Happy Halloween and welcome to Episode 102 of The Eat for Endurance Podcast. In my first Ask Me Anything episode in over two years, I'm tackling four listener questions on the following topics:
If / when you should take collagen supplements and if so, what is an effective dosage
How to eat on rest days and specifically, if you need to eat protein at breakfast
What to eat for meals during a 200 miler event like the Big Foot 200
How to stop mindlessly eating candy everyday from the candy bowl at work
I address these questions in depth during the episode, and am including a summary of my answer to each question below. Feel free to skip ahead to the ones that are relevant to you!
Question 1: "Are collagen supplements beneficial for runners and what is the best dosage?"
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, and is found in bone, muscle, and connective tissue, among other places. You make less collagen as you get older, and other variables like too much sun exposure, smoking, alcohol intake, and a diet that is low in plant foods may further reduce collagen production.
Collagen can be found in the diet from things like bone broth, chicken and fish skin as well as gelatin, but it can be hard to eat enough or get an exact dosage. Also, most of these foods are not practical to consume right before you exercise, which is when you’re supposed to take collagen (fish skin before your next workout, anyone?!).
Supplements are convenient, easier to dose and time, and deliver the specific amino acids needed for collagen synthesis. Pleaes note that there are no vegetarian or vegan collagen products because collagen supplements are made from cows, pigs, chicken, and fish.
So the question is, should you supplement collagen? Well, that depends on what’s going on. There is research to support supplementation in various training and recovery settings.
For instance, collagen supplementation may:
Improve pain management with tendonitis and joint pain
Help treat and/or prevent diseases like osteoarthritis
Increase bone strength or reduce fracture risk
Support recovery after an injury by helping to repair bone, skin, ligaments and/or tendons
Support collagen production during periods of high training volume when the body may be struggling to keep up with demands
The recommended dose is around 10-15g taken 30-60 minutes before exercise, or before physical therapy if you are injured. That's because the amino acids from collagen take awhile to peak in the bloodstream, plus exercise helps improve the not great blood supply to tendons and ligaments.
Additionally, it’s recommended that you take Vit C along with the collagen because Vit C plays a key role in collagen synthesis. Often, it’s part of the supplement already, but if not you can consume with Vit C from something like orange juice, strawberries etc.
Powdered collagen supplements can be mixed into fluids like water or juice, and it’s also fine to add to hot beverages like coffee or tea before exercise. Collagen should NOT be used as a protein powder supplement post workout. It’s an incomplete protein source, so you’re better off using a whey protein or vegan blend.
In conclusion, if you’re an athlete with joint pain, tendonitis, injury, or other issues, you could try collagen supplementation along with adequate nutrition and sleep (don't neglect the basics!) and see if it helps you.
If you don’t have any issues, you probably don’t need collagen. It most likely won’t hurt you, but of course, there is always some risk associated with any supplement given how poorly regulated the industry is.
Either way, always be sure to use a trusted brand ideally with third party testing like NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Choice whenever possible.
Question 2: "Is it important to pair carbs with protein for breakfast on rest days? Sometimes I just want a big bowl of oatmeal without protein powder."
Rest days shouldn’t look that different from your training days. You may not need quite as many carbs as a long or hard training day, but you also have to think about what you did yesterday for recovery and what you are doing tomorrow.
Rest days aren’t a time to pull back on nutrition, especially since you should not aim to be in energy balance. Instead, you should always try to have some energy buffer in case your body needs it. This episode on REDs with Rebecca McConville is a great listen if you want to understand why this is so important.
For protein specifically, I recommend spreading protein out across all of your meals and snacks, including breakfast. Protein helps with fullness and with blood sugar control, while also helping to meet your total needs for the day, which can be hard to meet if you’re saving all your protein for one chunk of the day.
On a training day, and especially if you only have 1-2 hours to eat and digest, focus mostly on carbs pre-exercise, with a small amount of protein (5-10g). Then, get your larger dose of protein along with carbs, fat, color (fruits/veg) and fluids in your recovery meal.
On a rest day, breakfast should be a normal, balanced meal with a good dose of protein. To learn more, including when it's appropriate to eat more protein before a workout, my blog has posts on what to eat before a short run, what to eat before a long run, and what to eat after a long run.
Lastly, you absolutely don’t need to put protein powder in your oatmeal! You can make your oats with milk or soymilk, add nuts, seeds or nut butter, add a scoop of greek yogurt to your bowl once the oats are cooked, and/or add eggs on the side to boost protein.
Question 3: "I'm trying to figure out where meals fit in on a multi day event (going for Bigfoot 200 in 2025). What would you recommend?"
There’s no one right answer to this question because ultra fueling plans need to be individualized. Generally speaking though, for a multi-day event, you’re going slower, there’s more hiking, some sleeping, and many mealtimes are happening while you’re out on course. This makes fueling VERY different from something like a 50k or 50 miler.
This listener said that she craved pizza at the end of her 50k, but couldn't have run after. My follow-up questions to her would be:
Could you hike for a bit while you digest and then run when you’re ready?
Would something like a plain turkey sandwich on a large white roll or a quesadilla sit well, just to name a couple simple and common examples?
Are there any other foods that you have tried in training or racing that might work?
