Chris Carmichael's Food for Fitness

June 21, 2004
Marathon runners, triathletes, long-distance runners, bicyclists and other very active adults are "a minority group living in a society struggling to cope with serious health issues." America's current focus on low-carb dieting is of no concern to them, but there are scant resources available to guide them through the morass of protein intake, hydration and carb-loading. With this comprehensive resource for fueling active bodies, Carmichael fills a much-needed gap. The author, Lance Armstrong's coach for 14 years, insists he doesn't want readers to eat calories to specifically balance out the energy they expend. Rather, they'd do well to follow his in-depth program, which matches activity with food by periods, breaking the year into four big segments: foundation, preparation, specialization and transition. The amount of energy you burn changes as you go through weeks, months and a year of training, and eating the same basic number of calories all year results in over- and under-eating during certain months. It's a perfectly commonsense method, and Carmichael expounds upon it with charts and graphs that give facts on everything from sources of calcium to high-quality grains and cereals. Although the quantity of information can be dizzying, persistent and diligent elite athletes will come away from this book with plenty of ideas on how food can help them excel.