Common Questions about Nutrition

This year's National Strength and Conditioning Association's Annual
Conference had several interesting sessions on sports nutrition. The
following are answers to some of the key questions that were addressed in those seminars.

"How should an athlete's diet differ from a non-athlete's diet?"

While the "big six" nutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrate, minerals,
vitamins and water) all affect an athlete's performance, the nutrients with the most direct affect are carbohydrate and water. A normal diet is comprised of approximately 50% carbohydrate, 35% fat and 15% protein. According to Dr. David Pearson, an athlete's diet should contain 65% carbohydrate, 20% fat and 15% protein.

"What keeps athletes from eating healthfully?"

Barriers to healthful eating among athletes include hectic schedules, poor basic knowledge of nutrition, unreliable sources of nutritional information (including media, family and friends) and the fact that healthful eating is simply not a priority for all athletes.

Athletes themselves frequently ask the following questions:

1. "How much should I eat?"

Jackie Berning, Ph.D., R.D. recommends that athletes consume 23 kilo calories (kcals) per pound of body weight. These kcals would be broken down into: 3 grams of carbohydrate per pound of bodyweight; maximum of 1.2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight; maximum of .45 grams of fat per pound of bodyweight; and .67 fl. oz. of water per pound of bodyweight.

So, for a 185 pound athlete, the daily calorie intake would be 4,255
kcals with 555 grams coming from carbohydrate, 235 grams maximum from protein, 83 grams from fat and a fluid intake baseline of 15 cups per day.

2. "How much should I drink for training and competition?"

This can vary from individual to individual and from day to day,
depending on the temperature. What is known for certain is that most athletes are insufficiently hydrated. As far as what to drink: water should be the beverage of choice before training and before competition, but sports drinks with a concentration of 6-12% carbohydrate (Gatorade, Allsport and Powerade) are recommended during sports activity.

Athletes should refrain from drinking fruit juices, sodas and "energy
drinks" during training and competition because the concentrations of sugar in these drinks are high enough to actually have a dehydrating effect.

The simplest way to gauge an athlete's level of hydration is to monitor fluid loss by checking urine color. If it is the color of apple juice, the athlete is dehydrated. If it is clear, or the color of pale lemonade, the athlete is adequately hydrated.

Athletes should be encouraged to drink plenty of water throughout the day, And coaches should establish frequent fluid breaks during practice and games.

3. "What can I eat and drink to enhance recovery?"

High-carbohydrate foods and fluids should be consumed after exercise. Currently recommended are: .7 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight within 30 minutes of exercise (for a 175 lb. athlete x 0.7 g CHO/lb = 123 grams of carbohydrate) and 3 cups of sports drink for every pound of weight lost in sweat. This is especially important during any multiple competition event.

4. "What can I do to improve my nutrition?"

The following are some very useful points, especially for young
athletes.

A. If you don't eat breakfast, START EATING BREAKFAST!

B. If you don't consume anything but caffeine before exercise/practice, work toward establishing a pattern of eating and hydrating prior to exercise.

C. If you are eating huge meals at 11:00 pm, revise your eating schedule. Have your evening meal by 7 or 8 pm and if you must eat late at night, eat only light snacks.

D. If most of your food is fried, make an effort to choose grilled, steamed or fresh foods instead.

E. In order to improve your eating habits, modify what you normally eat instead of trying to come up with a whole new diet. Focus on making better choices one at a time.

A high-performance machine needs high-performance fuel. Happy Training!