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Reading about Eating by Abigail Elder

    Maybe my new-found interest in nutrition books comes from my love of eating I'm still looking for the diet book with a chocolate chip cookie plan. In the meantime, here are a few fairly new books on sport nutrition. Available at your friendly Salem Public Library.

    Avery's Sports Nutrition Almanac by Edmund R. Burke and Daniel Gastelu You don't really read this book - you consult it. Within each chapter, items are arranged alphabetically with lengthy explanations. Want to know what creatine does for you? It's listed in great detail over four pages. This book's specialty is explaining all of those enzymes, herbs, supplements and nutrients you've always wanted to try but were afraid to ask

    Endurance Sports Nutrition by Suzanne Girard Eberle. Although I am not an endurance athlete by any stretch of the imagination, this is my favorite book on the list. The first part of the book covers basics from reading a nutrition label to timing your food intake for peak racing. There is also a lengthy chapter on nutrition for vegetarian athletes. The second half of the book addresses the specific needs of endurance sports, including marathon running, cycling, open water swimming and the triathlon

    Nutrition for Sport & Exercise by Jacqueline R. Beming and Suzanne Nelson Steen. Filled with charts, formulas and reference notes, this book is more a textbook than a casual read. With chapter headings like "Nutritional Ergogenic Aids" this book flows from the academic to the practical throughout the book. This is one for folks who like to know the theory behind the action.

    Ultimate Sports Nutrition by Ellen Coleman and Suzanne Nelson Steen. This slim volume might be the plain English edition of the book listed above. Chapters include "Fat: Friend or Enemy?" and "Vitamins: Help or Hype?"

    The Vegetarian Sports Nutrition Guide: Peak Performance for Everyone from Beginners to Gold Medalists by Lisa Dorfman. As a vegetarian for almost ten years, I appreciate a book that specifically addresses my concerns. Sprinkled throughout the book are interviews with athletes, famous and everyday, followed by thir favorite recipes.