This post is Part III of my research paper on the eating habits of 141
triathletes and marathoners I surveyed in the Fall 2008 during my first
year of graduate school in anthropology. At that time I was still new
to the various theoretical perspectives in anthropology and was figuring
out myself how best to explain why people do what they do. In this post I will explore some of the reasons why triathletes and competitive marathon runners have their peculier diets and eating rituals according to two various anthropological perspectives.
Diet and food are the reflections of one's culture and status or class
The first theoretical model I used to explain the diet and eating practices of triathletes and competitive marathon runners is a post-modern one which explains the motivations of behavior and values as a product the dominant mores in a culture and one's class. I used the anthropological concept of one’s
un-selfconscious habits and routine practices known as
habitus. One's habitus consists of the variety of practices and routine habits of day-to-day living that are based on one's culture and one's class status in society. This concept was developed by French post-modern anthropologist Pierre Bourdieu. He believed that one's perspectives and habitual practices of day-to-day living were actually the products of the cultural rules and values of one's society and one's socio-economic status in that society. Either a person abides by the dominating ideals and practices (e.g. the hegemonic values) of his or her society or resists them. In the early days of triathlon it was a counter-culture sport that resisted the some of dominant values of American culture that idealized corporate life and making a lot of money as the dominant goals for an adult. This pre-Babyboomer culture relegated competitive
sports to professional athletes, the military and young people who had the time
and resource to train. Participation was regulated to members of a school or club
team in order to compete in races.
The habitas of triathletes and marathon runners: Socio-economic class and dominant class
values
The sport of triathlon matured from a bunch of crazy races done by a bunch of counter-cultural teachers, ex-Navy SEALS and lifeguards into a
highly conventionalized sport that reflects the dominant values of fitness and individual achievement in American culture. It also has become commoditized enough to have financial barriers to entry for their participants (Giulianotti 2005). A
typical triathlon
race entry fee has escalated from $30-$50 to $100 and more per person. The Ironman triathlon
entry fee was $300 in 2008 and is much more now (World Triathlon Corporation 2008). The sport is no longer accessible to people of average means. According to Triathlete
Magazine, the average subscriber spent $24,408 each year on triathlon-related purchases in 2008
(Triathlete 2008). Triathletes and marathon runners routinely eat high-carb and nutritious home made meals and specially formulated high-carbohydrate
meal supplements.
The socio-economic class indicators of the triathletes I surveyed are congruent with their dietary practices and the amount of leisure time required to be a competative triathlete.
- 71%
are professionals such as doctors, lawyers, accountants, environmental
engineers, computer engineers, teachers, college professors, scientists,
etc.
- 50% have an annual household income of
$80,000 or more
- 53% have earned a bachelors degree
- 33% have post-graduate training,
certification, a masters or a doctorate degree
- 42% have the leisure time to train 10
hours or more a week
The socio-economic class indicators of surveyed marathon and ultra runners also
correlated with their upper middle class diets and time to train.
- 81% are professionals such as doctors,
lawyers, accountants, environmental engineers, computer engineers,
teachers, college professors, scientists, etc.
- 56% have an annual household income of
$80,000 or more
- 87.5% have earned a bachelors degree
- 49% have post-graduate training,
certification, a masters or a doctorate degree
·
50% have the leisure time to train 10 hours or more a
week
Triathletes’ and
marathon runners’ food choices of “what to eat” reflect the resources and
ideals underpinning the dominant culture dictated by professional
socio-economic class (Bourdieu 1984). According to sport anthropologist and
marathon runner Charles Prebish, like religion, a sport is both reflective of
the dominant culture and supports the maintenance of the social status quo over
time as it becomes commoditized and institutionalized (Prebish 1993).
Individual achievement, self-discipline, sacrifice and unremitting work using
ones “God-given ability as a way of glorifying God” is a core Protestant value
that has dominated American culture since this country began (Prebish 1993:100). Mastering fatigue and hunger, many triathletes and marathon or ultra
runners wake up “dark-thirty” (a term meaning “before dawn” according to one of
my Ironman triathlete informants) each morning in order to get in an early
morning run, bike ride or Master’s swim workout before they go to work. Again
denying their hunger pangs they may skip the 12 o’clock lunch break with their
co-workers in order catch a noon workout and then snack alone at their desks
later.
It's no surprise that the rise of individual sports, fitness gyms and adult competitive athletes occurred with the rise of the "me" generation of Babyboomers. This generation valued individualism in their thinking and lifestyle choices and rejected some of the traditional and conformitive values of their Word War II generation parents. Beginning with the running boom there was a growth of street races that were open to anyone who could pay the entrance free. In the early years of triathlon, it was an individual sport where competitors competed against each other rather. The strain of individualism and counter-culture of the 1970s combined with the health and fitness movements to create these sports that were both the products of the new fitness and health culture and individualist and feminist counter-culture movements of the time.
Science is upheld as the ultimate authority in their food choices
according to 92% of the surveyed triathletes who answered “yes” to
the question if their
athletic performance would improve with “scientifically advanced equipment,
training aids or nutrition products.”
