Protein and Salt

 When I come home doing my long runs, I would look like the ashiest person known to man. I first thought that my skin was drying out, but when I looked closer it was salt. WTF??? Nina told me that I needed to eat more salty foods or drink Gatorade.  I found an article called “Salt and Runners” at runtheplanet.com  and it says “Some runners have saltier sweat than others. Salty sweaters tend to end up with a crust of salt on their skin after a hard workout…If you lose two pounds of sweat per hour for four hours of sweaty running, your sodium losses can become significant (4,000 milligrams of sodium). You should eat salty foods to replace the losses.”  So Nina was right. I drank Gatorade and I don’t look like a ashy person anymore.

Now Protein seems to be an issue. This week has been “Hell Week” because of so many things that happened. I just seemed exhausted all the time. I was eating right and exercising so I didn’t see an issue. On Friday, a few people asked me if I was getting enough protein. What? The first thing that popped into my mind was a steak. I’m not a red meat eater. I can eat a burger once in a while or sausage, but that is my limit. I’m a chicken and seafood girl. 

I asked one of my co-workers if lack of protein makes you feel tired or exhausted. He said that protein and complex carbs can make you feel exhausted. “Your body burns the carbs for fast energy and the protein helps repair your muscles as you break them down. If you are working out real hard with not much protein your body will be much slower in repairing itself which could make you feel that way. Right after a hard workout your body is screaming for protein and easy carbs to break down. The carbs give your body the instant energy it needs so it doesn’t eat your body. The protein helps it rebuild itself.”

Just the thought of increasing my protein intake make me sick. Then I realized there are other ways to build up my protein intake. I could drink protein shakes (that actually taste good) or more dairy products so I’m considering that.