Lisa Dorfman is a sports nutritionist for the University of Miami, where she also serves as an adjunct professor in exercise sciences. Dorfman is the author of four books on nutrition. Known as “The Running Nutritionist,” she has competed in more than 30 marathons, an Ironman and dozens of half Ironman competitions. For her books and programs, visit RunningNutritionist.com.

SPECIAL COLUMNS7 Diet Tips For Runners!

Q: I’m planning a three-day hike along the Florida Trail and am wondering what foods to bring.

A: The best foods to take on an extended hiking trip need to be easy to carry, consume and digest so that nothing interferes with the sights, sounds and experience of your trip. Ideally these foods should provide short-term and long-term fuel, should be rich in vitamins and minerals, provide adequate but not too much fiber—the indigestible carbohydrate component that keeps our gut fit—and provide enough natural flavor to inspire you to eat on the run.

If that sounds like a mouthful, it’s really quite simple, as in simple carbohydrates. The foods that give you quick energy include sports bars, sports drinks, Fruit Leathers, fresh fruits, dried fruits, some cereals and beverages. These foods should provide you with about 25-30 grams of carbohydrates per half hour, not to exceed 60 grams per hour since too much sugar can attract water into your intestine and give you the runs. Some of my favorites include dried fruits such as goji berries, mango and apricots, dehydrated bananas, Stretch Island and FruitTrekker fruit bars, dried apple chips and sports bars such as the PowerBar performance bar, Pria Bar and Power Bar Protein Plus when you need an extra dose of protein.

You can also get your simple sugars from sports beverages. See the next question for more on those.

Q: What do you think of electrolyte and other sports drinks on the market? Do they really work?

A: While water should make up the majority of your daily fluid intake, sports drinks are essential for preventing heat illness, muscle cramping and lethargy. Sports drinks come in all sizes, with a variety of sugar sources, electrolyte levels and other additives.

If you are an endurance athlete, training more than 90 minutes per session, you are certainly in need of a sports drink. The drink should have a combination of simple sugars such as fructose, glucose and sucrose, more complex sugars for longer training and for recovery such as maltodextrin, and provide the minerals sodium and potassium to assist with muscle contraction and to prevent cramping. For Ironman or ultra-endurance training and events, up to 700 mg of sodium per hour may be necessary to prevent hyponatremia, a potentially fatal condition entailing low sodium levels in the blood. Other minerals such as potassium, about 435 mg /hour, magnesium 20-30mg/8 oz fluid and calcium 10-15mg/8 oz may also be added to sports drinks to prevent cramping and other related performance issues.

Brands that safely accommodate electrolyte needs and meet appropriate sugar dosages include PowerBar Performance series, Gatorade, PowerAde and Accelerade, which also gives you a little extra whey protein for recovery.

Q: What’s the best food for a morning of mountain biking in South Florida?

A: Having the mountain bike ride of your life means being properly fueled and energized to have endurance and strength. Here are some nutrition goals for taking on the trails.

• Maintain energy levels throughout your ride

• Get the right balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat

• Eat enough food to sustain strength and endurance

• Stay hydrated enough to prevent and overcome dehydration

• Eat the right snacks at the right times to prevent cramping, headaches and dehydration and excessive bathroom breaks

With rides of an hour or more at least three times a week, your body adapts by building more lipolytic enzymes, the substances that help you to metabolize fats faster and spare muscle glycogen—stored sugars—longer. With that being said, your energy needs can climb as high as 600 calories/hour depending on your age, gender, weight, height, percentage of lean muscle mass, fitness level and daily diet.

To build a base, your regular diet should reflect your increased calorie needs with approximately 50-70 percent being low glycemic carbohydrates (whole grains, veggies, fruits and lowfat dairy to get additional B vitamins, antioxidants and critical minerals such as zinc, calcium, iron and magnesium). Round that out with about 20-25 percent being lean protein from fish, chicken, meat, dairy or soy, or at least half of your body weight in protein grams a day, and no more that 30 percent being essential dietary fats, called omega-3s, from fish, some nuts, flax and soy.

On the ride itself, you’ll want to eat small snacks, about 100 to 200 calories of low fiber, low- and high-glycemic (sweet) beverages, bars, fruit pops, fruit slices and gels. You should get about 25 to 30 grams of sugar per half hour; more than that can cause big stomach problems.