Slightly less
marathon runners,
83% , said “yes” to that question (Appendix
B:15). None of the triathletes surveyed chose “low cost” as the most important
factor in
their food choices (Appendix A:14) and
only 1% of the surveyed marathon and ultra runners did so (Appendix B:14).
The
surveyed athletes responses are congruent with the dominant American cultural
and the sports nutritionist view of the importance of basing one’s diet on
nutritional guidelines that are based on scientific research in maintaining a
healthy lifestyle (Hab 2008; USDA 2008; Maughan 2002, Ryan 2007). In my
secondary research, articles and papers written by athletes, coaches, sports
editors, exercise physiologists and sports nutrition experts seem to
conceptualize the human body scientifically as a “bio-machine” and perceive
food as a fuel for the body machine (Applegate
2006, Burke 2007, Fitzgerald 2006, Maughan 2002, Ryan 2007).
The rules and strict codes of behavior, dress and
ritual for a sport often reinforce class divisions and may create financial
barriers to participation (Bourdieu
1984:212). Bourdieu mentions the
high membership fees, strict dress codes and rules enforced at private tennis
clubs that effectively keep out the masses and reserve participation in these
sports at these exclusive venues for the elite few. Bourdieu avows that tennis
played in a municipal club with non-traditional attire of swim-trunks and
running shoes, for example, is “indeed another tennis, both in the way it’s
played and in the satisfaction it gives” (Bourdieu 1984:212).
Racing in a long-distance triathlon or ultra race without consuming scientifically formulated and packaged-for-convenience
carbohydrate supplements is a different kind of race. In the early counter-culture days of triathlon before
packaged endurance food supplements, Ironman triathletes such as Dave Scott relied on a
support crew who carried his rack of 10 bananas while he raced (Scott 2008).
The modern Ironman triathletes now must carry their own energy supplements and
depend on their special needs bags to carry them for hours of bike racing. Consuming
raw fruit such as bananas instead of the triathlete-marketed packaged food
supplements of energy gels and carbohydrate replacement drinks, pegs one as an
amateur according to several of my interviews with my triathletes.
These items are more than status markers however. Not using them puts one at a material
disadvantage when racing long distances.
Though one’s cultural habitus is unconscious, it presupposes beliefs influenced by one's culture and daily
practice. In the translated words of Bourdieu, “The habitus is necessity internalized and converted into a
disposition that generates meaningful practices and meaning-giving perceptions”
(Bourdieu 1984:170).
The meaning of foods and food rituals
The other theoretical models I used were the interpretive one's of the British Structuralists Victor Turner and Mary Douglas. They both believed that there were universal cognitive structures in every culture that structured behaviors and practices as either good or bad. Turner believed that social rituals affirmed one's identity and membership in their group and reproduced their group's rules in successive generations. These universal structures are known as binary structures and were pioneered by French anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss. I asked my triathletes and marathon runners how they felt about their diet (which foods were good ones and which foods were bad ones and why). I also asked them about their eating practices while training for a race, during a race and immediately after they finished a race. From these questions I learned about their common food beliefs, dietary rules and rituals which involved food. What I found out was really interesting. Most of them had strict food rules and food rituals which they followed during their training and racing regimes. But, they also broke these rules ritually in certain contexts.
Structure of a meal: from A+ 2B to CHO + xMm
According
to sports nutritionists and my surveyed
triathletes and marathon runners, a good meal for an endurance athlete can be in either a solid
or beverage form but it must include a lot of carbohydrates (Applegate 2008; Fitzpatrick
2006, Ryan 2007). The traditional
meal structure of the British which has influenced much of the food of dominant Anglo-American
culture consists of a meat that is accompanied by a starch and a vegetable according to British anthropologist Mary Douglas (Douglas 1975). According to her research, the proper
British meal includes an entrée of meat (A) that is accompanied by two side
dishes (2B) or "A + 2B". The two side dishes include a starch
and a vegetable. This entrée can be in the form of the proverbial "meat and potatoes" (with a side salad or cole slaw) or a hamburger with a meat patty sandwiched between bread and one or two vegetables (with ketchup being a vegetable in this context). The primary linchpin of the British meal though is meat.
Triathletes and marathon runners seem
to have their own “proper meal” structure in the formula "CHO + xMm". The linchpin for their meals is, instead of meat, is an easily digestible carbohydrate such as pasta, potatoes, rice or bagels and bananas. The letters “CHO” is the sports
nutrition and chemistry term for carbohydrates (Maughan 2002). In ”xMm”, the "x"
signifies a multiple or quantity of "M" (Macronutrients) and "m" (Micronutrients). Macronutrients or "M", in this reference, are proteins,
fats, and sugars in a diet that is optimized for athletic performances. The micronutrients or "m" are the necessary vitamins, electrolytes and minerals in a nutritious diet for an endurance athlete (USDA 2012).
