Win With Nutrition

Today’s college athlete is expected to strive for excellence in the classroom, the community, in training, and during competition. With these high demands and busy schedules, athletes often grab foods that are convenient to them as they run to class or practice. As a result, the average college athlete does not consume a diet that meets the high-energy demands of training and competition. Without a balanced diet, athletes often cheat themselves of the ability to perform well by not properly fueling their muscles. This leads to a decline in strength, speed, and peak performance. The following information is designed to provide the college athlete with sports nutrition guidelines to enhance their awareness of the importance of a balanced diet in their training plan.

What About Carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for every athlete. Mostly consumed through starch, fruit, and vegetables, carbohydrates are converted into glucose (blood sugar) and distributed by way of the bloodstream to provide fuel for working muscles (Clark, 1997). The high-intensity athlete needs a diet that provides 60 to 70% of total caloric intake from carbohydrates, which is about 3 to 4 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight (GSSI, 2002). See Figure 1 to determine your specific energy needs and how to calculate your Daily Reference Value (DRV) of carbohydrates.

Daily Energy Needs

1. Take your body weight in pounds
2. Multiply your body weight by 16-20 calories per pound

Example

150 pounds x (16-20) = 2,400 – 3,000 calories per day

DRV

3. For an athlete consuming 3,000 calories per day, 60% from

carbohydrates would be 1,800 calories or about 400-450 grams

Fig. 1

The effect of carbohydrate on blood sugar is determined by its glycemic response, or its ability to contribute glucose to the bloodstream. The glycemic index is a ranking system used to determine whether you should eat a food before, during, or after exercise, according to its glycemic response (Clark, 1997).

Glycemic Index

· Low-to-Moderate

- food takes longer to digest and thus takes longer to appear as sugar in the blood

- foods such as rice, pasta, and bananas slowly enter the bloodstream and are desirable before exercise because they provide sustained energy

· High

- food is digested quickly and thus appears in the blood sooner

- foods such as potatoes, corn flakes, and honey quickly enter the bloodstream and are best to eat after training

Are Carbohydrates Fattening?

Some athletes do not eat enough carbohydrates because they think they are fattening. It is important to remember:

- carbohydrates are NOT fattening, excess fats are fattening

- fats provide 36 calories per teaspoon; carbohydrates provide 16 calories per teaspoon

- carbohydrates are burned off during intense exercise to fuel muscles

FOOD_________________GI_______

High

Glucose 100

Gatorade 91

Potato, baked 85

Corn flakes 84

Rice cakes 82

Jelly beans 80

Vanilla wafers , Nabisco 77

Cheerios 74

Graham crackers 74

Watermelon 72

Bagel 72

Mars Bar 68

Table Sugar 65

Raisins 64

Ice cream 61

Moderate

Muffin, bran 60

Orange juice 57

Rice, white 56

Popcorn 55

Corn 55

Sweet potato 54

Baked beans 48

Spaghettie (no sauce) 41

Low

Apple 36

PowerBar 30-35

Fruit yogurt,low-fat 33

Milk, skim 32

Banana 30

Grapefruit 25

Table 1. Glycemic index

of some popular foods.

Modified from Clark,

1997.

Table 2. Carbohydrates in commonly eaten foods. Taken from Clark, 1997.

Total

FOOD AMOUNT CARBS (g) Calories

Fruits

Apple 1 medium 20 80

Orange 1 medium 15 65

Banana 1 medium 25 105

Raisins 1/3 cup 40 150

Vegetables

Corn, canned ½ cup 15 70

Tomato sauce, Prego ½ cup 10 95

Carrot 1 medium 10 40

Green beans ½ cup 5 20

Broccoli ½ cup 5 20

Bread-type foods

Hoagie roll 1 75 400

Bagel 1 small 31 165

English muffin 1 25 130

Pancakes 3 to 4 inch 35 185

Waffle, Eggo 1 15 120

Beverages

Apple juice 8 ounces 30 120

Orange juice 8 ounces 25 105

Gatorade 8 ounces 14 50

Cola 12 ounces 39 155

Beer 12 ounces 13 145

Milk, 2% 8 ounces 12 120

Grains, pasta, starches

Baked potato 1 large 50 220

Baked beans 1 cup 50 260

Spaghetti, cooked 1 cup 40 200

Rice, cooked 1 cup 45 200

Sweets, snacks, desserts

Maple syrup 1 tablespoon 13 50

Fig Newton 1 11 60

Pop-Tart 1 30 195

Fruit yogurt 1 cup 50 225

Frozen yogurt 1 cup 44 240

What About Protein?

The optimal sports diet contains an adequate, but not an excess, amount of protein. Protein is an important part of a balanced diet as it is used to build and repair muscle tissue, grow hair and fingernails, produce hormones, boost your immune system, and replace red blood cells (Clark, 1997). It is recommended that the high-intensity athlete should eat a diet that provides 12 to 15% of total calories from protein (Williams, 1999). Overall, 0.6-0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight is appropriate for athletes (Economos, 1999). See Figure 2 to calculate your protein needs.

