Sports Nutrition

Question
I am curious your recommendations for endurance training for WLS patients.  I have been running working up to a marathon, but by mile 9 I feel the crash.  My mind is telling me I can do it, but my body is shutting down.  I don't want to stop this training, because I love it, but I don't want to set myself up for failure either.  I have had enough of that in my pre-WLS life.  Do you have any suggestions on fueling my body for that?

Answer
Hi Anna,

What you are experiencing is the fact that after a certain amount of time, your body has burned up all the available energy to fuel your muscles.  The general rule in running is that you typically have about an hour before you need to start to refuel and rehydrate.  Some distance runners report that they can go 20 miles before they hit this wall, but that would only be if thye were well trained and had done proper carbohydrate loading before running.

The general rule is that you need 2 calories x lean body weight in pounds every hour after the first hour of exercise plus one gram of protein for every 4-7 grams of carbohydrate ingested. So if you had 100 lbs of lean body mass that would be 200 total calories.  Each gram of carbohydrate or protein is 4 calories.  so that could be 40 grams of carbohydrate (equaling 160 cal) plus 10 grams of protein (equaling 40 cal). This can sometimes feel distressing for a WLS patient, and you have to play with combinations of gels, bars, electrolyte drinks, etc to find a mix that won't cause you to dump.

Staying hydrated is also essential.  Runners should aim to replace 0.5-1 liter of fluid each hour during runs, implementing an electrolyte-rich beverage (sports drink) after 60 minutes of running. An electrolyte drink should have some sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride and calcium.  Lower carb products like G2 and electrolyte gels are also available.  Again, you will have to play with what works for your body.

I hope this helps!

In Health,

Dr. Jacques

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