What
they eat: Semiotics of good and bad foods
The
surveyed and interviewed athletes generally categorized foods as either “good foods”
or “bad foods” most consistently by their digestibility (important for
consuming foods while training and racing), their functional ability to
increase the athlete’s endurance, and their perceived healthfulness (Appendix
A: 27, 28; Appendix B: 27, 28). When asked to name “good foods” and “bad foods”
triathletes and marathon runners athletes alike categorized foods by the foods’
perceived health, athletic and performance functions. Good foods were described
as “healthy”, “nutritious”, “high carbohydrate”, “anti-oxidant”, “fresh”,
“whole grain”, “organic”, “non-processed”, “vegetarian” and “raw” (Appendix A: 28;
Appendix B: 28). Some of the descriptions they used for good foods seemed to be
symbolic of the ideals of these sport cultures such as “lean”, “in moderation”,
“light”, “low fat” and “whole” (Appendix A: 28; Appendix B: 28). Believing that
they are what they eat, triathletes and marathon runners seem to prefer eating
“light”, “low fat” and “whole” foods and thereby would imbue their bodies with
those qualities and thus they, in turn, would seem to embody their sport
cultures (Appendix A: 28; Appendix B: 28).
Bad foods
were described as the very qualities triathletes and marathon runners try to
avoid with their athletic performance. Symbolic of these bad qualities are
their “bad” food descriptors such as “fake”, “processed”, “high fat”, “fried”
(“fried” is also a slang term for “tired”—a state these athletes avoid when
training and racing), “preserved,” “fat” (race times are slower generally the
heavier one is), “heavy,” “artificial” and “junk” (term for over-training
without a specific performance goal is called “doing junk miles” in the lingo
of both of these sport cultures).
The
categories of foods are based on their functional attributes. These functions
are perceived to be based on scientific research on exercise physiology and
sports nutrition as well as the health and fitness trend in American culture--
rather than on religious beliefs or traditions.
Good
foods–
Moderate
amounts of high carbohydrate and micronutrient rich foods were uniformly cited
as generally “good foods”, a category which matched the prevailing sports
nutrition discourse (Ryan 2007; Maughan 2002 ;USDA 2008). What I didn’t see
that surprised me were foods being categorized “good” because they were
“organic” or “natural.” Perhaps the mainstream acceptance of those labels have
made them no longer differentiating or meaningful or perhaps these are just not
as important to these athletes as the foods functional qualities in regards to
one’s athletic performance. Though a few respondents did say that they
preferred vegan or vegetarian foods.
Also, many foods that were good were noted as “lean” which reflects the
dominant fitness trend and embodied culture of runners as lean and athletic (Bourdieau
1984: 214). Representative examples of
“good foods” for triathletes are in Appendix A: 28 and for runners are in Appendix B.
Bad foods–
The bad
foods cited by marathon runners and triathletes generally mirrored the same
foods categorized as “bad” in the American media lately. Foods that contain
high fructose corn syrup, MSG, too much salt, and trans fats are “bad”. These
athletes usually consider fried foods and “drug foods” such as coffee, alcohol
and refined sugar are as “bad”. Also, considered “bad” are red meat, processed
foods, fast foods. Representative “bad foods” by surveyed triathletes are in
Appendix A: 27. Representative “bad foods” according to surveyed marathon and
ultra runners are in Appendix B: 27. The responses for both of these sport
cultures are nearly identical.
Food Rituals: Pre-race meals and post-race rites of reversal
Sharing a meal
with others is symbolic of social ties and is often practiced ritualistically before
an important race. Triathletes and marathon runners who train and travel together to a race often have a “Pre-Race Pasta” party or partake in “Carbo Loading” dinner. The commensality of these
meals enforces the social bonds within the group of athletes and friends as
they experience a spirit of communitas, or a feeling of egalitarianism and connection with each before a race (Giulanotti 2005:6).
Something interesting happens to
the earlier mentioned food categories of “good foods” and “bad foods” when many
triathletes and marathoners attend post-race awards dinners and celebrations.
In these celebratory group meals many athletes who have abided for often months by strict dietary rules go on what is called "post-race binges". During a post-race binge, the categories of foods get reversed. What is normally a “bad food” like a hamburger and fries or alcoholic beverages, are now temporarily re-categorized as a “reward” or a “treat” and consumed with
gusto and in large quanitities (Appendix A: 26; Appendix B: 26). Once these athletes cross the finish
line many of them seem to ignore their food prohibitions and, quite frankly, go temporarily food crazy and eat things like donuts and steaks and junk food with abandon. Post-race
celebrations seem to function as a rite of reversal as a socially acceptable way
to blow off steam (Turner 1964). Many of these normally "early to bed and early to rise" athletes stay up
late, party and sleep in the next morning. Some representative responses of what triathletes I surveyed said they ate after
they raced in their post-race binges are in Appendix A. The marathon and ultra runners I surveyed had similar food
category reversals are are mentioned Appendix B.
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Individualism,
asceticism and the right to happiness
The sports of triathlon and marathon running both
reflect the dominant individualistic culture in the United States where
pursuing happiness is a right. (Csikszentmihalyi
1990) According to my triathlete and runner informants’ responses, the reason
why they live this way is for self-improvement (Appendix A: 3; Appendix B: 3)--with
the exception of only 2 of the 133 the survey respondents.
