| If you’re an athlete, you’re
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| | other morning prior to practice, but make
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| accustomed to watching what you eat. But
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| | sure that your macronutrient balance
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| you may not know what to eat before an
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| | (proteins-carbs-fats) are stilted in the
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| event to optimize performance and send
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| | favor of whatever your needs are. If you
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| your energy levels soaring through the
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| | need explosive energy, choose a bit more
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| roof. Supplements can certainly help with
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| | fat in the morning. If you are a distance
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| this effort, but without satisfying
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| | runner gearing up for a marathon, try a
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| crucial dietary needs, the foundation
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| | higher carb breakfast of 500-600 calories
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| upon which you base everything else will
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| | of carbohydrates. Whatever you do though,
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| crumble. At that point, you can forget
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| | just don’t skip breakfast or put
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| about being at the top of your game.
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| | too heavy a load in your stomach prior to
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| We survive and thrive on four things in
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| | intense physical activity.
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| our diets: protein, carbohydrates, fat
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| | Nature’s Natural Lubricant
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| and water. Without proper balance and
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| | Several days before an athletic event,
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| consumption of these nutrients, along
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| | competitive athletes should up their
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| with the single element of water, we can
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| | hydration levels to the point of
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| forget even functioning correctly. Given
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| | ‘hyper-hydration’. What this
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| this balance isn’t disrupted,
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| | means is the athlete will drink water for
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| everything within the body exists in
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| | two to three days well in excess of their
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| perfect stasis, and our systems tend to
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| | normal water intake, and store up water
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| operate optimally, in perfect synergy.
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| | in the tissues, organs and entire system
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| Protein
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| | to prepare themselves for the ensuing
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| A few decades ago, protein diets were
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| | dehydration that is bound to occur when
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| abundant and everyone ate steak, game
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| | intense physical challenges are present;
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| meats, pork, and eggs out the wazoo! But
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| | such as in high level athletic
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| then someone came along and said,
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| | competition. Since the body is about 60
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| “No, no, no, no! Protein in such
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| | percent water, it needs to be fully
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| large amounts is bad for the system.
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| | hydrated to perform optimally. In fact,
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| It’s carbohydrates that are the
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| | whenever performance levels are down,
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| source of all good and no evil.”
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| | water loss, improper hydration, or actual
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| So, everyone flip-flopped their diets to
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| | dehydration are typical culprits. Weather
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| include far more pasta, rice, potatoes
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| | may also be a cause of water loss: high
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| and bread. Now, we’re headed
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| | or low temperatures or high humidity may
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| headlong back into a protein age; where
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| | be to blame, and may cause the body to
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| steak is no longer a dirty word and
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| | expend needless energy to keep warm or
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| carbohydrates make you fat! Our bodies
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| | cool; leaving less for performance
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| don’t store protein, taking in
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| | purposes.
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| enough daily is crucial to health, muscle
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| | Sports Drinks
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| to fat ratios and ultimately,
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| | Should an athlete drink the popular
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| performance.
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| | sports drinks that offer carbohydrate
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| Carbohydrates
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| | sources and electrolyte replenishment?
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| For the average person, carbohydrates are
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| | Well, they aren’t necessary, but
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| essential only in small amounts. Sources
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| | may minimize stomach fullness and blood
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| most recommended come from leafy green
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| | pooling that occurs during the digestion
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| sources, cruciferous vegetables, rather
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| | of whole foods. In general, athletic
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| than from starch, such as potato, rice or
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| | events that take less than 90 minutes
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| pasta. In fact, too much carbohydrate
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| | don’t require an electrolyte
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| (particularly starches) can send the body
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| | replacement drink or carbohydrate
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| into sudden spiraling low blood sugar,
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| | booster. But if you pass that 90 minute
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| and cause the body to secrete insulin.
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| | mark, electrolytes should be replaced,
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| Free-floating insulin molecules will only
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| | particularly if the sport is played on a
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| attach themselves to free-floating sugars
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| | hot or cold day. Most people don’t
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| (undigested carbohydrates) and store them
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| | associate electrolytes being lost or
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| as fat. Because of this, no longer are
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| | profuse sweating with cold weather, but
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| carbs being jammed down the throats of
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| | those who engage in winter sports lose
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| the average American. On the other hand,
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| | more water than one might think. Some
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| for the athlete, carbohydrates are
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| | drinks that contain corn syrup and sugars
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| crucial to sustained energy levels and
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| | should be avoided, however, because they
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| strength and muscle contraction.
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| | slow down the body’s absorption of
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| Fat
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| | water and negatively effect performance.
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| Luckily for the endurance and explosive
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| | Sports Nutrition Bars
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| athlete, fat is no longer the big bad
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| | Just about every company puts out a meal
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| wolf of the nutritional world. In fact,
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| | replacement or athletic sports bar. Bars
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| it’s as important a macronutrient
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| | are good in a pinch, but are mostly made
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| as any other; including protein. While it
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| | up of sugary high carbs. Many do swear by
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| doesn’t build muscle, it maintains
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| | the protein amount in certain bars, and
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| the health of so many independent systems
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| | swear that it gives them the extra edge
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| throughout the body, it’s a crucial
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| | they needed to win. However, they are
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| link to good nutrition. The key is to eat
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| | typically not superior to eating a high
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| the right kind of fat. Assume that any
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| | protein/ high carbohydrate meal. Their
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| fat that is solid at room temperature is
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| | only advantage is that they pack easily,
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| not your friend because it indicates that
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| | are convenient, and are calorie and
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| it is the saturated kind. The best
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| | nutritionally dense for their weight. But
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| sources of fat? Vegetable sources, all
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| | do watch the calorie count in the bars.
