Download Nutrition Tips for Athletes

Nutrition Tips for Athletes
Athletes' Acceleration
Do not skip meals
Eat 4-5 meals a day
Eat breakfast everyday
Eat most of your vegetables and fruit in raw form
Try and eat all the colors in the crayon box (fruits & vegetables)
Sufficient protein should be present in all meals (especially breakfast) to prevent extreme insulin
fluctuations due to rapid digestion of carbohydrates
Highly processed foods (such as sugars, oils, and flour) should be avoided in excess. They are not
recognized by the body and make them difficult to process.
Design your diet so that you receive a complete mix of all the nutrients everyday to promote recovery
and restoration and to enhance your immune system function.
Post workout nutrition can drastically reduce the time needed to recover.
* The body is much more efficient in restoring carbohydrates 15 minutes after a strenuous workout.
Carbohydrates are the primary fuel during exercise – needs to be restored by the body.
* Post workout drink: 1 gram of protein for every 3 grams of carbohydrate. (.3gm of protein/lb. of
lean body weight) Glass of Chocolate milk
* Drink approximately 64 oz. (8 glasses) of water daily. Bring a water bottle with you everywhere
(especially practice).
Pre-Event Eating - When And How Much
Terry Weyman, D.C., C.C.S.P.
Have you ever "bonked" or felt "flat" during your training or competition? There is a lot of hype and
theories about pre-event meals but little scientific evidence to support them. This is probably because
there are too many individual differences and other variables such as stress, age, time of day,
exercise intensity, and duration to make across-the-board recommendations.
INTENSE EXERCISE
With intense exercise your body shifts 80 percent of its blood supply to the muscles in use. This shift
deprives the stomach of the blood needed to digest food. This slows digestion and may cause an
uncomfortable feeling in the stomach because of undigested food that is still present. A meal that is
high in calories will take longer to digest than a lighter snack. It is suggested a three to four hour
delay between high calorie meals and intense exercise.
MODERATE EXERCISE
During moderate exercise, the stomach is still deprived 60-70% of its normal blood supply due to
muscle exertion. Athletes are recommended to wait 2-3 hours after a small meal and 1-2 hours after a
blended or liquid meal. There are energy "boost" supplements such as PowerGel by PowerBar that are
consumed by the athlete immediately before and during exercise. They can be easily digested and
they provide energy during long-term events.
PRE-EVENT GUIDELINES
Tournament day is not the time to experiment with foods that are unfamiliar to your stomach. Eat
foods that are familiar to you. Eat meals that are reasonably high in carbohydrate and low in fat
(avoid high fat sauces on pasta and fast food). Carbohydrates will help keep the energy level high,
while fatty foods delay digestion.
Drink adequate amounts of fluid (avoid dairy). The American College of Sports Medicine recommends
17 ounces of fluid two hours before exercise, as well as enough fluid during exercise to replace the
water lost through perspiration. A rule of thumb is to drink enough water to urinate clear prior to
performance. For the first hour of aerobic exercise use water only. Use electro-light replacement
drinks after the first hour of exercising.
Use caution with food that have a high sugar content (such as soft drinks and candy). Since athletes
metabolism is higher than the average person they may experience a drop in blood sugar following
consumption which can result in light headedness or fatigue and loss in performance. Eat well the day
before an event, especially if you tend to be jittery or unable to tolerate food on the day of
competition.
Dr. Terry Weyman is the clinic Director of the Chiropractic Sports Institute (CSI) in Westlake Village
and focuses his practice on the active person. He currently continues to be a competitive athlete and
is sponsored by PowerBar, Dragon SunGlasses, Self Grip tape, and Synergy Therapeutic systems. His
office, Chiropractic Sports Institute, is in Westlake Village, CA
Hydration and Athletic Performance
Colleen Palati
Water is crucial to our survival. Because our body is made up of 60% water, it is important to be
aware of our body’s need for hydration. Our body needs water for the following functions:
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acts as solvents for nutrients.
aids in digestion and absorption.
transports materials throughout the body.
eliminates toxins and waste products.
regulates body temperature.
is used for energy production.
There is not one system in the entire body that does not depend on water and require hydration! It is
recommended that the average individual take in at least 8 glasses of water a day…that figure is
raised to 10 glasses during hot days or in hot climates.
Sports and Hydration
I witnessed a disturbing incident a few years ago when a friend of mine collapsed on a hockey rink
and started shaking uncontrollably. When the EMS unit arrived on the scene, they told us he was
dehydrated. This was the cause for his collapse. Apparently he drank four sodas right before the
game. Caffeinated beverages, such as soft drinks, coffee, tea, act as diuretics and increase urination
and this leads to dehydration. After four sodas, hard exercise, and ignoring the importance of
hydration, his body just shut down. For best performance and for your safety, these beverages should
be avoided.
