Nutrition News and Views

Your body changes over time, and so do your nutritional needs. Masters endurance athletes have to fuel themselves a little differently from their younger competitors to maximize performance.

Aging is caused in part by free radical damage to body tissues. A diet that contains lots of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables will slow the aging process and its effects on performance. As the body ages its antioxidant capacity--that is, its capacity to protect itself from free radicals--decreases, and antioxidant capacity, in turn, is linked to endurance performance.

Supplementing a plant-based diet with additional antioxidants may yield further benefits. A study conducted by researchers at UCLA found that three weeks of antioxidant supplementation by cyclists over age 50 yielded a 16 percent increase in anaerobic threshold.

Article written by Jeff Galloway at www.jeffgalloway.com