Sports Nutrition Eat To Compete, Eat To Achieve

BY MICHAEL LGROSS MD

When most people think of dieting or nutri-

1. Stick with a Balanced Diet.

(olive oil, dry roasted almonds/walnuts, avocado, etc). Saturated and trans-fats should be avoided. Strength athletes believe more protein is important to build muscle.

Many strength training athletes believe they must consume diets high in protein. It turns out that strength athletes actually require high carbohydrate intake and adequate glycogen stores to fuel their workouts. It is the strength training workout itself that leads to increased muscle mass and strength. This is because all high intensity, powerful muscle contractions (such as weightlifting) are fueled with carbohydrates. Neither fat nor protein can be oxidized rapidly enough to meet the demands of high-intensity exercise. Therefore, enough dietary carbohydrate must be consumed daily to restore adequate energy levels.

All athletes need protein after vigorous exercise. Protein helps repair and rebuild muscle tissue that is broken down during hard exercise. Because protein is the basic building material for muscle tissue, if you strength train or want to increase muscle size, you need to consume more protein than sedentary individuals or non-athletes. However, most strength athletes may overestimate their protein needs. The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) recommends that the average person requires about 0.4 grams per pound per day. Sports nutritionists recommend that strength athletes consume about 0.6 to 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day, not to exceed 1 gram/pound/day.

2. Timing Your Meals.

Timing your meals, before and after training or comdoing the best you can, and doing your best. Training on an empty stomach is never a good idea. According to Carry Kelly: “As a general rule, I do not think you should go any longer than 3 hours without eating; it keeps your blood sugar levels in check and keeps your metabolism burning. It is equally important to make sure you eat something about 30 minutes to 1 hour prior to a workout in order to ensure that your body has enough energy/fuel to optimize your training session.” challenging. But, it is especially important to eat a light meal before exercise to fuel your workout in the morning. Remember, you haven’t eaten since before you went to bed, running on fumes is not a good idea. Fill your tank for your best results. - formance depends largely on the foods consumed during the days and weeks leading up to an event, not necessarily what you eat right before the event. If you regularly eat a varied, carbohydrate-rich diet you are in good standing and probably have adequate energy stores to fuel activity. The purpose of the pre-competition meal is to prevent hunger and to provide the water and additional energy the athlete will need during competition. Be sure not to eat foods that will make you feel sluggish, or upset your stomach.

3. Eat the right foods both pre/post-exercise.

Carbohydrates are the #1 source of energy for our body. When you are exercising, dietary carbohydrates are a readily available fuel, and they are quick to burn. As such, it is important to make sure your pre-workout meal is adequate in carbohydrates. A simple carbohydrate, like a glass of orange juice, is a good choice if you are in a rush (5-10 minutes prior to workout), but if you have more time (30 minutes to 1 hour) it is even better to have some complex carbohydrates (whole grain cereal, oatmeal, rye toast, etc). Dairy may upset your stomach if you consume it too close to a workout, and the same goes for high foods work best for you. Although carbohydrate loadendurance sports, which require 90 minutes or more about carbohydrate loading. Simply eating a diet that derives more than half of its calories from carbohydrates will do. Finally, don’t forget to drink 8-12 ounces of water before you work out.

The foods you choose to eat after a workout are just as important as the foods you choose before. A good mix of carbohydrate, protein and fat is important for refueling and rebuilding.

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Some people are not hungry after a hard workout, but it is important to refuel. An easy option is low fat organic chocolate milk. It’s delicious, you don’t have to be hungry to drink it, and your body gets all the key nutrients needed post-work out. Recent studies suggest that consuming a protein rich meal within 30 minutes of exercise will optimize muscleeral hours after training.

4. Determine your calorie needs.

This one involves a little math, but nothing too difout, your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and then your daily calorie needs.

Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years)

Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year )

Once you know your BMR, you can calculate your Daily Calorie Needs based on your activity level using the second formula, known as the Harris Benedict Equation.

Harris Benedict Formula

To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

•If you are sedentary (little or no exercise): Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2

•If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week): Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375

•If you are moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week): Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55

•If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week): Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725

•If you are extra active (very hard exercise/ sports & physical job or 2x training): Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9 intake by more than 500-1000 calories per day, and not to go below 1200 calories per day in any case.

5. Stay hydrated.

Water, water, water. Water is the best way to keep your body hydrated.It is important to drink throughout the day; hydration is cumulative. By the time you feel thirsty, you are already a little dehydrated. Most athletes do not require carbohydrate containing beverages (Gatorade, Powerade, etc.) during exercise unless they are exceeding 60 minutes (this varies based on intensity of exercise, body size and percentage water weight lost). It is interesting to note that about 50 percent of morning exercisers begin their workout with some level of hydration. If you workout in the morning, make sure to drink something before you begin. A nice rule of thumb is to drink at least 50-75 percent of your weight, in pounds, in the best sports drink out there. Read the labels and avoid drinks high in sugar and sodium.

6. Vitamins and supplements play a role.

I alwaysrecommend a daily multivitamin to all my patients. Nobody eats a perfectly balanced diet all the gaps.Protein supplements are as popular as ever, is really easy for most people to consume an adequate amount of protein from diet alone. Any protein ingested that exceeds our daily requirement can be excessive. On the other hand, adequate protein intake is needed to maintain muscle mass as we age, or to rebuild muscle and tissue after exercise.

It is also important to note that supplement manufacturers do not need to prove that their product is safe to consume. It is up to the FDA to prove something unsafe. FDA testing is a long and costly process and often a product causes harm to the public before the FDA takes action. I’m not a big fan of supplements.

needs, and then decide on your goal. If you want to maintain weight, eat the desired amount of calories while maintaining a balanced diet. If you want to lose weight, take in fewer calories than you burn per day. As a general rule, it is best not to limit your

Michael L. Gross, MD is the founder of Active Orthopedic and Sports Medicine in Hackensack. He is the section chief of sports medicine at Hackensack/Meridian University Medical Center and an assistant professor at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.