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SPORTS PERFORMANCE AND SPORTS NUTRITION
I think the
Nutrition for Football: The FIFA/F-MARC Consensus Statement (FIFA.com)
says it all when it comes to the importance of sports diet and nutrition:
"Football players can stay healthy, avoid injury and achieve their performance goals
by adopting good dietary habits. Players should choose foods that support consistent,
intensive training and optimise match performance. What a player eats and drinks in
the days and hours before a game, as well as during the game itself, can influence
the result by reducing the effects of fatigue and allowing players to make the most
of their physical and tactical skills. Food and fluid taken soon after a game and
training can optimise recovery. All players should have a nutrition plan that takes
account of individual needs."
ENERGY = CALORIES
Energy is the body's first nutritional priority. The energy content of
food is measured by a unit called a kilocalorie, which most of us call a
calorie. A calorie is a measurement of amount of heat required to
raise 1 gram of water by 1 degree centigrade.
Energy in food is supplied by fat, protein, carbohydrates.
Protein and carbohydrates give 4 calories of energy per gram. Fat
gives 9 calories of energy per gram.
Due to this fact, it is not only the number of calories in your
diet that is significant, but the composition of those calories
as well. You need a balanced intake of carbohydrates, proteins,
and fats. They can be taken from the 5 major food groups:
(1)fruits, (2) vegetables, (3) grains and legumes, (4) dairy products,
(5) meats. Eat 5-6 times per day in small meals and make sure you eat
breakfast. Consume most of your day's worth of calories before
dinner.
CARBOHYDRATES
1. 20-50% of total caloric intake per day
2. Try the
following suggestions:
Bread - Choose grainy varieties and sourdough
Mixed Beans
Potatoes - Switch to sweet potatoes
Cereals - Try brans or oatmeal (must soak overnight)
Rice - Switch to basmati, brown rice, Canadian long grain or couscous
Pasta - Try vegetable based or whole grain pasta. Better yet, switch
to whole grains like buckwheat kernals, quinoa, kamut, millet,
teff, amaranth.
Sugar - Use honey, applesauce, or dried fruit to sweeten dishes
"There is a growing body
of research that shows eating certain types of carbohydrates - like those
found in potatoes and highly processed foods like white bread -
can make you hungrier. That's because the body processes them more quickly -
causing a spike in blodd glucose, which in turn gives you a quick surge of
energy. But then you crash and you're hungry again. And hunger is the
primary reason diets fail." (Wall Street Journal 4/15/03 Personal
Journal Page 1)
The worst carbs are regular bread, sugar added foods, most cereals, fruit
juices and bars, bagels, sodas and candy.
Carbohydrates are the body's primary fuel source. Carbohydrates are often
classified as "simple" or "complex." Although you might think that simple
carbs would be absorbed more rapidly than the larger complex
carbs, this is not always true. There is a newer system of
classification called the Glycemic Index (GI). This terms refers
to the rise in blood sugar (glucose) from any given food as compared
to pure glucose. For example, the GI of a bagel is 72; this means
that the bagel causes blood glucose to rise 72% as much as pure glucose.
Processed foods increase the GI whereas high fructose content foods
and the co-ingestion of fat, fiber, and protein decrease the GI.
PROTEIN
1. 15-30% of total caloric intake per day
2. Sources: Fish (salmon, tuna, cod), chicken, beef, eggs, dairy products
(complete proteins), mixed beans, lentils, vegetables
(incomplete proteins).
Proteins are the building blocks of muscles, enzymes, and
some hormones. They are formed by units called amino acids
(AA). There are 20 different AA's - all must be present
simultaneously for optimal growth and body functioning.
There are 9 essential AA's; this means they cannot be
produced by the body so they have to be supplied by the diet.
The remainder are nonessential AA's; AA's that can be produced by
the body. Some foods are complete proteins (contain all the
essentials AA's) and some are incomplete proteins (lack 1 or more of
the essential AA's). Vegetarians must combine foods properly to
insure sufficient complete protein intake.
The worst proteins are fatty meat, fatty dairy, lunch meats
and high soy diets.
