1.   What are snacks I can pack for long (3-4 hour) training sessions? Pack high carbohydrate, low fiber snacks to keep you fueled during long training sessions. Choose a combination of solid foods and fluids to meet both hydration and carbohydrate needs. Aim for 30-60 grams of carbohydrate every hour and replenish fluids at the rate of 5-10 ounces every 15-20 minutes. A combination of sports drinks, carbohydrate gels, energy bars, bagels or gingersnaps help meet your needs. Set your watch to beep every 15 minutes as a fluid and fuel reminder! -- Chris Rosenbloom, PhD, RD, Chair, Department of Nutrition, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 2.   How can I fuel up before a race without having an upset stomach? "Train your gut" prior to competition. Find out whether it's best for you to eat a small 300-600 calorie meal one hour before exercise (1-2 gram carbs/kg) or a larger 800-1200 calorie meal four hours before exercise (3-4gram carbs/kg), or something in between. Try liquid meals. Also "train your gut" for drinking 8-16 oz of a sports drink 15 min before exercise and 4-8 oz every 15 minutes during exercise. -- J. Mark Davis, Professor, Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C. 3.   How can I lose a lot of weight (over 25lbs) and keep it off in a healthful way? One of the first steps to success is setting reasonable goals. This is not easy because we are blitzed with ads for miracle diet plans that promise fast and easy weight loss. People are desperate for help with a difficult problem, so even rational people get duped by authors of diet books and by ads promising new breakthroughs. It helps to remember the wisdom of H.L. Mencken, who said, "For every problem, there is one solution which is simple, neat, and wrong." People get into trouble because they expect to lose quickly and to reduce to some magical ideal. Both expectations create problems. The first scenario is when a person loses weight at a reasonable pace, but becomes unhappy because expectations are too high. Frustration and giving up are the usual consequences. The second scenario happens when a person follows a diet that actually produces rapid weight loss. Such diets can be dangerous: much of the lost weight is water that will come back later, and it can be impossible to stick with rigid diet plans. Losing one to two pounds per week is what most experts feel is safe and reasonable. Many smart dieters do not worry about what their ultimate weight will be. They follow a sensible exercise program, eat a healthy diet, and see where their weight goes. There are variations in body weight just like there are in hair color, eye color, and other physical features. Once you set realistic weight loss goals, you can turn your attention to changing your eating and activity habits. People lose weight in different ways. There is no "best" way to lose weight; instead we strive for the best match between people and approaches. Some people do well at commercial programs like Weight Watchers, but others might do better with a self-help group (like Overeaters Anonymous), medications from their physician, advice from a dietitian, therapy, a book, meal replacements like Slim-Fast and Sweet Success, or partnering up with a buddy, to name a few. Some people do just fine on their own. You might consider shopping around to find a program that matches your needs and personality. Ask yourself questions such as: Would I benefit from the support of a group? Do I need a very structured diet? What will it take for me to increase my physical activity? Do I need to be accountable (e.g., being weighed regularly)? What do I need most to be successful? To help you get started, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has an excellent web site with nutrition information at nal.usda.gov/fnic/index. Information from other government agencies is also available at www.nutrition.gov. Another good resource is the American Dietetic Association (ADA). WebMD provides information from the ADA on its Food and Nutrition Channel. Finally, physical activity is a key to losing weight and maintaining it. The good news is that modest amounts of activity can be a real help. An excellent resource for information on healthy ways to increase physical activity is the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). The book Active Living Every Day by Steven Blair and colleagues may also be helpful to you. 4.   Will taking Glutamine prevent me from getting sick after a race? Probably not. Strenuous, prolonged exercise (not moderate exercise) lowers blood glutamine, impairs immune function, and increases infections of the nose and throat (upper respiratory tract infections or URTI ). One laboratory found that supplementation with glutamine—an amino acid—reduced the self-reported incidence of URTI in runners. But others showed no relationship between blood glutamine concentration and URTI and no effect of glutamine supplementation on preventing the decrease in immunity that accompanies hard exercise. -- David R. Lamb, Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of Exercise Physiology, The Ohio State University 5.   