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Home > The Paleo Diet for Athletes: A Nutritional Formula for Peak Athletic Performance
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The Paleo Diet for Athletes: A Nutritional Formula for Peak Athletic Performance
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By Loren Cordain and Joe Friel
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 (54 Reviews)
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Publisher:
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Rodale Books
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Date:
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December 31, 1969 |
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Binding:
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Paperback
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Pages:
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288
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Loren Cordain, Ph.D., follows his success of The Paleo Diet with the first book ever to detail the exercise-enhancing effects of a diet similar to that of our Stone Age ancestors.
When The Paleo Diet was published, advocating a return to the diet of our ancestors (high protein, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables), the book received brilliant reviews from the medical and nutritional communities. Jennie Brand-Miller, coauthor of the bestselling Glucose Revolution, called it "without a doubt the most nutritious diet on the planet." Doctors Michael and Mary Dan Eades, authors of Protein Power, said, "We can't recommend The Paleo Diet highly enough."
Now Dr. Cordain joins with USA triathlon and cycling elite coach Joe Friel to adapt the Paleo Diet to the needs of athletes. The authors show:
o Why the typical athletic diet (top-heavy with grains, starches, and refined sugars) is detrimental to recovery, performance, and health
o How the glycemic load and acid-base balance impact performance
o Why consumption of starches and simple sugars is only beneficial in the immediate post-exercise period
At every level of competition, The Paleo Diet for Athletes can maximize performance in a range of endurance sports.
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Customers' Reviews:
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 A natural diet with the athlete in mind, December 19, 2006
By Johnson Cognito (Tucson, AZ USA)
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This book changed the way I look at nutrition. I have always been active and eaten a decent diet, but I knew I was too heavy on sugars and carbs in general. When I got into triathlons, I got Joe Friel's The Triathlete's Training Bible, and it turned me onto the Paleo Diet.
Since both authors have advanced degrees (Loren Cordain has a PhD in Exercise Physiology and Friel a M.S. in Exercise Science), it is heavy on science. The authors base their claims on numerous sources, and reference these sources throughout.
The basic premise is that the way we currently eat is contrary to how our bodies evolved over the millions of years prior to agriculture. Lean meat, fish, and fresh fruits and vegetables should be our staple, with a small twist. Paleolithic man could never have been a high level endurance athlete, as he just wouldn't have gotten enough carbohydrate to replenish his glycogen stores after a long or very intense workout.
This book, then, makes adjustments to the standard Paleo Diet to include certain types of foods normally not allowed during SPECIFIC periods of the pre and post-exercise window.
Post Script: Though I don't like to comment on others' reviews, I feel I must say that I don't agree with the assertion that the book doesn't place enough emphasis on when to eat the foods you eat. After the intro, the entire first few chapters are exactly that: What types of food to eat, and EXACTLY when to eat them.
107 of 108 people found this review helpful
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 Very helpful, but not perfect, November 20, 2006
By Dennis Pedersen
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I bought this book because my diet was already headed in the Paleo direction without anybody's book telling me to do so, but also because Joe Friel's web site recommended it. That made me curious about the details of why I should eat that way. I have slightly elevated blood pressure (pre-hypertension), and managed to bring it down from an average of about 129/84 to 124/81 or so just by eating low-sodium (I already was riding my bicycle 150-300 miles a week, so clearly more excercise wasn't needed). After having real trouble finding low-salt foods, I discovered that the produce section was my best friend, and the fresh meat/seafood section too; that was pretty close to Paleo already. But I was still eating lots of grains and beans, and this book convinced me to go full Paleo for non-sports reasons. Now I seem to be recovering much quicker and no longer have any of those rides where my legs are dog-tired. I've also gotten a bit leaner, though I was already at just 8% body fat. I then bought his first Paleo Diet book and read that. I now have pretty much gone completely Paleo, with some intentional lapses, and I don't really follow this second book so much. I follow his first book with its non-athlete orientation primarily to maintain my health as I get older, but I find that I can eat a Paleo omelette for breakfast, and ride for three hours with no sports drinks or gels (though I do bring dried fruit for any ride over three hours, and sports drink for long races or very hard training rides). Leaves me wondering if this second book was really needed. I strongly recommend his first book, and this one only if you're in the Ironman Tri, RAAM, or something extreme like that.
90 of 100 people found this review helpful
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 Regurgitation of bad conventional wisdom under the guise of paleo, December 16, 2009
By DG (WA)
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This book makes a lot of claims that aren't true. First and foremost, it is not paleo. It recommends a diet that is extremely out of whack in the macro-nutrient sense with that of paleo. Second, it purports that it is based on science and experience. The science piece of that claim is non-existent, and the experience portion is circumstantial (or anecdotal) evidence in support of their arguement. Third, it sets up contradictory advice for recovery. Fourth, it is extremely painful to read not just because it constantly passes opinion off as science, but because it talks down to the reader the whole time. Lastly, it defines "athlete" as endurance sportspersons.
1. Not paleo. Sure it tells you to eat a version paleo during the times when you aren't "training" (aka work out or exercise), but most people reading this book work out on a very regular basis. It also recommends that you prepare for exercise and immediately following an exercise by carb-loading. The carbs it chooses are very often not paleo - bars, sports drinks, grains, and legumes. In essence, if you work out every day, 2 out of 3 meals in a day would not be paleo. Even if you only work out 3 days a week, which is pretty much the bottom line if you are an "athlete," that is still 6 meals minimum a week that are heavily un-paleo. Why even bother calling yourself paleo at that point?