The sports of
triathlon and marathon running also profoundly reflect the Protestant value
system that has dominated American culture since America’s beginning. According
to anthropologist and marathon runner Charles Prebish, the value orientations
underlying individual competitive sports such as triathlon and marathon running
are “more or less secularized versions of the core values of Protestantism”
(Prebish 1993:97). The assumptions held by the Calvinist doctrine of
Protestantism, as interpreted by sociologist Max Weber in his influential book
“The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism”, is cited by Prebish to be
nearly identical to the values held by marathon runners (Prebish 1993:98). A
marathon runner’s disciplined diet and daily training regime, his “hard work”,
is believed to be a necessary part of his success. To the Calvinists: “Work per se was exalted; indeed, it was
sacred. The clearest manifestation of being chosen by God was success in one’s
work.” (Prebish 1993:98) This
individual drive for success (“Winning is everything”), self-discipline (“No
pain, no gain”) and hard work (“God helps those who help themselves.”) are some
of the most valued qualities in an athlete. They are also the original tenants of
Protestantism (Prebish 1993:99). According to Prebish this congruency between
the Protestant religion and individual competitive sports in the United States
in not an accident. Like religion, a sport is both reflective of the dominant
culture and supports the maintenance of the social status quo over time as it
becomes commercialized and institutionalized (Prebish 1993:101).
Conclusion
The deliberative and structured
food ways of triathletes and marathon runners are a significant element of
cultural behavior. The food ways are a product of the athletes training
schedules and physical demands, true, but are they are also products of the
athletes’ belief in the supremacy of science and their position in the economic
system. “All strictly health-orientated practices such as walking and jogging”
are in the “ascetic dispositions of upwardly mobile individuals who are
prepared to find satisfaction in effort itself and to take the deferred
gratifications of their present sacrifice at face value” (Bourdieu 1984:214).
From reviewing the material cultureof the typical triathlete’s or marathon runner’s diet, it
became clear to me that food was considered more as a “fuel” for the “body machine.”
Also, science in the form of sports nutrition articles and scientific sounding
food packaging claims, seems to be the authority dictating much of the foodways
of triahletes and marathon runners (Leslie 2001) and eating certain foods
before races where one of several “pre-race rituals” practiced by most
triathletes and marathoners. Meals and snacks are considered more as a means to
an end (Appendix A: 22; Appendix B: 22) with the end being health and an
optimal race performance. The exception to this is the post-race celebratory
meals that clearly seem to function as a rite of reversal--a socially and
culturally acceptable means for these athletes to relax their food rules and
eat for taste, pleasure and commensality rather than for their individual health
and athletic performance goals.
The food ways of triathletes and
marathon runners are chosen for their functional attributes in helping them
pursue their individual goals of self-improvement. The meaning of their food
choices, influenced by sports nutrition and food marketing, are at the same
time, symbolically maintaining their self-identity as being members of their class status and their these
sport sub-cultures. Their daily practice as triathletes and marathon runners with their sports nutrition diet and structured training workouts and pre- and post-race food rituals, produce and re-produce these sport cultures.
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Appendix A: Foodways Survey for Triathletes (n=29)
1. How many triathlons have you done (of any distance)? (29 answered)
3.4% (1) None
yet (zero)
6.9% (2) 1
6.9% (1) 2-4
27.6% (8) 5-10
13.8% (4) 11-25
20.7% (6) 25-50
17.2% (5) 50-100
0.0% (0) 100-200
3.4% (1) 200+
2. How many Full Ironman distance triathlons or longer races
have you finished?
(29 answered)
62.1% (18)
None
20.7% (6) 1-2
10.3% (3) 3-5
0.0% (0) 6-9
6.9% (2) 10+
3. I train and race triathlons primarily for (choose best
answer) (29 answered)
93.1% (27) self-improvement
6.9% (2) to
help others (wish to support my team, work, country, family, charity or group)
4. Many of my current friends are triathletes. (29 answered)
58% (17) True
41.4% (12) False
5. Age (29 answered)
0.0% (0) Under
20
10.3% (3) 20-29
27.6% (8) 30-39
31.0% (9) 40-49
24.1% (7) 50-59
6.9% (2) 60-69
0.0% (0) 70-79
0.0% (0) 80+
6. Gender (29 answered)
31.0% (9)
Male
69.0% (20) Female
7. An athletic, lean and tanned body is essential for
achieving my goals and mirrors my values. (29
answered)
37.9% (11) True
62.1% (18) False
8. What do you do for a living? (25
answered)
0.0% (0) Student
4.0% (1) Retired
12.0% (3) Caregiver
or homemaker
(of your own
children or elderly parents)
84.0% (21) Work
or profession (fill in below):
About 57% of the respondents who
work are employed as professionals such as accountants, medical doctors,
engineers, and teachers.
