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Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes
by Monique Ryan
Published by: Agate Publishing
Sales Date: 2025-01-07
422 Pages
In this new edition of her bestselling guide, internationally recognized sports nutritionist Monique Ryan explains the latest cutting-edge research on essential topics for endurance athletes such as how to fuel workouts, savvy race preparation, effective recovery, smart weight loss, and safe supplements.
Unlock your athletic potential with Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes, the ultimate guide to fueling your performance in running, cycling, triathlon, and swimming. In this newly updated fourth edition, Monique Ryan, a renowned nutritionist with more than 30 years of experience advising elite athletes and pro sports teams, demystifies high-performance nutrition, offering clear and practical advice based on the latest research and real-world expertise.
Ryan addresses the fundamental questions of endurance sports nutrition for everyone, from accomplished competitors to total beginners: what to eat and drink, how much, and when. From training to racing, recovery to weight management, she provides tailored strategies to optimize your performance and achieve your goals. Drawing on rigorous scientific studies, Ryan dispels common myths surrounding supplements and ergogenic aids while providing a balanced perspective on practices like fat loading and glycogen-depleted workouts.
Recognizing that there's no one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition, Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes delves into the specific dietary needs of runners, cyclists, triathletes, and swimmers, highlighting the nuances that can give you a competitive edge. Whether you're tackling a sprint or a marathon, a criterium or a mountain bike race, Ryan offers tailored nutrition plans to suit your event's demands.
In addition to practical advice, this comprehensive guide includes valuable reference material such as a glycemic index, a glossary of essential vitamins and minerals, and a comparison of sports nutrition products. With Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes, you'll discover how smart nutrition can elevate your performance, whether you're aiming for a personal best or embarking on your first endurance challenge.
Preface
Acknowledgments
PART I YOUR DAILY PERFORMANCE DIET
Optimal Nutrition for Training and Health
1 Daily Hydration Essentials: Drinking It In
2 Energy Nutrients for Optimal Health and Performance: Building a Solid Nutrition Base
3 Vitamins, Minerals, and Electrolytes: The Nuts, Bolts, and Spark Plugs of Your Diet
PART II YOUR TRAINING DIET
Fine-Tuning Your Diet for Top Performance
4 Your Daily Training Diet: Eating for Optimal Recovery
5 Food and Fluid Intake for Training and Competition: Timing Is Everything
6 Weight Loss, Muscle Building, and Changing Body Composition: Boosting Your Strength-to-Weight Ratio
7 Ergogenic Aids: Separating Fact from Fiction
PART III
SPORT-SPECIFIC NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES
Putting Your Sports Nutrition Plan into Action
8 Nutrition for Triathlon (and Other Multisport Events)
9 Nutrition for Cycling (Road Cycling, Mountain Biking, Gravel Cycling, Track Cycling, and Cyclocross)
10 Nutrition for Distance Running
11 Nutrition for Swimming
PART IV
SPECIAL NUTRITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
Meeting and Managing the Challenges
12 The Athlete with Unique Nutrition Considerations
13 Performance Boosts and Problem-Solving with Nutrition
14 Nutritional Strategies for Extreme Environments
APPENDIXES
Appendix A Glycemic Index of Foods
Appendix B Glossary of Vitamins and Minerals
Appendix C Comparison of Sports Nutrition Products
Appendix D Creating the Optimal Training Diet
Appendix E Sample Menus
Appendix F Estimating Sweat Loss—Worksheet
Selected Bibliography
Index
About the Author
Monique Ryan, MS, RD, LDN, CSSD is an internationally recognized sports nutritionist with over 30 years of professional experience helping elite and age group endurance athletes and professional, major league sports teams to optimize their nutrition. She is founder of Chicago-based Personal Nutrition Designs and has worked with USA Triathlon, USA Cycling, Synchro Swimming USA, the Timex Multisport Team, Chicago Fire MLS Soccer Team, and four professional cycling teams. She has also written Performance Nutrition for Winter Sports, Performance Nutrition for Team Sports, and Complete Guide to Sports Nutrition.
"Working with Monique has taken me to the winning edge in my sport. She has helped guide me to become an Olympian and World Champion in the sport of cycling. Whether you are going for the gold or have other ambitions, we are all up against highly trained and motivated athletes, including ourselves. To find that competitive edge, take the next step by adding the nutritional component to your daily training regime. A great place to start is by reading Monique's book." —Kristin Armstrong, 2006 World Time Trial Champion, Two-Time U.S. National Time Trial Champion, Former U.S. National Road Race Champion
"Monique Ryan's Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes is a must read whatever your competitive goals may be. Monique's vast knowledge is evident, and this book will serve as a complete source for all your nutritional inquiries. From making optimal food and fluid choices, meal planning and timing, to event specific needs, this book has it all." —Alan Culpepper, Two-Time U.S. Olympic Runner, Three-Time U.S. Cross Country Champion, Two-Time U.S. 10K Champion
"I have always believed that the top Ironman athletes train very similarly, and that winning or losing comes down to nutrition and mental toughness. I know I would not have won two Ironman World Championships without focusing on my nutrition every day. Monique does a fantastic job covering everything you need to know about daily and racing nutrition. Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes sets the standard for getting you fueled to the finish line." —Tim DeBoom, Two-Time Ironman World Champion
"Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes is a comprehensive nutritional guide. Monique Ryan provides valuable information that helps athletes maintain their energy levels and maximize their ability to perform in endurance events." —Dede Demet Barry, 2004 Olympic Time Trial Silver Medalist, Former U.S. National Criterium and Road Race Champion