2. Science and experience. It makes claims, like "stay away from all that bad artery clogging saturated fat." I know a lot of people believe that claim, but that claim is not based on science, it is based on two epidemiological studies from the early to mid 1900's that cherry picked their data. There has never been any proven connection between cholesterol and heart disease. They never find a reasonable link between the two when they do clinical trials. By the way, Paleolithic people ate saturated fat. This is just one of the examples of this book pawning off opinion as science. As far as experience - Friel does have a lot of endurance experience. However, there are plenty of athletes who are in better total shape who eat paleo the whole time or who even fast for intense workouts. I know several first hand who switched away from the books suggestions to strict paleo and seen enormous results. In both Friel's and my case this is anecdotal evidence to support the claim, and shouldn't be used as proof that either works.
3. Recovery advice. Make sure you eat lots of protein, but all the protein has a high amount of acidity and you shouldn't eat any food that is acidic to recover. Make sure you get the base alkalines in there too, but to counteract the acidity of the majority of foods you need to eat, you need to consume unrealistic amounts of the alkalines. I could keep going in circles based on the advice, but I think 2 examples will do.
4. Talks down. "Optimize Performance. This is a big one." No kidding, huh? "All athletes are susceptible to inflammation of muscles and tendons" Really? I had no idea. By the way all those carbs they tell you to eat, promote inflammation.
5. Athletes. It bothers me that they define athlete as endurance sportsperson. There are soooo many other types of athletes that they never address. Sure you can make up some sort of variation and apply it to your sport, but then why'd I buy the book? I'd rather have specific advice from experts (not that I consider the advice in this book "expert") than make my own. Not that I consider the advice in this book "expert", it's just more regurgitated bad conventional wisdom that we've all heard - carb load, look out for saturated fat, etc. [...]
71 of 82 people found this review helpful
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Not Really Paleo, July 12, 2010
By Kay (Cali)
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I purchased the book because I was particularly interested in learning some a-little-less-than-laymen explanation of what happens physiologically in the body of the Paleo runner. But this book stayed very, very on the surface (a whole section on how to hydrate? Hey, that's filler!) and sophistication-wise, was a far cry from Gary Taubes (or, really, any competent blog on the subject, of which there are a few).
Most disappointingly, this book is standard high-carb advice for runners. A majority of its content is indistinguishable from any other guide to endurance nutrition. So, basically, you are advised to eat x grams of low glycemic carbs x hours before a race, and x grams of higher glycemic carbs as you approach race time. In fact, there is little in this book with regard to true paleo diet metabolism or low carb/high fat fueling and how that diet effects running. Perhaps the argument there is that one cannot be an endurance athlete while truly paleo. Touche. But don't write a book called "The Paleo Diet for Athletes."
But here is where my real beef is, and what really made this book a waste of time. Where the authors do seem to describe the Paleo diet, they get it pretty wrong. For instance, they push lean fats (not fatty animal ones) and warn of cholesterol and "bad" saturated fats, while encouraging vegetable oil consumption, issues at the very core of Paleolithic nutrition that have been specifically and comprehensively studied and debated, to the opposite conclusions that these authors come to. In fact, these authors are, by definition, not paleo at all, maybe just picky about which carbs and how many.
At the very least, if these writers had meant to promote neolithic nutrition, and totally diverge from paleo, I really wish they would've explained why.
58 of 63 people found this review helpful
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 Very focused on endurance athletics., February 25, 2006
By M. F. Lawson (Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA)
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I was excited to try the Paleo Diet in conjunction with a general fitness improvement plan. However, I was slightly disappointed by the fact that the book is focused almost entirely on endurance athletics. Barely a mention is given of Paleo in conjunction with weight training or general weight loss.
The book does give lots of details for implementing the Paleo way of eating for intense athletes, so it's a great book if you fit that category.
Regardless of fitness level, there are many tasty sounding Paleo recipes in the book, so it will be a good companion to the original Paleo Diet book even if you're not a high-volume athlete. But for beginners, I would recommend the original Paleo Diet book first, because it is geared more towards general fitness and weight loss.
And one thing that I like about both of Cordain's books is that they have an extensive bibliography of references, so you can be sure his research is backed-up with lots of research.
48 of 52 people found this review helpful
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 Flimsy Evidence, but It Sells Books, December 29, 2006
By J. H. Shannon (New York, NY United States)
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I'm not one to promote one diet over another, but by way of disclosure I am a vegan (which means I don't consume any animal products) and a competive (though amateur) cyclist. I am also an anthropologist. My main problem with the Paleo Diet books is that they are based in part on flimsy ethnographic and physical anthropological data. Studies of the diets of contemporary foragers (who used to be called "hunters and gatherers") are flawed in their methodologies and result in widely disparate data. They also do not take into consideration the history of most foragers as colonized subjects whose lifeways (including subsistence strategies) have been substantially altered by their domination by neighboring peoples or by the state-level societies in which they have lived for sometimes hundreds of years. In some cases carnivory may be a recent strategy as a result of resource scarcity, and not a time-honored practive dating to our hominid ancestors. We can't assume much about early hominid diet from contemporary forager diets. Moreover, contemporary human populations have occupied specific ecological niches that are distinct from our paleolithic ancestors; no one would expect the Inuit, for example, to have developed a vegan diet since their environment would make that a huge challenge. Likewise, other populations in different environments will have developed distinct strategies for meeting basic nutritional needs. In addition, evidence of carnivory exists in the hominid record; but this does not tell us the degree to which it was important in the diet. Plant-based diets don't leave a lot of physical traces (dentition patterns are one indication of diet). Meat eating may have been the result of scarcity and not preference; it may have aided population genetic fitness (via selection) but not overall health. So behind the "data" there are a lot of contradictions. How this in the end translates into increased athletic performance is another story. If you want to justify your diet on pseudo-science, fine. I would rather justify it on based on results. If this sort of diet (mislabelled "paleo") works, great. If not, try something else. But don't be fooled by the labels.
