Is ice cream bad for runners?

I eat on average a portion of fries a day. I also eat icecream(good quality) and homemade slices of cake everyday. Nothing wrong with me. I'm sub elite. If you eat icecream it is just better to avoid the ones with all additives and try and find ones that are made manually(like a nice cafe with handmade icecream). I spend more money and avoid cheap junk.

Ice cream is basically fat and sugar - why not eat something healthier instead ?

Eat the ice cream cone!!!! I ate a belgian waffle covered with 2-3 scoops of icecream drenched in maple syrup and strawberry sauce every week after my long run my first two years of college running and hit PRs every meet.

https://www.littlethings.com/ice-cream-health-benefits/3

Banana Bread wrote:

Eating is bad for runners. You will run faster if you give up food and also water. Water just makes you weigh unnecessarily more and it turns into smelly sweat when you run too. You want to look good for the finishing photo, not all dirty and sweaty. Try to avoid eating and drinking before all your runs.

Actually, you HAVE to drink water and eat before a race. Stop eating and drinking 30 minutes before the race to let it all settle. You can sip on water before but don't drink too much.

Read this book it will ease your mind. Almost all the top runners are aware of what they eat but they are no where near as strict as you might imagine.

https://www.amazon.com/Endurance-Diet-Discover-Greatest-Athletes/dp/0738218979

ExpertKipWatcher wrote:

Ice cream is basically fat and sugar - why not eat something healthier instead ?

I don't know. Not like your body needs those things. Especially, if you are very active. I have always had a problem under eating while training hard. Tend to lose my appetite while training hard. Also, I get GI issues if I try to only eat "healthy foods". So if I eat a little ice cream here and some pizza there, and I train better and don't get GI issues. Why should I cut those foods out and only eat foods some nerd deems to be "healthy"? As a runner, some one running a lot. The main concern should be eating enough calories and nutrients. Not too much. This is how people often end up injured. They aren't eating enough. So there body starts breaking down and eating itself. This is what leads to many of the injuries we see runners have. Since running is very catabolic, the main nutrient a runner should be concerned with is eating enough protein. Having eggs, lots of red meat and fatty fish. After that, it is eating enough healthy fats i.e. fatty fish, butter, egg yolks and other sources of saturated animal fats, especially sources high in omega 3. After you cover those two basis, eat what you want.

chance.anniston wrote:

Banana Bread wrote:

Eating is bad for runners. You will run faster if you give up food and also water. Water just makes you weigh unnecessarily more and it turns into smelly sweat when you run too. You want to look good for the finishing photo, not all dirty and sweaty. Try to avoid eating and drinking before all your runs.

Actually, you HAVE to drink water and eat before a race. Stop eating and drinking 30 minutes before the race to let it all settle. You can sip on water before but don't drink too much.

wrong bekele said he doesnt eat or drink so Banana Bread is right it isnt necessary.

Does the sport of long distance running make one OCD or does the sport of long distance running attract people that suffer from OCD?

track chick wrote:

Having one ice cream a week will not affect your running.

I hope that helps.

Having several ice creams a week will not affact his running, it may even improve it. He has an eating disorder.

ChickenEgg wrote:

Does the sport of long distance running make one OCD or does the sport of long distance running attract people that suffer from OCD?

I believe OCD types are more attracted to running, than running is to non OCD type. At least in the western world. Kenyan runners I know are nothing like American runners. They don't really care about all the nonsense American runners do. They don't care about cadence. They just run. They don't think about diet, they just eat. They just train hard. That's a much better attitude to have. Just train hard, put your mental focus on that. And just relax about everything else.

This has been my experience as well. The really good runners I know spend little to no time worrying about all that ancillary stuff. They just train hard, and race like animals when it's time to race.

Quick update:

The track season just ended and I’m assuming now would be a good time to try to gain some weight? I have been unsuccessful all season in trying to gain weight and continued to lose weight dropping below 109 pounds at 5’8.5. I’m planning on taking a 10 day break from running with some cross training and strength work mixed in almost every other day. What else should I do eating wise to go into my summer training completely recovered with added weight to be able to have a successful summer base. I wanna get up to 70 mpw this summer before my first year running D3 Cross country.

Banana Bread wrote:

Bekele really turns me on. I would eat ice cream everyday if he starred in ice cream commercials.

I can’t imagine long-term that ice cream is good for you regardless of whether you are a runner or not.

Try plain whole-milk yogurt mixed with Frozen blueberries strawberries or whatever fruit you like

It's really good with the frozen fruit mixed similar to ice cream but much healthier

Get whole milk yogurt though

But don't stress out some ice cream is no big deal if you're out with friends or whatever

But try the whole milk yogurt and frozen fruit that's really good

MrGambinus wrote:

Coevett wrote:

Jakob Ingebrigtsen is always posting photos on his Instagram of himself eating ice cream. He's doing o.k. Nick Willis admitted recently that most of the elite runners are eating sweet things and pizzas and the like all the time.

That doesnt necessarily exclude disordered eating habits. I always wonder how small some of their portions are when I see their meal choices.

Exactly, I've been on a few training camps and observed what pros are eating. Those that eat ice cream etc. are often the ones with very small portions during all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner). Sprinters in general always eat very well and balanced, compared to distance runners. Marathoners, despite it being counterintuitive, generally also eat better than middle/shorter long distance guys too, simply because they burn so much.

Also - those runners who post pictures of them eating desserts or ice cream are often the worst. They eat VERY healthy and VERY small portions 99% of the week, and then the one time they cheat they make a big deal out of it on social media to tell themselves it's okay what they are doing.

Someone who regularly fuels well, eats appropriate portions and also has some nice desserts from time to time wouldn't need to make a big deal out of sweets or pizzas and feel the need to post it.

As for me, not al all. Sometimes, especially in the summertime, I can eat more than one ice cream per day, and I'm perfectly fine. My wife does amazing home cookies, too often I would say, and I can't stop myself, so we should add that too. I didn't affect my running any way or form, so I suppose the cookies and the ice cream are compatible with running and with me). Well, I don't follow any specific diet, but I try to stay away from fats and carbs whenever I can. I found a great article on a website about how to eat and how to stay healthy, so I'll share that with you. https://moment31.com