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Andrew Creer

@uvu_doc

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Professor of Exercise Science @ UVU; Ball State HPL, BYU EXSC, Utah State KINES alum; Latter Day Saint; Husband, father, uncle; Endurance nut

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Welcome to Wasatch 100 week! If you or someone you know are running, here are some things to consider as you finalize nutrition schedules.

In 2011 Stuempfle et al. published nutrition intake data in 16 runners at the Western States 100. 6 of the 16 completed the race (4 male, 2 female) in an average time of 27 hrs.

Finishers averaged greater caloric and CHO intakes per hour compared to non-finishers. They also consumed more fluid and sodium per hour compared to non-finishers.

An interesting finding was the range of caloric and CHO intakes in the finishers, which was ~200 to 444 kcals/hr and ~40-100g of CHO/hr. Fluid and sodium intakes ranged from ~300-1000ml/hr and 300-1300 mg/hr.

These data suggest that there is no one-size-fits-all nutrition strategy for ultra’s. Caloric, CHO, fluid, and sodium intake goals should be based on performance goals…with higher performance requiring greater intakes to support increased efforts…Fuel the work required.

Of course, even with the most organized of plans runners can still experience issues with energy intake. Challenges to energy intake include heat, terrain, highly concentrated foods, NSAID use, and dehydration. To reduce the potential of GI distress, focus on hydration, consume products and foods you are comfortable with, and avoid NSAID use if possible.

Feel free to share with someone you know that will be competing this weekend! by @uvu_doc

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Had a blast with these folks on our study abroad to Nepal through @uvu_exercisescience_outdoorrec and @uvu_oac. We got to learn high altitude physiology while trekking to Everest Base Camp, got to see the sun rise over Everest from 18,500 feet, and had some wonderful service and cultural opportunities along the way. @pk_himalayas_adventure is the best guide service around….highly recommended if looking to trek in Nepal. @uvu_exercisescience_outdoorrec …we do cool 💩. by @uvu_doc

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Our group published this article a few years ago highlighting the benefits of incline treadmill running/walking for reducing lower limb impacts while maintaining cardiovascular fitness. Conclusion: “Incline running is more metabolically demanding compared to level running at the same speed. But, if speed is controlled to maintain metabolic output, runners could decrease LR and peak vertical GRF while achieving the same metabolic training stimulus as level running.” Translation, increasing the treadmill grade while reducing the treadmill speed to match your desired heart rate zone provides the desired metabolic stress while reducing lower leg loading rates and ground reaction forces. Just another tool that can be used by athletes rehabbing injuries. #sciencebasednutrition #sportsnutrition #uvu_exercisescience_outdoorrec #uvuexercisescience #uvu_doc by @uvu_doc

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10 months ago

Please do not underestimate pre activity hydration, you may be undermining your performance. This study of NBA summer league players revealed a chilling look into pre-game hydration. Basically, the vast majority of players were above the minimum dehydration level (1.010, pic 2) as determined by urine specific gravity (pic 3), suggesting they were above the performance impacting dehydration threshold before even stepping on the court. A simple way to avoid this issue is monitoring urine color throughout the day (pic 4), with a goal to start activity at a color of 1-2 or what could be described as light straw colored. #sciencebasednutrition #sportsnutrition #uvu_exercisescience_outdoorrec #uvuexercisescience #uvu_doc by @uvu_doc

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Recovery 💪🏽 The race for optimal health and performance doesn’t stop when you cross the finish line! We spoke with @uvu_doc Dr. Andrew Creer about this and more. Have a listen wherever you subscribe to your favorite podcasts (or hit the link in bio). taken in Utah Valley University by @uvu_doc

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In episode #157 we talk with researcher Dr. Andrew Creer (@uvu_doc) about:

🧐Research on energy expenditure in ultra marathons, as looked at in his recently published research, “Total Energy Expenditure and Intake During a 161-km Mountain Ultramarathon” https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijspp/20/6/article-p869.xml

🏃🏾Nutritional strategies for optimal performance and recovery

😰Understanding the physiological challenges faced by ultra marathon runners.