46 of 79 people found this review helpful
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More appropriate for strength athletes, July 12, 2006
By Lyle Mcdonald (Austin, Texas)
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The authors play a rather silly game of exclude the middle.
They start from the premise that most endurance athlets overconsume refined grains to the exclusion of dietary protein and veggies. This isn't necessarily incorrect, I've seen endurance athletes do that very thing. I've done it myself.
Therefore, endurance athlete should go to the opposite extreme and eat lots of lean meat and fibrous vegetables and some fruits. Basically, a retread of Cordain's Paleo Dieting thing.
Except that somehow they then shoehorn recent research into pre/during/post workout nutrition on top of that. They argue that this will optimize endurance performance.
Apparently the idea of eating sufficient protein AND vegetables AND digestible carbohydrates was lost on them.
As well, they apparently forgot to look at data on the Kenyan runners who routinely consume 70% carbs and 10% protein and seem to be doing ok performance wise. Or the Tarahumara indians who eat massively high carb intakes and are known for their prodigious running abilities.
Don't get me wrong, I think many endurance athletes get insufficient protein and eating plenty of veggies should be a huge part of any athletic diet (or any healthy diet for that matter). But let's not pretend that you can't eat sufficient lean protein, plenty of vegetables AND get sufficient digestible carbohdyrate (from grains/etc) to support the monstrous training volumes common to high level endurance programs.
IMO, their recommendations would make far far more sense for strength/power athletes who simply don't have the carbohydrate requirements of long-duration endurance athletes.
40 of 50 people found this review helpful
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Paleo diet, with special attention on the "For Athletes" part, December 16, 2006
By Alfred Racho (Manila)
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Paleo Diet for Athletes
A lot of what Dr. Cordain says (The Paleo Diet) makes sense -- basically, from the time of humanity's existence, 10,000 years is a short time to make adaptations in the way our bodies have evolved. Agriculture and dairy products, for instance, just happened in the past 10,000 years.
I won't go into the details of the hunter-gatherer diet that Cordain mentions. I believe that there are also other diets out there are similar (in fact, probably identical) in both reasoning and implementation (i.e., Evolution Diet, and other hunter-gatherer diets out there).
The Paleo Diet part gets 4 stars, and the additional star goes for the "for Athletes" part.
What makes this book different is the "... for Athletes" part. (On a separate note, the title would have been more apt if they said "ENDURANCE Athletes" instead, as other non-endurance athletes could probably be recommended the regular Paleo Diet by Dr. Cordain, or the other similar ones by other authors.)
I have always watched endurance athletes take down gobs of pasta and carbohydrates. And with that, assumed that Joe Friel, a premier coach of endurance athletes (just check out his "Bible" series books and his website), I assumed that Joe Friel was another carb junkie. Apparently, he WAS. Note, "WAS" is the past tense.
Dr. Cordain introduced him to the Paleo diet, and though Joe was hooked, he did some modifications on the diet for endurance athletes. And that's where this book stands out from other hunter-gatherer diets out there. (If you want to know more about hunter-gatherer diets, do a search for similar books here in Amazon and read the reviews. And a bit of search 'round the internet wouldn't be a bad idea).
I particularly like Joe's modifications in what he calls various stages: what to eat before exercise (both a few hours before, and immediately before), during exercise (obviously only applicable to endurance athletes in multi-hour events), and after exercise (further broken down into the first half-hour after, the succeeding hours or so, and the long term recovery strategy via nutrition). And that's what makes this book worth it, especially for endurance athletes and those regular blokes who work out or exercise everyday (those who put in maybe an hour or more of exercise a day). By the way, this is good for "regular" endurance athletes as well, not necessarily marathoners and other ultra-distance racers, or ironmen triathletes (i.e., this book is still perfect for "sprint distance" triathletes as well... and also 5k and 10k fun-runners).
Friel is especially keen on making sure the nutrition strategy gives one optimum performance (for either an exercise session or a race), as well as the all-important recovery (so you can go hard again in your next training session -- IF that is what you have scheduled).
I find it amusing that I know what parts Friel wrote, and what parts Cordain wrote, simply by reading. Maybe it's because I have Friel's other books that I already know his writing style, but it was easy to see which parts were written by whom.
I cannot comment if the Paleo Diet is better than The Evolution Diet (but, truth be known, I don't have The Evolution Diet), but I assume they're similar to the point of being nearly identical, as are PROBABLY all other hunter-gatherer diets out there. I cannot comment either on who has written a better book, or a better explanation, or a better implementation of the hunter-gatherer type of diet. But it is only The Paleo Diet for Atheltes that has a collaboration with an "endurance athelete guru" (i.e., Joe Friel) that addresses the needs of athletes. If you fall into that category, you will surely like the part that Friel contributed, especially the various stages of pre- during, and post-exercise nutrition strategy.
