Ask Madelyn Fernstrom

My husband is training very hard for a cycle race. He is generally fit and has very little body fat. His diet is balanced, including lots of vegetables and a reasonable amount of meat.

After his intense training sessions, he has sugar cravings that are only satisfied after he eats a LOT of candy. I'd like him to replace the candy with something else. What is the best thing to eat after a long exercise session? He says he burns about 2,000cal per session.

Hello! Thanks for a GREAT question. Your husband is a very robust execiser - and needs a lot of recovery energy. While there's nothing wrong with a little bit of candy  (except for cavities) a better choice would be 100% orange juice (loaded with potassium which is good as well), or other 100% juice, and dried fruit, which is nature's "candy". Juice is not usually a go-to choice I suggest, but in this case, it's a source of sweet, ready calories your husband is looking for. I'd suggest he add some of these items, as well as some candy, if he really enjoys it. You might also suggest he eat some lean protein, to refuel his muscle mass (amino acids are the building blocks of protein). While not sweet, it's an important nutrient to consume after exercising. How about a peanut butter and banana sandwich?

Let me know how this works out for you!

Health Journal with Dr. Fernstrom!

I'm glad you're more relaxed about this now. A healthy pancreas is not damaged by sugar. But you are right in that he should be making better choices. Yes, chocolate milk is a good choice, but only if he likes it. Many people (both men and women) don't like milk of any type after a run, and some people love it! Go figure!!

Let me know how your husband is doing!

Health Journal with Dr. Fernstrom!

Well, he got a few cartons of chocolate milk, and that helped, and he also drank some orange juice. But once that was finished he reverted back to the candy! He's doing fine though, and I feel better knowing that it won't do him any harm. He's also just eating more food at mealtimes, so at least all his calories aren't coming from the candy.

The race is next weekend, so next week is carbo-loading week. He's just going to eat normally but have more rice/ pasta than meat or sauce, for the 3 days before the race.
Thanks for your help!