Fueling the Runner: Spirulina and Chia
Performance boosters or hippie hype?
By Jackie Dikos, R.D.
As featured in the Web Only issue of Running Times Magazine
There’s no magic potion or secret pill that can replace what a sound, quality diet will provide. Good marketing makes it enticing to buy the latest supplement trend. It’s hard to decipher what can provide true nutritional benefit and potentially aid performance. Let’s take a deeper look into two prospective performance-boosting products: spirulina and chia seeds.Spirulina
A purchase of spirulina can be made at the local health food store; it’s located in the algae supplements. Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that’s rich in nutrients like protein, B-complex vitamins, beta-carotene, zinc, chlorophyll, the essential fatty acid GLA, and phytonutrients. It has been used for centuries for multiple purposes including an immune booster, weight loss aid and stress-reducing supplement. It wasn’t until earlier this year that spirulina received attention for its potentially beneficial effects on running performance.
A study was performed where nine runners where asked to run at 75% VO2 max for two hours followed by 95% VO2 max to exhaustion. The runners were tested with a placebo and after using spirulina. They were able to run an average of 30 percent longer after having been supplemented with spirulina. An increase in fat oxidation and decrease in carbohydrate oxidation was also noted. These findings suggest that spirulina supports the body’s ability to preserve glycogen stores and utilize fat for energy more efficiently. Spirulina also reduced oxidative damage and promoted antioxidant activity after exercise.
Further investigation, including additional studies, is warranted, but the results of the study seem promising. Spirulina use appears to be safe and have few side effects. However, as with all herbs and supplements, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn’t impose strict regulations on its production, so the product’s purity and safety can be compromised, and improper harvesting can contaminate the product with heavy metals. Purchase should be made only from trusted distributors.
Aside from any potential performance gain, spirulina could be considered another source of concentrated nutrition. It’s available in pill, powder or flake form, and can be snuck into soup, smoothies or even guacamole. The suggested monthly dose costs approximately $15.00 to $20.00. Even if little performance improvement is seen with the use of spirulina, there may be overall health benefits gained from its nutritional composition that would make it worth rotating into the diet.
Chia Seeds
Those who have read the book Born to Run by Chris McDougall know about the use of the chia seeds by “the running people” of the hidden Tarahumara tribe in Mexico. Chia seeds are valuable as a source of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, protein, antioxidants and minerals. Although chia is an excellent source of quality nutrition, there is virtually no research to prove that there is any type of performance gain with specific supplementation.
What we do know is that the seeds offer nutritional qualities essential to a runner’s diet. If a diet rich in foods like fish and flax is not your forte, incorporating chia is an excellent option as one of the highest natural sources of omega-3. A two-tablespoon serving of chia seeds provides about 200 mg of calcium, close in comparison to the 300 mg of calcium found in a cup of milk. That same two-tablespoon serving contributes a filling 7 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein—not to mention other nutrients such as potassium, iron and zinc.
The chia seed is often compared to flax, but I find the two to be fairly different. Although they both prove to be great sources of essential fatty acids, chia has a milder flavor and is more shelf-stable. Chia also doesn’t have the hard seed coat like the flax seed, so it doesn’t have to be ground to take advantage of its powerful oils and nutrients.
A chia seed absorbs about 9-10 times its weight in water, almost instantly creating a gel-like consistency on the tongue. Chia seeds have a pleasant taste and crunch, making easy to add to salads, baked goods, yogurt, or tossed with rice. Chia seeds can be purchased in whole form, ground, flour, or already prepared in tasty options like Salba Life Bars and Chia Ginger Superfood cereal. Eat them raw, ground, roasted, gelled or baked.
While claims made about extended endurance in athletes who consume chia have not been proven, chia seeds are without question a healthy addition to the diet.
Will these particular supplements guarantee improved performance? Given the information available at this time, that’s likely a heavy claim. However, they do carry important components of a runner’s diet that may otherwise be lacking. Instead of looking at such products as instant performance enhancers, consider them valuable tools to complete a well-rounded diet.
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Jackie Dikos, R.D., is a 2:45 marathoner and mother of two. All of her Fueling the Runner articles can be found at http://runningtimes.com/fuel.