33 of 39 people found this review helpful
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Cordain sold out his diet to Joe Friel, August 27, 2007
By chaswashing (Raleigh, NC United States)
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Two stars for the Paleo Diet but Zero stars for the "modifications."
I was severely disappointed with this book. I hoped that an athlete would adopt the diet and adapt his training to the demands of the sound science that Dr. Cordain authored with his Paleo Diet. Instead, we have an athlete who has basically adapted the Paleo Diet to the high carbohydrate nonsense that permeates the "endurance world", which leads to good results, but bad health. How many of our great athletes have to continue sacrificing their long-term health for short term goals?
Recovery is not a good enough reason to "adapt" and modify the diet. The goal of training is to race, not more training. I don't think enough athletes understand that. There is a large section in this book about overtraining, but the authors "overcome" this seeming limitation ironically with the very thing that the Paleo Diet attempts to cure us from - - a misplaced reliance on excessive glucose which is responsible for the majority of the maladies that currently afflict us.
"Periodization" is also a problem. I'll leave you this quote by Olympian Gordon Pirie which accurately details the issue:
"Another popular aspect of training which I think is very dangerous is that known as "periodization" - that is, breaking down the training year into various "phases", each of which is divorced from the others. Thus, the beginning of the year may be devoted to a slow distance "build-up", the second portion of the year devoted to hill training, a third part devoted to interval work and then speed training, and finally (though most of these runners never get this far) a racing season undertaken. The difficulty with training in this manner is that you go along quite well with one aspect of training (e.g. long distance running), and then suddenly, on a certain day, "Bang!". You start hill-bounding, or speed-training, or something new, and the body simply is not ready for the change, and invariably, year in and year out, you are more often than not injured. The body should be trained in all aspects of running, all of the time. Only the emphasis should change as you progress through the year; no aspect of training should be entirely given up for any significant length of time. The balance between different types of training (distance running, intervals, hill running and speed training) should be adjusted as the year progresses" Pirie, "Running Fast and Injury Free", Page 86.
This balance can be achieved with adequate rest. When an athlete gives up his dependance on sugar, he will find that he has much more strength and steady energy reserves. Sure, you don't recover as quickly, but this is an indication that training is too hard, and one needs to adjust this training in order to successfully make it to the starting line. The science by Phinney and others clearly demonstrates that athletes, when given sufficient time to adapt to fat burning, were able to repeat their athletic performance. Frequency was a problem, but again, the goal of training is to race, not more training.
I'm disappointed that Dr. Cordain could not find an athlete willing to test his theories with sound and intelligent training, rather than the usual carb-load glucose-laden mess we've been stuck with. There are many low carb runners and cyclists out there who address the issues covered in this book far more intelligently and in a way that does not compromise their long term health as this approach potentially does.
18 of 31 people found this review helpful
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Not what you think, January 9, 2011
By D-man (NJ)
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This book was a bust for me. Most athlete diet books break down nutritional suggestions by sport. I compete in Muay Thai Boxing so I was really turned off by the constant references to endurance athlete. So be aware, this book is really aimed towards endurance sports.
Also the fact that it's not a true Paleo diet. There are recommendations to include sports drinks/gel, rice or potatoes for its glucose content which will aid recovery after training. As far as I know some tubers & grains are highly debated among Paleo dieters because of newly found research. But that's a whole other issue. There are also recommendations for whey protein (which is a byproduct of cheese) but Loren does suggest egg white protein as a substitute.
Here's what I found usefu out of this book.
+ Some good info on nutrition timing. Which are broken down in stages
+ Good chapter about Over Training
+ Explanation of fatigue,lactic acid & cramps
18 of 21 people found this review helpful
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Paleo Schmaleo, April 14, 2010
By K. D. Hancock (Australia)
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What a fizzer. It took Cordain 300 pages to rehash his original book, and has added nothing new. Expecting some leading edge athlete nutritional advice? Dont look here - its the same old/same old, been there/done that in the Paleo Diet book. Cordain might be trying to squeeze out some mileage ( and some more bucks) from his original book methinks.
In fact,there is nothing 'paleo' about it. If you take Cordain's advice, you're eating meat and veges, then carb cylcling with 'certain nonoptimal foods' (page 163) meaning all the stuff he previously decries as 'non-paleo' (Bad) foods: 'cereal, dairy, salty foods, high fat meats and refined sugars' ( page 163).
And, hey, this fab new sports nutrition advice reminds me of the Body Opus book, the TNT Diet book etc, written years previous to this. Been there, done that. Copy cat.
14 of 16 people found this review helpful
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The Paleo Diet for Athletes, April 5, 2011
By Don C. Broseman (Houston, TX)
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If you are an endurance athlete this is great and thats what the title should be. If you are a strength athlete this book is not for you. Would not have purchased had I known.
13 of 13 people found this review helpful
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Carbo drinks and jels in Paleo times, June 2, 2006
By eb (CA)
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If Paleo people were so fit and healthy why do authors of this book put so much empahsis on importance of sports drinks? How about soda bicarbonate to improve one's performance, or caffeine? So where do we draw the line? Either promote NATURAL way of nourishing our bodies or lets have a list of supplements (as long as they are still legal) to give an athlete the edge. Too bad our ancestors did not have access to energy jels.
