Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes

I'm a front of the pack marathoner. After bonking in Boston two years ago I decided to learn why. I purchased and read several books on nutrition and hydration. Ryan's book has easily become my bible. Its specific enough to allow you to plan your nutrition needs around any number of endurance events. Its laid out in a logical format and provides reasons behind the recommendations. I practiced her pre-race calorie intake suggestions (far more than you'd expect) for my last two marathons and moved the "wall" well into miles 24-25. Great text. Remember, its more than having a race plan. Having a nutrition plan and a hydration plan make a huge difference.

In the past I would almost always suffer from some form of muscle pain, cramping, or dehydration during marathons and triathlons. That was before I found Monique Ryan's book. Two weeks ago, I completed the Ironman Arizona triathlon and Monique Ryan's book was a strong factor in getting me through the race without any cramping or muscle pain whatsoever. The book is perfect - it gives you comprehensive nutrition information but also gives you plain, simple guidelines for eating and drinking - both in general and in preparation for a race. If you are preparing for a race and follow the book, you'll know not only what to eat and drink but how much and when. There are guides for the few days before a race, the night before, the morning of the race, and of course, during the race. I strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in nutrition, but especially for everyone involved in endurance sports.

As a 43-year old beginning triathlete, there were lots of things I needed to know to ensure success in my sport and knew early on that proper nutrition would be key. I read the book from cover-to-cover and found almost every paragraph provided valuable information. Not only did the author explain in detail what I needed to know, she explained all the whens, whys and whats -- when to eat, why particular foods are better for training that others and what foods work best for the MY training. I used the book as a bible and, on my way to reaching the best shape I've ever been in, lost nine pounds and went from 22% to 12% body fat. And although I faced challenge after challenge along the way, by following what I learned in the book, nutrition was never an obstacle.

Having been in the fitness industry for twenty years as an exercise physiologist and lecturer, I've read most of the nutriton books that have made the circuit. I found Monique Ryan's book to be one of the most satisfying sources of well researched information available. Monique's book is short on fluff and big on information. It's refreshing to find a well organized, conscisely written nutritonal manual for athletes who want to maximize their training methods with facts rather than hype. I make it required reading for the athletes that I work with.

As a physician with a degree in nutrition, and a triathlete of 16 years, it is refreshing to read a book full of sound, no- nonsense information. In a world full of books espousing the diet/supplement fad of the day, this one thorougly explains the fundamentals of nutrition and how to apply them to maximize performance. Knowing these fundamental allows the athlete to make informed decisions when planning a diet, as well as, when trying to choose between the myriad of supplements available. If your looking for a magic bullet to take your performance to the next level this is not the book for you, but if you want to arm yourself with proven knowledge that is supported by scientific literature and will not only help you to improve your athletic performance but will also help you live a healthier life, this is the book for you.