The supplements mentioned included iron, vitamin B6, folic acid, magnesium, zinc, and copper. Since the nutrient use in the study was “self-reported” – not measured - the exact amounts, quality, and specific frequency of use were all unknown.

Here’s a quick summary of some of the study’s major flaws from the Life Extension Foundation.

1. The authors did not confirm, through blood testing for instance, if the study participants were using supplements or not. Considering that the authors believe iron supplementation was one of the causes of the increased mortality, checking iron blood levels would seem like a good idea, but – of course - they didn’t do that.
2. The study attempted to compare two different groups- those that were supplement users and those that were not. However, there were so many differences between the groups that drawing conclusions was completely absurd. Basically, they compared two groups that weren’t exactly the same. With so many differences, it’s difficult to draw any conclusions from the data. This is known as “study heterogeneity”, and calls into serious question the conclusions that were drawn.
3. The study used questionnaires to gather data. Questionnaires are notoriously unreliable in collecting information, especially when they arrive at statistical conclusions that fall well-within the standard margin of error. Additionally, the authors did not even try to verify whether “supplement users” actually took supplements at all.
4. In the study, supplement use wasn’t correlated to baseline pre-existing diseases like cancer and heart disease.
5. The authors did not appropriately follow the study participants closely enough to make the sort of conclusions they’ve boldly reported. The authors even admit: “We did not have data regarding nutritional status or detailed information of supplements used.”
6. About double the number of supplement users took non-bioidentical synthetic hormones versus non-supplement users. Synthetic hormones like Provera® and Premarin® are well-known to have adverse consequences. The fact that the group using supplements took these dangerous hormones at double the rate, adds to the discrepancy between the groups.

Dale Ruth

Sleep deprivation decreases aerobic endurance, interferes with tissue repair and growth, impairs immune and hormonal functioning, increases levels of fatigue, affects emotional stability and mood, increases the likelihood of injury, and interferes with the ability to process information and concentrate. Circadian rhythms are physical, mental and behavioral changes that follow a roughly 24-hour cycle, responding primarily to light and darkness in an organism’s environment. They are found in most living things, including animals, plants and many tiny microbes. Circadian rhythms are important in determining human sleep patterns. The body’s master clock, or SCN, controls the production of melatonin, a hormone that makes you sleepy. Since it is located just above the optic nerves, which relay information from the eyes to the brain, the SCN receives information about incoming light. When there is less light—like at night—the SCN tells the brain to make more melatonin so you get drowsy. Establish a regular routine and try to eat and sleep at the same time every day.  Try to coordinate it with day and night.

Dale Ruth

GENERAL HEALTH NEEDS

During marathon, trained distance runners rely almost exclusively on carbohydrates for fuel used during exertion rather than fat. It may be beneficial, therefore, to load up on carbohydrates before a race to make sure one has enough fuel.

. It has also been shown that during a race that serum and urinary magnesium and iron concentrations are decreased (4), so supplementary metals and minerals may be required prior and during races so that endurance athletes avoid unnecessary stress on the body.

Stretching and warming up helps prevent injuries.  Running early in the morning when it is cooler reduces stress too.

EFFECTS ON BONE

Bone formation and re-absorption decreases with light low-frequency exercise, but increases after intense physical stress such as marathon running (8). This suggests that intense exercise increases overall bone formation from a study of 18 elite marathon runners in The Marathon World Cup in 1993

EFFECTS ON MUSCLE

. A study focusing on C-reactive protein as an indicator of inflammatory reaction found that the decrease of CRP after training “suggests that intensive regular exercise has a systemic anti-inflammatory effect.  In other words your muscles will adapt to regular training.

EFFECT ON CARDIAC FITNESS

An analysis of relative risks associated with underlying cardiovascular disease and intense endurance running found that the risk of sudden cardiac death in runners with potentially lethal cardiac disease was only 1 in 50,000. It is as little as 1/100th the annual overall risk associated with living, either with or without heart disease

EFFECTS ON IMMUNE SYSTEM

It would seem that immediately after running, the immune system is in high gear, for whatever reason, but is then suppressed by the addition of cortisol. Cortisol reduces swelling. Articles such as the one dealing with immunoglobulin producing cells may also indicate a heightened ability to deal with microbiological invaders, suggesting a stronger immune system as a result of exercise.  The immediate immune system protection may be reduced if there is inflammation but then it becomes stronger.

Dale Ruth

Maintaining proper electrolyte levels in endurance athletes is critical to performance. There should be little debate here. Understanding an individual’s requirements is another matter.

Every athlete needs to understand his or her nutritional needs. Some things are basic: the need for fluids, the need for calories, and the need to pace yourself according to your abilities. Each athlete’s success will largely be determined by how well he/she understands his or her needs and abilities when attempting to go long distances.

We’ve been told for years how important it is to drink during long distance events to avoid dehydration that degrades performance and can ultimately lead to a DNF or even collapse.

What we seldom hear is that we need to pay just as much attention to our electrolyte stores during an ultradistance event. Electrolytes are those salts which play a major role in the biochemistry and physiological processes of the human body. While dehydration is a serious problem, we see many cases of DNFs and death-march experiences because of electrolyte imbalance.

