In a country obsessed with weight and dieting there is no shortage of nutrition and weight-loss books. As an athlete, it is often difficult to find a book that provides nutrition advice for training rather than one that is specifically targeted towards individuals trying to lose weight. Nancy Clark's new book Nancy Clark's Food Guide for Marathoners (Meyer & Meyer Sport Ltd, New York, 2007; $16.95) fulfills this role, providing a well-rounded approach to sports nutrition. While this book is directed at individuals training for the marathon, her collection of basic nutrition advice, recipes, and eating strategies is relevant for most non-marathoning distance runners as well.

The book begins with several chapters focusing on daily eating strategies for marathon training, guiding the reader through meal by meal. One of the nice features of this book is that Clark provides specific suggestions for meals and snacks, outlining relatively simple recipes and ideas for preparing healthy food even when pressed for time. Rather than stating that it is recommended that you eat a specific number of servings of a particular food group or a number of milligrams of a particular nutrient each day, Clark provides clear sample meals that allow the reader to more clearly understand how much of a particular food they should be eating.

Clark also provides information about incorporating each of the major food groups into a training diet, specifying the ratio of protein, fat, and carbohydrate that should be consumed at different stages in the training and racing cycle. Specifically, Clark has an excellent question and answer style chapter dealing with carbohydrates and their importance to training and good health, dispelling many of the myths created by the low-carbohydrate craze. Her chapter on hydration and sports drinks is also essential given the changes that have taken place in the last few years concerning the recommended quantity of fluid that should be consumed before and during exercise.

Following the day to day nutrition for training, the book proceeds into information concerning how to plan meals for the day before, during, and after a race. Clark stresses the importance of learning which foods work well for each individual as they train so that one will not be forced to try anything new and potentially detrimental to their performance in the days leading up to the race. One of the key elements of the book is its emphasis on individualized eating habits and discovering what works well for each person. Clark consistently points out that different strategies work well for different individuals and that individuals have widely varying nutritional needs, acknowledging that, like training, no one system is perfect for every person. She does an excellent job providing a number of suggestions and possible options for how each runner can experiment with his or her training diet to figure out what works best so that he or she can get the most out of a training diet.

The book concludes with chapters addressing some more specific dietary goals with chapters on weight loss, weight gain, and eating disorders. These again provide advice and meals appropriate for each situation as well as helpful lists of additional references and resources. This book does an excellent job answering many commonly asked questions about eating and training, providing enough scientific background to make points clear but without becoming confusing. The focus on common sense and individualized eating is an essential component in any training diet, regardless of whether a runner is training for a marathon or not, making this a useful resource for any runner wanting to learn more about how to use nutrition to improve performance and well-being.

Editor note: Elaine Binkley is a first year medical student at The Ohio State University. Last May she graduated as a one of two Valectorians from Denison University where she has earned NCAA Division III All American honors twice in cross-country. She has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All- America (R) Women's Track & Field/Cross Country first team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America in 2005 and 2006. Elaine was recently selected the 2007 Academic All-America of the Year for the College Division in Cross Country and Track and Field. Read more on this honor at: http://www.runohio.com/news/06-28- 07Binkley.html

Binkley also earned All State honors in Cross Country and Track at Bishop Watterson High School.

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