The science of nutrition is one of today's rapidly growing areas of study. Every day runners are inundated with information about the possible performance enhancing capabilities of different foods, sports drinks, and supplements. While there is a wealth of information available about training nutrition and diet in general, there has not been as much specifically written about what to eat immediately before, during, and immediately after a competition or hard workout. Drs. John Ivy and Robert Portman attempt to change this with the recent publication of their book The Performance Zone: Your Nutrition Action Plan for Greater Endurance and & Sports Performance (Basic Health Publications Inc., 2004, $10.95).

The authors state that their goal is "To write a useful, easy- to-read book based on the latest science that all athletes, regardless of sport, will find valuable." In many respects they succeed in this goal beginning with their outline of what they call the "Performance Zone." They use this term to refer to "The time period surrounding your exercise in which nutrient intervention can significantly improve athletic performance." They proceed to explain that getting the most out of nutrition during this time involves what they call the "30W15" rule meaning that one must begin taking in nutrients 30 minutes prior to exercise, continue to do so throughout the workout, and then take in recovery nutrients within fifteen minutes of completing the workout.

The authors do an excellent job explaining the purposes of taking in nutrients at these different stages of a workout and the processes involved in energy production and fatigue. Explanations of energy pathways and the hormones involved in athletic performance are useful in helping the reader understand exactly what is going on when he works out. These explanations are illustrated with charts and diagrams that make the concepts more understandable to the athlete who does not have a scientific background. The reader is led, chapter by chapter, through the importance of taking in nutrients before, during, and after exercise, and what specific types of fuel; carbohydrate, protein, or fat, should be taken in and in what ratio at each particular stage of a workout.

An entire chapter is then devoted to helping the reader develop his own nutrition plan based upon his individual performance goals and needs for his particular sport. This section could be very helpful to a runner trying to determine how to get the most out of his workout and recover quickly, while at the same time preventing muscle soreness and reducing fatigue. There are also several interesting essays by various scientists interspersed throughout the chapters covering topics such as "Fueling the Young Athlete", and "Can Recovery Nutrition Keep You Free from Colds?"

Following the chapters dedicated to the explanation of the "Performance Zone" are a collection of chapters covering sport-specific nutrition. There are actually two sport- specific sections beneficial to runners, one section devoted entirely to runners, and another section covering nutrition for the track and field athlete. The book also presents a nice section explaining the current knowledge of the safety and effectiveness of several performance enhancing supplements and vitamins.

While this book at times takes on somewhat of a text-book feel and some of the scientific information is perhaps a little too technical for the non-scientist, overall the book does a nice job addressing the topic of nutrition at various times immediately surrounding and during a workout. It is useful for any runner attempting to better understand how muscles and the process of recovery work, and how one can fully utilize nutrition to get the most out of his training.

About the authors: John Ivy, Ph.D., is a professor and head of the department of Kinesology and Health Education at the University of Texas. Dr. Ivy is a world-renowned expert on the role of nutrition and exercise performance. He has published more than 300 research papers and review articles. Robert Portman, Ph.D., is president and director of research for PacificHealth Laboratories, a leading nutrition technology company. Dr. Portman has been a pioneer in developing nutritional products that can improve exercise performance and recovery.

Editor note: Elaine Binkley is an avid reader and was All State in Cross Country and Track at Bishop Watterson High School. Last fall, as a freshman at Denison University she earned All American honors in Cross Country. In June she ran the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships.

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