Masters Endurance Athletes Guide To Essential Nutrients.

If you are a masters endurance athlete participating in triathlon, ironman, ironman 70.3, half-marathons, marathons or ultra marathons, then you are well aware of the unthinkable stress your body is placed under, from the training load to the events themselves.

Was the human body really meant to be put through so much stress.....and willingly!!?

At age 46 I am increasingly focused on my nutrition. Not just for my overall health but also because the training stress and load I place on my body creates a need to ensure I have the right energy balance, taking into consideration that our gut function and nutrient requirements change with age, and that if I am not consuming the right amounts I face certain risks such as loss of muscle mass, strength and function.

So what are the key nutrients for the masters endurance athlete?

ENERGY REQUIREMENTS

If we consider the activity of most endurance sports is demanding to say the least and that a balanced diet is the crucial factor to ensure we obtain all of the essential macro and micronutrients then there wouldn't be much more to say here, for the solution is about eating sufficient portions of the right foods each day or for the period of the training.

However, masters athletes will generally be faced with changes in their lean body mass which in turn can impact upon their resting metabolic rate.

They might also experience a loss of appetite, changes in the composition and function of the gut microbiota, and diminished salivary secretion.

All of which can place the masters athlete at risk of inadequate energy intake.

PROTEIN

Protein in my experience has been overlooked by endurance athletes when compared to carbohydrates.

Yet adequate protein intake and timing are critical for the endurance athlete in order to

maintain muscle mass. Post exercise protein ingestion will stimulate muscle protein synthesis but it is also dependent on variables such as your age, sex, body size, exercise regimen, the quality of protein (defined by the amino acids) and the other nutrients you are consuming.

Interestingly it is thought that for most masters athletes that the standard recommended amount of protein per day (52g/day for ages 19-70 years) is insufficient and to preserve lean tissue 1.6 - 2.4g/day is worth consideration.

With a focus on protein, the masters endurance athlete also stands a fighting chance against anabolic resistance.

In simple terms anabolic resistance is a blunted stimulation of muscle protein synthesis. Whilst being active and engaging in resistance training will help stave of this condition, adding an omega-3 supplement to your daily protein intake will also enhance muscle protein synthesis and may improve muscle mass and function.

But before you reach for the protein powder, try food first. Some of the best sources of complete protein foods include whole milk and the humble egg and omega 3s are best sourced from foods such as oily fish like salmon. If you are vegetarian or vegan try mixing various plant proteins together and fortifying with leucine.

COLLAGEN

Being the most abundant protein in our body, collage warrants a special mention. I know that I am certainly more prone to tendon aches and pains these days and recent research has suggested that collagen BEFORE training may help to alleviate tendon inflammation to these parts of our muscular system.

Why before training you might ask? Tendons are poorly supplied by blood (avascular tissue) and may benefit from the increased flow of blood and nutrients that is stimulated via exercise.

VITAMIN D

If you want to limit stress fractures, improve your immunity then you want to be sure you have enough vitamin D.

Technically not a nutrient but a steroid hormone, Vitamin D has two main forms D2 and D3. Vitamin D3 can be provided from a small number of foods such as oily fish and even shitake mushrooms but it is most often added to foods such as cheese, yogurt, juices, breads and even cereals.

Our exposure to the sun is a vital part of how our body ultimately processes Vitamin D3. Derived from cholesterol, it is made in the skin and secreted onto the skins surface where it is incorporated int the various skin layers. During direct sunlight exposure the rings of the pre-Vitamin D3 open and become unstable, resulting in the diffusion from the skin into the blood stream. It is essential for calcium and bone balance among many other functions.

Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency is common among some masters athletes, especially if they live in more northern/southern climates where winter sunlight is limited. With this comes a greater risk of low bone mass and bone injuries, such as fatigue fractures.

Placing mushrooms in the sunlight (gills up) is said to provide an excellent source of vitamin D. Supplementation is worthwhile if accessing foods with fortification or naturally occurring levels is difficult.

GUT MICROBIOTA AND PROBIOTICS

There is a lot of discussion these days concerning gut health and research is continuing to point towards a strong link between our overall health and the health of our gut.

Interestingly, just being active as a masters athlete can play a role in providing good diversity within the gut microbiota; increasing short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and bacteria such as F.prausnitzi and Lactobacillus acidophilus, which is associated with good gastrointestinal health, enhanced immune system, inhibition of cancinogenic compounds as well as psychological wellbeing (which is thought to be associated with the gut-brain axis).

However, many athletes (young and old) often indicate gastrointestinal issues (general discomfort/diarrhoea) during endurance events which may be related to a imbalance between the organisms within the gut, which can lead to inflammation.

Fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt can be excellent sources of probiotics but supplementation may be necessary. Focusing on improving gut health is said to enhance the intestinal barrier function and protection against pathogens which in turn aids in overall improvements to gut health and function.

CARBOHYDRATE

Carbs, depending on which camp you are in, will evoke nods of agreement that they are essential to athletes, especially endurance athletes OR looks of dismay and despair.

I'm certainly not here to tell you either way rather I try to provide simple observations based on evidence but also scattered with my own opinion which is merely based on my own experience.

The vast majority of sports medicine and dietetic associations around the world will stipulate carbohydrate as essential for performance. Not from some crazy conspiracy but from the perspective that carbohydrates will generate more adenosine triphosphate (ADP) per volume of oxygen than fat.

Personally, however, as a mature age endurance athlete myself, I don't find fueling for energy as the biggest issue, rather recovery, muscle & tendon aches, strains and pains is the biggest issue for me which is what spawned the idea for this blog.

So there you have it. By no means is this comprehensive, rather it's skimming along the surface. One thing is for sure, focusing on a balanced diet that caters to your levels of activity and is accepting of all kinds of foods will likely expose you to the widest source of macronutrients, micronutrients, vitamins and minerals. And if you feel you need, adding a good quality supplement may also help to support your overall health, energy, nutrition and recovery whilst you continue training.

Get back to healthy living.

The Healthy Bloke.