13 of 36 people found this review helpful
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Paleo Diet for Endurance Athletes, August 18, 2009
By Toadjumper (Kandahar, Afghanistan)
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While this book was a great learning tool on what one should focus on as far as eating, and when to best eat before, during, and after a workout, it is geared more towards the endurance athlete. I picked this book up expecting to be able to find stuff that would help me as a Soldier, or, as I like to think of myself, as a "tactical athlete", but was disappointed to see that it focuses more on people who compete in ultra-marathons, Ironman triathalons and the like. It does have some great advice on the best foods to eat, as well as some recipies to choose from, but unless you're working on finishing a 100-mile ultra-marathon or something simliar, I would definitely recommend his first book, or even Mark Sisson's "The Primal Blueprint".
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
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Geared towards endurance athletes..., August 14, 2009
By Aaron Feyd
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I enjoyed Loren's first book so much I thought that this book would be an excellent addition since the title suggests it is for athletes. The book is geared mostly towards those that are involved in endurance sports/multi-sport athletes. Being a powerlifter/bodybuilder for a number of years, I was hoping there was going to be some insight in how to apply the principles for losing unwanted bodyfat, but this is mostly about maximizing post workout recovery and performance during workouts, not so much as how to become a leaner athlete. While it was an interesting read, I would probably choose his first book over this one.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
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oriented toward performance, not weight loss, April 4, 2007
By Jean McKnight (Taylors, SC)
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Not that this is a bad thing, maybe even if your goal is weight loss.
This book has some surprising new angles on diet for performance, and I think it has in fact improved my performance.
I do wish it had more sample menus and clearer examples of what to eat if you're not a huge muscular guy. (The amount of calories assumed by this book is kind of alarming. Maybe if I ate that I really would just get stronger and not balloon to the size of Texas, but I've been afraid to try it all out.) Also wish it offered some healthy alternatives to eat on the bike instead of just Gatorade, which my dentist says is the reason my teeth suddenly went to heck after I started biking (and sipping Gatorade) a lot.
He gives lots of very good information about the non-exercise times food, but then seems to rely heavily on the sports drink for the exercise window. Really? I still have trouble believing this day-glo stuff is really the health elixer of all time. (Even if you don't care about having your original teeth all that much.) Hope maybe he'll revisit that question with the same inquiring spirit as he has the rest of the plan.
Awful lot of lengthy kinda academic discussion of the roots of the diet. Don't care as much as I should. Tell me what to eat and when as simply as possible, please. I'm slow and fat and too hungry from trying to diet conventionally to wade through all those complicated explanations...
Seriously...I was very disappointed that this book did not offer more concrete weight loss help, because I really want to lose weight, but...I think it actually did more toward getting me to genuinely eat well than anything else I've read. And I've read quite a lot. (Almost as much as I've eaten...)
It's genuinely different, it makes sense, and ...damned if it doesn't seem to work. That's really saying something for a diet book these days. Even if its a "go faster" diet book, and not just a "fit in your favorite jeans again" diet book.
Bonus points, however, if the next version could be both.
8 of 11 people found this review helpful
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Wow! Opened my eyes., July 12, 2007
By Benjamin E. Sauter (SLC, UT)
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This book is packed with some very useful information. I would have given it five stars, but I don't have the knowledge to thoroughly evaluate all the statements made in this book and I feel like there are probably some important points that are being left out. Nonetheless, it has made me aware of some very important and little understood issues relating to performance and diet. As a result of reading this book, I am much better informed and I will definitely be better able to understand additional material relating to nutrition and health.
I have read other books by Joe Friel, and I find that the incorporation of performance related principles from his other books is consistent and very helpful.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
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Great athlete guide to nutrition, May 23, 2007
By ccthomps (Indianapolis, IN)
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This book has really helped me in my quest for iron distance triathlons. The times to eat and the types of foods are very helpful for recovery from exercise. Joe Friel's scientific approach to nutrition is extremely well informed. I have used his techniques and had great results. I highly suggest this book to anyone who wants to increase their fitness level.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
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A guide to using the premises of the Paleo Diet in the course of training. Runners, cyclists, swimmers and more, February 5, 2006
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA)
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Nutritionist Loren Cordain created The Paleo Diet, and here teams with USA triathlon and cycling coach Joel Friel with The Paleo Diet For Athletes, a guide to using the premises of the Paleo Diet in the course of training. Runners, cyclists, swimmers and more can make easy changes using The Paleo Diet, which gives guidelines for what to eat before, during and after a workout or competition. Recipes included.
5 of 11 people found this review helpful
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for endurance runners, July 29, 2011
By Terry Wynia (seattle, WA)
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this book is mainly geared towards marathoners and the like. if you are not an endurance athlete this is not a great book. it is certainly not geared towards athletic persons in general. i am a kick boxer and found this book did not apply so much to how i train. it is a good book, and i agree with its basic principles. but i do not do triathlons, and did not find this book helpful.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
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Same Book, Different Cover, April 27, 2010
By Nano (CA, United States)
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If you didn't buy the 1st Paleo Diet Book, then this book is great. It goes over why our body doesn't function correctly by eating processed foods like the first book. There are certain elements and key points the author goes over that should be part of an athlete's diet. I felt many points were mentioned in the 1st book and the Paleo Diet for Athletes book. The Athlete book was just a regurgitation. There are so many foods that are listed that aren't good for our bodies. I now hesitate to eat anything off the supermarket shelves. I stick to the fruit and vegetable aisles though not every kind of "fresh fruit and vegetables" are good for you.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
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Paleo for ULTRA marathoners, May 18, 2011
By Troy O. Clayton (Copperas Cove, Texas USA)
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Being in the Army I thought this book would be perfect for my life style. Paleo for Athletes focuses on long distance running and super endurance athletes. The title should have included that, but probably did not in order to sell to all athletes. Only use this books advice if you are an endurance athlete. The stuff included for people who workout under two hours at a time is about 4 pages total. Good book, just not for ALL athletes.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
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A little too much, February 5, 2009
By Casey D. Bolick
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Well written book, but I think it was written for the .00002% of the population competing in ultra-marathons and the like rather than your every day athelete. If you're not regularly placing in the top five in your Ironman class, spend your money on the first book.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
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Helpful read for endurance athletes, May 24, 2008
By Amelia Kirkland
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I thought this book was very helpful and believeful and I started out as a total skeptic. I think think these principles are sound, although I find them hard to follow. This book is very easy to understand, even for a lay person and many sports 'self help' books aren't. I find that this book gives enough scientific evidence that makes it good, but not so much that its boring or hard to understand. Definitely a must-have for endurance athletes' reference collection.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
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"A great diet and exercise book not just for paleolithic, August 5, 2007
By Ariel C. Araos (Australia Vic)
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Highly informative for all athletes and people wanting to exercise on a regular basis.