Most athletes get more protein than they need through their normal daily intake of protein-rich foods. Protein-rich foods include animal foods such as meat, fish, eggs, poultry, milk, and cheese; and plant foods such as wheat, rice, corn, soybeans, peas, beans, and nuts (Williams, 1999). Any EXCESS protein is burned for energy or stored as glycogen or fat since humans do not store excess protein as protein (Clark, 1997). This is important as excessive amounts of protein will not enhance muscular size and strength, training does! It is also important to note that only about 5-10% of energy comes from protein during endurance exercise, and this usually only occurs when muscle glycogen stores are depleted (Clark, 1997). Can too much protein affect your health and performance? Too much protein can be a problem because:

- if you fill your stomach with too much protein, you will not be consuming enough carbohydrates to fuel your muscles

- a diet high in protein is often high in fat

- you increase the risk of dehydration because protein breaks down into amino acids and their waste products are eliminated in the urine

- protein can be expensive

Calculating Protein Needs

1. Take your weight in pounds
2. Multiply your weight by 0.6-0.8 grams per pound

Example

120 pounds x (0.6-0.8) = 72-108 grams of protein

DRV

3. For an athlete consuming 3,000 calories per day, 15% from protein would be 450 calories

Fig. 2.

Table 2. Protein in commonly eaten foods. Adapted from Clark, 1997.

What About Fat?

Fat is source of stored energy that is burned mostly during low-intensity exercise (Williams, 1999). A sports nutrition diet should provide 20-30% of its total caloric intake from fat (Clark, 1997; Williams, 1999). The high-intensity athlete should consume about 0.5 grams of fat per pound of body weight (Williams, 1999). Here, it is important to note that fat consumption should consist of unsaturated fats, as saturated fats can raise blood cholesterol level (Clark, 1997). See Figure 3 to calculate your daily fat consumption. Also, refer to Table 3 to see the percentage of total fat Calories and saturated fat Calories in some common foods.

Daily Fat Consumption

1. Take your weight in pounds

2. Multiply your weight by 0.5 grams of fat

Example

150 x 0.5 = 75 grams of fat

DRV

3. For an athlete consuming 3,000 calories per day, 20-30% from fat would be 600-900 calories

4.

Fig. 3.

Table 3. Fat Calories in some common foods. Taken from Williams, 1999.

Hydration / Fluids

With the human body consisting of 70% water, one of the most important components of a sports nutrition diet is hydration. If dehydrated, the blood volume drops and the proper nutrients and oxygen needed for sustained exercise are restricted from the working muscles. This can lead to decreased energy, lose of concentration, increased body temperature, sprains, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke (Convertino, 1996). In order to monitor your fluid replacement, it is necessary to know about how much water you lose during a strenuous bout of exercise. Here are some basic guidelines to follow:

- weigh yourself before and after training or competition; you should not lose more than 2% of your body weight (ie. 3 lbs for a 150 pound person)

- 1 pound of sweat loss is equal to 16 ounces of fluid

- in hot weather, athletes may sweat off 5-8 pounds (water loss)

- replace sweat losses with juices, watery foods such as watermelon, grapes, and soups, sport drinks, commercial fluid replacers, and water

- it may take your body 24-48 hours to replace sweat losses

- you will know your rehydrated when your urine is clear and you have to urinate frequently

The amount and type of fluid requirements depends on the timing of ingestion. According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), an athlete should consume 16 to 20 ounces of fluid about 2 hours prior to the exercise event. During exercise, fluid consumption should consist of 5 to 10 ounces every 15 to 20 minutes. Following exercise, at least 16 ounces of fluid should be ingested per pound of body weight lost. Before the next practice, you should replace at least 80% of weight lost. ACSM also recommends that fluids should be between 59 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fig. 4. Fluid Consumption Guide

Pre-Game: 20 ounces

During Game: 4-8 ounces every 15 minutes

Half-Time: 20 ounces

Post-Game: 20 ounces

End-of-Day: 64 ounces by close of day

Are sports drinks better than water? Water is an excellent fluid replacer for most recreational athletes who exercise for less than 60 minutes (Powers, 2001). Water can be advantageous as it is inexpensive, readily available, popular, and what your body needs. However, the high-intensity athlete who participates in training that lasts from 1 to 3 hours will have greater stamina if he or she drinks a beverage that contains a small amount of sugar (about 40-80 calories per 8 ounce which is a 4-8% solution). Fluid with a 4-8% carbohydrate solution provides fuel to the muscles, and in combination with sodium, it can enhance the rate at which your body can absorb the water (Clark, 1997). Although sports drinks can be very helpful, some athletes may experience a hypoglycemic reaction to the sugar content if ingested 20 to 45 minutes before exercise (Clark, 1997). It is recommended that if you are sensitive to swings in blood sugar, find what works best for you in training before using in competition.

