Nutrition Q&A

The Lincoln Track Club is now offering a Nutrition Question & Answer forum.

Jenny Kearney MS, RD, LMNT is a Registered and Licensed dietitian who specializes in weight management, cardiovascular health, diabetes education and sports nutrition.  As the dietitian for the Ambassador Rehab and Wellness in Nebraska City, Jenny counsels all ages on optimizing health and performance through proper nutrition.  Jenny is certified in Adult Weight Management from the American Dietetic Association and is a member of the Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Dietetic Practice Group.  Jenny is a member of the Lincoln Track Club and enjoys competing in half marathons, marathons, triathlons and adventure racing.

Questions can be submitted by filling out the form found HERE. Answers will be posted back to the website.

Question: I am a runner who has a strain in my hip flexor.  I have been out for a week now and am going crazy!!! Is there anything nutrition-wise that I can do to speed along the healing?

Answer: The most important thing you can do concerning your nutrition while out with an injury is eating a balanced diet.  Getting a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and dairy sources will keep your body healthy and give it the chance to heal.  The role of protein in the diet is important for healing and you will need to make sure you are taking it around 6 ounces -9 ounces of lean protein each day.  Endurance training athletes do require slightly larger amounts of protein than people who do not exercise routinely (1.2 grams of protein per kilogram (kg) of body weight versus 0.8g/kg body weight). This is easily met by increasing the dietary intake of dairy or meat products only slightly. For example, a non-athletic 170lb (77kg) male requires 62g of protein per day. The same size endurance athlete male requires 92g protein per day or 30 additional grams. The difference can be made up by adding two ounces of meat and two cups of milk to the diet, or by adding 1.5 cup of beans and two eggs to the diet or any combination of the above.  For further information, visit www.mypyramid.gov to individualize the food guide pyramid to your specific needs.