FAT
1. 20-30% of total caloric intake per day (Maximum 10% from
saturated fats)
2. Sources: Salmon, Mackerel. Use monounsaturated fats like olive oil
or coconut oil when cooking.
The main functions of fat are insulation, protection of organs,
formation of essential fatty acids (fats that cannot be produced by
the body so they have to be supplied by the diet), hormone formation
and energy storage. Avoid excess fat in dairy products and
margarine, mayonnaise, sour cream, dressings, sauces, baked and
fried goods. Most importantly, avoid trans fatty acids, i.e.
partially hydrogenated vegetable oils- these are the worst types of fat.
Cholesterol is needed to form male and female sex hormones, Vitamin D,
and cell membranes (especially the heart). Your body produces
cholesterol in the liver. Outside sources of cholesterol come from
animal fat only, not vegetable fat. HDL (high density lipoprotein)
removes cholesterol from the tissues of the body and brings it to the
liver. It decreases the risk of heart disease. LDL (low density
lipoprotein) carries cholesterol to the body tissues and, in excess,
increases the risk of heart disease. Total cholesterol should be
180 mg/dl or less. Eggs are not bad for you. The lecithin in the
yolk allows your body to process the cholesterol. Do not destroy
the yolk when cooking the egg.
PRE-COMPETITION MEALS
Carbohydrate loading (for endurance events greater than 2 hours:
Starts 5-7 days before competition. 1st day
perform depletion exercise (long, hard training run to use up muscle
glycogen) and limit carbohydrate intake. 2nd-4th days eat high
carbohydrate diet (70-80%) with 3 days rest. 5th day is competition.
Day Before Competition:
Increase low GI carbohydrates and decrease training. DO NOT INTRODUCE ANY NEW FOODS AT THIS TIME!
Day Of Competition:
Morning: Eat 3-4 hours before event (Learn your own bowel tolerance). Eat low GI carbohydrates, low fat and low protein. DO NOT INTRODUCE ANY NEW FOODS AT THIS TIME!
During Event: Carbohydrates as per bowel tolerance.
POST-COMPETITION MEALS
Within 1-2 hours or as soon as possible, eat about 25-50g of high GI carbs and then eat .5g/lb of moderate GI carbohydrates every 2 hours for 6-8 hours. It takes about 20 hours to fully replenish glycogen depleted in muscles. Also, consume protein and fat in balanced diet amounts throughout the rest of day. Do not eat just one big meal. It takes about 600g of carbohydrates to totally replenish your stores.
HOW TO READ A FOOD LABEL
NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size 1/2 cup (114g)
Servings per container 4
________________________________
Amount Per Serving
Calories 260
Calories from Fat 120
Serving size: This is important! All the information on the label is
for one serving of the food.
Amount per Serving: This tells you how many total calories there are
in the food and how many of those calories are from fat. Please note
that this label does NOT give the PERCENT of the total calories per
serving from fat. It tells you calories per serving- 260 - and
calories from fat -120. It does not tell you that 46% of the
total calories are from fat. You must figure this percentage,
e.g. 120/260= .46 x 100 = 46%.
VITAMIN AND MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS
1. Take a good multi-vitamin/mineral supplement daily.
2. Take additional vitamin C, 1000-6000mg/day (as per bowel tolerance)
3. For vegetarians: You may have to supplement iron, zinc, B12 and
calcium.
4. Healing nutrients: Bomelain and papain for acute injury
inflammation reduction; Glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate
(1500mg/1200mg for person 120-200lbs.) to decrease inflammation and
increase healing of injured tissue; branched chain amino acids for
tissue healing.
5. Bone Building: Vit D (200IU-600IU), Calcium (800-1500mg),
Magnesium (300-600mg)
6. Injury Support: Vit B, Vit C, Bioflavinoids, Magnesium, Zinc,
Copper, Manganese
HYDRATION
Water is the most important nutrient of all. You will only survive
a maximum of 7days without it. It makes up about 50-60% of the human
body. Water means water - not coffee, not tea, not soda, not beer,
and not even juice. Thirst is not a good indicator of your need for
water. Greater than a 5% loss of body weight can lead to serious
injury and even death. During intense exercise you may lose 1oz. or
more of water per minute through sweat (2-3L/hour of sweat) . The
body can only absorb 1oz. per 3-4 minutes. The easiest way to tell
that you have had enough to drink is to monitor you urine. Clear
urine in significant amounts indicates adequate hydration.