The Pre-Exercise Meal

The pre-exercise meal functions to prevent low blood sugar, fuel your muscles, help settle your stomach, and to help avoid sensations of hunger (Clark, 1997). A diet high in carbohydrate, moderate in protein, and low in fat should be consumed prior to training or competition. Carbohydrates ingested before exercise can help keep glucose levels steady and can increase glycogen stores if eaten far enough in advance (Williams, 1999). The pre-event meal should be eaten 3 to 4 hours before the start of the event, and should contain approximately 200 grams of carbohydrates or 0.5-2.0 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight. The size of the meal should be smaller the closer it is eaten to exercise. In general, allow 3 to 4 hours for a large meal to digest, 2 to 3 hours for a smaller meal, 1 to 2 hours for a liquid meal, and less than 1 hour for a small snack (Clark, 1997). If you will be training or competing for more than 60 to 90 minutes, choose carbohydrates with a moderate to low glycemic effect (see above), as these foods will be digested enough to be burned for fuel and will also provide sustained energy during the long workout (Clark, 1997). Listed below is a sample of pre-game nutrition.

THE PRE-COMPETITION MEAL

SAMPLE MEALS

3-4 HOURS PRIOR TO EXERCISE (Large Meal)

· 2 cups of cooked pasta

· 1 cup of tomato sauce

· 1 dinner roll

· 1 cup of baby carrots

· 1 orange

· 4 cups of water

2-3 HOURS PRIOR TO EXERCISE (Small Meal)

· 2 pieces of whole wheat toast

· 1 tablespoon of jam or honey

· 1 cup of tomato soup

· 1 banana

· 2-4 cups of water

1 HOUR PRIOR TO EXERCISE (Snack)

· 1 banana

· 1 serving of low-fat yogurt

· 2 cups of water

The Post-Event Meal

The high-intensity athlete should eat a high carbohydrate meal as soon as possible after training or competition. Ideally, athletes should consume carbohydrate-rich foods and beverages within 15 minutes following exercise. This is when the process of making glucose is most efficient as depleted glycogen stores can be replaced at the rate of 7-8% per hour (Clark, 1997). The target carbohydrate intake for an athlete is 0.5 grams per pound of body weight every 2 hours for 6-8 hours. If you weigh 150 pounds, you will need 75 grams of carbohydrates or 300 calories from carbohydrates (150 x 0.5 = 75) in the first 2 hours after training. Another two hours later, you should eat another 300 calories of high-carbohydrate foods (Clark, 1997). As mentioned earlier, foods with a moderate-to-high glycemic index will provide the quickest replacement of burned carbohydrates. A sample post-event meal is described below.

THE POST-COMPETITION MEAL

SAMPLE MEALS

4 HOURS AFTER EXERCISE

¨ Grilled chicken

Rice

Fruit

¨ Turkey Sandwich

Raw carrots

¨ Spaghetti

Meat sauce

¨ String cheese

Grapes

Crackers

¨ Energy bar

Sports drink

2 HOURS AFTER EXERCISE

¨ Cereal

Low-fat milk

¨ Fresh fruit

¨ Bagel

Peanut Butter

¨ Energy bar

Sports drink

30 MINUTES AFTER EXERCICE

¨ Yogurt

¨ Pretzels

¨ Raisins

¨ Energy bar

Sports drink

References

Balady, G., Berra, K., Golding, L., Gordon, N., Mahler, D., Myers, J., Sheldahl,

L. (2000). ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. Sixth Edition.

Carey, R., & Lea, J. (1998-2002). WWW/gssiweb.com. Soccer: Preparing for

Tournaments. The Gatorade Sports Science Institute.

Clark, N. (1997). Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook (2^nd ed.).

Brookline, MA: Human Kinetics.

Convertino, V., Armstrong, L., Coyle, E., Mack, G., Sawka, M., Senay, L., &

Sherman, M. (1996). Exercise and Fluid Replacement. Medicine, Science, and Sports

Exercise 28 (1), i-vii.

Economos, C., & Wein, D. (1999, January/February). Soccer Nutrition. Women’s

Soccer World, 13-15.

Powers, S., & Howley, E. (2001). Exercise Physiology (4^th ed.). New York: The

McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Williams, M. (1999). Nutrition For Health, Fitness, & Sport (5^th ed.). New

York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

What About Vitamins?

Vitamins are metabolic catalysts that regulate biochemical reactions within your body (Clark, 1997). Since the human body cannot manufacture vitamins, they must be obtained through the diet. Overall, thirteen vitamins have been discovered, each with a specific function. Use the chart below to guide you on vitamin intake.

What About Minerals?

Minerals are a very important component of a balanced diet as each one has a unique role in the human body. Most athletes get the minerals they need by eating a wide variety of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Iron, zinc, calcium, and chromium, potassium, and sodium are important minerals in the sports nutrition diet. Use the tables below to guide your mineral intake.

¨ Iron: assists with oxygen transport; if you don’t get enough, you’ll

be tired, slow, and sick

¨Zinc: part of more than 100 enzymes that make your body function

properly; enhances the healing process

¨Calcium: needed for strong bones

¨Chromium: helps insulin transport glucose out of the blood and into muscle

cells

¨Potassium: (electrolyte) involved in maintaining normal water balance

¨Sodium: (electrolyte) functions in muscle contraction, acid-base balance, and blood volume homeostasis