The Paleo Diet for Athletes: A Nutritional Formula for Peak Athletic Performance

Insightful work and useful for anyone who is looking to improve their diet or learn more about our prehistoric ancestors.

It's true that this book seems tailored for the endurance athlete. I am a beginner cyclist with a few pounds to lose. The dialogue was sincere and straightforward, not too technical or scientific. I read the whole book end to end in a few days and learned so much about nutrition as it relates to my sport. The best part was the timing of when to eat before, during, and after exercising. I put some of the principles into practice and already noticed an increase in my performance.

Highly informative for all athletes and people wanting to exercise on a regular basis. Basically it teaches you what, when and how to eat your food so that you get the maximun performance. It also has specific advice on fluids. If you are planning to do regular execise, this is a highly recommended book, even if you are not planning to follow the paleo diet strictly.

This book has really helped me in my quest for iron distance triathlons. The times to eat and the types of foods are very helpful for recovery from exercise. Joe Friel's scientific approach to nutrition is extremely well informed. I have used his techniques and had great results. I highly suggest this book to anyone who wants to increase their fitness level.

This book changed the way I look at nutrition. I have always been active and eaten a decent diet, but I knew I was too heavy on sugars and carbs in general. When I got into triathlons, I got Joe Friel's The Triathlete's Training Bible, and it turned me onto the Paleo Diet. Since both authors have advanced degrees (Loren Cordain has a PhD in Exercise Physiology and Friel a M.S. in Exercise Science), it is heavy on science. The authors base their claims on numerous sources, and reference these sources throughout. The basic premise is that the way we currently eat is contrary to how our bodies evolved over the millions of years prior to agriculture. Lean meat, fish, and fresh fruits and vegetables should be our staple, with a small twist. Paleolithic man could never have been a high level endurance athlete, as he just wouldn't have gotten enough carbohydrate to replenish his glycogen stores after a long or very intense workout. This book, then, makes adjustments to the standard Paleo Diet to include certain types of foods normally not allowed during SPECIFIC periods of the pre and post-exercise window. Post Script: Though I don't like to comment on others' reviews, I feel I must say that I don't agree with the assertion that the book doesn't place enough emphasis on when to eat the foods you eat. After the intro, the entire first few chapters are exactly that: What types of food to eat, and EXACTLY when to eat them.