Endurance Sports Nutrition

Rating:
Summary: sports nutrition advice geared to the endurance athlete
Review: "No guts, no story"--that about sums up the endeavors we endurance athletes attempt. As a registered dietitian who practices what she teaches, I wrote this book to help you figure out, now that you've signed up and dropped a check in the mail, how you will ever go that far or last that long!

Besides providing simple,up-to-date nutrition advice, I drew upon my friendships with some of the most successful American runners, ultrarunners, cyclists, triathletes, mountain bikers,adventure racers, cross-country skiers,open-water swimmers, and hikers/mountaineers to glean sports-specific tips for you.

As a former competitive miler (4:28) and 10K runner (32:40), I now enjoy trail-running, adventure-racing, cycling, cross-country skiing, trekking, climbing mountains, and rock climbing. Of course, watching my husband suffer has its moments, too--like at the 70-mile mark of the Leadville Trail 100! No matter what your ability or goal is as an endurance athlete, the formula is simple--eat, drink, win.

Rating:
Summary: Great information for all levels of endurance athletes!
Review: I thought this book would be too technical for me, the non-elite endurance runner, but I was wrong. Not to say there isn't information that would help the elite athlete - there is - but I was bowled over by the easy-to-read, no-nonsense, useful suggestions on how to go the distance. (In fact, I learned as much from the "other" endurance sports as I did from the running sections. Want to run a marathon? Check out the information from the RAM cycling section...the info there applies perfectly! ) Also, GREAT athlete interviews and case studies. This is a must-read for the budding or elite athlete or any coach or advisor. You'll find yourself going back to it over and over again.

Rating:
Summary: good, but not for everyone
Review: I would just like to add a word of caution to whoever may be considering buying this book. If, like myself, you are a recreational runner (or biker, skier,etc.) and are looking for a nutritional program that enables you to perform consistently to the best of your ability, this book may not be for you. That is if you are looking for a specific program to follow on a daily basis. Most of the information in the book will be familiar to those who have already begun to acquire a basic knowledge of sports nutrition. Also, I found the case studies to be of limited value for a non-elite athlete. These are testimonies of ulta-elite athletes who need to consume copious quantities of food in order to have the energy to perform at the elite level. Therefore, their advice is not very relevant for those who struggle to keep off those "few extra pounds". I do not mean to denegrate this book, which may indeed be excellent for those whom it could benefit, but recreational athletes who just want to stay in shape and get the most out of their exercise programs might consider looking elsewhere for nutritional tips.

Rating:
Summary: Disapointed by books contents!
Review: I'm an active competetive rower and was looking for something to tweak my nutritional plan. I saw the online reviews of this book and also noticed that it mentioned rowing as one of the targeted sports. So I bought it, and read it, and I was very disaponited. If you're a rower don't buy this book.
Having a fair education in nutrition already, I could appreciate the angle that the auther was taking. The information was accurate (maybe a little biased against nutritional suppliments) and present well and easy to understand. Nothing, however, had to do with rowing. It was a very misleading statement (in the books description) that should be omitted with future printings. If you are a triathelete, marathon runner, adventure-racer, or long distance cyclist this book might help you out. As for me, 90% of the content did not apply to me or my sport. I am sending the book back for a refund.

Rating:
Summary: Offering Athletes Proven Performance Strategies
Review: Most competitors know that performance suffers without proper hydration and fuel. To successfully compete in marathons, triathlons, adventure races, and other endurance sports, athletes need a nutrition plan that works over the long haul.

As the most comprehensive resource of its kind, Endurance Sports Nutrition provides detailed nutrition advice with customized, sport-specific eating plans ensuring the food choices athletes make will keep them going before, during, and after competition. Author Suzanne Girard-Eberle, MS, RD, draws from her background as a registered dietician specializing in sports nutrition and as an elite endurance athlete to tell readers what works-and what doesn't-in actual training and racing situations.

World-class athletes such as triathlete Karen Smyers, marathon runner Keith Brantly, marathon swimmer Tobie Smith, and cyclist Kerry Ryan share their knowledge from their years of training and competing among the world's best. Any endurance athlete will find the first eight chapters full of practical nutrition information from learning how to bolster the training diet to handling extreme environments to selecting performance-enhancing supplements. Female and vegetarian endurance athletes will also find specific advice geared toward their special needs.

In the remaining chapters, Girard-Eberle teams up with several elite endurance athletes to reveal the winning nutrition strategies they use while competing. Beginners to hard-core competitors will find tips on how to apply these strategies as well as advice on how to avoid common race day mistakes. Endurance Sports Nutrition prescribes just the right combination of foods, fluids, and supplements to get athletes across the finish line in record time.

Rating:
Summary: good combination
Review: Readable and good technical information combined with intersting stories to illustrate the points being made.

Rating:
Summary: A great book for high performance endurance athletes!
Review: Sports nutrition encompasses scientific research, food and fluid recommendations, and practical applications for training and competition. Designed for endurance athletes-this book has it all! Combining the latest scientific findings, sport nutrition guidance, and practical fueling strategies of elite endurance athletes makes this book excel. Learning how highly competitive athletes apply sport nutrition recommendations is especially valuable. This book is well organized, engaging to read, and targeted for high level athletic performance. I teach sports nutrition online at Montana State University and definitely recommend this book to my students.

Rating:
Summary: good, but not for everyone
Review: this author knows her stuff. this is a good, very up-to-date handbook for the serious endurance athlete (and for the serious weekend warrior!). as a former pro triathlete, and still a hack marathoner, i had not read a sports nutrition book in several years. for me, this book was a great refresher, and also a reminder of the importance of proper diet in a high performance lifestyle. highly recommended for people who are active and either already performing at a high level, or training to improve their performance. runners, skiers, hikers, cyclists, triathletes, etc. will find relevant, sport-specific info, too.

Rating:
Summary: excellent training resource
Review: this author knows her stuff. this is a good, very up-to-date handbook for the serious endurance athlete (and for the serious weekend warrior!). as a former pro triathlete, and still a hack marathoner, i had not read a sports nutrition book in several years. for me, this book was a great refresher, and also a reminder of the importance of proper diet in a high performance lifestyle. highly recommended for people who are active and either already performing at a high level, or training to improve their performance. runners, skiers, hikers, cyclists, triathletes, etc. will find relevant, sport-specific info, too.

Rating:
Summary: No Comment
Review: This is a good book for people who want to know the theoritical ideal nutrition for athletes.

If you want to be a bit more in the real life, it is only good for american (90% of the cited products are american) people who have only sports in their life.

It is also good for people who have to have a excellent nutrition for a short period of time (marathon, triathlon, or other sports where the races are at a single moment in the year), because you can't practically follow for one whole year what the author says. That is why this book is not made for people who are doing a sport that needs a several year training to come to a high level at who have several races around the year.

I think that I can say that because I am personally a competition rower and have some 8 and more trainings per week.