Learn to Fuel Your Performance with athlEAT ®
ADVERTORIAL
In South Africa , the vast majority of athletes under-fuel , compromising both their health and performance . While being lean is an often desirable and necessary consequence of long-distance running , particularly amongst elite athletes , for the vast majority of runners , exercise is a means to an end – a way to stay healthy and to lose or maintain weight , while socialising and pursuing sources of external gratification . What this often means , however , is that runners fail to pay attention to the nutrients and energy reserves that their sport demands .
Female athletes , in particular , are vulnerable to the side-effects associated with prolonged under-fuelling . It seems to be a particular mindset within South Africa that female athletes ought to be exceptionally lean . Through no fault of their own , full-time elite and professional athletes such as Gerda Steyn and Irvette van Zyl inspire non-elite and part-time runners to pursue a body image that is unrealistic in their individual circumstances , with the result that many women are “ running on empty .” Over time , this failure to take on sufficient carbohydrate , protein and healthy fat will push the body into a deficit state known as Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport ( RED-S ), the side-effects of which include :
• Disrupted menstruation ( missed or irregular periods ) in women ;
• Diminished bone health and an increased risk of stress fractures ;
• Compromised immunity , resulting in vulnerability to infections , colds and flu ;
• Decreased metabolism ;
• Heart rate irregularities ; and
• Altered mood , including depression and anxiety .
The most common cause of under-fuelling is the restriction of carbohydrate . Popular diet trends frequently encourage the cutting out of carbohydrate , globally accepted as the body ’ s primary source of fuel . While it is certainly possible to train and compete off a low-carb diet , athletes will need to pay particular attention to what , how much and when they eat to avoid the dangers of under-fuelling .
A New Plan
Now former Comrades Marathon winner and retired athlete , Ann Ashworth has developed an eating guide for use by recreational female athletes in planning their daily fuel intake . Having struggled with RED-S for three years while training as an elite , Ann had to figure out how best to fuel her own performance , and give guidance to the athletes that she coaches . Guided by her own experience , as well as the input from renowned sports dietitian Christine Rice , the books published by international sports journalist , writer and coach Matt Fitzgerald , and Dr . Stacy Sims , an exercise physiologist , nutrition scientist , and expert in female-specific nutrition , Ann has formulated an eating plan specific for female athletes , known as athlEAT ®.
The intention behind this weekly plan is to equip female athletes with the knowledge and resources they require to avoid the bad habits associated with disordered eating , and to make healthy choices designed to support and improve their athletic performance . Each plan contains :
• a weekly meal guide ;
• a range of substitutable recipes ;
• a shopping list ;
• a list of pantry staples ; and
• Ann ’ s list of preferred supplements and adaptogens .
The athlEAT ® plan for women is available at R399 at https :// a-teamcoaching . com / athleat , and a men ’ s plan will be available soon as well .
SPECIAL OFFER
Ann ’ s weekly athlEAT ® plan for female athletes is usually available at R399 , but for the month of October , Modern Athlete readers qualify for a special discounted rate of R299 . That ’ s R100 off ! To qualify for this discount when you sign up , simply use the discount code
57 ModernAthlete .