GIS 1012 Lifecycle Nutrition

Good sports nutrition

Aims to
1. provide an optimal fuel supply for exercise
2. promote a nutritional environment that allows for
recovery between training sessions
3. satisfy the basic nutrient requirements of good
health and growth
4. provide a way to obtain and maintain an appropriate
body mass and level of body fat.
Stored Glucose & Glycogen
The average 150-pound male has about 1,800-2000 calories of
CHOs stored in the body:

Muscle glycogen 1,400 calories

Liver glycogen 400 calories
Blood glucose 80 calories
Total: 1,800 calories
 Muscle Glycogen Storage
Well-trained muscles develop the ability to store about 20-
50% more glycogen than untrained muscles.

Muscle glycogen per 100g (3.5 oz) of muscle:

Untrained Muscle 13 grams
Trained Muscle 32 grams
Carbo-Loaded 35-40 grams

(Costill et al. Am J Clin Nutr 34: 1831-1836) (Sherman et al. Intl J Sports Med 2: 114-118)
Does the Glycemic Effect of a Food Really
Influence Exercise Performance?

Cyclists ate 0.5g CHO / lb

Pre-Exercise Food Minutes of Exercise

Lentils 117
Glucose 108
Water 99
Potato 97

Thomas, Brotherhood and Brand.1991 Intl J Sports Med, 12 (2): 180-186

 condition of sudden fatigue and loss of energy which is
caused by the depletion of glycogen stores in the liver and
muscles
Bonking
Depleted MUSCLE glycogen hit the wall

Depleted LIVER glycogen bonk or crash

(no blood glucose)

Despite adequate muscle glycogen, an athlete may feel:

Uncoordinated
Light-headed
Unable to concentrate
Weak
 John, a 28-year-old runner and banker,
faithfully carbo-loaded his muscles for three
days prior to his first Boston Marathon

On the evening before the marathon, he ate dinner at 5:00,

then went to bed at 8:30 to ensure himself a good nights
rest
As often happens with anxious athletes, he tossed and
turned all night (which burned off a significant amount of
calories),
John woke up early the next morning, and chose not to eat
breakfast, even though the marathon didnt start until noon
By noon, he had depleted his limited liver glycogen stores
He lost his mental drive 8 miles into the race, and quit at 12
miles
His muscles were well-fueled, but that energy was
unavailable to his brain, so he lacked the mental stamina to
endure the marathon.
 Glycogen depletion occurs with
repeated days of exercise when CHO
intake is inadequate (45-50%)
For 3 consecutive Subjects muscles
days became progressively
glycogen depleted
Subjects ran hard
10 miles
CONCLUSIONS
Pace: 6-8 min/mile
Daily CHO rich diet
Ate their standard
Rest days required to
meals
45-50% CHO
replete depleted
muscles
 Glycogen depletion occurs with
repeated days of exercise when CHO
intake is inadequate (45-50%)
Muscle glycogen (gm/100 gm tissue)

10 miles 10 miles 10 miles

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3
 Pat, a 33-year-old computer
programmer experiments with her 2-
hour Sunday run:
Experiment Post Workout Next Workout
Meal Workout Felt

1 3-egg cheese Monday Dead, tired,

omelette heavy,
unrecovered

2 Pancakes, syrup, Monday Much better

OJ, fruit

3 Pancakes, syrup, Tuesday super lots

OJ, fruit of E, totally
recovered
Part 1: Pre-Games Meal
A. Main functions of food for games
B. Sports nutrition for performance: when to eat.
C. Pre-Event Training Tapering
D. Alternate Eating Patterns
E. Carbohydrate Loading
A. What you eat before you train or compete has four
main functions

i. To help prevent hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), with its

symptoms of light-headedness, needless fatigue, blurred vision, and
indecisiveness all of which can interfere with performance.
ii. To help settle your stomach, absorb some of the gastric juices,
and decrease hunger.
iii. To fuel your muscles, both with food eaten in advance that is
stored as glycogen, and with food eaten within an hour.
iv. To pacify your mind with the knowledge that your body is well
fueled.
B. Sports nutrition for performance benefits must
begin days in advance.