To stay hydrated, you’ll want to adapt your drinking habits to beyond plain water to get a variety of sugars—sucrose, glucose and fructose—and complex sugars such as maltodextrins. One to two hours before you start pedaling drink about 16 to 20 oz. of water or sport drink and get 5 to 10 oz. of fluid every 15 minutes on your ride. If a sport drink has more than 14 grams of sugar per 8 oz. serving you could get a case of the runs.

Sport snacks like energy gels and Clif Shot Bloks can save your ride. They give you quick energy before and during training or racing and typically have 25 grams sugars plus electrolytes, vitamins and minerals to keep your muscles kicking and your engine going. They eliminate the need to totally depend on sport drinks for sugar calories, but they are very sweet. So try them ahead of time to avoid any unexpected stomachaches.

Q: Are there any dangers to eating the fish I catch in the Atlantic or Everglades?

A: While fish are one of your best high protein food choices, there are better choices than others. Look for those lowest in fat, PCBs, mercury and cholesterol but abundant in the essential omega-3’s.

Farmed and wild fish are similar in protein, vitamin and minerals, however since farmed fish tend to be higher in total fat they tend to accumulate more toxins like PCBs, mercury, antibiotics and other drugs. The omega-3 content in both types of fish is similar.

Your best fish choices?

• Ecofish (ecologically safe seafood sold at Wild Oats, Publix and other markets.

• Alaskan salmon and halibut, mahi mahi, bluefish and fluke

• Farmed shellfish like oysters, scallops and clams

• Catfish, trout and tilapia raised onshore

Q: What diet do I need to stay in shape while having the energy to play lacrosse?

A: Lacrosse combines the skills of basketball, soccer and hockey yet demands the strength of a bodybuilder and endurance of a 10K runner. For most field sports—lacrosse, field hockey, soccer, rugby—the muscles rely on three energy systems:

• the immediate ATP/CP system (the goalie’s main energy source for quick reactions);

• the glycolytic system (sugars provided for 10-second to 2-minute intervals that the defenseman and attackman use from glycogen in muscles and the liver);

• the aerobic system (fuel from food that the midfielder uses for running the ball down the field.)

While the precise number of calories burned during the game is difficult to determine, 7 to 10 calories a minute (400-600 calories/hour) is a good estimate. If you train outside the sport, calories are also needed for strength and skill training (about 4 to 6 calories/minute) and running (10 to 15 calories/minute).

To attack your calorie needs, you need the right balance of nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins and fat from food. Carbohydrate-based foods, energy from whole grains, potato, pasta, rice, beans, peas, vegetables, fruits and low-fat milk and yogurt should make up most of your dietary calories. Fruits give you natural sugars, called fructose, and along with fiber help keep you full and energized. Along with veggies, they are often loaded with antioxidants, electrolytes like potassium and phytonutrients, and help to keep your cradling muscles contracting on demand, hydrated with fluid and defending nasty free radicals (loose oxygen molecules from your metabolism and environment that try to break your body down). Low-fat dairy is a great source of calcium and phosphorus for strong bones and healthy muscles.

Protein is a critical component of all systems—structural, cardiovascular, muscular, metabolic and immune—and is essential for keeping you strong, healthy and recovered for your workweek. The average active man needs about 81 to 115 grams of protein each day. An ounce of animal protein has about 7 grams. Therefore, 6 oz. of chicken breast has 42 grams, a 12-inch Subway sandwich has about 45 grams and a three-egg omelet with a 2 oz. portion of Canadian ham has about 35 grams. Add a bowl of pasta, a cup of beans and veggies at mealtime, and you’ll have an additional 40 grams of protein. If you overdue your protein needs with too many high-protein bars or shakes, you’ll feel heavy and stale, dehydrated or just lethargic so use them only when you need to supplement your whole food diet.

Fats are also required for Vitamin A, D, E and K absorption for long-term energy and exercise recovery. The healthiest fats come from monounsaturated sources: olive oil or peanuts, omega-3s from fish, soy and walnuts. About 53 to 80 grams is the range recommended for your daily needs, and the amounts add up quickly with a fast- or fried-food diet, dishes or sandwiches drenched with cheese or cream sauces, or sandwiches with processed luncheon meats, mayo and cheeses.

Q: What foods will help me to alleviate soreness from my weekly tennis matches as I enter my 50s?

A: The answer to your question can be answered in part by the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity score developed by The National Institute on Aging. Certain berries and legumes scored high for antioxidant capacity.