9.Annual Household Income (28
answered)
3.6% (1) 0-$40,000
42.9% (12) $40,000-$80,000
35.7% (10) $80,000-$120,000
3.6% (1) $120,000-$160,000
3.6% (1) $160,000-$200,000
3.6% (1) $200,000-$240,000
7.1% (2) $240,000
+
54% of the triathletes had over
$80,000 in household income
18% of the triathletes had over
$120,000 in household income.
10. Highest
level of education (28 answered)
0.0% (0) High
School
14.3% (4) AA
or some college
53.6% (15) Bachelor’s
degree
14.3% (4) Some
graduate study or certification
17.9% (5) Master’s
degree
0.0% (0) Doctorial
in law degree
0.0% (0) Medical
doctor, Ph. D, other doctorate degree
11. Do you train and race on your own or with friends? (28 answered)
35.7% (10) Alone
(I train and race mostly on my own)
64.3% (18) Communal
(I train and race with friends or family)
12. On a good training day, about how many times do you work
out physically? (28 answered)
17.9% (5) 1
time or activity
71.4%
(20) 2
times or activities
3.6% (1) 3
times or activities
7.1% (2) 4
or more times or activities
13. How many hours per week do you normally physically
workout (during race season or when actively training)? (20 answered)
Average: 14.2 hours
Men’s average (5): 14.8 hours
Women’s average (15): 13.5 hours
14. I can improve my race times and/or my performance with
scientifically advanced equipment, training research, training aides, private
coaching or nutrition products. (28 answered)
92.9% (26) True
7.1% (2) False
15. Why do you eat what you eat? For example, what is the
most important factor in choosing
your food? (27 answered)
70.4% (19) Nutrition,
health and/or athletic performance benefit
11.1% (3) Convenience,
ease of preparation or availability
0.0% (0) Low
calorie
0.0% (0) Low
cost
0.0% (0) Habit
or tradition
18.5% (5) Fine
ingredients and preparation, excellent quality and taste
0.0% (0) Sustainability,
organic, and/or animals rights factors
16. Where did did you get most of your current knowledge and
beliefs about nutrition? (Check all answers that apply.) (27 answered)
14.8% (4) My
parents or other family members
0.0% (0) My
religious, spiritual or moral beliefs
0.0% (0) Environmental,
sustainability and animal rights information
44.4% (12) Written
sports nutrition and scientific research information
11.1% (3) Trial
and error
22.2% (6) Word-of-mouth
from friends, athletes or coaches
7.4% (2) Other
17. Where do you frequently eat or snack (check all that
apply) (27 answered)
88.9% (24) Home
14.8% (4) In
the car
18.5% (5) On
my bike
18.5% (5) Restaurant/deli/fast-food
place
48.1% (13) Work
3.7% (1) Fitness
center, park, pool, beach or trail
18. When do you normally eat? Please check each approximate
hour that you normally consume calories as a food or a beverage. (27 answered)
0.0% (0) 1
AM 25.9%
(7) 1
PM
0.0% (0) 2
AM 22.2%
(6) 2
PM
0.0% (0) 3
AM 37.0%
(10) 3
PM
3.7% (1) 4
AM 29.6%
(8) 4
PM
0.0% (0) 5
AM 3.7%
(1) 5
PM
14.8% (4) 6
AM 33.3%
(9) 6
PM
55.6% (15) 7
AM 59.3%
(16) 7
PM
25.9% (7) 8
AM 14.8%
(4) 8
PM
14.8% (4) 9
AM 0.0% (0) 9
PM
40.7% (11) 10
AM 3.7%
(1) 10
PM
14.8% (4) 11
AM 0.0%
(0) 11
PM
59.3% (16) Noon 0.0%
(0) Midnight
19. How often do you eat (consume calories as a food or a
beverage)? (27 answered)
0.0% (0) 1-2
times a day
7.4% (2) 3
times a day
40.7% (11) 4
times a day
44.4% (12) 5
times a day
3.7% (1) 7
times a day
3.7% (1) 8
+ times a day
20. Do you normally prepare most of your food or do you buy
it pre-made or packaged? (27 answered)
66.7 % (18) Make
it or eat it un-prepared (raw)
33.3% (9) Buy
it prepared or packaged
21. How regularly do you consume the items listed below? (25-26
answered)
Never Sometimes
Often
Energy or
nutrition bars 11.5%
(3) 34.5%
(9) 53.8%
(14)
Energy or
sport drinks 24.0%
(6) 36.0%
(9) 40.0%
(10)
Energy
gels 28.0%
(7) 40.0%
(10) 32.0%
(8)
Vitamin/mineral
supplements 7.7% (2) 42.3%
(11) 50.0%
(13)
Caffeine
(coffee, tea, etc.) 4.0%
(1) 40.0%
(10) 56.0%
(15)
Low
alcoholic beverages 8.0%
(2) 76.0%
(19) 12.0%
(3)
(beer/wine)
High
alcoholic beverages 68.0%
(17) 28.0%
(7) 0.0%
(0)
(shots/mixed
drinks)
Anti-inflammatories
20.0%
(4) 68.0%
(17) 12.0%
(3)
(Advil,
Motrin, etc.)
