Fast food and hamburgers are a distant thought for Mississippi State distance runners. So distant, in fact, that the last time sophomore cross country runner Ryan Irwin ordered a restaurant style hamburger his stomach was caught off guard.
“Eating healthy is such a lifestyle that you just get used to what to eat and what not to eat,” said Irwin. “Last time I had a hamburger out at a restaurant, I got an upset stomach because I wasn’t used to that kind of food.”
To make sure he is eating right, Irwin pays attention to the traditional food pyramid. The food pyramid outlines the proper number of servings of each food group is needed to have a healthy diet.
For Irwin carbohydrates and proteins are an essential part of his diet. He eats a lot of spaghetti and rice for carbohydrates and chicken and steak for protein. For Jackie Rentschler, a senior from Pearl, she focuses on eating enough fruits and vegetables but overall eating healthy is not something she has to think about.
“I’ve always eaten healthy,” said Rentschler. “I think that most active people know how to eat well and eat well out of habit.”
Both runners said that although healthy eating is important, it is also important to not feel deprived. The runners use desserts as rewards for hard work outs or doing well on a test.
“We still have desserts after hard work outs and that is almost three days a week. It isn’t like we never get anything sweet,” said Rentschler.
On top of following the food pyramid, Irwin says it is important to stay well hydrated. The teams stay hydrated by drinking enough water and replacing electrolytes with sports drinks.
“I don’t have a certain amount that I drink each day but I make sure that I get enough,” said Irwin. “The best way to make sure you are well hydrated is to make sure that your urine is clear and not dark.
Metabolism also plays a part in nutrition. Metabolism is the rate at which a body burns the energy it gets from the foods taken in by someone. Metabolism slows down as people age. To counteract slowing metabolism, Irwin improves his diet each year.
Rentschler echoed Irwin and said that she cannot eat as much as she used to because of slowing metabolism.
“I remember in high school that I could eat a lot but now I get full faster than I did then,” said Rentschler.
Post workout nutrition is another key in staying healthy. After a workout, it is recommended that each runner have a balanced meal within two hours to ensure proper recovery.
“The coaches say that we need to eat a meal with plenty of carbohydrates and protein so that our body can recover after working out hard'” said Irwin.
Another part of a healthy diet for distance runners is taking a multivitamin daily. A multivitamin will replenish vitamins that are not replaced through a healthy diet, but they also help to boost the immune system to help athletes avoid sickness during the season.
MSU officials do not allow coaches to dictate a strict diet to athletes. Steve Dudley, MSU men’s cross country coach, said that he can only hope that his athletes learn how to eat well and do so.
“Because of eating disorders and things like that we are not allowed to weigh the runners and monitor what they eat,” said Dudley. “They learn what to eat and what not to eat so we just hope that they follow that.”