What are the most important things to consider when trying to maintain bodyweight in season? Calorie intake (eat healthy, eat lots!). In-season high-energy expenditure and decreased strength/weight training during this time can often result in muscle/weight loss. Try to maintain weight by keeping your body fueled and getting plenty of rest. 6.   What can I do to prevent post-exercise food cravings? Use sound pre-run food strategies. Snacks containing complex carbohydrates with moderate amounts of protein can fuel your run and prevent a depleted fuel tank afterward. Try peanut butter on whole grain bread, yogurt with added low fat granola, or a hard-cooked egg and half bagel 2-3 hours before the run. Afterward, grab an energy bar and sports drink to help muscles replace lost fuel for the next run. Don’t forget fluids. The American College of Sports Medicine and the National Athletic Trainers’ Association recommend drinking fluids before, during and after exercise. 7.   How many calories do I need per meal, and how many kcals of each nutrient needed in that meal? Have 5-6 smaller meals (300-600 Kcal) in a day.Carbs: Fruits/Veggies/Grains should be 2/3 of your meal, and protein (chick/fish/dairy/tofu/nuts) is 1/3 8.   My friends add potassium or magnesium to their sports drinks. Should I? Some athletes think potassium or magnesium help combat cramping due to excessive sweat loss, however fluid and sodium depletion is more likely the cause. The amount of magnesium lost through sweat is negligible, making magnesium supplementation unnecessary. Magnesium and potassium are stored in the body, so deficits are rare. Potassium supplements can be dangerous - abnormal heart rhythms have occurred. Sports drinks like Gatorade contain sodium and potassium in amounts sufficient to replace what is lost through sweat. -- Ellen Coleman, MPH, MA, RD, Sports Nutritionist, marathoner, cyclist and two-time Ironman finisher 9.   How do I accomplish 5-6 meals per day, when I am never home? By snacking… Plan ahead, and pre-pack lots of healthy mini-meals for “on the go” 10.   How can I eat a high-fiber diet that won't upset my digestive system or interfere with my training regimen? Try dietary changes during training- don't add a lot of fiber the week before a race! Gas and bloating are common complaints so make changes slowly. Experiment with timing- add fiber first thing in the morning or with a mid-evening snack. The most healthful and easiest way to increase fiber is to eat "real" fruits and vegetables. Dried plums taste great, are easily digested and have lots of fiber. -- Dixie Stanforth, The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Kinesiology 11.   Why should I limit fat in my diet? I never gain weight while I am in-season and lose weight if I don’t eat it. Be sure to eat mostly “good” fat such as that found in nuts, seeds, fish, olive/canola/flax oil. Protein and carbs are your fuel and muscle recovery and these foods give you lots of other important nutrients, high fat foods are often low in nutrients but high in calories. 12.   When I eat out what requests can I make for healthier menu options? Ask them: Be light on, or exclude sauces, dressings, mayo etc Do they have GRILLED chicken? Other lower fat options. Any salads? (non-creamy dressings), Ask if you can substitute juice or milk for soft drink and baked potatoes for French fries (Wendy’s will do this) Better to have 2 grilled chicken burgers and water, rather than one chicken burger with fries and pop (combo) 13.   How much water is too much and when should I drink it before competition? I always feel bloated and heavy if I drink too much. It’s rare to drink too much, but you don’t want to feel too bloated. However, dehydration is common & can affect your strength, endurance & concentration. Before: 2-3 cups in the 2 hr prior, During: 1-1.5 cups every 15-20 minutes After: 2-\2.5 cups to replace every pound lost, Daily: 6-12 cups over the day 14.   I hear that high protein, low carb diets will help me perform better & lose bodyfat? Don’t carbohydrates make you fat? High protein, low carb diets are NOT beneficial to athletes: Too much protein can cause dehydration, and will take away (replace) from intake of carbs which are essential as the main fuel source for ALL athletes Weight-loss on high protein diets is primarily due to water loss that is associated with glycogen storage (3 g of water w/ every gram of carb stored in muscle) loss from depleting carb intake – this will hinder performance and concentration Carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables and grains, which all contain important phytochemicals, vitamins & minerals, and are an athlete’s main energy source, excess calories & high fat foods are the major concerns in excessive body fat.