🚀 go-pugleaf

In <2780@grivel.une.edu.au> tarmstro@metz.une.edu.au (tarmstro) writes:

>                                                                   I think
>it is a fine line between ideal racing weight, and losing strength. Steve
>Moneghetti went from 60kg to 56kg during the 4 day depletion phase of his
>diet before the Barcelona Olympic marathon. In hindsight (he ran poorly,
>finishing 42nd) he admits to losing to much weight.

First, one should never try to lose weight during the week before a marathon.
When I was racing marathons, the week before a marathon I would try to eat
as nutritiously as possible, avoiding all junk food and fat but eating a
lot of complex carbs, etc.  Second, any weight loss should be gradual,
both to increase your chances of keeping it off and to maintain your
strength.  Third, if he actual lost 4kg in 4 days, I imagine much of that
had to be water loss, which in itself is bad before a marathon -- he'd
go into it dehydrated (that could have been his problem).  4kg of actual
(non water) weight-loss in 4 days is 1kg per day, which is approximately
7700 kcals.  To have a deficit of 7700 kcals/day, he'd have to either be
running a lot (at 60kg, he'd have to run >77 miles/day) or be starving
himself.

-- Rick Schubert (rick.schubert@SanDiegoCA.NCR.COM)