Nutrition
THE NUTRITION FACTOR
Athletes make special demands on their bodies, and must be physically and emotionally prepared to meet those demands. The starting point is nutritional knowledge and practice. Although many athletes and coaches are aware of the importance of nutrition, they don’t know how to apply their knowledge. For example, they know that carbohydrates are the primary fuel for exercising muscle, but when it comes to making food choices, they have no idea what a high-carbohydrate food is or how much they should eat. Yet, such deficiencies in consumption of energy, nutrients, electrolytes, and/or water can hinder athletic performance. As an athlete, it is important to learn how to use the four food groups as a guide in making wise food choices. Second, athletes need to identify types and amounts of high carbohydrate foods to eat. Third, athletes should give special consideration to where and what they eat during travels away from campus and ensure a choice of high-carbohydrate and nutrient enriched foods.
The question most asked by a coach or athlete is: Are there really miracle foods that when eaten improve performance? The answer is NO! A good diet, one based on suggested amounts and a variety of foods selected from the new food pyramid, will assist in meeting the nutritional requirements for an athlete.
The new food pyramid offers a new method for selecting a nutritionally balanced diet. Foods are classified by their nutrient content: [Whole grains], [plant oils], [vegetables], [fruits], [nuts and legumes], [fish, poultry and eggs, dairy], [red meat and saturated fats], [processed flour, potatoes and sweets].
A suggested distribution of calories for most competitive athletes is 15-20 % protein (or 0.7-0.9 grams of protein/pound of body weight). Of the REMAINING calories 65% are carbohydrate, 35% are fat. 20-25 % fat and 60-65% carbohydrates (low Glycemic Index). Energy requirement may vary by sports and training intensity (i.e. a cross country runner will not consume the same ratio/amount of calories as a football player).
Water is a critical macro-nutrient (large amount) essential for performance. Proper hydration and electrolytic balance requires critical levels of fluid ingestion pre, during and post-event competition for optimal performance.
Generally there are variable stumbling blocks that prevent student athletes from achieving a high level of nutritional health. The student athlete’s ability to recognize and overcome these variables is crucial to the role of proper nutrition.
We hope you will find this information useful in creating healthful sports diet/meals you can enjoy and successfully live throughout your competitive Lehigh University sports career.
Nutrition + Rest + Training = Success
NEW HEALTHY EATING PYRAMID
Today’s average American is more health conscious than ever before. Because of this growing concern, nutrition is no longer thought of as the four basic food groups. The Eating Right Pyramid is a diagram illustrating the recent concept of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins and their percentages to be consumed daily. It serves as an excellent example to help you look at what you eat and aid in developing a healthier diet.
See: Healthy Eating Pyramid
Nutritional Stumbling Blocks
Generally, these are variable stumbling blocks that prevent student athletes from achieving a high level of nutritional health. Awareness of these variables and being able to overcome these issues is vital in supporting the body the essential energy it needs to train at highly competitive level.
Stumbling Blocks:
1. Poor understanding of sports nutrition principles.
See: The Nutrition Factor (above)
2. Belief in misconceptions and myths.
See: Nutritional Myths
3. Failure to recognize individual nutritional requirements related to a personal training program, and personal characteristics such as age, sex and type of physique.
See: Sport Energy systems and training requirements
4. Conflict between achieving good nutrition while trying to diet and lose body fat.
5. Lack of practical nutritional knowledge and skills.
See: [Protein Power] [Good Fat/oil] [Carbohydrates/Glycemic Index]
See: Making it Practical
6. Inadequate time and opportunities to obtain or consume appropriate foods due to a busy schedule.
See: Making it Practical
7. Poor money management that leads to inadequate food supplies.
See: Making it Practical
8. Frequent travel, eating “on the road.”
See: Guide to eating on the Run
Reference; Adapted from the NCAA web site
All CHO are not created equal; General Guidelines for Active People
The guidelines for active people regarding the application of the GI concept in exercise are as follows:
Before exercise: A low GI, CHO-rich meal, such as pasta, baked beans, or lentils may be the appropriate kind of food to be consumed approximately 2 hours before prolonged exercise. This approach is used in order to promote sustained CHO availability during the exercise. Currently, there is no evidence that low-GI foods provide universal benefits to exercise performance. However, they are more likely to be useful before prolonged exercise where a sustained release of fuel can’t be provided by intake during the event. Table 2 shows a sample of a low GI meal.
During exercise: CHO-rich foods or drinks of moderate to high GI, such as scientifically formulated sports drinks (i.e. Gatorade, Procari) are the most appropriate source of CHO intake during prolonged exercise.
After exercise: 50 to 100 g of high GI, CHO-rich foods, such as potatoes, white bread, bananas (or sports drinks) should be consumed immediately after exercise in order to enhance glycogen replenishment, followed by 7-10g of high GI CHO/kg body mass during the first 24 hours (9). Table 3 provides a sample of a high GI meal.