eat adequate high-carbohydrate meals to

i. Every day,
fuel and refuel your muscles so they will be ready for action.
1. Food eaten within an hour before exercise primarily keeps you from feeling hungry and
maintain your blood sugar; they dont significantly replenish muscle glycogen stores.
2. The best refueling occurs within an hour post-exercise.

choose
ii. If you will be exercising for more than 60-90 minutes,
carbohydrates which slowly enter the bloodstream
as they are digested (low glycemic index) such as rice, pasta, yogurt, oatmeal, bean soup,
lentils, apples, or bananas.
1. When eaten an hour before exercise, these slow carbohydrates will be digested enough
to be burned for fuel, and then will continue to provide sustained energy during the long
workout.
B. Sports nutrition for performance benefits
must begin days in advance.

iii. If you will be exercising for less than an hour, simply snack on any
foods that digest easily and settle
tried-and-true
comfortably.
1. Bread, lepat pisang , noodles are a few of the
most popular high-carb, low-fat choices.

iv. Limit high-fat proteins like cheese, steak, hamburgers, and

peanut butter.
1. These proteins take longer to empty from the stomach because the
fat delays gastric emptying.
2. Sluggishness and nausea can be a result of these foods.
B. Sports nutrition for performance benefits
must begin days in advance.

v. Be cautious with sugary foods (such as soft drinks, jelly beans,

and even lots of maple syrup or sports drinks) or carbohydrates which quickly
enter the bloodstream as they are digested (potatoes, honey, or corn flakes).
1. Many athletes who eat these foods within 15-120 minutes before hard
exercise can experience a drop in blood sugar that leaves them feeling
tired, light-headed, and needlessly fatigued. Experiment and learn how
your body responds.

vi. Allow adequate time for food to digest.

1. Remember that high calorie meals take longer to leave the stomach than do
lighter snacks.
2. The general rule of thumb is to allow at least 3-4 hours for a large meal to
digest, 2-3 hours for a smaller meal, 1-2 hours for a blended or liquid meal, and
less than an hour for a small snack, according to your own tolerance.
B. Sports nutrition for performance benefits
must begin days in advance.

vii. If you know that youll be jittery and unable to tolerate any food before an
event, make a special effort to eat well the day before.
1. Have an extra-large bedtime snack in lieu of breakfast.
2. Some athletes can comfortably eat before they exercise, but others
prefer to abstain. Both sorts perform well, and both have simply
learned how to best fuel their bodies.

viii. Always eat familiar foods before a competition.

1. Dont try anything new!
2. New foods always carry the risk of settling poorly; causing intestinal
discomfort, acid stomach, heartburn, or cramps.
B. Sports nutrition for performance benefits
must begin days in advance.

ix. Drink plenty of fluids.

1. You are unlikely to starve to death during an event, but you might dehydrate.
2. Drink an extra four to eight glasses of fluid the day before, so that you over-
hydrate.
3. Drink at least 2-3 glasses of water up to two hours before the event.
4. Drink another one to three glasses 5-10 minutes before the start.

x. The main value of proper nutrition lies in preventing the

detrimental effects of improper or inadequate nutrition.
C. Pre-Event Training - Tapering

i. It is wise to gradually decrease the training program

approximately 48 hours before competition.

ii. This is advocated because it enables the body to replenish

essential stores and to reduce or eliminate various
metabolites that might reduce performance.
 d. Alternate Eating Patterns
i. Food fads are rampant among athletes. No
food, vitamin, hormone, or
supplement will substitute for sound nutrition and hard work.

ii. Dietary abuses are sometimes condoned by parents and coaches in the
mistaken belief that they will help, but in fact, many of them are unhealthy.

