I first heard about this ancient, natural element of running nutrition when I read Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. Besides being a must-read for anyone doing their own research on running mechanics and optimization, the book constantly refers to a drink called Iskiate, or Chia Fresca.
I would bet that if you’re reading this you’ve had some exposure to either Born to Run or Chia Fresca (or, likely, both). But if you haven’t, let me provide you with a brief summary of the story. Basically, McDougall is a running journalist who writes for Runner’s World and other prominent running publications. He embarks on a journey into the Copper Canyons of Mexico in search of the Tarahumara tribe, rumored to be among the greatest endurance runners on the planet. Along the way he meets an odd, talented assortment of passionate ultrarunners and the adventure culminates in a fifty mile race with the Tarahumara. Among the many things that McDougall learns from the tribe is how to fuel himself for a full day of running nonstop, which is what brings us to Chia Fresca.
While it is easy to find a recipe for Chia Fresca with just a quick Google search, nearly all the results are oriented strictly towards making the drink, rather than using it for performance, and it seemed like none of them were written by, or for, runners. In fact, after digging through about two dozen recipes online, I could only find one person who documented their experience using chia fresca in conjunction with running. That said, in this blog post I will both give you a simple recipe for chia fresca and detail how I have used it as a natural nutritional supplement in my own running.
First, the Recipe
Ingredients:
1 Cup of Water
2 Tablespoons of Chia Seeds
1 Tablespoon of Honey
Juice from ½ of a Lime
Putting it Together:
- Pour your water into the cup you will be drinking from. It doesn’t have to be exactly one cup, but I find this to be a good rough estimate.
- Add in the chia seeds, honey, and lime juice. As with the water, this is not an exact science, but these proportions are a good place to start. After you’ve tasted the drink a few times you can adjust based on your personal preferences.
- Stir everything together and leave it in the refrigerator for 3-5 hours (or overnight if you can!) The drink tastes better and, arguably, performs better cold and the chia seeds need time to dissolve in the water a bit.
- Enjoy your natural endurance booster!
How to use Chia Fresca
In Born to Run the Tarahumara people drink Iskiate before and during their long runs through the valleys and winding trails. I’ve found that this is a difficult drink to carry on a long run because the chia seeds get stuck in the lip of my water bottle.
I usually treat Chia Fresca as a natural pre-workout. As is the case with running gels or chews, I like to drink it about 20-30 minutes before my run so that there’s enough time for the energy from the chia seeds and honey to make it to my muscles.
Chia Fresca works best for me as a boost before 3-5 mile runs; about 20-40 minute runs. After the fourth or fifth mile I start to feel the energy wearing off. In an ideal world I would drink iskiate throughout my longer runs but, as I mentioned before, there are logistical issues I haven’t quite worked through.
You might be wondering why take the effort to make this drink when a running gel can do the same thing. For one, chia fresca is delicious and is simply more enjoyable than a gel. Perhaps more importantly, chia fresca is completely natural. Many running gels, while effective, are filled with ingredients that I can’t even begin to spell, let alone understand their effect on my body (Other than run faster, obviously). One popular gel I’ve used in the past contains maltodextrin, leucine, isoleucine, sodium benzoate, and potassium sorbate. Google has let me know that none of these substances are particularly harmful. But if the two supplements yield similar results, personally I prefer the one with four recognizable ingredients.
At the end of the day, chia fresca is worth trying if only for the novelty. I find it to be a helpful preparation for my runs and enjoy sweet and sour sensation from the honey and lime. It can be a great pick-me-up for when you aren’t quite feeling up to a run as well. But don’t take it from me, take it from the Tarahumara!
Have you tried chia fresca before? If you try the recipe let me know what you think in the comments and, if you have the time, definitely check out Born to Run!