You have heard of the ORAC powerhouses—pomegranate, blueberries, acai—and the importance of including them in your morning breakfast and between snacks and beverages. The correlation between the high antioxidant capacity of fruits and vegetables not only plays an important role in the free-radical theory of aging, but according to recent research from the University of Michigan, tart cherries also join this prestigious group that may reduce muscle and joint inflammation and improve recovery from exercise (in addition to lowering cholesterol, triglyceride, insulin and fasting glucose levels). Tart cherries are also a rich source of vitamin A (essential for protein metabolism), vitamin C (essential for collagen integrity), potassium and magnesium (critical for muscle contraction), and the antioxidant anthocyanins, which help improve capillary integrity.

Pre- and post-match meals and snacks can include a tart cherry trail mix, yogurt parfait with dried tart cherries and whole-grain cereal mix, a frozen tart cherry juice smoothie prepared with omega-3 fortified low-fat milk or a whey protein powder also essential for muscle recovery.

Q: How many calories do I need to eat as a recreational kayaker and what type of diet should I follow?

A: The average 150-pound kayaker uses about 405 calories each hour on the water plus additional calories for their morning jog, bicycle ride, swim or gym workout. In order to have enough energy you would need about 1500 calories to meet minimal energy needs plus 405/hour of kayaking plus 10 percent for the calories it takes for digestion and metabolism. The calories needed for a one-hour ride daily would be approximately 2100 to 2200 calories.

Since kayaking primarily uses the anaerobic energy system, which is dependent on carbohydrates yet relies on ample amounts of lean protein for paddling strength and endurance, the daily diet should be comprised of approximately 45 to 50 percent complex carbohydrates from whole-grain cereals, beans, pasta, rice, fruits and vegetables and at least 75 to 90 grams of protein each day from fish, chicken, turkey, pork, lean meats, egg whites, nonfat cheeses and dairy. Less than 30 percent of total calories each day should come from essential sources of fat such as the omega 3s found in fish, soy, almonds, walnuts, flax and fortified foods.

Q: What are the best foods to take for a 7-day kayaking trip from Miami to Key West?

A: According to CastawaysAgainstCancer.com founder Capt. Steve O’Brien, who has led eight kayaking trips to raise money for the American Cancer Society, the key to kayak cuisine is this: the lighter the food, the easier it is to carry. With that in mind, foods need to be calorie-dense while offering as many vitamins and minerals as possible. This means stocking up on dried fruits, nuts and nut butters, soybeans and edamame, homemade multigrain cereals like muesli, dried soups like Fantastic Foods’ bagged pea soup or black bean dip, Bumble Bee chicken or tuna in a pouch, compact sports bars such as PB & Whey Organic Protein Bites or FruitTrekker bars, endurance drinks by Accelerade and PowerBar, or sports gels and Bloks for the ride.

Capt. Steve also suggests investing in a CamelBak, which is a backpack hydration device to get the required 24 to 30 oz. of fluid needed each hour to stay afloat! A mixture of fluids that replace electrolytes—sports drinks, Kellogg’s Protein Water, fortified waters such as Propel—can all assist in preventing electrolyte depletion and the risk for muscle cramping. Get a dose of sugar—about 25-30 grams an hour from a powdered sports drink, dried fruit, sports gels or Bloks—and you’ll be able to keep up with Capt. Steve and his group all the way to raising their next $40,000 to beat cancer.

Q: I am a female recreational diver and would like to know the best way to prepare for a diving trip in the Keys this summer.

A: Fit bodies make the best divers so packing a healthy diet before you leave will equip you with the best chances of preventing undesirable side effects.

The best way to feed your body is with a high-carbohydrate diet with moderate lean protein, minimal fat, spices and alcohol three to seven days in advance. Since you burn about 10 to 15 calories per minute while diving, that’s at least 450 calories to 675 calories for a 45-minute dive. Add to that current and environmental conditions—wind, temperature and type of dive—and you can plan on spending at least 1000+ calories for your adventure at sea. Multiple days drain your resources and kick up your energy needs even more.