Electrolyte
replacement pills 54.2%
(13) 8.3%
(2) 37.5%
(9)
Fast-food
or take out 54.2%
(13) 41.7%
(10) 4.2%
(1)
Restaurant
food 4.0%
(1) 88.0%
(22) 8.0%
(2)
Home
cooking 0.0%
(0) 7.7%
(2) 92.3%
(24)
22. Do you eat to train and race? Or, do you train and race
so you can eat what you want? (27 answered)
51.9% (14) I
eat to train and race better.
48.1% (13) I
train and race so I can eat what I want.
23. Night before an important race: Do you eat a certain
food, food category or supplement the day before an important race? If so,
please explain. (25 answered)
Only one of the twenty-five
respondents said that they didn’t eat anything special the night (or 2-3
nights) before an important race. The other twenty-four respondents to the
triathlete foodways survey mentioned eating special foods such as these: high carbohydrate
foods or “carbs” such as pasta, rice, potatoes and moderate amounts of foods
that are not spicy and are easy to digest. My triathlete informants told me
that they try to eat the same foods before a race so as to better their chances
for a good race.
24. Race morning: What do you normally ingest before an
important race? How long before the race? (23
answered)
Typical “Race
Morning” foods eaten by triathletes were: energy
bars, bananas, oatmeal, Gatorade, water, bagels, peanut butter and honey (or jelly)
sandwiches. The triathletes were pretty precise not only what food was eaten,
but the quantities eaten and the period of time they ate before the race start.
A typical response was this one: “1/2 banana, 1/2 energy bar; coffee;
energy drink. 2-3 hours before; energy drink right before race.”
25. During a race: What do you normally consume while
racing? (23 answered)
The triathletes’ “During
Racing” foods most commonly mentioned were packaged carbhohydrate supplements
such as energy gels, energy beverages and energy bars such as PowerBar. A
typical response was this one: “I keep hydrated with Cytomax and water.
Half Ironman=12 gels, Ironman=12 gels, Half Marathon=4 gels. I take a couple of
PowerBars on the bike for the half and full Ironman. Ironman I always take a
couple of Hostess fruit pies and a package of fig Newtons.”
26. Celebrating after a race: What do you normally consume
the evening after you finish an important race? Is it different than your
pre-race diet? Explain please.
(18 answered)
The triathletes I surveyed wrote
responses such as these:
· “anything/everything
and beer”
· “love
burritos and margaritas!”
· “French
fries, burger, salty foods. Wine or beer. Treat foods.”
· “whatever
I'm craving at the time, frequently something full of fat and salt (like pizza)
after a long race.”
· “A
big fat steak!”
27. Please name some "bad foods". For example what
foods and/or beverages are bad for you and may hinder you achieving your
athletic, health or philosophical goals if consumed too often? (24 answered)
Representative responses of “bad
foods” for triathletes:
- “simple
carbs, alcohol, processed food”
- “Alcohol,
preservative laden foods, ice cream”
- “fried
foods, lots of meat, lots of alcohol, soda!”
- “CHOCOLATE,
COFFEE, SUGARS, STARCH”
- “anything
with fake sugars desserts fast food of any kind”
28. Please name some "good foods". For example
what foods and/or beverages are good for you and may help you achieve your
athletic, health and philosophical goals? (24 answered)
Representative responses of “good
foods” for triathletes:
- “carbohydrate foods like bagels,
oatmeal, energy gels, bars like PowerBar.”
- “I find whole foods are best and I
also try and avoid a lot of dairy …”
- “high
carbohydrate foods like bagels, oatmeal, energy gels, bars like PowerBar”.
- “fruit
and vegetables and juices. Yams/sweet potatoes for high carb content.”
- “WHOLE GRAIN BREAD, BANANAS, PASTA”
END OF FOODWAYS OF TRIATHLETES SURVEY
Appendix B: Foodways Survey for Marathon Runners
(n=117)
1. How many marathons or ultras (races over 26.2 miles) have
you finished? (117 answered)
6.8% (8) None
yet (training for my first!)
5.1% (6) 1
15.4% (18) 2-4
22.2% (26) 5-10
22.2% (26) 11-20
18.8% (22) 21-50
4.3% (5) 51-100
5.1% (6) 100+
2. Based on your training and racing, what would you call
yourself if asked?
(117 answered)
20.5 % (24) Marathon
runner
43.6% (51) Ultra
runner (runs distances longer than the 26.2 mile marathon)
23.9% (28) Runner
3.4% (4) Formerly
competitive runner
6.8% (8) An
athletic person
1.8% (2) Other
3. Most of the time I train for, and sometimes race in, marathons
primarily for (choose best answer) (115 answered)
98.3 % (113) self-improvement
1.7% (2) to
help others (wish to support my team, work, country, family, charity or group)
4. Many of my current friends are runners. (117 answered)
79.5% (93) True
20.5% (24) False
5. Age (114 answered)
0.0% (0) Under
20
8.8% (10) 20-29
27.2% (31) 30-39
32.5% (37) 40-49
23.7% (27) 50-59
6.1% (7) 60-69
0.9% (1) 70-79
0.9% (1) 80+
6. Gender (113 answered)
52.2% (59)
Male
47.8% (54) Female
7. An athletic, lean and tanned body is essential for
achieving my goals and mirrors my values. (113
answered)
33.6% (38) True
66.4% (75) False
8. What do you do for a living? (111
answered)
5.4% (6) Student
8.1% (9) Retired
5.4% (6) Caregiver
or homemaker
(of your own
children or elderly parents)
81.1% (94) Work
or profession (fill in below)
55% of those who work were
professionals such as attorneys, accountants, scientists, teachers, physicians,
engineers, writers, and managers.