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| mono or poly-unsaturated fats such as
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| | They can add an enormous amount of
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| peanuts and other nut butters, canola
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| | calories to your daily intake. In many
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| oil, olive oil, walnuts, almonds, and
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| | cases, for the nutritional value offered,
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| avocados. Most endurance athletes know
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| | a candy bar might provide more energy in
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| first hand how important fat loading can
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| | fewer calories!
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| be to competition. Gone are the days of
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| | Day of Competition Tips
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| total carbohydrate loading. Today,
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| | The quality of any athlete is eclipsed by
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| athletes use a combination of fat and
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| | his or her ability to remain injury free
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| carbohydrate loading to satisfy their
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| | during training and athletic competition.
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| high demands for fuel.
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| | Before you find yourself injured in an
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| Water
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| | athletic event, remember these things:
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| Water needs no explanation, really. It is
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| | Properly hydrated and well-fed muscles
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| the most essential thing in our diets,
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| | end up with fewer injuries. When
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| bar none! Without it, we die. Dehydration
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| | you’re dehydrated, or your glucose
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| is a big reason why people get sick,
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| | is low, you’re weak and fatigued.
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| become irritable throughout their day,
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| | Injuries usually occur later in events
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| have organ failure, or keep unnecessary
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| | when fatigue and dehydration has set in.
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| fat stores locked on to their body. Water
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| | Eat, drink, and replenish!
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| is essential to proper liver and kidney
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| | Do not use thirst as a gauge to judge
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| function, washing out toxins and ridding
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| | hydration. Our body’s gauge for
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| the body of ketone bodies that develop as
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| | thirst presents itself only after
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| a result of fat burning. It has no
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| | we’ve lost about 6 percent of water
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| calories, it tastes great hot or cold and
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| | weight—way too late to prevent
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| it is absolutely free! Average people
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| | dehydration.
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| should drink 8-10 glasses daily. Athletes
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| | Cramping may be an indication of salt
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| should drink up to a gallon of water
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| | depletion through sweat. Or, it could be
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| daily; more in extreme hot or cold
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| | loss of potassium. If you are feeling
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| climates. Super hydrating prior to a
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| | nauseous, replace salt through crackers
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| competition can mean the difference
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| | or other high sodium foods. If you are
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| between winning and losing, as well as
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| | feeling cramping in the muscles, replace
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| feeling healthy after a grueling event.
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| | with potassium.
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| Nutritional Guidelines for Increased
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| | What worked once when you prepared for an
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| Energy and Performance
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| | event, may not work this time around. Our
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| Now that the lesson is over and we
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| | bodies change from year to year; even
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| understand how important these four
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| | from month to month. Experiment with
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| elements are, let’s get into how an
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| | preparation techniques and with actual
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| athlete can improve performance—and
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| | foods that you think will serve you well
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| health—to explosive levels.
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| | in competition. Try them 3 to 4 weeks out
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| What you eat and drink before and during
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| | from the event to make certain they have
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| athletic events can play a significant
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| | the desired effect. You may also want to
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| role in how well you perform. The body
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| | keep a journal of all preparation
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| needs a certain combination of nutrients,
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| | techniques as well as foods and ratios of
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| hydration and calories to perform a
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| | macronutrients you’ve done well
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| particular way in your sport of choice.
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| | with, and poorly with, so that you can
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| Learning how to unlock the codes that set
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| | better determine what will work best for
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| these guidelines within your body can be
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| | you on “D Day”.
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| the single thing that pushes you from
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| | The bottom line to all of this is simple:
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| good to great! So here’s the
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| | Athletes require more of almost
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| lowdown on your body’s nutritional
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| | everything, and specific things within
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| needs prior to, and during, any athletic
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| | broad categories that average people
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| event.
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| | traverse. The main thing to remember is
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| The night before physical activity is a
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| | to remain as hydrated as possible at all
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| good time to pack in the carbs and fats.
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| | times. That is even more important than
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| Oatmeal, brown rice and yams are all
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| | actual food intake and ratio of proteins,
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| effective, and are also low glycemic
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| | carbohydrates and fats. However,
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| choices that won’t send your body
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| | nutrition is underrated and can be the
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| into a low energy phase when you need to
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| | difference between winning and losing.
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| feel energized and alert. Keep fat intake
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| | Experiment with different foods, fluids
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| moderate and eat small portions of
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| | and other conditions such as weather or
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| high-protein foods such as meat, fish and
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| | hormonal changes within your own body.
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| eggs over the course of the day prior to
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| | Eventually, this trial and error
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| the big event.
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| | experience will teach you how to enhance
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| When you finally reach the morning of the
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| | your own levels of performance in
|
| big event, it’s a perfect time for
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| | competition and in training throughout
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| a balanced, nutritious breakfast. On this
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| | the year. Practice, as they say, does
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| morning, eat exactly as you would any
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| | indeed make perfect!
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