Hydration is also key since the sun, wind and saltwater can make you more dehydrated than in your typical environment. Alcohol and excessive caffeine can also rob you of critical nutrients so drink an extra liter or two of plain or fortified water, electrolyte-replacement beverage, natural juice or decaf tea each day leading up to your trip. Another fluid-loading strategy is to drink a high-carbohydrate sports drink between mealtimes; CytoMax, Accelerade and Gatorade Endurance are good choices. For meals, include whole-grain cereals or bread with egg whites or beaters for breakfast; fruits and vegetables with grilled chicken or fish for lunch; and whole-grain rice or pasta for dinner with lean cuts of meat, fish or chicken.

Women may be more prone to decompression sickness (“the bends”) both during their menstrual cycle and because of their higher body fat compositions than men. N2 is highly soluble in fat and N2 supersaturates tissue levels in the bends. Being well-fed and well-hydrated can help to avoid the bends’ nasty symptoms such as tingling, itching numbness, joint pain, profound fatigue, rash, cough and lower back pain.

In addition to a healthy diet and adequate fluids, heavy exercise is contraindicated. Avoid heavy exercising and flying 12 to 24 hours after diving.

Q: I get seasick if I eat before I go for a dive. What types of snacks will fuel me without making me sick?

A: Don’t let your diet take a nosedive during your diving vacation. Instead, be prepared with small amounts of dry foods—about 100 to 150 calories of crackers, toast and unsweetened cereal—and fresh pineapple, berries and other fruits to meet your energy needs over the typical 4.5-hour trip (including carrying gear, dive briefings and the drive to and from the dive site).

According to Annette Robertson, a 12-year advanced certified instructor (diveanet@bellsouth.net), diving can also make your mouth dry so small candies or orange slices can help, although not everything works for everyone.

One dietary recommendation to help avoid seasickness is to separate food from fluids with a 15- to 20-minute break or more to avoid the “washing machine” effect in your stomach.

After the dive is the best time to prepare for the next day’s trip. Avoid excessive alcohol and recover with another carbohydrate-rich meal: Italian for pasta, Cuban for beans and rice, Chinese for rice and veggies, or grill for chicken and the high-carb side dishes of baked potato and corn.

Q: I’m interested in taking a diving trip this summer and want to know the best foods and drinks to take with me to keep me energized, without the excess calories.

A: Daniel Rosales, vice president of Ecoventura diving tours, which has an office in Miami, agrees that while being onboard is a relaxing experience, many calories are burned touring the island, diving or snorkeling, and even taking a sunset swim after a long day of sightseeing.

Consider if you total the calories per minute used by a 150-pound person for walking (5 calories), diving (13 calories), swimming (8.7 calories) and snorkeling (6.3 calories), it could mean an additional 800 to 1000 calories each day to meet just your calorie needs.

The best foods to take are dry snacks like crackers, low-sugar cereals, sports bars, Asian rice snacks, pretzels and baked chips. Fluids are also important for staying hydrated so a bagful of PowerBar electrolyte-replacement packs, flavored Propel Fitness Water and Crystal Light hydration packs are especially helpful for tasty and nutritious vitamin and mineral replacement.

Q: I get seasick even though I love to spend all of my time away from work and family responsibilities on the water—fishing, kayaking, windsurfing and rowing. What are some strategies for helping me stay above water when it comes to nausea?

A: The best strategy is to stay hydrated, but to separate your fluid intake from food intake. Drink about half an hour before snack or mealtime, and one hour after eating, to avoid the washing machine affect in your stomach. Take dry foods like crackers, cereals, toast and rice or soy crisps, and tuck away a few sports foods such as Sport Beans, gels and bars for extra energy when you plan to spend more than 90 minutes at sea.

Also avoid excessive alcohol and caffeinated drinks. While being at sea lures you into a fresh cup of joe at dawn or a cold beer at dusk, both without a balance of clear nutritious fluids such as water, natural juice and green tea, may leave you dehydrated. Additional easy-to-carry snacks include orange slices, dried fruits, Sharkies, all-natural Gummi Bears and pickled or dried ginger in case the sea gets the best of you.

Q: I’m going camping with my friends but am worried I won’t be able to keep up my nutritious diet. Any suggestions?

A:The challenges to maintaining a nutritious diet on a camping trip include space limitations, cool storage and cooking facilities. The key is being prepared with good sources of protein, whole grain and alternative fruit and vegetable carbs, and adequate fluids. Recommended foods include beef and vegetarian jerky, Tyson chicken or tuna packaged in a light envelope, PB & Whey Bars, SoyJoy whole-soy portable bars and wholesome ready-to-eat camping meals.