60% of body weight is water. 40% of the body weight is inside body cells. 15% is in the space around the cells, and 5% is in the blood. Although the weight of the blood is minor, its water and electrolyte content are critical for good performance. Athletic performance suffers greatly with increasing dehydration.

Water is lost through: the skin/sweating, the lungs/breathing, urination, defecation (possible diarrhea ), vomiting and wounds. Except for the lungs, all those routes are also pathways for loss of electrolytes. The amounts of electrolytes lost in sweat and urine vary depending on fitness, body electrolyte content and acclimation to heat levels.

Sodium and Potassium
These are the major body electrolytes. The fluid in body cells is high in potassium; 90% of the body’s potassium is inside the cells. Other body fluids are high in sodium.

The major route for sodium loss is sweat. Because potassium is held inside the cells, it is not lost at high rates provided there is adequate sodium in the body.

The body is sensitive to the amount of sodium in the fluid outside the cells, and in the blood. If the blood sodium level falls much below normal, a serious condition called hyponatremia is the result. The typical symptoms are: headache, muscle cramps, weakness, disorientation, apathy and lethargy. Those are often seen in the latter stages of an long race. If blood sodium falls to less than 2,500 mg/liter, the result can be death. That, fortunately, is very rare.

Many athletes, like runners, triathletes and cyclists, will drink too little water and suffer dehydration. The athlete’s body usually cannot absorb water from the stomach as fast as it is sweated out of the skin, so most of them end up with some dehydration in an event. Some back of the pack cyclists may have enough time to drink more water than they lose, especially if they are moving slowly. Most ultracyclists will not fully replace the sodium they lose and have a deficit. Some of these athletes may take electrolyte supplements, some may use a sports drink with electrolytes, some may take salty chips or pretzels, and some may take no electrolytes at all.

Early in the event, sweat rates and sodium loss rates are high. Urination amounts may be high too. As sodium levels fall, the body increases the level of the hormone aldosterone that influences kidney function to slow sodium loss. As exercise continues and sodium is lost, blood pressure may fall. The body produces the hormone vasopressin to help maintain blood pressure. If exercise continues, with more water and electrolyte losses, performance begins to suffer and athletes slow down. Since sodium is important for the absorption of food and water from the digestive tract, what the cyclist eats and drinks is not absorbed. Nausea results. Even the sight of food may make one want to retch. This is your body’s way of telling you “Don’t bother because I can’t process it even if you force yourself to eat.” If you drink, the water won’t be absorbed well and will slosh around in the stomach. What is absorbed cannot be retained and will soon be urinated out.

As the level of sodium in the blood decreases, the ratio of sodium to water decreases to dangerous levels. As a defense mechanism, water will be moved from the blood into the spaces around body cells. That is why hands and feet can swell after many hours of competing.

Loss of water from the blood stream is equivalent to further dehydration, causing additional loss of performance. Such conditions lead to a DNF or misery all the way to the finish line.

A plan to avoid the problems
First of all, you can reduce your tendency to lose sodium by what you do when not training or competing. You can reduce the amount of sodium in your daily food. That will increase the level of aldosterone so that your body retains sodium better. Choose less salty foods. Use Morton Lite Salt in your salt shaker. That will reduce sodium and increase your potassium intake ( as will eating fruits and vegetables ).

If you expect to compete in the heat, get heat acclimated as soon as possible. That will reduce your sweat rate under hot conditions.

While you train, stay cool so that your sweat rate is lower. Wear light clothes, keep your jersey wet, and/or put ice on your neck.

Consume supplemental salt or electrolytes during the event. Most sports drinks have sodium levels that are fine for shorter distances, but inadequate for longer distances. Most gel products have insignificant amounts of sodium.

To satisfy your needs in a hot event you can take sodium in different forms. The simplest is table salt (a pinch per hour ). If an aid station has salt and boiled potatoes, you can dip a potato into the salt before eating it. V-8 and tomato juice are also good sources.

You can use an electrolyte replacement supplement, but check the sodium content. Some riders take salt tablet such as Thermotabs. Some athletes use Stamina Electrolyte Tablets but those are not a good source of sodium or potassium (they are a good source of calcium and magnesium ). Some athletes use SUCCEED! Buffer/Electrolyte Caps that are formulated specifically for ultradistance athletes such as cyclists, triathletes and runners to supply sodium, buffers and sufficient amounts of potassium.

As always, you need to drink. Don’t wait until you are thirsty; the human thirst mechanism is too slow and inaccurate. As the adage goes: Eat before hunger, drink before thirst.

When you finish a long training ride or event, you will usually have a deficit of water, calories and sodium. You will have a much smoother recovery if you replace all of those promptly. Soon after finishing, you can take an electrolyte supplement, 200 calories of carbohydrates and drink water until you are no longer thirsty, and are urinating again. In the days that follow, you will probably find that you have more energy and fewer aches and pains if you have promptly replaced water, carbohydrates and sodium after your long ride.

Dale Ruth

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