Q & A: Hydration and Running

Q: Do I need to drink on runs that are less than an hour long?

A: It depends a lot on the weather. You can get by without fluids on easy runs on cool mornings, but go without during a hard, 50-minute effort on a midsummer afternoon, and you’ll likely pay a price. You may fatigue sooner, recover more slowly, or even temporarily put your body in “stress mode,” which affects the immune system. Studies repeatedly show that losing 1 to 1.5 percent of body weight through fluid lost can hinder performance, and it’s easy for most of us to lose that in warm conditions in less than an hour. Hydration needs vary from person to person, but a good rule of thumb is to drink about two ounces (a couple of mouthfuls) every 10 minutes during warm-weather runs. –John Seifert, Ph.D.

Use the same guidelines at the gym. If you are sweating a lot, you should be replacing fluids. Sports drink vs. water? If your workouts are of moderate intensity or less and under 2 hours long, water should be just fine.

Runners: Wait or Weight at the Gym

“Many runners don’t weight train out of fear of bulking up and slowing down, but if you focus on muscular endurance, it can help your running. I use light weight and high reps… I lift three times a week; it’s about quality, not quantity.”

Desiraye Osburn, eight in 2007 USA Cross-Country Championship

Zero Doesn't Mean Zero

(If you know me, you know how adamant, almost fanatical, I am about avoiding hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils. You've probably heard my warnings and, hopefully, have been reading food labels at my urging. If not, please read the below article. Hopefully, the recent media coverage will help convince you. For more information on hydrogenated oils and their health risks, please search my blog (label: "trans fat") or do your own online search.)

Zero Trans Fat Doesn't Always Mean Zero

By STEPHANIE NANO, Associated Press Writer

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Stroll the aisles of any grocery store and you're sure to spot labels declaring "zero grams trans fat" on the front of snack foods, cookies and crackers. But does zero really mean there's NO artery-clogging fat inside?

Maybe, maybe not.

Federal regulations allow food labels to say there's zero grams of trans fat as long as there's less than half a gram per serving. And many packages contain more than what's considered one serving.

"The problem is that often people eat a lot more than one serving," said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian of Harvard School of Public Health. "In fact, many people eat two to three servings at a time."

Those small amounts of trans fat can add up, said Michael Jacobson of the consumer advocacy Center for Science in the Public Interest. To find out if there might be some trans fat, he said shoppers can check the list of ingredients to see if partially hydrogenated oil — the primary source of trans fat — is included.

"When it says zero grams, that means something different from no trans fat," said Jacobson. His group has urged the government to bar food producers from using any partially hydrogenated oils at all.

The Food and Drug Administration began forcing food companies to list the amount of trans fat on nutrition labels of packaged foods in January 2006. That led many companies to switch to alternative fats.

Trans fat occurs naturally in some dairy and meat products, but the main source is partially hydrogenated oils, formed when hydrogen is added to liquid vegetable oils to harden them.

Consumer groups and health officials have campaigned to get rid of trans fat because it contributes to heart disease by raising levels of LDL or bad cholesterol while lowering HDL or good cholesterol. Fast-food restaurants are switching to trans fat-free oils and New York City and Philadelphia are forcing restaurants to phase out their use of trans fat.

The American Heart Association recommends that people limit trans fats to less than 2 grams per day.

Julie Moss of the FDA's Office of Nutrition, Labeling and Dietary Supplements, said the half-gram threshold for labeling was adopted because it is difficult to measure trans fat at low levels and the same half-gram limit is used for listing saturated fat. She said the FDA would soon be doing consumer research on trans fat labeling, including whether a footnote such as "Keep your intake of trans fat as low as possible" should be added to food labels.

Robert Earl of the Grocery Manufacturers Association said any trans fat in products labeled zero trans fat is likely to be far less than the half-gram threshold. For example, he said, a little partially hydrogenated oil might be used to help seasoning stick.

"I think the industry has been extremely responsive. Most of them were ahead of the curve to either remove or reduce trans fat in most food products," he said.

Earl said shoppers should be looking at the entire food label.

Jacobson is also concerned that people are focusing too much on the trans fat content alone, and not considering other ingredients such as saturated fat, which also raises the risk of heart disease.

"The bigger problem is foods that have no labels at all," Mozaffarian said, citing food served not only at restaurants, but at bakeries, cafeterias and schools.

New York resident Diana Fiorini said she's just recently started paying attention to labels. Holding a box of microwave popcorn at a Manhattan store, she scanned the label and was happy to see that it listed zero grams trans fat.

"I look at the labels. It's still hard to stop yourself when you know you should," she said.

Food Spotlight: Berries

If you've eaten fresh berries over the past 9 months, chances are you paid too much and tasted too little. But with the rise in temps comes an end to sky-high prices and lackluster fruit. Berries are the ultimate summer superfood, dense with antioxidants and other powerful nutrients that defend against everything from cancer to memory loss. You've done smoothies, now try a simple compote: combine 2 cups of berries in a sauce pan with a splash of balsamic vinegar, and cook on low for 10 minutes. Serve warm over a scoop of ice cream or in place o syrup with your next batch of flapjacks. (whole grain, right?)

Calcium Intake and Nursing

Japanese researchers recently found that consuming too-little calcium while nursing could accelerate the progression of gum disease. "Fluctuating hormone elves during and after pregnancy makes women more vulnerable to inflamed, infected gums," explains Susan Karabin, D.D.S., president-elect of the American Academy of Periodontology. "This condition will only worsen if women don't get enough calcium to help build and maintain the bones surrounding their teeth." To avoid your own dental problems, aim for three servings of dairy, fortified juice, or leafy green vegetables, which will meet most of the 1,000-milligram minimum you need every day (though a 500-milligram supplement may provide extra stay-healthy insurance). And even when middle-of-the-night feedings leave you too exhausted to brush your hair, never skip the twice-daily teeth brushing and flossing sessions, says Karabin. This, along with frequent professional cleanings, will get rid of infection-causing plaque and safeguard your smile.

Like the Sensor, Hate the Shoe?

Envious of the Nike+Ipod Kit but can't bring yourself to part with your Saucony or New Balance shoes? Visit www.shoepouch.com for a handy little pocket that will let you use the Ipod Kit with the shoe of your choice.

Q & A: Out of breath...

Q: I've been running for a few weeks, but I still get winded easily. How can I avoid this?

A: Try a longer, more gradual warmup. Your heart, lungs, and muscles simply need a gentler introduction to running. First, walk for three to five minutes. When you start running, keep the pace easy--one or two minutes per mile slower than you usually run. Also, insert one-minute walk breaks every one or two minutes for about 15 minutes. After that you should be able to gradually increase to your normal training pace without getting winded.