Also, deficiencies in calcium for women are a real concern, especially over extended trips since storing the best sources—milk and dairy—can be a safety issue. Instead of crying over sour milk, opt for nondairy calcium foods such as beans or bean soup, greens, almonds, powdered milk and whey or soy drinks.

And if you just can’t eat enough calcium-rich foods, look for a calcium carbonate supplement since it’s absorbed best. Get it with Vitamin D and magnesium if possible and consume it with meals to make the most of its bioavailability.

Dr. Jackie Junco, a medical researcher at the Veteran’s Administration and an avid camper and triathlete, opts for dried and dehydrated fruits and veggies in lieu of fresh to get her fill of good carbs, antioxidants and fiber; protein-rich sport or energy bars instead of animal protein; and ready-to-make camping foods that only require boiling water.

Q: I’m a woman in my 30s who is planning a century bike ride to raise money for my favorite charity. I want to stay energized so what do I eat on my six-hour ride?

A:The best way to plan for a long-distance ride is to be consistent with your eating during the training process, eat and drink little by little throughout the ride, and replace essential nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates and electrolytes that are lost in sweat and calories. That’s according to Connie Sol, a South Florida exercise physiologist and adventure racing coach who is planning her next 100-mile ride through the 6 Gaps of Georgia—high and hard riding.

Sol says that since women burn 400 to 600 calories an hour cycling, easy-to-carry foods and electrolyte-packed sport fluids like Gatorade are key to success. If the trip plans for an additional stay in the mountains, she recommends Alpine Aire’s organic camping meals because they contain the least amount of preservatives and whole foods like brown rice with meals.

Q: I am getting ready for a three-day endurance ride, cycling three hours each day, and want to know how much I need to eat to maintain my energy levels.

A: Great cycling means being properly fueled to have the endurance and strength to take on the challenges and opportunities of riding on the streets of South Florida and elsewhere. Fuel for endurance riding comes from carbohydrates and fats and rarely protein unless you are dieting or undereating. The 150-pound cyclist riding 16 to 19 mph for three hours expends approximately 2,448 calories in addition to daily metabolic calorie needs of 1,500 for a grand total of close to 4,000 calories.

A few days before and on the morning of the ride, glycogen loading—the intake of large amounts of pasta, rice, potatoes, low-fat dairy and fruits in lieu of high protein foods—is recommended to help pack at least two hours of fuel into muscles for the first day of riding.

To sustain energy throughout the ride, a minimum of one gram of carbohydrates per minute of riding, from solid foods, bars, gels, sport drink liquids or shakes, can help to continually replenish used fuel. Getting some omega-3s and omega-9s from flax, nuts and vegetable oils in a trail mix or natural bar like ProBar can replace 18 grams of healthy fat and meet the high calorie demands of distance riding.

A spot of caffeine in a cool green tea before the ride and throughout the ride can help to spare and prolong muscle glycogen fuel, help use fat faster as an energy source and keep alertness and focus high especially when riding in the hot Florida climate. Green tea also contains compounds called catechins that can help diminish the pain and act as an anti-inflammatory between the days of your ride.

Q: What types of foods are best to eat on short mountain bike rides of 60 to 90 minutes?

A: The best way to replenish fuel during a shorter ride is to drink your sugar calories in a sports drink, endurance drink rich in maltodextrin or recovery-type drink with small amounts of protein to prevent muscle breakdown often associated with shorter, harder rides.

Fluid needs depend on the sweat rate of the cyclist so weigh-ins and outs on a training ride can give you a gauge to meet your drinking quota.

Using the typical 20 oz. water bottle as an example, drink one bottle before starting, a quarter bottle every 10 to 15 minutes and 1.5 to two bottles after the ride or 16 to 20 oz. to replenish every pound lost.

Electrolytes in the form of sodium, potassium and magnesium should also be included in the beverages, about 700 mg of sodium per hour to prevent cramping on very hot days. Filling one bottle with Gatorade, one bottle with Powerbar Endurance-type drink and another bottle with Ionic-Fizz Magnesium replacement along with 25 to 30 grams of sports gel, blocks, beans or gummies should help to reverse electrolyte losses and prevent unnecessary cramping.

Although the science is simple, the application of cycling nutrition strategies can become complicated when trying to fit the best foods and fluids while training into the juggle of daily professional and family responsibilities. For personalized advice, contact an RD or CSSD (a board-certified sports nutrition expert) for a peak performance winning plan.