Dark-colored urine is concentrated with metabolic waste and means
that your are dehydrated.
1. Regular daily intake: 8 eight ounce glasses of water PLUS
100-150% of fluid lost during training. Weigh athlete before and
after training. Replace each pound lost with at least one pint of
water or Gatorade type drink. Those who lose 5% or more of bodyweight
over a several days should be evaluated medically.
2. Pre-Event Hydration
Day Previous to Competition: Athletes should consume 50 to 100 ounces
of fluid above and beyond their normal intake the day before the
event.
Day of Competition: Athlete should consume 20 to 32 ounces of cool
water 2 hours prior to the event. Eliminate bladder 15 minutes prior
to the event. Drink 6 to 8 ounces of water five minutes before the
event. For events greater than 60 minutes or for athletes
remaining on the field all day, a beverage with 30-60g of
carbohydrate should be consumed every hour. E.g.. a 4%-8%
beverage means that it has 4g-8g per 100ml, so one liter per hour
is recommended. For all day events, i.e.. track and field, a
moderate amount of sodium in the drink is necessary.
3. Post-event Hydration
-Replace each pound lost with at least one pint of
water/Gatorade type drink.
-Sip the water, do not gulp it down. Drink throughout the
remainder of the day.
4. Electrolyte Replacement: Less than 2-3 hours exercise,
replacement usually not necessary due to high sodium concentration
in typical American diet. Greater than 3-4 hours, there is risk of
sodium depletion. Drinking plain water satiates thirst quickly
and stimulates urine production so a moderately high level of
sodium (20-25mmol/L)and possibly potassium in the drink is important. A moderate sodium drink is important for track & field athletes during the day of competition.
5. Acclimatization to Hot/High Altitude Environment
-7-14 day acclimatization period and gradual increase in
intensity of exercise.
For more information on hydration see
Heat and Hydration
Here are some very interesting comments from 5 time Powerlifting
World Champion Ricky Dale Crain:
Exercise without supplementation is suicide, these are the
words of Dr. Joel D. Wallach. And how true they are. EXERCISE
WITHOUT COMPLETE AND OPTIMAL SUPPLEMENTATION IS SELF
DESTRUCTIVE, and suicide. Farmers and ranchers very
systematically put in vitamins, minerals and trace minerals
in animal feeds to prevent and cure disease and illnesses.
They learned that all working and producing animals, (all the
way from the cow to the race horse), need additional nutrients
above and beyond subsistence and maintenance levels. The
same goes, and more so with humans. In many studies done we
find an increase in the frequency and severity of sports
injuries, behavioral problems, degenerative diseases, and
even death in athletes because of this neglect....
Unsupplemented high-output athletes are more susceptible to
emotional, traumatic, and degenerative diseases than the
classic couch potatoe (or is that potato?). Certainly the
average weekend athlete with common sense would not throw
their life away by not supplementing with the known 103
essential nutrients each day (72 minerals, 16 vitamins,
12 essential amino acids and 3 essential fatty acids).
Certainly then, the highly conditioned and trained serious
athlete who invests considerable amount of time and money
in their training and fitness programs would not throw their
health or lives away by not supplementing. Yet the majority
of people who exercise do not supplement because they have
bought into the medical dogma that if "you eat right, you
do not need to supplement, you can get everything you need
from the four food groups" (WHICH IN MOST CASES IS TONS AND
TONS OF TOO MANY CARBS).......
Or if you supplement "it only
gives you expensive urine". Our farm and range soils are so
depleted of nutrients, as a result of 100 to 200 years of
intensive farming without appropriate mineral replacement.
Why is it they cannot seem to make the connection that the
food on their plate is anemic in nutrients? Two and two still
equals four, so be smart as an athlete and supplement. Not
only will it enhance your performance but it could save your
life.
Nutrition and Athletic Performance
Daily nutrition recommendations for athletes from the American College of
Sports Medicine, American Dietetic Association and Dieticians of Canada
The December 2000 issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
included a comprehensive review of "Nutrition and Athletic Performance.
