to be linked to oestrogen and not from progesterone.

4.    The Oral Contraceptive Pill standardises the menstrual cycle to 28 days, however remember the withdrawal bleed is not an indicator of fertility health.

5.    Data is conflicting regarding the affects of Oral Contraception on exercise performance. 

6.    From a Nutritional point of view HORMONAL BALANCE is what we need to be aiming for – remember the fluctuations in hormones during the menstrual cycle are natural and necessary for reproductive health

7.    Phytoestrogens from certain plant foods are known to support oestrogen balance. Foods include: flaxseed, chickpeas, lentils and soybean.

8.    Progesterone production is known to be encouraged by foods including: seeds and their oils, avocado, and asparagus.

9.    Remember that the studies into this subject are limited and some of them quite old. As a result there are no definitive guidelines on the menstrual cycle and its impact on exercise performance. A personalised nutritional plan to support optimal hormonal balance throughout the cycle is currently the best approach and that is something we can help you with at Runners Health Hub. So, if this of interest to you, do get in touch with us at [email protected]

Related Topics:

Performance Effects of Overtraining Syndrome

IRON Woman the mineral not the event

Download your FREE GUIDE Top Running Snacks and Nutrient Timing

 Disclaimer:

The suggestions we make during this episode are for guidance and

advice only, and are not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.

If you have any concerns regarding your health, please contact

your healthcare professional for advice as soon as possible.

Aileen Smith and Karen Campbell met at as nutrition students (Institute for Optimum Nutrition, London) and became lifelong friends and nutritional buddies! Both have a love of running and a passion for nutrition, delicious food and healthy living.

Together they host RUNNERS HEALTH HUB. A place for like-minded runners who are looking for simple ways to support running performance, energy, endurance, and general great health.

We are excited to be able to share our expertise, experience and short cuts with you. We hope you'll join us again. If you'd like to know more about us and She Runs Eats Performs please check out our TRAILER.

If you're ready to make learn more about how you may introduce easy nutrition into your running and training plan join our Easy Nutrition For Healthy Runners Online Programme for short videos, recipes, downloads and LIVE training and Q&A.

As a THANK YOU to you as one of our valued listeners, we have a special offer for you use COUPON CODE POD to get 33% discount off the full price which brings the price to £199.

If you’d like help from Karen and Aileen to design a personalised sports nutrition plan for your running - please contact them at [email protected]

Happy Running!

Aileen and Karen

www.runnershealthhub.com