🧘🏻‍♀️The critical role of post-race recovery in maintaining athlete health.

🔬Future research directions and the evolving science of ultra endurance.

Andrew Creer, PhD is a professor and department chair of Exercise Science & Outdoor Recreation at Utah Valley University. His main research interests involve endurance physiology and applied human performance. He has been involved with a number of field studies investigating ultra-endurance physiology and energy expenditure in a variety of locations, including Utah, Oregon, Arizona, France, and Spain. Dr. Creer also works closely with several athletic teams at UVU monitoring aspects such as body composition and performance nutrition, and is a performance nutrition consultant for several prominent members of the local running community. taken in Wasatch Mountains by @uvu_doc

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It’s Wasatch 100 week and this image represents what awaits the brave souls toeing the line Friday morning. It is as much a feat of nutrition as it is a feat of endurance. Good luck to all those who are participating, pacing, and crewing. I’ll be crewing as well, so feel free to say hi if you see me out in the course! #sciencebasednutrition #sportsnutrition #uvu_exercisescience_outdoorrec #uvuexercisescience #uvu_doc by @uvu_doc

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UTMB is coming up, which means it’s time for some data on what it takes to run this beast under 20hrs. Last year Jesus Alvarez-Hermes published Kilian Jornet’s data from the 2022 UTMB, which he won. From a fueling perspective, KJ consumed 75g/hr CHO, but that varied from 50g/hr during lower intensity stretches (wider variety of foods) to 120g/hr (specialty sports nutrition products). It also mentions that KJ didn’t experience GI distress and was able to follow his nutrition plan without issue. One interesting finding was related to fatigue assessments made by measuring KJ’s pupil dilating rate, which was much slower immediately post race (on par with persons suffering traumatic brain injury), but rebounded by 15min post race. Long story short, good luck to all the UTMB competitors…that race will extract a heavy metabolic and cognitive toll. #sciencebasednutrition #sportsnutrition #uvuexercisescience #uvu_doc by @uvu_doc

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Head’s up! I will be part of a panel discussion at the 2025 Mountain Land Running Summit in Park City, 9/25-9/27/2025. This event is specifically focused on the science and clinical care for runners. Swipe through the pics to check out this year’s agenda. Feel free to use code Creer50 for $50 off! Hope to see y’all there! More details can be found at https://summit.mlpt.com/running/ #sciencebasednutrition #sportsnutrition #uvuexercisescience #uvu_doc by @uvu_doc

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What it takes to run…and recover from a 100 mile race. Thanks for the write up @sweat_science! Link available in the comments if interested…#sciencebasednutrition #sportsnutrition #uvuexercisescience #uvu_doc by @uvu_doc

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Throwback to last summer when my team and I had the honor and pleasure of assisting the one and only @sifanhassan (and her coach @rowberry) with her heat acclimation for the Paris Olympic Games. Heat acclimation/acclimatization is essential for top performance in hot and humid conditions and can be performed in a variety of ways (as outlined previously in a recent post from @the_runstrong_coach). The thermoregulatory benefits are generally the focus, but the metabolic effects are also important. As seen in the posted graph, competing in hot conditions in an unacclimated state results in a variety of negative metabolic impacts compared to similar intensities in cooler temps. Heat acclimation/acclimatization improves metabolic function, which can have a profound impact on substrate utilization and fueling. So if you will be competing in hot conditions this summer, please prepare accordingly…#sciencebasednutrition #sportsnutrition #uvuexercisescience #uvu_doc by @uvu_doc

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Happy Western States 100 day for those who celebrate! Folks out there gonna be burning ~13,000-15,000 kcals in their 14-30 hrs in course. I have included some data my team and I collected at the Wasatch 100 for reference of what it takes to run one of these (DM me for the link if interested). Best of luck to all of the WS100 runners, pacers, and crew…mad respect. #sciencebasednutrition #sportsnutrition #uvuexercisescience #uvu_doc by @uvu_doc

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