Čo jedia kenskí bežci, aby prekonali všetky rekordy?

Kenya’s runners are unrivaled in both the steyr and marathon disciplines – they set world records, and they update them themselves. In 2019, Kenyan runner Bridget Kosgei broke the world record in the marathon, which had been held for 16 years: she covered the distance in 2 hours and 14 minutes. In the same year, Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge became the first person in history to run even faster (in less than two hours) – a result that had been considered unattainable for decades. So how do they do it? Let’s find out together with Anton Grabovsky, a participant of European track and field championships, and nutritionist Lidia Kvashnina.

Anton Grabovsky

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He went to Kenya for the first time in 2018, since then he often travels and lives there for several months at a time. At the most – stayed for 8 months.
Runs distances from 1500m to 10km, was 8th at the Under-18 World Championships in the 1500m, participant of the Under-20 World Championships and European Championships (Under-20 and Under-23). Personal records: 3:42 for 1500m, and 29:35 for 10km.

How did the success of Kenyan runners start and what is their secret?

Kenyan track and field athlete Keino Kipchoge once said: “Life is short, so let’s leave a reminder of ourselves so we are not forgotten”. And he was not wrong. With these words began an era of numerous victories of runners from Kenya, who first made themselves known by winning gold at the Olympic Games in Mexico City in 1968. Keino Kipchoge then beat the world’s best runner Jim Ryan. Since then, Kenyans have won about 80% of all major international middle and long distance running events. Add to all this the annual victories of Kenyans in various marathons and there is no doubt that they are the fastest runners in the world. Here are a few rules that Kenyan athletes adhere to.

Kenyans train in the morning on an empty stomach.

Anton Grabowski

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Kenyans go to training very early, at 6-7 am. They don’t eat breakfast, which is the norm for them, because they have a big dinner. Tourists are surprised by this, but I, for example, got used to this regime very quickly.

Before the race Kenyans only need a couple of sips of water: of course, it will be hard to run on a full stomach. Therefore, for breakfast at best they can drink tea. But at dinner they have a great time: the evening meal must include proteins, fats, carbohydrates and fiber. In general, everything that will provide them with energy for the upcoming morning run.

Kenyan runners do not follow strict diets. The peculiarity of their diet is that they do not fall for trendy diets and stick to a diet that has been proven over the years. Studies for 2002 show that the diet of a Kenyan athlete, contrary to the fashionable keto- and paleodiet consists mainly of carbohydrates: 10.4 g per 1 kg of body weight, which is 600 g per day, that is 76.4% of the total daily calorie intake. That’s a lot, but they can forgive it: athletes need carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores in the body after intensive training. About 13.4% of the daily ration is fat, and 10.1% is protein (1.3 g/kg). That’s not all: up to 20% of the daily calorie intake consists of high-sugar foods.

Vegetable products in the diet of runners occupy about 86%. Animal products account for only 14%. The ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates is about 10:10:80. It is also interesting that the daily calorie intake is about 3300 kcal. On the other hand, it’s not that much, considering that they run 160 kilometers a week.

What do Kenyan runners eat and how does it help them in their sport?

Many people associate Kenya with something exotic, and Kenyan food is certainly not. In fact, the diet of Kenyans is almost no different from ours. According to runner Anton Grabovsky, the main difference between Kenyan food is that it is as simple as possible. In his opinion, this is the secret of their diet.

Anton Grabovsky

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Kenyans don’t worry at all about the amount of food, sugar content and nutrients – they eat whatever they want. I have personally met only a few runners who somehow limit calories and the amount of fast carbohydrates.

Indeed, the Kenyans’ diet does not contain any superfoods, sports supplements or isotonics that would endow them with exceptional abilities.

Breakfast: chapati with tea with milk and sugar.

This is the most common and easy to prepare breakfast found in any local cafe. A mug of tea here costs $ 0.1 (approximately 7 rubles), a portion of chapati – $ 0.1-0.2 (approximately 7-14 rubles). Chapati is a flatbread made of water, flour, oil, salt and sugar (no eggs or milk). Thanks to the large amount of butter, chapati turns out very soft and tasty. And cane sugar is added to the tea, which gives the drink a caramel flavor.

Lidia Kvashnina

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Chapati is baked from whole wheat flour of coarse grinding, which contains fiber, which is necessary for useful bacteria of the intestine. And clarified butter is a treasure trove of vitamins (A, K2, E), omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, which normalize metabolic processes in the body and create conditions for the destruction of fatty tissues.

Tea is also useful – it contains more than 300 substances and compounds that can be divided into groups: vitamins (PP), minerals (potassium, fluorine, phosphorus, iron), organic acids, essential oils, tannins, amino acids, alkaloids and biological pigments. Black tea contains antioxidants that prevent the development of hypertension, diabetes and atherosclerosis. The drink also reduces the risk of obesity and normalizes intestinal microflora. Green tea activates the brain and metabolic processes, so it is often recommended to those who watch the figure. Plus the drink reduces the concentration of sugar in the blood and cholesterol levels.