Basically it teaches you what, when and how to eat your food so that you get the maximun performance. It also has specific advice on fluids. If you are planning to do regular execise, this is a highly recommended book, even if you are not planning to follow the paleo diet strictly.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
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nutritional resource, January 11, 2007
By triathlon addict (Iowa)
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Nutrition is a key aspect of endurance sports and is discussed in detail by two leading experts in the field, Cordain and Friel. Following the techniques described in this book will resort in better recovery, overall improved health, and improved performance. Based upon Dr. Cordain's Paleo diet, the authors present strategies for proper nutrition and refueling that is revised for the specific demands of endurance training. Highly recommended for any endurance athlete with dedication to improve their lifestyle surrounding their sport. The plan is easy to follow after some adjustments and becomes a way of life!
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
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I really liked this book., July 31, 2006
By Prochargedmopar (TX, USA)
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Very informative and layed everything out nicely. I'm going to order the Paleo diet book as I'm not a long distance athlete and more into the crossfit type training. This book would seem to be easily applied to gaining strengh/Muscle with a couple small "tweaks" as the authors put it.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful
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Very interesting, October 23, 2008
By Ty A. Ketlinski
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I really enjoyed this book. Its actually 2 books kind of throw together -- one by the paleo author, and one by Joe Friel. Although I have not been a big fan of Friel's writing style in his other books, he actually does a great job of explaining the nutritional pre- and post-phases for athletes. This alone is worth the price of the book.
As far as the paleo specific stuff, it was very interesting. However, realistically speaking, this diet is impossible to follow in this day and age, unless you don't have a job and have nothing better to do but stay home all day and prepare your food. Additionally, the food just doesn't sound good. Any diet that has crappy, bland food is a recipe for cheating and failure in this day and age.
I think the science of the paleo diet is questionable. I'm not a scientist, nor a dietician, but hasn't the obesity problem in the world really only come about over the last 50-60 years due primarily to processed foods? Blaming the obesity problem on agriculture and domesticated animals is a stretch because they have existed for thousands of years with no obesity problems.
Interesting information -- this is why I gave it a four star.
4 of 6 people found this review helpful
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Easy to Read and Very Informative, March 7, 2009
By Maui Rock Hopper (Maui Hawaii USA)
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It's true that this book seems tailored for the endurance athlete. I am a beginner cyclist with a few pounds to lose. The dialogue was sincere and straightforward, not too technical or scientific. I read the whole book end to end in a few days and learned so much about nutrition as it relates to my sport. The best part was the timing of when to eat before, during, and after exercising. I put some of the principles into practice and already noticed an increase in my performance.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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In-depth explanations, August 15, 2011
By scubajim
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I am not an elite athlete. I have spent the last two years battling weight and type II diabetes. I do not go for fad diets and this is NOT a fad diet. The book is full of facts and cited studies on how the body works and responds to food and exercise. Even if you are not an elite athlete you will gain a lot of insights into proper nutrition. I strongly recommend this book for the wealth of information.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Dieting that makes sense, June 17, 2010
By Long Distance Runner (Hudson, NY, US)
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This version of the book is designed specifically for athletes, but the concepts are important for everyone.
The authors are realistic and flexible in their diet advice. Whether you follow this advice or not, the book will give you plenty to think about. (This may be difficult for you if you are a vegan).
I learned some interesting nutritional facts, and have made some minor changes to the way I eat. The information about fruits and vegetables was very interesting to me, as were the ideas about when to eat different kinds of food and why.
I have been running for more than 50 years and recently completed a 184 mile, non-stop Ragnar relay from Woodstock, NY to Dobbs Ferry, NY. If I had read this book before the race I would have eaten differently.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Kill two birds with one stone..., April 24, 2011
By Joseph Arechiga (North Hollywood, CA USA)
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While researching how to control Acne --
This book kept popping up on Google.
I've always battled with fat and acne (and now my kids too).
I also noticed this book caused people to drop fat so had to read it.
When I ate more in line with the book my Acne did in fact disappear -- quickly.
But it seems so strange to me that grains and dairy would cause such problems.
Especially being a bible kind of guy -- the land of milk and honey sounds like a good thing.
I wonder if everyone in the promised land had zits and beer bellies? Ewwwww. :)
I wish I'd read this book in high school.
