Nutrition basics

Nutrition Basics

You know that proper nutrition and hydration are as essential as proper training to generate your best performance. But many athletes are unsure about:
WHAT to eat and drink,
HOW much energy they need,
WHEN to eat and drink and
WHAT are the special nutritional requirements for their sport?

Additionally, there are many confusing messages about supplements and fad diets and how they contribute positively/negatively to your athletic performance. I am happy to be a new addition to your team; I hope the information presented here will help show you how nutrition and hydration can impact your performance.

BODY REALITY CHECK
What you CANNOT change
-Height
-Body Frame
-Body shape

What you CAN change
-Fluid content of the body
-Muscle Mass
-Body fat

GOALS OF SPORTS NUTRITION
-Mental clarity
-Optimal performance
-Faster recovery
-Injury prevention
-Adequate hydration

WHAT’S THE BEST DIET FOR BEST PERFORMANCE?
A truly balanced diet for athletes includes all 3 macronutrients:
-carbohydrates
-protein
-healthy fats

SO, HOW MANY CALORIES  DO YOU NEED?
Remember, this is a basic starting point. Everyone is an individual and as you train and learn about your individual eating habits, you will modify/customize as needed. You do not need to count calories every day! It is an interesting exercise to try for a day or two. The goal is to learn your approximate daily needs and basic sports nutrition eating tips, there is room for all foods and of course we all have a life, cake happens! That being said, you need to have a basic knowledge of calories, but more importantly you will learn about portions and types of food that fuel your performance. For this initial assessment you will need a calculator.

Determine your BMI: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi
Next take your current weight and change to kilograms (pounds divided by 2.2)

Daily Calorie Goals, if you are:
BMI Underweight = <18.5, initial goal is 35 – 40 kcal/kg a day
BMI Normal range = 18.5-24.9, initial goal is 30 – 35 kcal/kg a day
BMI Overweight = 25-29.9 and <, initial goal is 25 – 30 kcal/kg a day

Example: you weigh 150#, this is 68kg, if you are:
Underweight: initial daily kcal goal is: 2380 – 2720
Normal range: initial daily kcal goal is: 2040 – 2380
Overweight: initial daily kcal goal is: 1700 – 2040

! REMEMBER !
Try to make one or two changes to your eating/drinking habits a week, the idea is to maintain new changes and then add one or two new changes each week as needed. Learning and change take time and practice, be patient and remember we are not perfect. Use the information provided to move you forward on the road to health.

Try this exercise as your homework today.  It will reveal a lot about your current nutritional knowledge.  Then, take baby steps to improve your diet and understanding of nutrition and how it plays into your performance.

One Day Food Log Homework

Submitted by Jillian Wanik