Hi there:

My appologies if this has been previously discussed.
Firstly I'm a zone newbie and am just learning.

I am into long distance running and triathlon. When training over 1.5 hours I MUST have carbs in my sports drink to keep going or I WILL bonk.


Problem: Most sports drinks are HIGH in carbs and LOW (if any) in protein. (In these sports gels are frequently used in addition to the sports drink also)

Question: Since I have not found a sport drink with a 70% ratio of protein to carbs I would have to add ALOT of protein to my existing drink to get the appropriate ratio.

Has anyone out there tried this (without having stomach issues)?

Any insights would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Rob

Hi Rob. I'm a newbie too. 3 weeks. Have dropped from 127 to 122 lbs. Am also a triathlete (sprint distance) I'm having dizzy spells during my gym cardio/weight days. I eat 3 blocks meal portions. Anybody else? I have been using the south beach packets called tide me over. They have protein included.

Hi Karen

Wow That's a large drop in 3 weeks! I'm not that concerned about weight loss but do need to focus on nutrition for upcoming races. I have been using a customizable sports drink from infinitnutrition.ca but I have yet to find out if they will allow a larger % of protein into their formulas. I suspect that they will not - on a hot day sports drinks with protein in them will spoil quite quickly.

I'm sorry I have no idea about the dizzy spells ... maybe low iron??

Good Luck
Rob

Hi Karen,

Some tips to try to resolve your dizzy symptoms:

Recalculate your block requirement to be sure you're eatign enouhg.

Check your balance, especially carbs.

Don't eat too many high density unfavorable carbs.

Stay fully hydrated. In the Zone you're burn fat for all you energy needs. Your body uses much more water when burning fat as opposed to carbs.

A 5 lb fat loss in 3 weeks its right on target. Dont go below ideal body fat %. If you do, you'd add extra fat blocks to meals to maintain your ideal body fat %.

Hey Rob-

Most GNC's sell protein powder that is fruit punch flavored and is mixed with water. It comes out a lot like a sports drink (who wants to drink a chocolate shake while working out anyway???). It provides a lot of protein with little carb. If you want to add some more carb, just mix in some of your old sports drink until you get the desired ratio.

One warning- it comes out looking a bit like watery pepto bismol...but I haven't had any stomach problems.

I have also tried some of the premade protein drinks- IsoPure made a good grape one, and it tastes even better if you water it down a bit. Those might work, too. 40g protein, zero carbs.

L

I know it has been awhile since this post, but I am a runner AND have been practicing The Zone Diet since 1998. When I am training 1:00 hour or longer, I DO take GU Energy Gels and I also drink Recovery Drinks after long intensive workouts. I have competed in more than a few 1/2 marathons and I would have bonked, had I not taken a Gel every :40 to :45 minutes during long races in addition to plenty of water and some Gatoraide. At this point, it is not about the diet as much as it is giving your body the quickest, most digestable energy sources available in order sustain performance. I merely go right back into the Zone the next day. (I allow myself whatever dinner and lunch I want after the race). That being said, I don't believe in "carbo-loading" pre-race. I eat a health Zone Block Meal.
It is laughable to imagine eating a "snackbar" in the middle of a run, as one poster suggested. LOL! There is no time during a race to stop, sit down and leisurely eat a solid food. One would either get sick or choke to death, or both! The Zone is a fantastic way of life and a great way to ensure you are getting all the proper nutrition you need. However, I can assure you that all of the elite athletes pictured on the home page of this website, including Andy Potts, take supplements during extreme exercise periods lasting 1:00 or more hours.