MensHealth
  • News
  • Health
  • Fitness
  • Sex
  • Nutrition
  • Style
  • Weight Loss
  • Life
  • Podcasts
  • Subscribe
  • Motoring
  • Video
MensHealth
  • News
  • Health
  • Fitness
  • Sex
  • Nutrition
  • Style
  • Weight Loss
  • Life
  • Podcasts
  • Subscribe
  • Motoring
  • Video
Bjornsson Deadlifted 1,026 pounds On The Elephant Bar To Win 2020 Arnold Classic
Watch 0:10

Bjornsson Deadlifted 1,026 pounds On The Elephant Bar To Win 2020 Arnold Classic

{headline}

{headline}

These Are The Worst Training Mistakes You Can Make, According To Bodybuilders

These Are The Worst Training Mistakes You Can Make, According To Bodybuilders

How Surf God John John Florence Rehabbed His ACL In Record Time

How Surf God John John Florence Rehabbed His ACL In Record Time

Just One Energy Drink Can Increase Heart Attack Risk

Just One Energy Drink Can Increase Heart Attack Risk

This Guy Trained Like Chris Hemsworth For 90 Days, And His Results Were Insane

This Guy Trained Like Chris Hemsworth For 90 Days, And His Results Were Insane

{headline}

{headline}

Is It Healthy To Combine Intermittent Fasting With Keto?

Is It Healthy To Combine Intermittent Fasting With Keto?

Why 30/10 Is The Perfect Macro Ratio For Burning Fat

Why 30/10 Is The Perfect Macro Ratio For Burning Fat

8 Rules Of Muscle-Building, According To A Bodybuilder

8 Rules Of Muscle-Building, According To A Bodybuilder

{headline}

{headline}

5 Tips And Tricks To Hide A Receding Hairline

5 Tips And Tricks To Hide A Receding Hairline

Mike Tyson Just Announced His First Opponent

Mike Tyson Just Announced His First Opponent

Lewis Hamilton On The Physical and Mental Pressure To Stay Fit

Lewis Hamilton On The Physical and Mental Pressure To Stay Fit

Can You Finish This 220-Rep CrossFit Workout?

Can You Finish This 220-Rep CrossFit Workout?

LeBron James Breaks Down His Core-Busting Workout

LeBron James Breaks Down His Core-Busting Workout

What Happened When This Guy Followed Hugh Jackman's 'Wolverine' Diet

What Happened When This Guy Followed Hugh Jackman's 'Wolverine' Diet

A Kickboxer Just Broke The World Record For Most Punches Thrown In A Minute

A Kickboxer Just Broke The World Record For Most Punches Thrown In A Minute

  1. Home
  2. Running

The Diet Change That Can Help You Run 6 Per Cent Faster In 4 Days

Set a new PB in less than a week. - by Lucy Bode
  • 02 Jun 2020
The Diet Change That Can Help You Run 6 Per Cent Faster In 4 Days
Getty

We’ve been singing the praises of the Mediterranean diet for a while – it promotes heart health, helps with inflammation and can even reduce your risk of depression. But what if we told you that filling up on fish, veggies, whole grains and good fats (be it avocado or salmon) might also improve your endurance and athletic performance?

In a recent study out of Saint Louis University (SLU) in Missouri, researcher recruited a group of men and women to run five kilometres on a treadmill after four days following a strict eating regime. This involved four tablespoons of olive oil, at least three servings of nuts and fruits and at least two servings of vegetables. They also ate fish, legumes and red wine and limited their consumption of meat, sodas and sweets.

pasta
Getty

RELATED: Obliterate Your Entire Body With This High Intensity Endurance Workout

Nine to 16 days later, they were tested again – although this time they had spent the previous four days sticking to a Western diet that was high in refined sugars, salt and fat. They were also asked to eat two servings of fruit or less per day and one serving of nuts and legumes.

The participants moved six per cent faster during the first experiment than in the second, beating their times by an average of 1 minute and 50 seconds. Intriguingly, they had similar heart rates in both tests and also had the same rating of perceived exertion.

