Customer Reviews

Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook-4th Edition

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is very basic. This book should be half the size it actually is. She repeats herself quite a bit, and she over explains things. There were a few things not mentioned. She states there is one essential fat, linoleic acid. There are actually two essential fats. She said nothing about the one that Americans are sorely lacking in, linolenic acid, or the omega 3 fats. The recipes were good though. If you want a good sports nutrition book get Dr. Michael Colgan's "Optimum Sports Nutrition". Easy to read, and follow. No recipes though. Nancy should rename her book "Sports Nutrition Cookbook".

This book is great for endurance athletes. I run about 15-20 miles per week and it was helpful for me to learn about the importance of carbo loading and glycogen stores. The book also has many useful tables and facts. Nancy Clark addresses all the major topics on sports nutrition.

Having said that, she sticks a bit too closely to the FDA food pyramid, suggesting that just 15% of your daily calories come from protein. This seems awfully low to me (perhaps I've been tainted by the Adkins Diet craze?).

She also cites many "studies" but most of them were done on just seven male athletes. It was hard for me to buy into all the results. I do appreciate supporting evidence, but such a small group of test subjects made me question her assertions.

She talks about vitamins and minerals as the "spark plugs" of a good diet, but suggests sticking crackers in your gym bag, which have absolutely no nutritional value. She also doesn't recommend taking vitamin supplements. As a woman, I can't see the harm in making sure I have enough calcium, iron and folic acid in my diet (most women don't).

Most of the recipes are great, like the banana bread. However, she shot herself in the foot by supplying the percentages of carbs, protein and fat in each dish. In the rest of the book, she suggests getting 60-70% of your calories from carbohydrates, but very few of her recipes have such a high percentage of carbs - even the pasta dishes. One other surprise: the recipe for the pasta with spinach and pine nuts suggests adding "3-4 tablespoons" of oil! Sounds more like oil loading.

I am glad I read the book, but I think I will be looking for another book with other points of view to balance Nancy's suggestions.

I just read my title and probably should clarify that I am talking about your sports performance!!! I am currently training for a marathon and have used the information in this book to improve my nutrition to optimal levels for the extended running levels of marathon training. It has gotten me through well. I have been able to keep my weight stable and my energy levels up. Highly readable, it provides accurate and useable information on sports nutrition. I also recommend the "Food Guide for Marathoners" from the same author, which is more specific to the marathon runner.

Wow!! I am more than amazed at the wealth of information that is in this book! It answers all of the food choice questions you ever had, as well as tons you didn't know you had. All issues are addressed. What should I eat for breakfast, what is are some good snacks, what foods will fill me up, give me energy, and so-on. You come away totally eduacated and ready for any situation when it comes to eating and nutrition. You don't have to be an athlete. I go to the gym 4 times a week and wanted to find out how to energise myself. This is THE eating bible. If you have any questions about what to eat, when to eat it and why, buy this book!!

I can't wait to get the book on just reading 10 pages I want more, it was truth in a different way that rang true to me. And I want it!

In my opinion, this is one of the finest books on nutrition, not just for athletes, but everyone. I have gained so much from Nancy Clark's book, and recommended it to many people. For me it's the Bible of Nutrition, and invaluable for any athlete.

I haven't finished reading the book yet, but everything I've read is easy to understand. Nancy makes the food and calorie world much easier to understand and use. She's written it in a way that makes you think she's actually talking to you, unlike most informative books that bore you to death and make you fall asleep. I very much like what I've read and would totally recommend it to people who aren't athletes or interested in sports because it's extremely helpful for the average person as well as much as it is for the sports fanatic.

I loved the easy to understand language of this book and the "common sense" approach to sports nutrition.

Nancy Clark makes eating well for your sport easy to do, and easy to maintain. I'd recommend this book to anyone, whether you're an athlete or not. Very good information!

As a personal fitness trainer, I am always looking for common sense ways to explain proper nutrition to my clients. At first I bought this book for myself to help improve my running and get the most out of my workouts. What I found was a book that will not only help an athlete improve performance but has common sense nutritional information for almost anyone. Nancy is a Registered Dietitian who cuts through the nutrition myths and lays out a coming sense eating plan that works for almost anyone. If you are looking for a new fad diet you won't find it here although she has added a couple of chapters on sensible weight management in the latest edition. Sports specific chapters include how to carbo load before an event and what it really takes to add muscle mass. The book has over 200 quick and easy recipes that help round out your nutrition plan. After you read it you will wonder why you didn't take this common sense approach to nutrition years ago. Even if you buy it and don't read it from cover to cover, you can still pick up invaluable tips just browsing through and reading her informative tables and charts. A great way to jumpstart your nutrition plan by eating sensibly, keeping your body fueled and keeping your energy up.

I actually read this book cover to cover! The only nutrition book an athletic person really needs. Her examples are interesting (and common), and the book is well written. Overall, she is good at reminding the athletic reader of how simple good nutrition can be. My only complaint is there isn't really enough information for vegetarian and vegan athletes.