iii. Some athletes opt to eat a vegetarian diet. Types of vegetarian diets
differ according to the animal products ingested.
1. The primary concern in the vegetarian diet is whether or not enough protein is being
consumed. The essential amino acids are balanced better in animal products than in
plant foods.
2. The athlete must carefully plan their diet to include all the essential amino acids.
 e. Carbohydrate Loading

a. The athlete most likely to benefit from carbohydrate

loading programs are endurance athletes whose events
last for more than 90 continuous minutes (such as long-
distance runners, swimmers, bicyclists, and cross-
country skiers).

b. Carbohydrate loading may also benefit athletes involved

in sports that require prolonged movement of varying
intensities, such as soccer, lacrosse, and ice hockey, as
well as tournament sports such as tennis.

c. Carbo-loading simply means to basically saturate your

muscles with carbohydrates the bodys most efficient
source of fuel.
 Carbohydrate Loading
d. During carbo-loading, the athletes weight should increase 1-3 pounds,
since water is stored with glycogen.

e. When carbo-loading, 70-80% of calories should come from

carbohydrates, 10-15% from fat, and 10-15% from proteins.

f. Carbo-load every day during training, not just before the big event.
i. Your daily diet should be high in carbohydrates, low in fat, and balanced with
adequate protein.

ii. A daily 60-80% carbohydrate intake prevents chronic glycogen depletion and
allows you not only to train at your best, but also to compete at your best.

iii. Be careful however if you eat too many carbs, you will likely experience
intestinal distress, and your muscles will be no better fueled than if you had eaten an
adequate amount.
 Carbohydrate Loading
g. Remember to taper your training when carbo-loading.
i. Because you will be exercising less during the pre-event taper, you do not need to
eat additional calories when carbo-loading. Simply maintain your standard intake.

h. Include adequate protein along with the carbohydrates.

i. Because endurance athletes burn some protein for energy, you should take special
care to include proteins in your diet.

i. Do not fat-load.
i. A little fat is ok, but dont fat-load.
ii. To carbo-load you have to trade in many of the fat calories for more carbohydrates.
This requires a larger volume of food to get adequate calories.
Carbohydrate Loading

j. Choose wholesome, fiber-rich carbohydrates.

i. These types of carbs keep your system running
smoothly.
ii. Bran muffins, whole wheat bread, bran cereal,
fruits, and vegetables are good choices.
k. Plan meal times carefully.
i. On the day before the event, you might want to
eat your biggest meal at lunchtime so that the food
will have more time to digest and pass through
your system. Later, enjoy a normal-sized dinner
and a bedtime snack.
 Carbohydrate Loading
l. Drink extra fluids to hydrate your body.

i. This reduces your risk of becoming dehydrated.

ii. Water and juices are the best fluids to drink.

iii. Limit dehydrating fluids such as beer, wine, other alcoholic

beverages, and beverages containing caffeine they are
diuretic!
Part 2: Post-Games Meal
A. Recovery Fluids
B. Recovery carbohydrates
C. Recovery protein
D. Recovery Electrolytes
E. Resting Period
 Post Game Meals
1. What you eat after a hard workout or competition does
affect your recovery.

2. For the serious athlete, foods eaten after exercise or

competition require the same careful selections as the
meal before exercise.

3. If you are a recreational exerciser who works out three or

four times per week, you need not worry about your
recovery diet because you have enough time to refuel
your muscle glycogen stores before your next workout.
 Post Game Meals
4. You should be concerned about your recovery diet if you are a
competitive athlete who does two or more workouts per day, such
as a football player at training camp who practices morning and
afternoon, a competitive swimmer who competes in multiple
events per meet, a triathlete who trains twice per day, an aerobics
instructor who teaches several classes daily, or a basketball player
who needs to endure the entire season of intense training and
competing.