The harms of milk are now often discussed among health nutritionists. But in Kenya they rarely drink processed pasteurized milk from industrial packages, more often – directly from under the cow. In this case, the drink does not lose its beneficial properties and saturates the body with protein, which is important during intense physical activity and necessary for athletes to gain muscle mass. Milk contains two main types of proteins: casein (70-80%) and whey protein (20-30%). Both belong to the class of high-quality proteins. Whey protein contains essential amino acids that the body cannot synthesize on its own, such as valine, leucine and isoleucine.

Obed: rice with beans, braised kale and corn, avocado.

In local diners, this dish is cooked at once in large pots. Such a lunch costs a little less than a dollar (about 75 rubles).

Lidia Kvashnina

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Beans contain fiber, starch, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur, iron, carotene, vitamin B, C, PP, provitamin A, manganese, molybdenum, pectin, folic acid and other organic acids. In addition, they contain up to 40% protein, which is quite comparable to meat.

Rice Kenyan athletes use not white and polished, but pigmented and raw bran. The main components of bran oils improve the lipid composition of human plasma, reduce total cholesterol and triglyceride concentration in plasma, and increase the level of “good” high-density lipoproteins.

As for avocado, its medicinal properties are legendary. It reduces fatigue and increases efficiency, helps in weight control. Cabbage is an excellent source of fiber, free amino acids, vitamins A, B1, B6, C, P, K, potassium, phosphorus and trace elements (cobalt, copper, zinc, magnesium).

Večera: ugali with skuma.

Ugali is a flavorless porridge made of cornmeal and water with no salt added. Skuma is a stewed kale cabbage that is very high in iron, which is healthy and important for any athlete, including runners. The product is even included in the diet of women after childbirth, because it increases hemoglobin. The peculiarity of this dish is that it is inexpensive and easy to prepare. Plus, corn in Kenya is different from ours: if we have yellow and juicy cobs, they have white and hard. At the same time, it is much healthier than what we are used to eating. Kenyan maize contains more microelements. But meat is a luxury for them, which they can afford 1-2 times a month, mostly on holidays.

Lýdia Kvašninová

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Corn in Kenya is really different from ours. The cobs contain a large amount of easily digestible vegetable protein, which is necessary for those who have completely excluded meat products from their diet. The kernels contain useful trace elements (choline, beta-carotene, carotenoids, potassium, phosphorus, sulfur) and vitamins (PP, A, B1, B9). The peculiarity of white corn is that, unlike its yellow counterpart, it is not genetically modified.

Kale contains vitamins A, C, K, PP and B vitamins (B6, B2, B1), as well as minerals such as beta-carotene, potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium and phosphorus. In terms of amino acids, kale is identical to meat: 200 g of this vegetable gives the body the necessary daily dose of protein. In calcium content, this vegetable culture surpasses even milk.

Snack: fruit.

Not every Kenyan can afford fruit, because they cost about the same as a full lunch or dinner, and sometimes even more expensive. For example, one banana costs $ 0.1 (about 7 rubles), avocado – $ 0.1-0.2 (about 7-14 rubles), mango – $ 0.2-0.3 (14-21 rubles). Yes, it is much cheaper than in Russia, but not for Kenyans – for the same amount of money they can buy a mug of tea or chapati. Therefore, they choose what they can get more satiated with. Nevertheless, fruit in Kenya is very tasty and nutritious.

Lýdia Kvašninová

Odborník na výživu

Kenyans mostly eat avocados, watermelon and melons. Watermelon, for example, contains vitamins C and A, a large amount of magnesium, which is beneficial for muscle contractility. Without magnesium, the process of bone tissue renewal is impossible. In addition, watermelon is the richest natural source of L-citrulline, an amino acid from which nitric oxide is synthesized in the body, and it contributes to the expansion of blood vessels, maintains their tone and removes lactic acid from the muscles.

Is it worth it to eat like Kenyans?

Even if you don’t want to become the fastest runner in the world, there are still some things you can learn from the Kenyan diet. You don’t have to complicate your relationship with food and be obsessed with calorie counting, BMI ratios and sports supplements. According to a nutritionist, the diet of Kenyan runners may seem unbalanced and even unhealthy, but this is not entirely true.

Of course, for those who lead a sedentary lifestyle, such a diet is not recommended by the expert. But in the case of athletes who train a lot, such a diet is quite justified. And here’s why:

• a large amount of plant fiber compensates for carbohydrates, which Kenyans eat in unlimited quantities;
• tea regulates the level of “bad” cholesterol, which is formed by unlimited amounts of glucose and fructose;
• glucose is necessary for the synthesis of glycogen – the main fuel for muscles, which is extremely important for athletes;
• the lack of meat in the diet is compensated by vegetable sources of protein;
• the products in Kenya are natural, unrefined and unprocessed, which is very important when forming a healthy diet.