Endurance runners using chia seeds

Their is alot of hype surrounding this high energy superfood CHIA “Aztec running food” . This seed is so packed with all the good things a runner should have that once you tried it you wont want to be without it again.

Whether you put it on your cereals in the mornings, your salads in the afternoon or just mix it with water and have a thurst quenching smoothy. These little seeds are a simple and yet important part of any ones diet especially people training for all distance events infact all sports.

You can really feel it start to work after a few weeks of taking 2 to 3 teaspoons a day. (Take a look at our recipe page for ideas of how to use this high octane super food). You will start to notice better endurance and faster recovery with less craving for more food.

With the high fibre content of chia you will notice more bowel movements which is a good thing to help eradicate toxins quickly out of your body leading to a much better well being.

A great isotonic drink which I use personally before a run is Chia frescah as was used by the legendary TARAHUMARA RUNNING PEOPLE :- How to make, take one glass of filtered water if possible. add one table spoon of Chia organic seeds. Stir slowly and in 10 minutes the liquid turns to a thick semi jelly like drink. It is now ready to drink. If taken before a run you will feel better than you have done before due to the Chia keeping you hydrated slowly releasing the water stored inside the swollen seeds over the period of your run. If you go for longer runs you can keep a small pouch of Chia with you and eat a small amount whilst running then take a drink of your water and you will feel a natural boost in several minutes.

If you use this drink after your training session it can help due to its ANTI-INFLAMATORY effects reduce swelling and aid the recovery of swollen joints.

Below is an article from

T r a i l r u n n e r m a g . c o m June 2010 18

Boost Endurance with Chia

The Tarahumara runners of northern Mexico’s Copper Canyon country have long

fuelled their prodigious runs with a chia-seed based drink called iskiate and purveyors

of ancient Ayurvedic medicine tout chia’s endurance and strength-promoting qualities.

But is this tiny seed’s superfood reputation warranted or a merely a myth evolved

from its ancient origins?

Trail Tested

To test this superfood, a few friends and I guzzled iskiate before runs of up to two and-

a-half hours, and were impressed with the results.

We felt strong running at a high aerobic pace (a tick under 80-percent max heart

rate), even in 90-degree heat. After about an hour, I noticed a mental and physical

kick. Near the run’s end, when we’d normally be planning our post-run carb binge,

we felt we could happily continue.

Professor Wayne Coates of the University of Arizona, co-author of Chia: Rediscovering

a Forgotten Crop of the Aztecs and an ultrarunner with several trail 100-milers

under his belt, suspects chia’s ability to boost endurance is due partly to it’s inflammation-

reducing omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and antioxidants. “It’s similar to

taking ibuprofen,” says Coates.

While chia isn’t a replacement for your usual fuels—it contains very little carbohydrate—

the seeds are packed with fiber and an excellent source of calcium, phosphorus,

magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc and copper and offer a complete essential

amino-acid package, making it an ideal post-workout recovery food.

Get the Chia Charge

Make your own iskiate by mixing 1 level tablespoon of chia seeds in 1 cup of water

with a squeeze of lime and 1 tablespoon of organic rice syrup to sweeten. Drink it

60 to 90 minutes before a long run of three hours or more since the seeds take up

to four hours to digest.

You can buy chia seeds at health-food stores such as Whole Foods (www.wholefoods.

com) or as Chia Goodness, a raw breakfast cereal that combines chia with hemp seeds,

buckwheat, sea salt and dried fruit and nuts (www.ruthshempfoods.com).

—George Beinhorn T r a i l r u n n e r m a g . c o m June 2010 18

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