Limitations of GI
Although it may seem advisable that athletes should consume low GI foods prior to exercise and high GI foods during the recovery, the GI concept has limitations. It is possible that mixed meals with a variety of foods will affect the GI response and amount of CHO consumed also will affect the GI. It should be stressed that GI should not be the sole criterion when selecting the most suitable foods to eat. The total amount of CHO, energy, fat, protein, fluid etc., are all important dietary considerations. However, the GI appears to be a useful element in deciding which type of CHO food should be consumed for different sporting situations (i.e. pre-exercise during exercise, and post exercise).See: http://www.glycemicindex.com/
Hydration
WATER
- Water is the most commonly overlooked nutrient and is very critical to athletic performance.
- Adequate fluid intake before, during, and after exercise is imperative to preventing dehydration.
- The primary role of water is to properly hydrate the body for normal metabolic processes to occur. This is especially important in athletes to maintain normal body temperature during exercise.
- Improve recovery time when properly hydrated
- Decreased risk of injury
- Increase speed, strength, endurance, concentration
- Lower heart rate, blood pressure when properly hydrated
- A 2% loss of body weight as sweat can adversely affect performance. During hot weather it is even more important to drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise.
- Cool water is the best fluid choice.
- Commercial drinks can be used if sugar concentration is not too high, otherwise it will decrease emptying time from the stomach and cause stomach upset.
Times to Hydrate:
The following table provides recommendations for adequate fluid consumption:
| TIME | FLUID CONSUMPTION |
| Throughout the day | Drink fluids frequently; water, juices, milk (keep tea, coffee, soft drinks and alcohol to a minimum, as they are diuretics.) |
| 2 hours before event/exercise | 2-1/2 or more cups |
| 15 minutes before event/exercise | 2-1/2 cups |
| During exercise | 1/2 to 1 cup at 10-15 minute interval throughout event |
| After exercise | Replace weight loss with fluids; 2 cups of fluid for every pound of weight lost |
Dehydration Effects on Performance
· Dehydration can affect an athlete’s performance in less than an hour of exercise – sooner if the athlete begins the session dehydrated.
· Dehydration of just one to two percent of body weight (only 1.5-3lb.. for a 150 pound athlete) can negatively influence performance.
· Dehydration of greater than three percent of body weight increases an athlete’s risk of heat illness (heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke).
· High-body-fat athletes can have a harder time with exercise and can become dehydrated faster than lower-body-fat athletes working out under the same environmental conditions.
· Poor acclimatization/fitness levels can greatly contribute to an athlete’s dehydration problems.
· Medications/fevers greatly affect an athlete’s dehydration problems.
· Environmental temperature and humidity both contribute to dehydration and heat illnesses.
· Clothing, such as dark, bulky, or rubber protective equipment can drastically increase the chance of heat illness and dehydration.
· Wet bulb temperature measurements should be taken 10-15 minutes before practice, and the results should be used with a heat index to determine if practices or contest should be started, modified or stopped.
· Even dry climates can have high humidity if sprinkler systems are scheduled to run before early morning practices start. This collection of water does not evaporate until environmental temperatures increase and dew points lower. Dry climate areas should take wet bulb and temperature readings 10 to 15 minutes before practice or contests.
· A heat index chart should be followed to determine if practice/contests should be held.
· A heat index chart should come from a reputable source like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.
· A relative humidity of 35 percent and a temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit are likely to cause heat illness, with heat stroke likely.
· A relative humidity of 70 percent and a temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit are very likely to cause heat illness, with heat stroke very likely.
What Not To Drink
Drinks with Carbohydrate (CHO) concentrations of greater than eight percent should be avoided.
Fruit juices, CHO gels, sodas, and sports drinks that have a CHO greater than six to eight percent are not recommended during exercise as sole beverages.
Beverages containing caffeine, alcohol, and carbonation are not to be used because of the high risk of dehydration associated with excess urine production, or decreased voluntary fluid intake.
Hydration Links for wrestlers
The effects of alcohol on nutrition and athletic performance
Water: How eight glasses a day keeps fat away
Calorie values of foods:
See: www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp
Eating on the Run:
See: Make the Best Choice
Food Myths
See: Food Myths
Supplementation
See: Supplementation
Online Resources
American Dietetic Association www.eatright.org
Consumer Information Center www.pueblo.gsa.gov
Federal Trade Commission Public Reference Branch www.ftc.gov
Food and Drug Administration www.fda.gov
International Food Information Council Foundation www.ific.org
National Council Against Health Fraud, Inc. www.ncahf.org
Tufts University - links to many nutrition websites www.navigator.tufts.edu
The Sensible Nutrition Connection, Inc. www.sensiblenutrition.com
The Healthy Refrigerator www.healthyfridge.org/
The Vegetarian Resource Group www.vrg.org
All Recipes/Cooking Advice www.Allrecipes.com/advice
Resources for Online Calculators
www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp (Diet Analysis)www.nat.uiuc.edu (Diet Analysis)
www.dietsite.com (Diet Analysis)
www.gnu.org/software/rat/rat.html (Recipe Analysis)
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/bmr.html (BMR Calculator)
www.glycemicindex.com (GI search by food)
