#216 The Science of Running Nutrition: What You Didn't Know About Sweat and Performance

On this episode, Andrea is joined by a very special guest: Dr. Allen Lim, founder of Skratch Labs. Allen gives us a breakdown on everything nutrition and hydration for endurance athletes. How should you fuel before/during the run? How do you measure and apply your sweat rate to how you hydrate? What role does protein play in recovery? And much more! While working as a sport scientist and coach for a professional cycling team, Dr. Allen Lim started making his own training food and sports drinks from scratch for the cyclists because too many of the pre-packaged sports bars and drinks that were marketed or given to them were laden with artificial ingredients and literally making them sick to their stomach. Eventually, he started making a “secret drink mix” in his kitchen using a recipe with less sugar, more sodium, and no artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors, with a simple and clean taste created by using real fruit. Soon, word of the "Secret Drink Mix" was spreading fast and it was clear that the demand for our all natural drink mixes extended far beyond cyclists or endurance athletes. To meet the growing demand, Allen put together a team of close friends and they decided to let the secret out by opening a little company in Boulder, Colorado called Skratch Labs. Head over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Skratch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠'s website and save 20% on your first order with code DOCTORSOFRUNNING! Chapters 0:00 - Intro 5:05 - How Skratch's products have developed over time 13:48 - Would it be better for some to not eat if they're limited on time before their run? 17:26 - How to measure and apply your sweat rate to your nutrition 26:04 - What is glycogen? 31:22 - Why is protein important for endurance athletes? 36:50 - What happens physiologically when you "bonk"? 40:42 - Wrap-up