What happens during exercise?
Heat is generated as a by-product of your working muscles. With intense, short duration events, the
heat production can be greater than 100 times the production at rest. As body heat rises, body
temperature and heart rate also rise. As the exercise continues, the body is limited in transferring
heat from the muscles to the skin surface. The body will require hydration.
Exercising in hot, dry climates presents additional risks to dehydration. Body fluids will evaporate so
rapidly so that you may not notice any symptoms. In humid climates, when your moisture increases,
sweat decreases. When your sweating rate decreases, your body temperature rises and you will
fatigue more easily and your risk of heat injury is greater.
What is heat injury?
Heat injuries include heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Heat cramps are severe muscle
spasms resulting from heavy sweating. Heat exhaustion is severe fatigue resulting from excessive
exposure to heat that can lead to collapse. Heat stroke is a life threatening condition that develops
rapidly and may not have any warning signs. It is the third leading cause of death among athletes.
There are three factors that contribute to heat injuries. They are increased body temperature, loss of
body fluids and loss of electrolytes. Symptoms to look for include weakness, chills, goose pimples on
your chest and upper arms, nausea, headache, faintness, disorientation, muscle cramping and
cessation of sweating.
General heat related injuries cause 240 deaths per year! That is an awful lot of deaths that can be
prevented with simple knowledge. To reduce the risk of heat injuries, adequate fluid replacement is
essential before, during and after exercise.
What fluid is best for rehydration?
Water is the appropriate drink before, during and after exercise. However, for exercise lasting longer
than one hour and after exercise, it is important to replace electrolytes lost. Sodium replacement not
only maintains blood concentration but also increases palatability, and therefore the desire to drink.
The addition of carbohydrates will delay the onset of fatigue and help to maintain blood glucose
concentration. A sport drink with 4%-8% carbohydrate is recommended for replacement during
exercise, especially with exercise bouts lasting longer than one hour. Gatorade, All Sport and
PowerAde are all great choices.
Track and Field Nutrition Tips
Angie Tague R, D, CSSD,L D
General Guidelines for Healthy Eating Throughout Training:
. Eat consistent meals (3 meals per day) that are well-balanced (include all 5 food
groups). This will keep your energy stores full for optimal performance
Skipping meals or restricting intake could add seconds or minutest o your time.
. See www.myovramid,gov for more details on food groups.
. Include healthy snacks between mea.ls.
. The picture of healthy eating is summed up by the "Plate Method" way ofealing:
1/2 half of your plate covered in vegetables 1/4 meat or meal alternative, and
1/4 whole grains, and low-fat milk to drink. Drink water in between meals.
Focus on high-carbohydrate snacks such as fruits, pretzels, crackers, yogurt, etc.
Sample Day of Healthy Eating for Performance:
Breakfast:
Cereal with skim-l% milk
Banana
Cup of orange juice
Snack:
Hand full pretzels and almonds
Lunch:
Chicken sandwich on whole wheat bread, tomato, lettuce, mayo, mustard
Hand full of baby carrots
Skim-l% milk
Snack:
Half whole wheat bagel with jelly
Dinner;
3-4 ounces Salmon
Broccoli
Baked Potato
Whole grain rolls w/butter
Dessert/Snack:
Hot chocolate with skim-1% milk
Race Day General Guidelines:
. Eat regardless of your feelings of hunger. Do not skip breakfast pre-race meal
because of nervousness or lack of appetite. Doing this could hurt your performance.
. Eliminate foods high in protein and fat because they digest more slowly causing food
to stay in the digestive tract longer. (ie, stay away from steak and eggs for breakfast.)
. Also, stay away from high-fiber foods which may cause unwanted trips to the
bathroom.
. Eat your pre-race meal 3-4 hours p or to competition to allow time for energy storage
in the form of glycogen in your muscles and liver.
Sample race-day:
Breakfast (3-4 hrs before competition):
Oatmeal with a banana
Orange juice
Eat easily digestible snacks throughout the day in the place of regular meals if you have
multiple events:
Liquid meal replacement drinks such as Ensure, Gatorade, Pro Sports Nutrition drink,
boost, sports bars with adequate carbohydrate like Power Bar or Cliff Bar (not "Protein
bars" which may be harder to digest) pretzels, or crackers etc.
Stay away from legumes (beans), fructose (fruit and fruit juice), and milk products until
after competition because of the slow rate at which they are absorbed.
Recovery Nutrition
Within l5 minutes after an intense practice or competition, consume 50-75 grams of
Carbohydrate o r 1.0-1.5g rams/kg body mass) Make sure to have a little bit of protein
with the carbohydrate to optimize glycogen repletion (filling up the energy tanks for the
next race).
Example: same as snack ideas above.
Have a snack every 2 hours with the same amount of carbohydrate until eating a large
meal.