Nutrition - Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are nothing new, in fact most Americans will immediately think of green furry potted pets when you mention chia, but very few will think running super food. Christopher Douglas’s mention of them in Born to Run has brought them to the forefront of the discussion on “natural energy” for runners.

Chia has been used for thousands of years as an endurance enhancing food, easily traced back to the Mayans and Aztecs. Stories abound about Aztec warriors and messengers running extreme distances on nothing but a handful of chia seeds. Chia seeds alone won’t make you a super runner, but they have many properties that can greatly improve your performance.

28 g of chia, or about 3 tablespoons, contains roughly 137 calories and 12 g of

carbohydrates – an important source of energy for running.  The seeds also contain high amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids, higher even than flax seeds.  Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and may help lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. Omega-3 fatty acids are highly concentrated in the brain and appear to be important for cognitive (brain memory and performance) and behavioral function.

Chia is also a good source of fiber, calcium and contains more protein than most other grains.

 

Chia nutritional properties aren’t the only thing that makes them an amazing running food. It has a number of other characteristics that aid your long distance running performance;

 

Chia seeds have hydrophilic properties, absorbing 9-12 times their weight in water. This water absorption can aid in hydration as the seeds are digested. This property can also make you feel fuller, helping to curb appetite.

Chia seeds, when mixed with water, create a mucus like gel. This gel neither sounds, nor is particularly appetizing, but has the interesting effect of creating a barrier between carbohydrates and digestive enzymes in your stomach. This barrier slows down the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar, helping to stabilize metabolic changes, reducing sugar highs and lows while refueling, and creating longer duration on refueling effects.

Eating dry, or not fully hydrated chia can also help indigestion and heartburn as the seeds not only soak up water, but any liquid they’re added to, including excess stomach acid or other stomach irritants. A useful property if you tend to get an upset stomach while eating on the run.

Chia is virtually tasteless and so can be eaten in any number of ways, from a dry spoon full, to sprinkled in salads and yogurt, to mixed into running gu, to Chia fresca. In the near future I’ll be posting some different chia recipes I and some friends have been experimenting with.

Not quite as good as the Mr. T Chia pet...