Water

The fourth and final primary nutrient is water. Although water does not provide any energy (or calories), the body requires large amounts of it in order to function properly.

The major function of water for distance runners is the regulation of the core temperature of the body. As warm-blooded animals, our bodies must remain around the same temperature at all times. If our core temperature rises or falls too much, significant damage can occur.

During running, the working muscles produce large amounts of heat which must be dissipated or the core temperature will rise dangerously high. To dissipate this heat, our bodies perspire, using large amounts of water.

Your goal as a distance runner should be to consistently hydrate yourself during both warm and cold weather so that you never become thirsty. By the time your thirst mechanism is activated, your body is already suffering from dehydration - hurting your performance and putting you at risk. You don’t have to drown yourself in liquids but just make hydration a regular part of your day.

It also appears that since most of the body’s chemical reactions occur in an aqueous environment, adequate water intake (but not too much) is essential for maximum performance.

Runner's Nutrition Calculator

The foundation of proper nutrition is obtaining the proper amount of calories (your daily caloric intake) as well as the correct proportions of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in your diet each day.

Researchers have developed several precise formulas that you can use to determine the specific amount of calories that your body requires as well as the proper proportions of each nutrient that you need.1

Incorporating these formulas, The Runner's Nutrition Calculator allows you to determine (1) the specific amount of calories that your body requires at rest (called your resting metabolic daily caloric need) and to maintain your current weight and training level (called the calories you burn each day), (3) the specific amounts of each of the primary nutrients needed each day (called your daily primary nutrient requirement) and (4) the amount of each sub-type of carbohydrate and fat needed daily (called your daily primary nutrient sub-type breakdown) and (5) the target daily caloric intake to achieve any weight loss goals you may have.

The Calculator yields accurate and individualized results because it’s based on your individual age, sex, height, weight, percent body fat and training level. Using your results, you will be able to closely monitor your diet to ensure that you are following the recommendations of exercise scientists and nutritionists. And, using our partner, Nutrax.com, you have a handy online resource for tracking and analyzing your diet.

Click HERE to launch the Runner's Nutrition Calculator. Simply input your information in each section then hit Calculate. The results are displayed in the area below the input area.

Reviewing Your Overall Dietary Analysis

Now that you have calculated your specific daily nutritional goals, you can perform your own dietary analysis to see how well your current diet compares to the recommendations set forth by exercise scientists and nutritionists.

Using this analysis, you will be able to change specific aspects of your diet (such as increasing the amount of complex carbohydrates or decreasing the amount of saturated fat) to improve your overall health and fitness, giving yourself the greatest chance at distance running success.

The first step in performing your analysis is to keep a thorough food record of all the food items eaten for three, five, or seven days. This record should include at least one normal weekday and one normal weekend day of meals.

The food record should include the following information on each food item: (1) the number of calories, (2) the amount of grams from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, and (3) the amount of grams from simple and complex carbohydrates as well as saturated, poly-unsaturated, and mono-unsaturated fats.

From this record, you can calculate a daily average for each of these values. After completing your food record, tally up the total calories as well as the calories (or grams) from carbohydrates, fats and protein (include the relative sub-types). You can then compare this with your results from the calculator. Nutrax.com makes this all a lot easier as you can better track and monitor your dietary intake using their advanced nutritional software.

Summary

One of the most important factors in achieving top performance is consistently optimal nutrition. With an understanding of how the general nutritional guidelines should be adjusted for competitive distance runners, you can ensure that you are getting both the proper amounts and proportions of calories and primary nutrients.

Using the Runner's Nutritional Calculator and information in this article, you can determine your specific nutritional needs based on your age, sex, height, and weight. This information can be used to maximize your nutrition and gradually elevate your training and racing to a new level.

水

第四种也是最后一种主要营养素是水。尽管水不提供任何能量或热量，身体却需要大量的水以保证机能正常。

对于长跑选手水的主要功用就是调节身体的核心温度。作为温血动物，我们的身体必须一直保持恒温。如果我们的核心体温升高或降低太多，就会造成重大的伤害。

跑步的时候运动肌肉产生大量的热量，这些必须散发出去，否则核心温度就会上升到危险的程度。为了散发热量，我们的身体会流汗，流失大量的水分。作为长跑选手，你的目标就是让你在炎热和寒冷的天气下不断的喝水，让你不会口渴。当你的感到口渴的时候，身体已经在承受脱水的煎熬了——打击你的跑步能力，让你处于危险的边缘。不必大量的喝水，只需要让喝水成为你日常习惯。

由于你体内绝大多数化学反应都是在水环境下进行，摄入充足水分（但是不要过度）对你达到最佳状态是必要的。

跑步者营养计算器

合适营养的基础是获得正确的热量数值（你每日摄入的热量）以及你每日饮食中碳水化合物、脂肪和蛋白质的正确比例。

研究者提出了很多精确的公式让你能确定你身体需要的热量数量以及你需要的每种营养素的合适比例。通过整合这些公式，跑步者营养计算器可以让你计算（1）你身体在休息时需要的热量（称为休息代谢每日热量需求）；（2）保持你合适体重和运动水平需要的热量（称为每日燃烧热量）；（3）每日所需的每种主要营养素（称为每日主要营养素需求）；（4）每日所需的具体每种碳水化合物和脂肪的（称为每日主要营养素种类消耗）；（5）为达到你定的减重目标所需要的每日摄取热量。

计算器可以得到精确的和个性化的结果，因为这基于你个人的年龄、性别、身高、体重、体脂含量以及运动水平。有了结果你就可以用来很好的控制你的饮食以确保能遵照运动科学家和营养师的建议来做。同时可以使用我们的另外一个产品Nutrax.com。这样你就有了一个手边的资源来跟踪和分析你的饮食。

点击这里打开跑步者营养计算器。在每个栏中简单输入你的信息，然后点击”计算“，结果在输入区域下面显示出来。

看看你的整个饮食分析

现在你已经算出了你每日的营养目标，你可以用你自己的营养分析来比较一下你目前的饮食和由四十个运动科学家和营养师推荐的饮食差别在哪里。用这份分析你可以调整你饮食的某些地方（比如增加多糖的摄入或减少饱和脂肪酸的摄入量）以改善你整个的健康和运动水平，让你更有机会获得长跑胜利。

运用你分析的第一步是记录一份你三天、五天甚至七天中完整的饮食清单，这份记录应当啊至少包含一个正常的非周末和一个正常的周末的饮食。食物记录应当包括每种食物的如下方面的信息：（1）热量总量；（2）碳水化合物、脂肪和蛋白质的克数；（3）单糖和多糖以及饱和、多饱和和单饱和脂肪酸的数量。

从记录中你可以算出这些信息的一个每日平均值。完成之后计算热量总量以及从碳水化合物、脂肪和蛋白质（包括相关种类）中获得的能量（或克数），然后和你的计算结果比较。Nutrax.com 把这些都简化了，通过其先进的营养软件你可以更好的跟踪和掌握你每日饮食摄取。

总结

达到你运动顶峰的一个非常重要的因素就是坚持最佳的营养。通过理解对于一个长跑者而言营养方案应当如何调节，你能保证你能获得最佳的热量和主要营养素的数量和比例。

采用和跑步者营养计算器以及本文的信息，你可以知道基于你年龄、性别、身高和体重的营养需求。这些信息可以用以优化你的营养，逐渐将你的运动和比赛提高的一个新的水平。