NUTRITION
Nutrition for the Active Athlete in All of Us
Whether you are a world class athlete, an exercise enthusiast, a weekend warrior or a playground hound – nutrition is fundamental for fitness. A varied amount of exercise and a balanced eating plan that supplies the right amount of nutrients and energy, or fuel, is essential for achieving and maintaining strength, flexibility and endurance. Many athletes that complain of constant fatigue and have trouble recovering after workouts may simply need to look at their eating habits.
What is a balanced eating plan to fuel up for fitness?
This includes adequate fluids and plenty of low fat, high carbohydrate foods. This is where the fuel for energy comes from. All athletes need to think about nutritional fuel before, during and especially after exercise.
Why are carbohydrates so important for athletes?
Carbohydrates are the main sources of energy for working muscles. That’s why carbohydrate-containing foods should comprise around 60% of the calories in an athletes eating plan. Muscles replenish stored carbohydrates within the first two hours after exercise. After competition you need to be thinking about refueling! Your recovery nutrition plan should include lots of fluid, that contain salt as well, and approximately 200-400 carbohydrate calories as soon as tolerable after exercise, and then again two hours later.
Here are some suggestions for 200-400 calories of carbohydrates:
The “Magic Meal” does not exist !!!
One good meal prior to competition can not make up for a consistently inadequate diet. The best practice is to eat more carbohydrates for several days prior to competition. The pre-event meal should be low in fat, protein, fiber and anything else that makes the stomach and intestines work harder and could possibly lead to cramping. The timing is also important as you need to allow for proper digestion and absorption of the nutrients and fuel. One hour should be appropriate for a small snack of less than 200 calories, while a meal larger than 400 calories may require up to four hours for complete digestion. Carbohydrates take the least amount of time to digest and are readily converted into energy. Foods high in protein fall between fats and carbohydrates in length of digestion. One final consideration to make when planning a pre-competition meal is the type of activity the athlete is competing in. Low impact, endurance athletes may tolerate residual food in the digestive system better that athletes participating in high impact, speed burst activities.
Kerry E. Waple MEd, ATC, CSCS
Senior Athletic Trainer
Nationwide Childrens Sports Medicine
Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, director of Sports Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh gives these tips for
“Eating for Optimum Performance”:
Planning training and competition meals, whether you are feeding one person or an entire team, requires creativity and flexibility that allows for the individuality of each athlete.
Whether you are a world class athlete, an exercise enthusiast, a weekend warrior or a playground hound – nutrition is fundamental for fitness. A varied amount of exercise and a balanced eating plan that supplies the right amount of nutrients and energy, or fuel, is essential for achieving and maintaining strength, flexibility and endurance. Many athletes that complain of constant fatigue and have trouble recovering after workouts may simply need to look at their eating habits.
What is a balanced eating plan to fuel up for fitness?
This includes adequate fluids and plenty of low fat, high carbohydrate foods. This is where the fuel for energy comes from. All athletes need to think about nutritional fuel before, during and especially after exercise.
Why are carbohydrates so important for athletes?
Carbohydrates are the main sources of energy for working muscles. That’s why carbohydrate-containing foods should comprise around 60% of the calories in an athletes eating plan. Muscles replenish stored carbohydrates within the first two hours after exercise. After competition you need to be thinking about refueling! Your recovery nutrition plan should include lots of fluid, that contain salt as well, and approximately 200-400 carbohydrate calories as soon as tolerable after exercise, and then again two hours later.
Here are some suggestions for 200-400 calories of carbohydrates:
- 1 pint of chocolate milk
- 2 slices of peanut butter toast
- Grilled cheese sandwich
- 1 cup of grapes and a bagel
- 1 cup of yogurt topped with 1 cup of fresh berries
- 1 oz of cereal with ½ cup of skim milk and ½ cup of sliced bananas
- 12 oz. orange, grapefruit or cranberry juice
The “Magic Meal” does not exist !!!
One good meal prior to competition can not make up for a consistently inadequate diet. The best practice is to eat more carbohydrates for several days prior to competition. The pre-event meal should be low in fat, protein, fiber and anything else that makes the stomach and intestines work harder and could possibly lead to cramping. The timing is also important as you need to allow for proper digestion and absorption of the nutrients and fuel. One hour should be appropriate for a small snack of less than 200 calories, while a meal larger than 400 calories may require up to four hours for complete digestion. Carbohydrates take the least amount of time to digest and are readily converted into energy. Foods high in protein fall between fats and carbohydrates in length of digestion. One final consideration to make when planning a pre-competition meal is the type of activity the athlete is competing in. Low impact, endurance athletes may tolerate residual food in the digestive system better that athletes participating in high impact, speed burst activities.
Kerry E. Waple MEd, ATC, CSCS
Senior Athletic Trainer
Nationwide Childrens Sports Medicine
Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, director of Sports Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh gives these tips for
“Eating for Optimum Performance”:
- eat within one hour of waking up
- eat every three to four hours throughout the day
- eat within two hours following exercise
- a glass of chocolate milk, yogurt, or a smoothie tastes good, is easy to consume and costs less than a protein shake.
- a granola or high carbohydrate sports bar prior to exercise will provide energy for sport.
Planning training and competition meals, whether you are feeding one person or an entire team, requires creativity and flexibility that allows for the individuality of each athlete.