You have to think about what’s available, what’s appealing, and what you tolerate. Then, remember that you need carbs, salt (both because you need that flavor change plus to replace sodium losses), protein, and some fat. You want to stay low fiber, but you may find fruit refreshing (obviously fruit has some fiber) and fruit is a nice way to get carbs in too.
For timing, you may want to stick with traditional meal times, or maybe you’re having slightly more frequent smaller meals. This will depend on when you’re sleeping, when you’re seeing your crew, what you crave, and what you tolerate.
As for caloric amounts, it depends on what your strategy is. Generally speaking with ultras, you should aim for around 250-350 calories per hour mostly from carbs and with a little protein. If it’s time for a meal, you will likely go a bit above that, and then allow yourself time to process what you just ate. In a 200 miler, especially if you're not at the front of the pack, you will have time to walk and digest.
If you're looking for some additional fueling tips, this blog post on what to eat during a long run or event gives a detailed breakdown of guidelines to follow and strategies to try.
Question 4: "A coworker brings in chocolate and candy daily, and stopping by the candy bowl is now a mindless habit. How do I eliminate this habit?"
This is a great question and very timely because we're now in that stretch from Halloween to New Years that is filled with candy and other treats, which often stresses people out. This seems like a really simple question - how to stop eating all the candy at work - but there are many layers to peel back and explore.
Before answering this listener's specific question, I need to point out that you never want to live in the extremes. Candy is not toxic poison that you have to avoid at all costs, AND it's not something that you can eat in unlimited amounts with zero health consequences because it's nutritionally equal to all other food. Both of these statements are false.
It's true that certain foods - like candy - are not health-supporting, but that doesn’t mean you have to completely eliminate these foods. You can eat some candy everyday if that feels good to you and you're doing so as part of an overall balanced diet.
Remember, no single meal or eating day defines your health, and actually, there’s a lot about your health that is completely out of your control even if you do all the “right” things with your diet and lifestyle behaviors. There may be days where you overdo it (hi Halloween), and that's okay.
Obviously, if you're allergic to a particular food or have a specific medical condition that requires avoiding/limiting certain foods, that's a different situation. But that's not what we're talking about here.
Now let's address the listener's question. In order to figure out a solution, I need to look for patterns and clues to explore the listener's candy habit and learn what is driving it.
Here's what I'd ask if this person were my 1:1 client:
Why do you view this habit as something you need to eliminate?
Are you not enjoying all the candy you are eating? Or maybe the first piece or two are good but after that not so much?
How do you feel during and after eating the candy - both mentally and physically (guilt, pleasure, stomach ache, etc)?
What are your beliefs about candy (e.g. candy is "bad" for health and I should limit it or candy will make me gain weight)?
If you’re mindlessly eating something and not enjoying it, especially if you’re feeling unwell after, or you believe that you shouldn't have candy everyday because candy is "bad," it makes sense that you want to stop this habit.
Then, I'd ask these additional questions:
Are you eating consistent, adequate meals and snacks throughout the day that are satisfying to you?
If you’re not eating enough and/or in regular intervals, or if what your eating is not satisfying (note - this is different than fullness), then it’s harder to resist candy
Make sure you're also hydrating well
Are you bored at work?
You may need a work break or an excuse to walk around and talk to people
Eating is fun and a nice distraction
Are you tired and seeking an energy boost?
Candy is quick, yummy energy
Notice if the candy grabbing happens at a certain time of day
If you go back a second time for candy, do you know what is driving that?
Again, look for patterns. What's different from the first round of candy eating?
Do you mindlessly eat sweets at home on weekends or only at work?
Do you keep sweets around at home, or is this a food you usually avoid/limit?
Are there other foods that you mindless eat, at home or at work, or just candy?
If someone were to put out a bowl of chips, pretzels, or nuts, for example, would you have the same problem?
Once you identify some of the driving factors at play, you can start thinking about solutions. Some may be quick fixes, others may be more complicated.
Here are examples of some potential things to try:
Do you have to walk by this co-workers desk, or can you take a different route?
If you’re bored, can you step outside the office for a quick walk, call a friend, listen to music, or do something else stimulating?
If you’re feeling low energy and in need of a boost, can you have a protein and carb containing snack with some fluids?
You could ADD a piece or two of candy to this snack, so that you enjoy the candy AND give your body some nourishment
If you're struggling with fatigue, take a look at your sleep habits and see if you can make any improvements. Fatigue also could be linked to everyday eating patterns, micronutrient deficiencies, and more
Are you eating the candy quickly and if so, can you take less and slow yourself down to enjoy what you’re eating more?
If you live by "good" and "bad" food lists, feel out of control around your "bad" foods when they're around, feel guilty after eating certain foods, and/or struggle when out of your normal eating routines (e.g. eating out, travel, holidays, etc), then you have some deeper work to do.
I have a freebie called Food Rules, Fears and Beliefs that you may find helpful. This worksheet isn't a "fix" by any means, but rather a self-awareness exercise that can highlight how you view and relate to food, as a starting point to healing your relationship to food and body.
I hope you find this episode helpful, and I would love to answer YOUR nutrition questions in my next Ask Me Anything episode! Just email me at claire@eatforendurance.com.
I hope you have a safe and fun Halloween!
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Get in touch at claire@eatforendurance.com.
Music Credit: Joseph McDade
Disclaimer – all information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is in no way meant to replace individual medical and nutrition recommendations
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