10 Surprising Secrets of Kenyan Endurance Runners

An interesting article by Owen Anderson for Active.com about Eating practices of the best endurance athletes in the world (ie. Kenyan runners) reveals the following ten surprising facts, based on a study of 10 elite Kenyan runners over a period of seven days (in 2004):

1. The Kenyans were very lean and light, their weight averaging at 58.6 kg (129 lb).
2. They ate a relatively limited variety of foods.
3. Approximately 86% of their calories came from vegetable sources (corn 'ugali', bread, rice, potatoes, porridge, cabbage, beans, etc).
4. They were not taking supplements of any kind.
5. They spent 1.2 hours per day running, with only a third (23 mins) of this consisting of quality training.
6. Their diets were extremely rich in carbohydrates (about 77 %, or about 10 g of carbs per kg of body weight).
7. Their protein (10%) and fat (13%) intake was quite modest, but adequate.
8. Their water intake was modest, just a little over a liter a day.
9. They drank lots of tea with milk, actually slightly more than plain water.
10. A fifth of their daily calories came from plain sugar.

Of course, in hindsight, it could be said that perhaps the most surprising secret of Kenyan elite distance runners is that they don't seem to have any secrets at all! Maybe they are just excellent runners by nature, due to the location where they live.