5. Athletes commonly have reasons to eat inadequately after

exercise, including that they dont feel hungry and dont have
time.
 Post Game Meals
A. Recovery Fluids
i. After you finish a hard workout or competition, your top
dietary priority should be to replace the fluids that you lost
by sweating so that your body can get back into water
balance.

ii. The best choices for replacing sweat losses include juices,
watery foods such as watermelon, or grapes, and water.
 Post Game Meals
A. Recovery Fluids

iii. To determine how much fluid to replace, you need to

know how much water you lose during a strenuous
event. You can estimate this by weighing yourself before
and after the workout. Your goal is to lose no more than
2% of your body weight (for example, 3 pounds for a 150
pound person). Any more weight loss than that, and you
are dehydrated.

iv. If you become dehydrated during an unusually long

and strenuous bout of exercise, you should drink
frequently for the next day or two. Your body may need
24-48 hours to replace the sweat losses.
 Post Game Meals
B. Recovery Carbohydrates
i. Ideally, you should consume carbohydrate-rich foods and
beverages within 15 minutes after your workout; that is, when
the enzymes responsible for making glycogen are most active
and will most rapidly replace the depleted glycogen stores.

ii. Liquids and solid foods will refuel your muscles equally well.
 Post Game Meals
B. Recovery Carbohydrates
iii. The most popular carbohydrate-rich food suggestions
are:
1. 8 ounces of orange juice and a medium bagel.
2. 16 ounces of cranberry juice.
3. One 12 ounce can of soft drink (not diet) and an 8 ounce fruit yogurt.
4. One bowl of corn flakes with milk and a banana.

iv. Commercial high-carbohydrate sports drinks and

powders can also refuel your muscles. Be aware that
these carbo drinks lack most of the vitamins and
minerals that accompany wholesome natural foods. They
also tend to be more expensive than standard foods.
 Post Game Meals
C. Recovery Protein
i. Dont avoid protein in your recovery diet. In fact, some
protein can actually enhance glycogen replacement in the
initial hours after hard exercise.
ii. Protein eaten along with carbohydrates provides a winning
combination.

D. Recovery Electrolytes
i. When you sweat, you lose not only water but also some
minerals (electrolytes) such as potassium and sodium that help
your body function normally.
ii. Electrolytes are primarily responsible for muscle cramping
and intolerance to heat.
iii. You should be able to consume more than enough
electrolytes from standard post-exercise foods. You wont need
salt tablets or special supplements.
 Post Game Meals
D. Resting Period
i. Time is necessary for the recovery process of healing and
refueling.

ii. To completely replace depleted glycogen stores, the muscles

may need up to two days of rest with no exercise and a high-
carbohydrate diet.

iii. You can expect to experience worse soreness on the second

day after strenuous exercise that damages your muscles.

iv. The same athlete who avoids rest after an event also tends to
over-train while preparing for an event.

v. Quality training is better than quantity training; do not

underestimate that power of rest.
 XI. Fluid Replacement

1. Purposes of water
2. Frequency/ timing of water intake
3. Water as an optimum fluid
 XI. Fluid Replacement

a. Basic as it may sound, water is one of the most important

nutrients in your sports diet. You can survive for only a few
days without water, although you can live for weeks without
food.

b. Drinking too little water or losing too much through

sweating inhibits your ability to exercise at your maximum
potential.
 XI. Fluid Replacement
c. Purposes of water
i. Water in the blood transports glucose, oxygen, and fats to
working muscles and carries away metabolic waste.
ii. In urine, water eliminates metabolic waste products.
iii. In sweat, water dissipates heat through the skin thereby
regulating body temperature.
iv. In saliva and gastric secretions, water helps digest food.
v. Water helps to lubricate joints and cushion organs and tissue
throughout the body.

d. Free access to water before, during, and after activity should

be encouraged.
 XI. Fluid Replacement
e. Plain water is the most effective and inexpensive
means of fluid replacement for most types of exercise.
i. Drink small volumes of water frequently rather than large
volumes infrequently (8 ounces every 15-20 minutes).

ii. The thirst mechanism can be unreliable for athletes. Always

drink before you are thirsty. By the time your brain signals the
thirst mechanism, you may be well on your way to becoming
hydrated. This can significantly hurt your performance.

iii. For the average, healthy athlete, drinking cold water does
not shock the system or cause stomach cramps. In fact, during
hot weather or sweaty exercise, your best bet is to drink a cold
fluid because it will cool you off a little faster.