How Can Naturopathic Medicine Help My Running?
The 2019 race season is well under way now! You might have your manual therapists on speed dial (just in case!) but did you happen to stop and wonder how a naturopathic doctor might play a role in your running performance? If you haven’t, keep reading! (recipe below)
Naturopathic doctors are trained to treat just about any health condition you might visit your family doctor for. These include things like poor sleep, stress, anxiety, the common cold or flu, digestive complaints, running injuries and so much more! All of which could potentially put a damper on your training.
Even if you are free of disease, it doesn’t mean that your health is in its best state. Here are a few areas specific to running that a Naturopathic Doctor can help with.
Nutrition
Naturopathic doctors receive a significant amount of training in nutrition. Naturopathic doctors want to make sure that you are getting enough of each macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and fats) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), personalized to your own individual needs. More specifically, they might want to ensure that you’re eating enough carbohydrates, fats and proteins before, during and after your runs to replace your energy stores used up during your activity. This is especially important for optimized recovery so you can get back to training faster. As an example, research has shown that consuming carbohydrates immediately after activity (versus waiting several hours) can increase the rate of muscle glycogen (stored form of glucose in the muscles used as fuel during endurance sport) synthesis rate. (1)
Another example is, generally speaking, runners should consume 30-60 grams of carbohydrates per each hour during activities of over 60 minutes. (1) However, everyone is unique, so some individuals might need to consume more or less carbohydrates more frequently than every 60 minutes. Recommendations on fuelling during activity might depend on your personal metabolic rate (how quickly your body breaks down energy stores). Also, the higher the intensity of the activity you are participating in, the faster you will run through your glycogen stores. (1) Another factor that must be considered when figuring out the proper amount of carbohydrates to consume during activity is your sweat rate. (1) This likely fluctuates depending on the time of year or location of your race (will you be racing in a hot and humid environment or during the cold Canadian winter months?). Generally, I recommend consuming calories (gels, bars, gummies, dates etc.) every 45 minutes to avoid any potential energy “bonk” and tweaking timing and amounts of carbohydrates during your training runs to find what works best for you.
Other things a naturopathic doctor might consider when helping you find your peak timing and amount of carbohydrates to consume during activity is your Total Energy Expenditure (TEE). (2) Your TEE is calculated by looking at several factors such as your fat free mass, stress levels and age as a few examples. (2)
Additionally there are specific nutrients that are commonly deficient in runners and endurance athletes. A naturopathic doctor can review the foods you eat regularly and suggest foods that are higher in the nutrients you may be lacking. Or they can order blood work to ensure your levels are adequate (ex. iron).
Injury Rehabilitation and Decreasing Inflammation
Hopefully at this point in the season you aren’t struggling with any injuries. However, runners can benefit from incorporating natural anti-inflammatories into their diet on a regular basis as a preventative measure. One example is curcumin, the active ingredient in the culinary spice and medicinal herb, turmeric. Turmeric has been researched to show that it is as effective as regular anti-inflammatory drugs for osteoarthritis of the knee and joint pain (3). It has even been shown to be useful in the treatment of certain types of cancer and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as well. (3)
If you’re interested in a cozy, caffeine free warm drink that has potent anti-inflammatory herbs in it, I love making homemade Golden Lattes! Here’s my recipe for Golden Lattes:
1 cup of milk (either dairy or non-dairy; I find it especially yummy with cashew or coconut milk!)
½ to 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon powder
¼ teaspoon of ginger powder
1 teaspoon (or more to your own preferred taste) of maple syrup
Add spices and maple syrup to milk in a pot on the stove and whisk together. Warm until the desired temperature is reached. Make sure not to burn the milk. Pour into your favourite mug and enjoy!
You can also incorporate turmeric into yummy curry dishes at home. See my Instagram post here for another turmeric rich recipe: https://bit.ly/2CqlGhZ
However, if you are suffering from a major injury, your naturopathic doctor would likely recommend a therapeutic dose of curcumin in the form of a high quality and potent supplement.
Is curcumin safe? High doses of curcumin may cause heartburn and might interact with some medications (especially anticoagulant medications). (4) Otherwise curcumin is generally well tolerated but, as always, check with a licensed practitioner who’s knowledgeable in herbal supplements before starting a new natural health product.
Other supplements that are useful in varying types of injuries are Boswellia, collagen and omega 3 fish oils. Depending on your specific needs, a naturopathic doctor can come up with a personalized treatment plan to help reduce inflammation and support your body’s healing process.
Improving Sleep
I might go as far to say that the quality and number of hours of sleep you get is more important than what you eat (say what!). There’s a growing body of research to support the importance of sleep; it’s literally necessary for our survival! (5)
Studies done on sleep deprivation have found that a lack of sleep causes overall drowsiness and low performance, decreased concentration, immune suppression and negative impacts on metabolic and hormonal health. (5) All of these could have detrimental effects on your training. If you have poor sleep or wake not feeling refreshed, maybe it’s time you took some steps towards improving your sleep. Ways that a naturopathic doctor can help improve your sleep are through natural calming supplements, herbs, acupuncture or helping you set up a healthy sleep routine. I recommend to all athletes that they aim for at least 8 hours of good quality sleep a night. See this other blog post for more ideas on getting a restful sleep: https://bit.ly/2G7PB3t
The Bottom Line
These are just a few areas that a naturopathic doctor can assist you in your running performance. Naturopathic doctors approach your health and wellbeing from a holistic standpoint, meaning they look at the big picture. They check to see if there are any connections between all aspects of your health to hopefully find the root cause(s) of your health concerns. Their goal is to give you natural tools to use on a day to day basis so that you can be empowered to take control of your health and be the best version of yourself. I wish you a happy and healthy running season, continue to chase (literally) those big running dreams!
References:
Antonio, J., Kalman, D., Stout, J., Greenwood, M., Willoughby, D. and Haff, G. (2014). Essentials of sports nutrition and supplements. 627-628.
Bytomski, J. (2018). Fueling for performance. 10(1): 47-53
Maxine, S. (2016) Effects of Curcuma longa Extracts Compared With Ibuprofen for Reduction of Pain and Functional Improvement in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis. 30(3):183–186
https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com/databases/food,-herbs-supplements/professional.aspx?productid=662#adverseEvents
Chokroverty, S., Avidan, A. (2016) Bradley’s Neurology in Clinical Practice. 102, 1615 - 1685, 7th Edition.