8. Annual Household Income (110
answered)
10.9% (12) 0-$40,000
32.7% (36) $40,000-$80,000
21.8% (24) $80,000-$120,000
20.0% (22) $120,000-$160,000
8.2% (9) $160,000-$200,000
3.6% (4) $200,000-$240,000
2.7% (3) $240,000
+
56% of the runners had a household
income of $80, 000+
35% of the runners had a household
income of $120,000+
10. Highest
level of education (115 answered)
1.7% (2) High
School
10.4% (12) AA
or some college
37.4% (43) Bachelor’s
degree
11.3% (13) Some
graduate study or certification
25.2% (29) Master’s
degree
5.2% (6) Doctorial
in law degree
8.7% (10) Medical
doctor, Ph. D, other doctorate degree
92% of the runners held a bachelors
degree or higher.
11. Do you train and race on your own or with friends
mostly? (112 answered)
51.8%
(58) Alone
(I train and race mostly on my own)
48.2%
(54) Communal
(I train and race with friends or family)
12. On a good training day, about how many times do you work
out physically? (115 answered)
54.8 (63) 1
time or activity
39.1% (45) 2
times or activities
3.5% (4) 3-4
times or activities
2.6% (3) 5
or more times or activities
13. How many hours per week do you normally physically
workout (during race season or when actively training)? (111 answered)
Average:
11.6 hours
Men’s average
(57): 11.7 hours
Women’s average
(52): 11.5 hours
14. I can improve my race times
and/or my performance with scientifically advanced equipment, training
research, training aides, or nutrition products. (115 answered)
84.3%
(97) True
15.7%
(18) False
15. Why do you eat what you eat? For example, what is the
most important factor in
choosing your food? (111 answered)
34.2% (38) Nutrition,
health and/or athletic performance benefit
(Females responded higher: 40%,
than males 29%)
21.6% (24) Convenience,
ease of preparation or availability (males responded a higher percentage with
31%)
8.1% (9) Low
calorie (females responded higher: 14%, than males 4%)
0.9% (1) Low
cost
9.9% (11) Habit
or tradition
14.4% (16) Fine
ingredients and preparation, excellent quality and taste
10.8% (12) Sustainability,
organic, and/or animals rights factors
16. Where did did you get most of your current knowledge and
beliefs about nutrition? (Check all answers that apply.) (110 answered)
5.5% (6) My
parents or other family members
0.9% (1) My
religious, spiritual or moral beliefs
7.3% (8) Environmental,
sustainability and animal rights information
38.2% (42) Written
sports nutrition and scientific research information
25.5% (28) Trial
and error
13.6% (15) Word-of-mouth
from friends, athletes or coaches
9.1% (10) Other
17. Where do you frequently eat or snack (check all that
apply) (111 answered)
86.5% (96) Home
22.5% (25) In
the car
3.6% (4) On
my bike
26.1% (29) Restaurant/deli/fast-food
place
59.5% (66) Work
5.4% (6) Fitness
center, park, pool, beach or trail
18. When do you normally eat? Please check each approximate
hour that you normally consume calories as a food or a beverage. (111 answered)
0.0% (0) 1
AM 32.4%
(36) 1
PM
0.9% (1) 2
AM 18.9%
(21) 2
PM
0.0% (0) 3
AM 28.8%
(32) 3
PM
1.8% (2) 4
AM 24.3%
(27) 4
PM
6.3% (7) 5
AM 16.2%
(18) 5
PM
15.3% (17) 6
AM 36.9%
(41) 6
PM
47.7% (53) 7
AM 31.5%
(35) 7
PM
26.1% (29) 8
AM 28.8%
(32) 8
PM
19.8% (22) 9
AM 18.0% (20) 9
PM
33.3% (37) 10
AM 8.1%
(9) 10
PM
14.8% (20) 11
AM 2.7%
(3) 11
PM
42.3% (47) Noon 2.7%
(3) Midnight
19. How often do you eat (consume calories as a food or a
beverage)? (109 answered)
4.6% (5) 1-2
times a day
15.6% (17) 3
times a day
23.9% (26) 4
times a day
36.7% (40) 5
times a day
16.5% (18) 7
times a day
2.8% (3) 8
+ times a day
20. Do you normally prepare most of your food or do you buy
it pre-made or packaged? (110 answered)
68.2 % (75) Make
it or eat it un-prepared (raw)
31.8% (35) Buy
it prepared or packaged
21. How regularly do you consume the items listed below? (108-110
answered)
Never Sometimes
Often
Energy or
nutrition bars 15.6%
(17) 56.9%
(62) 27.5%
(30)
Energy or
sport drinks 12.8%
(14) 37.6%
(41) 49.5%
(54)
Energy
gels 17.3%
(19) 37.3%
(41) 45.5%
(50)
Vitamin/mineral
supplements 21.1% (23) 26.6%
(29) 52.3%
(57)
Caffeine
(coffee, tea, etc.) 10.0%
(11) 20.9%
(23) 69.1%
(76)
Low
alcoholic beverages 22.7%
(25) 53.6%
(59) 23.6%
(26)
(beer/wine)
High
alcoholic beverages 65.7%
(71) 31.5%
(34) 2.8%
(3)
(shots/mixed
drinks)
Anti-inflammatories
28.2%
(31) 56.4%
(63) 15.5%
(17)
(Advil,
Motrin, etc.)