Strange but effective book.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
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Currently Paleo or thinking about it? Forget this book!, April 30, 2012
By Scott Plank
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I have read a full spectrum of books on Paleo as well as great peer reviewed literature like "Wheat Belly" and "The Great Cholesterol Con". All I have to say is avoid this book! There is nothing truly Paleo/Primal about the recommendations in this book and there are many suggestions that are downright "anti-paleo" and don't need to be. The biggest foibles are the recommendations to avoid saturated fat (because of its "artery clogging" properties), use canola oil (even though it is not even close to being paleo), increase the amount of PUFA in the diet (a real culprit for coronary heart disease), and use grain-based non-paleo supplements like maltodextrin.
The bottom line is that many of the concepts in this book are already outdated and the suggestions are overly complex. If you are an athlete, you can eat 90%+ strict paleo and it works just fine. Many athletes will need to get more carbs (although much less than with a SAD diet) when they are active and those can easily come from paleo/primal sources such as sweet potatoes, some paleo folks even add in small amounts of white rice. The best sport drink in the world is coconut water which is paleo as well.
If you are looking for the best paleo advice for athletic endeavors, get Mark Sisson's "Primal Blueprint" or Robb Wolf's "Paleo Solution" you will be much happier with your purchase.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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Paleo with a twist, February 6, 2011
By Chris S.
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If you are a serious athlete or a novice, Paleo Diet For Athletes will explain changes in the Paleo diet that make the difference! Two words why you should buy this book, IT WORKS!
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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Good book on Palep Diet, December 20, 2009
By Reviewer_in_WA (Moses Lake, WA)
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This book gives a good overview of the Paleo Diet. One thing to note is the "for Athletes" part is aimed at endurance athletes. Still good suggestions for all athletes can be found in this book.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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Didn't cavemen die young?, June 18, 2011
By Anonymous (USA)
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I loved this book and learned a ton from it but I used it as a tool to form my own opinions and not as a bible. Just because Cavemen did it doesn't mean its how its supposed to be. I agree with all the info on processed foods but not everything in here makes sense to me just because a race of people who rarely survived into their thirties used to do it. I loved all the info on Omega Fatty acids and the breakdown and understanding of Proteins, fats and Carbs.The recipes were a bit weird too. Definitely a tool for the toolbox but don't BE a "toolbox" and think it the gospel of eating.
2 of 9 people found this review helpful
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THE ATHLETEIC BIBLE FOR ATHLETES, November 8, 2010
By WESTBOUND (Denver, CO)
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This is a book I will always have. It is to me "The Athletic Bible". A must read for the person wanting to maintain a high level of performance and take care of his or her body. It answered a lot of questions I have had about nutrition for performance, when to take in carbohydrates and not. Well written and interesting. Learn where we can from as humans and our ancestors' eating habits that formed who we are today. The basic nutritional guide and performance health guide. This book is based with a bit more carbohydrates tan the normal "Paleo diet" because it is aimed toward the athlete. If you are not active then this is probable should not be first on your "To read list".
This book is for the average person, body builder, triathlete, or any other athlete. A lot of the information is geared toward the Endurance athletes. I am a weight lifter, snowboarder, mountain biker and overall health enthusiast of average status (weekend warrior). I hope this has helped and I would, and do recommend it to anyone (friends and family) who is active.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Very enlightening., February 13, 2012
By Daniel de Sousa
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Already started the diet with my fiancée, both really happy and well-disposed for daily activities. With mild exercise, 3x a week, body fat has started to drop and sleep time seems better enjoyed. A can't miss, for sure.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Coffee For The Brain Book Reviews, June 9, 2011
By Coffeechug (Iowa)
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This book came across as a surprise in many ways. For one I forgot I put this book on hold. I had placed it on hold months ago and really forgot all about it. Just the other day it was available in the library and being that I just started my training for my first marathon I started to read the book and actually came away with some great information.
I am not sure if I could actually follow the Paleo Diet completely as I am not sure I could give up dairy or grain as these two food groups are staples to my family and actually two of the food groups that my kids eat that are actually healthy. However, everything presented in the book makes complete sense.
The idea of being able to eat as much lean meat, poultry, seafood, fruits, and veggies is awesome. I just need to work on the dairy and grain piece.
What makes this diet work is that it is actually not a diet, but provides more of a template for how to nourish your body if you are an athlete properly. It covers some common myths/mistakes people make while training and eating. An important element to following this program/diet is that you must maintain adequate carb intake if you are an endurance athlete so your body does not break down. This is not something that is asking you cut calories or carbs, but rather putting good fuel in your body.
The key aspect to this book that I really enjoyed reading about and took pages of notes on was the 5 Stages to Eating During the Day. I found the 5 stages to make complete sense and they work no matter what time you train. For me, I train very early in the morning 4:30 am so many programs don't work for training this early.
The 5 Stages are
1. Immediately before workout
2. During the workout
3. 30 minutes following workout
4. Period equal to duration of preceding workout
5. Long-term recovery leading to Stage 1
This is nothing mind blowing, but seeing it in this format really helped me visualize how I keep my body fueled.
Like with any book that deals with diet/nutrition/training/etc. there are so many methods and plans. This book is a great benefit to read because it will provide you with some new ideas and techniques that maybe you have not thought about before. I have changed my system in terms of what I eat and when I eat and I am noticing some positive changes to my body and performance.
This book has caused me to rethink my nutrition and I am slowly trying to become more Paleo despite my love of cheese and yogurt!
