Distance Running And The Paleo Diet

Eating like a caveman to fuel your runs may or may not sound like an appealing idea. A caveman diet is likely to be a more natural eating plan, but it may not sound too tasty. Especially when you are trying to fuel an hour or longer run, proper nutrition is essential. There are benefits to eating a Paleo diet, but as a distance runner, there are also some adjustments you need to make.

Paleo Diet

The Paleo diet is based on the concept of eating like human ancestors from the Stone Age. The theory is generated from the idea that the body has remained the same as paleolithic bodies and therefore people should be eating the same way to perform optimally. "Optimal" foods in the Paleo diet are vegetables, fruits and lean animal proteins. "Non-optimal" foods to avoid on the Paleo plan are grains, dairy and legumes. Most processed foods are also to be avoided on the Paleo diet.

Traditional Distance Runner Diet

Running long distances requires extra energy to fuel your muscles. That energy is easiest to obtain from carbohydrates. The typical distance runner's diet consists of 50 to 55 percent carbohydrates, 15 to 20 percent protein and 30 percent fat. Carbohydrate foods include grains, legumes and low-fat milk products as well as fruits and vegetables. Runners are also encouraged to limit processed foods and obtain the majority of their diet from natural foods. A pre-race tradition for many runners is a pasta dinner, which would not be allowed on a Paleo diet.

Paleo Benefits for Runners

The Paleo diet for athletes does make some exceptions to account for the long bouts of endurance training. Sports drinks are allowed and encouraged for increased carbohydrates before training or an event, as well as afterward for proper refueling. Some "non-optimal" foods are allowed for recovery purposes as well, such as pasta and bread. The Paleo diet helps runners recover because it is high in animal proteins, which include branched chain amino acids that stimulate muscle building and repair. Many antioxidants and minerals are high in the Paleo diet as well because of the inclusion of many fruits and vegetables. These nutrients can help improve the immune system.

Paleo Drawbacks for Runners

Many runners have found that the Paleo diet has helped improve performance and recovery. However, many others also struggle to make it work for them. Because the diet depends heavily on fruits and vegetables for carbohydrates, it can be difficult to eat enough to fuel workouts. The amount of vegetables needed to equal the amount of carbohydrates in foods such as bread and pasta is much greater and can be difficult to consume. Fruits have a higher carbohydrate content, as they are made of mainly fructose, a sugar. However, fructose can be difficult for some runners to digest and may give them gastrointestinal problems during a run.