Electrolyte
replacement pills 41.8%
(46) 30%
(33) 28.2%
(31)
Fast-food
or take out 42.2%
(46) 50.5%
(55) 7.3%
(8)
Restaurant
food 2.7%
(3) 81.8%
(90) 15.5%
(17)
Home
cooking 0.0%
(0) 23.6%
(26) 76.4%
(84)
22. Do you eat to train and race? Or, do you train and race
so you can eat what you want? (109 answered)
56.0% (61) I
eat to train and race better.
44% (48) I
train and race so I can eat what I want. (Females responded slightly higher
percentage: 45%)
23. Night before an important race: Do you eat a certain
food, food category or supplement the day before an important race? If so,
please explain. (101 answered)
The
percentage of runners who mentioned they eat “carbs”, “carbohydrates” or high
complex carbohydrate foods such as pasta, potatoes and rice was 55%.
Only 24%
(24) of the runners said that they don’t eat anything special for dinner the
night before (or 2-3 nights before) an important race. The majority, 76% (76), of the runners
said they do eat special foods before an important race and many of my
informants mentioned that they “try to eat the same thing” before a race—to
stick to what has worked in the past and to better their chances for a good race.
24. Race morning: What do you normally ingest before an
important race? How long before the race? (103
answered)
The most
commonly mentioned foods for breakfast on race day morning were: bagel, banana,
oatmeal, PBJ sandwich, energy bar and toast. Most common beverages were: water,
coffee and an energy drink. These foods were consumed generally 1 ½ to 2 hours before race
start. Triathletes usually said they tried to “eat the same thing” before an
important race.
25. During a race: What do you normally consume while
racing? (104 answered)
For shorter distances such as
marathons, energy gels were most commonly eaten while running. For longer
distances such as ultras, foods most commonly consumed while running were less
processed: baked potatoes with salt, cookies, gels, bananas, jelly beans,
oranges, grilled cheese sandwiches, gummy bears, pretzels, electrolyte pills
and Fig Newton’s.
26. Celebrating after a race: What do you normally consume
the evening after you finish an important race? Is it different than your
pre-race diet? Explain please.
(102 answered)
· “…
ice cold Sierra Nevada beer, big salad, maybe even some nachos. Mostly salty
cravings and fat cravings”
· “very
much so, often I will eat a very large, fatty, high protein dinner, like a gigantic
cheeseburger, or fried chicken.”
· “1
or 2 beers, some sort of red meat. This is very different from my normal diet
which is primarily vegetarian.”
· “Beer
and Mexican food. Spicy.”
· “BEER
OR MARGARITAS... BECAUSE I CAN!!!”
27. Please name some "bad foods". For example what
foods and/or beverages are bad for you and may hinder you achieving your
athletic, health or philosophical goals if consumed too often? (105 answered)
Representative
“bad foods” according to surveyed marathon runners are:
- “French fries, alcohol, sweets”
- “Anything that takes a while to digest or impedes digestion. I
tend to avoid: meat, friend foods, especially fried meat, cheese, anything
‘heavy’”
- “Liquor, fast foods, red meat, salt, processed foods”
- “Too much fat”
- “Processed foods tell me ‘evil’. Although I used soda
in ultras, just consuming them (my big vice) is not good at all. Dairy
products…Eating too much puts on fat. Take out food. Coffee…”
28. Please name some "good foods". For example
what foods and/or beverages are good for you and may help you achieve your
athletic, health and philosophical goals? (104 answered)
Representative
“good food” according to surveyed marathon runners are:
· “lean
protein sources, wild salmon, grass-fed beef, veggies, fruits, nuts, fish oil,
olive oil, coconut oil, protein supplements, maltdextrin for recovery.”
· “whole
grains, fruits & veg[ie]s”
· “skim
milk, yogurt, whey protein, bananas, apples, berries, oatmeal, lots of
broccoli, olive oil, chicken breast, salmon, … wheat breads. Water”
·
“Chicken, fruits, oatmeal, salads, beans, pasta,
seltzer water! … fresh, stuff that is lower in fat content, stuff that will
fill me but not fatten me…”
END OF FOODWAYS OF MARATHON RUNNERS SURVEY
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