The researchers put these results down to the Mediterranean diet’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, as well as its alkaline pH and high level of dietary nitrates.

egg
Getty

“Many individual nutrients in the Mediterranean diet improve exercise performance immediately or within a few days,” Dr Edward Weiss, the study’s senior researcher and professor of nutrition and dietetics, explained in a press release. “Therefore, it makes sense that a whole dietary pattern that includes these nutrients is also quick to improve performance.”

“However, these benefits were also quickly lost when switching to the Western diet, highlighting the importance of long-term adherence to the Mediterranean diet.”

Weiss added that these findings were especially significant for athletes.

med
Getty

“This study provides evidence that a diet that is known to be good for health is also good for exercise performance,” he said. “Like the general population, athletes and other exercise enthusiasts commonly eat unhealthy diets. Now they have an additional incentive to eat healthy.”

RELATED: The Health Scare That Forced Liam Hemsworth To Quit A Vegan Diet

  • Fitness
  • Nutrition
  • Running
Lucy Bode
Lucy Bode
Lucy is WH’s Digital Editor, Features Writer, social media guru and resident woo. A long black lover and foodie at heart, she considers peanut butter an hourly staple and believes chardonnay is the superior drop. When she's not at the beach, barre or yoga studio you'll find her coming up with new and improved ways to kill her unkillable houseplants

Subscribe Now-

Subscribe Now
Subscribe Now

Subscribe Now-

Subscribe Now
Subscribe Now

Recommended to you

Bjornsson Deadlifted 1,026 pounds On The Elephant Bar To Win 2020 Arnold Classic
Watch 0:10

Bjornsson Deadlifted 1,026 pounds On The Elephant Bar To Win 2020 Arnold Classic

{headline}

{headline}

These Are The Worst Training Mistakes You Can Make, According To Bodybuilders

These Are The Worst Training Mistakes You Can Make, According To Bodybuilders

How Surf God John John Florence Rehabbed His ACL In Record Time

How Surf God John John Florence Rehabbed His ACL In Record Time

Just One Energy Drink Can Increase Heart Attack Risk

Just One Energy Drink Can Increase Heart Attack Risk

This Guy Trained Like Chris Hemsworth For 90 Days, And His Results Were Insane

This Guy Trained Like Chris Hemsworth For 90 Days, And His Results Were Insane

{headline}

{headline}

Is It Healthy To Combine Intermittent Fasting With Keto?

Is It Healthy To Combine Intermittent Fasting With Keto?

Why 30/10 Is The Perfect Macro Ratio For Burning Fat

Why 30/10 Is The Perfect Macro Ratio For Burning Fat

8 Rules Of Muscle-Building, According To A Bodybuilder

8 Rules Of Muscle-Building, According To A Bodybuilder

{headline}

{headline}

5 Tips And Tricks To Hide A Receding Hairline

5 Tips And Tricks To Hide A Receding Hairline

Mike Tyson Just Announced His First Opponent

Mike Tyson Just Announced His First Opponent

Lewis Hamilton On The Physical and Mental Pressure To Stay Fit

Lewis Hamilton On The Physical and Mental Pressure To Stay Fit

Can You Finish This 220-Rep CrossFit Workout?

Can You Finish This 220-Rep CrossFit Workout?

LeBron James Breaks Down His Core-Busting Workout

LeBron James Breaks Down His Core-Busting Workout

What Happened When This Guy Followed Hugh Jackman's 'Wolverine' Diet

What Happened When This Guy Followed Hugh Jackman's 'Wolverine' Diet

A Kickboxer Just Broke The World Record For Most Punches Thrown In A Minute

A Kickboxer Just Broke The World Record For Most Punches Thrown In A Minute

MensHealth
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Chris Hemsworth Hugo Boss
  • Terms
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Chris Hemsworth Hugo Boss
  • Terms
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement

Brands

  • Women's Health

Our Network

  • Paragon Media Pty Ltd
© 2021 Are Media PTY LTD
Get more from Men's Health

Magazine Subscription Offer

Subscribe Now-

Shop This Offer
Subscribe Now