The "joint position paper" is co-authored by the American College of
Sports Medicine, the American Dietetic Association, and the Dieticians of
Canada. The following are the highlights of the 16-page paper.
DAILY NUTRITION NEEDS
Carbohydrates, Protein, Fats
Carbohydrates: 2.7 to 4.5 g/pound
Protein:
For endurance athletes: .55 to .65 g/pound
For strength-training athletes: .7 to .8 g/pound
Fats: Not less than 15 percent of total calories. 20 to 25 percent
calories from fat is okay.
PRE-EXERCISE NUTRITION NEEDS
3-4 hours before a race, long run, or workout: 200 to 300 grams of
carbs 3-4 hours before exercise.
1 hour before: Studies have produced mixed results - no effect or a
positive effect from a small amount (60 to 200 calories) an hour before
exercise.
Morning races: Must eat carbs after the overnight fast of sleeping.
Glycemic index: Current research has produced mixed results on the
question of whether or not glycemic index affects performance.
DURING EXERCISE NUTRITION NEEDS
Carbo needs: 30 to 60g of carbs (from glucose drinks, gels or bars)
per hour. Fructose doesn't work as well.
POST EXERCISE NUTRITION NEEDS
Post-exercise formula: 7 grams of carbos (glucose is best) per pound.
Repeat every 2 hours for 4 to 6 hours post-exercise. If you don't eat
in the first two hours, the rate of glycogen synthesis will be lower.
Fast resynthesis is most important if you intend to do more exercise in
the same day or next days.
Adding protein might be good "for muscle protein repair and to promote
a more anabolic hormonal profile."
FLUID CONSUMPTION NEEDS
Before: 14 to 22 oz of water or sports drink two hours before.
During: 6 to 12 oz of sports drink every 15-20 minutes. Start drinking
within 30 minutes.
After: 16 to 24 oz sports drink for every pound of body weight lost.
Carb concentration of sports drinks: 4 to 8 percent carbs by
concentration.
Sodium and sports drinks: Sports drinks with sodium are recommended for
exercise more than 1 hour to improve taste and drive to drink.
Sweat rates: Highly variable - can exceed 61.2 oz per hour.
Hyponatremia: A handful of marathoners and triathletes have died from
hyponatremia, or low blood sodium. This results after long, hot races
wherein the athletes have consumed only water, and not sodium-containing
sports drinks. Women appear to be more at risk than men. To guard against
hyponatremia, drink sodium-containing sports drinks.
EXAMPLE
Here's the optimal glycogen resynthesis formula for a 150-pound runner.
The runner should consume a carbo snack every 15 minutes for 4 hours.
That's 16 snacks. Each snack should contain calories equal
to .72 x 150 pounds, or 108 calories. When you multiply 108 calories
times 16 snacks, you get a total-4-hour carbohydrate intake of
1728 calories.
SUPERFOODS
Super Foods to the Rescue-- Steven Pratt, MD-- 02/03/04
Beans: A great low-fat, low-calorie source of protein and an easy way to help control your
weight and your blood sugar.
Blueberries: The best food on the planet to preserve a young brain as we mature.
Broccoli: The best food on the planet to prevent cancer.
Oats: A sure-fire way to lower your cholesterol.
Oranges: The most readily available source of vitamin C, which in turn lowers
the rate of most causes of death in this country, for example, heart disease and cancer.
Pumpkin: Loaded with phytonutrients, which keep our skin young and help prevent
damage from sunlight.
Wild salmon: A guaranteed way to lower your risk for cardiac-related death.
Soy: The only complete vegetarian source of protein.
Spinach: The best food on the planet to prevent cataracts and age-related macular
degeneration, thus ensuring a lifetime of good vision.
Tea -- green or black: The easiest and cheapest no-calorie way to avoid heart disease
and cancer.
Tomatoes: One of the easiest ways for men to avoid prostate cancer is the consumption
of tomatoes and tomato-based products.
Skinless turkey breast: The leanest meat source of protein on the planet.
Walnuts: Consuming walnuts is an easy, tasty way to lower your risk of cardiovascular
disease.
Yogurt: A tasty, easy way to boost your immune system.