After reading this book from the library I have purchased the book to keep with me. It is worth the money.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Good explanations, December 30, 2010
By Mark M. Frazier (Milton, WI)
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I've been leaning towards a Paleo diet for a couple years and it really wasn't until recently that I knew that "Paleo" diet was what it was called. But, whether you're leaning that way or said Paleo what? you'll still benefit from the book. It's a good blend of science, experiences, and explanations. Fun to read (and i hate reading.)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Taking Paleo to the next level., October 12, 2010
By go2chad
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If you have read "The Paleo Diet" and are a serious athlete this book is a must read. I have learned an amazing amount of information about how what we eat effects our body and the best practices for repair after heavy workouts. I currently do a couple of sprint triathlons yearly and after reading this book have increased my ability both in strength and recovery. This book gave me the tools to take my competition to the next level which is an Olympic Triathlon double my normal distance. The basics of this book are easy to understand and are designed for serious athletes. If you are new to the Paleo concept I would recommend reading "The Paleo Diet" first. If I can pass on one thing from this reading it would be "Stop eating processed foods immediately!". Your body and mind will thank you.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Must read for serious athletes, March 14, 2010
By word monster (St. Louis, MO USA)
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This is a must read if you are even halfway serious about your training. Geared mainly towards endurance/distance athletes, this book is very informative and the authors do a good job of breaking down the complex science and chemistry involved and putting it on an understandable level. The theory and research expressed in this book is on the cutting edge of elite training, so expect some of your preconceived notions of what an endurance athlete should be consuming to be blown to bits.
After reading this book and putting it into practice, I have personally seen my health improve and I am able to recover quicker after tough workouts. Thus, I'm improving!
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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An Athlete's Dream, November 4, 2011
By Searcher for Truth (Arizona, US)
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This book outlined a suggested nutrition for athletes that actually makes sense in an evolutionary way. I'd highly recommend this book to the weekend warrior as well as the professional athlete.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
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not bad, August 9, 2011
By J. H. Teague (gold coast australia)
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some great nutritional tips but more for the endurance athlete which was disappointing if i had known that beeing a bodybuilder i probably wouldnt have bought it.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
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A Book for Marathon Runners, May 30, 2011
By SnoBlossm (Palmerton, PA)
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This book is thorough and provides a way for proactive athletes to maximize their performance while staying true (mostly) to the Paleo diet. I purchased this book because I would get free shipping due to going over some set cost on Amazon and it just didn't make sense not to.
It's not one of my favorite Paleo books due to the fact I am not yet a marathon runner and I don't work too hard in the exercise/exertion department, BUT I have learned a lot from it that I can still apply to my lazy Paleo-eating lifestyle. If I were a marathon runner, triathelete, college sports player, etc. this would be amazing.
Overall, I'm happy with my purchase. It was basically a free book and I'm smarter now. It's not a book I really sat down and just read. It's very science-y compared to other books I read.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
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The non-diet diet, August 16, 2009
By me="R2QA66QIZ67038">
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
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This book was just what I was looking for.I needed to clean up my nutrition again
and this is a sound plan.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
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A Key Nutrition Resource, April 9, 2007
By Truth About Caffeine.com (SCR Books)
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These nutritional strategies will help you fuel your body to keep it going longer as you work to build up your endurance.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
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Joe Friel good Book - not so much, November 23, 2008
By Chaz Siu (Solana Beach, CA)
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I respect Joe Friel, but this is a text heavy, dense tome - not nearly as practical as it needs to be for any reasonably experienced athlete. KISS.
1 of 7 people found this review helpful
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the paleo diet for athletes, July 5, 2011
By marlese
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Well what can I say about the paleo diets, somehow they include foods that were not around 200 years ago to most people. Macadamia nut and oil, not for everyone in the world and certainly not for europeans. Coconut oil is another example- limited to tropical island cultures. Originally when I read the authors first book- i just put the book away- canola oil not recommeded now- cultures far back whould have been eating animal fats and organ meats with the muscle meat- period
good athlete recommendations though- especially about not over training and eating enough calories
1 of 8 people found this review helpful
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different diets, February 11, 2008
By tried them all dieter (Mononhahela, PA United States)
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I didn't think this book was an easy read. I think many other diet books flow better. I can't imagine eating salmon for breakfast every day!
1 of 11 people found this review helpful
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Good guide for better nutrition for cyclists, February 3, 2010
By John M. Boudry (Wisconsin)
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As an avid cyclist, I found this book to be very helpful in improving the nutritional aspect of my training. I did not read the precursor book by co-author Cordain, so I found the information regarding the Paleo Diet and basic nutrition to be very helpful as well. There are also many recipes in the the last section of the book to help someone transition (myself included) to this diet.
I would certainly recommend this book to athletes looking to better incorporate nutrition into their training.
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Great Start for Healthy Eating, February 11, 2011
By maddgabe
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I am so happy I ordered this book, not only is it a great tool to getting started on the right path to healthy eating its a great tool for us Athletes that are skeptical about this way of eating for our bodies that we push hard in training.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
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eat better....perform better!, June 28, 2009
By Goncalo Souto (New York, NY)
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to perform at our best eating right is key. this book shows exactly how to eat for performance AND long term health. highly recommended.
0 of 2 people found this review helpful
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great and on time!, October 20, 2009
By Antonio P. Faciola (Madison, Wisconsin - USA)
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it was in great conditions and was quickly delivered. all I expect when buying a book. thanks!
0 of 10 people found this review helpful
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