MORE FOOD FOR THOUGHT...
A recent analysis of a range of staple foods in Canada including
potatoes, tomatoes, bananas, apples, onion, broccoli etc, etc, was
commissioned by The Globe and Mail and CTV news. The results were
predictable to some and a shock to others. Let's use potatoes as an
example. This is what the analysis found:
Over the last 50 years the potato has lost:
* 100% of its Vitamin A
* 57% of its Vitamin C and iron
* 28% of its Calcium
* 50% of its riboflavin
* 18% of its thiamine
Of the seven nutrients analyzed only niacin levels had increased. The
results were similar for all the 25 fruits and vegetables tested. One of
the worst results was from broccoli in which ALL nutrients had declined
measurably including niacin with Calcium down 63%.
Consumer demand for cheaper and 'good looking' food has over recent
decades changed traditional farming methods as well as distribution. A
farmer used to rotate his crops to suit his land and maximized his
yields through natural methods and then supplied his fresh produce to
his local market for distribution.
Regrettably that is largely the way of the past.
Now, the emphasis is on production, appearance, storability and
transportability. Nutritional value of fruits and vegetables is of
virtually no concern. As Dr Phil Warman, an agronomist and professor of
agricultural sciences at Nova Scotia Agricultural College points out,
"crops are bred to produce higher yields, to be resistant to disease and
to produce more visually attractive fruits or vegetables, but little or
no emphasis is placed on their vitamin and mineral content."
Add to this the increasing foothold of GE engineered crops where
nutritional value is way down on the priority list and this problem is
going to become much, much more serious. What can be done about this
problem?
* Try to eat organic fruit and vegetables wherever possible.
* Avoid processed foods! If you think the loss of nutrient value
in fresh fruit and vegetables is bad enough, I can assure you that it is
nothing compared to the nutritional emptiness of processed foods...and
to add insult to injury they are full of transfats due to the
hydrogenated processing methods that are used.
* Take a QUALITY multi-NUTRIENT supplement. A multi
vitamin/mineral tablet is not adequate for a number of reasons. The
prime one is that most 'multi vitamin' supplements use synthetic
ingredients with both questionable efficacy and bio-availability and
they lack other important nutrients. Unfortunately this is an area in
which many consumers are being mislead.
BASAL METABOLIC RATE CALCULATIONS:
1. Weight in pounds x 10 = Total calories for one day
2. Weight in kg x 24.2 for men OR 22 for women = Total calories for one day
3. Harris-Benedict Equation
Men: 66 + (13.7 x W) + (5 x H) - (6.8 x A)
Women: 655 + (9.6 x W) + (1.7 x H) - (4.7 x A)
W = weight in kg (lbs divided by 2.2 = kg)
H = height in cm (inches x 2.54 = cm)
A = age in years
Do you burn more fat during a short duration, high intensity run or a long day of hiking?
Are you in the coveted "fat burning zone" when you exercise or are you in the "cardio zone?" FACT:
The intensity at which you exercise makes no difference as long as you burn more calories than you
consume. What is important is the number of calories burned during the time you exercise. So, in a
given time period you will burn more calories if you exercise at a higher intensity (cardio zone)
than at a lower intensity (fat burning zone). Thus, if you exercise at a lower intensity you will
have to exercise for a longer period of time.
Our bodies use different energy sources (fat, carbohydrates, glycogen) at different levels of
exertion. "When you're working harder, explains Karyn Esser, associate professor in the Department
of Physiology at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, your body burns a mix of fuel that's
higher in carbohydrate and glycogen and lower in fat. At lower levels of exertion, your body mainly
draws on fat stores to feet itself." Even when you are exercising at high levels of intensity you
are still burning fat. You are also burning fat during the rest of the day as you recover from the
high intensity exercise. The bottom line is always the same - burn more calories than you take in
to lose weight!
IOC Booklet: Nutrition for Athletes
Nutrition for Football: The FIFA/F-MARC Consensus Statement (FIFA.com)
FIFA: Nutrition for Football Booklet
CLICK HERE FOR SOME GREAT SPORTS NUTRITION ARTICLES FROM ANTHONY
RICCIUTO
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SPORTS DIET AND NUTRITION