Eat Well, Train Well
Eating Before Training
Goals of nutrition before a workout session
• Consume a carbohydrate rich snack or meal before exercise to top off muscle stores. With pre-competition jitters, liquid meal replacements can be used.
• Include small amounts of protein in your pre-exercise meal. Protein helps build and repair muscle tissue. Adequate protein before exercise may help reduce post-exercise muscle soreness.
• Choose pre-exercise meals that are low in fat and fiber to ensure optimal digestion
Pre-Training Foods and Fluids
3-4 hours Before Exercise
• Peanut butter and honey on toast and instant breakfast drink
• Fruit and yogurt smoothies and low fat granola
• Oatmeal with brown sugar (your sweetener choice fine, agave sugar, molasses) and almonds + skim milk + banana
• Low-fat cottage cheese + apple butter + crackers + grapes
• Lean hamburger on bun + L + T, side salad + yogurt fruit parfait
• Turkey and Swiss sandwich + fruit + sports drink
• Low-fat tuna melt sandwich + fruit cup + low fat yogurt
30 – 60 minutes Before Training
• Sports drink
• Sports gel, beans or gummies
• Sports bar
• Piece of fruit or jam sandwich
Tips
• Choose meals and snacks that are high in carbs, moderate in protein, and low in fat to ensure quick digestion of food and optimal carbohydrate availability during the game
• Experiment with foods and drinks in practice to determine the best timing and your tolerance for pre-exercise foods.
Practice! Knowing what works best for you will boost confidence in eating before wor
Eating During Training
Goals of Nutrition during Training
• Optimal fuel blend: Nutrition during prolonged exercise requires the proper mix and timing of fluids, carbohydrates and electrolytes. Too little fluid or too much carbohydrate can result in cramping and other intestinal problems
• Adequate fluids to replace sweat losses. Prevent excessive fluid loss (>2% body weight lost as fluid). Dehydration can cause fatigue and impair performance. Knowing your sweat rate will help you determine the right amount of fluid to drink.
• A plan tailored to your needs. A nutrition plan based on your needs can help maximize performance. Experiment with sports drinks and foods for different types of workouts and competitions. Record your tolerance to learn what works best.
Foods and Fluids while Training
• Sports drinks that contain carbohydrates and electrolytes
• Easily digestible carbohydrate-rich foods for example, banana, bread or roll with jam or honey, sports foods (gels, gummy chews) or bite sized pieces of low-fat granola or sports bars
• Some people like graham crackers, goldfish or oyster crackers
• Fluids consumed with carbohydrate gels to speed fuel transport to muscles
Tips
• Start with a full tank. Begin training well hydrated and with adequate muscle fuel (carbohydrates)
• Try new products and foods during training sessions to determine the type amount and timing of foods and fluids that work best for you.
• Consume fluids early and consistently to replace sweat losses. Calculate your sweat rate (weight change) to determine your fluid needs. Approx 3 cups for every pound lost.
Eating for Recovery
Goals of Nutrition in Recovery
• Restore fluid and electrolytes (sodium and potassium) lost in sweat, weigh weigh your self before and after exercise and replenish 3 cups of fluid for each pound lost.
• Replace muscle fuel (carbohydrate) utilized during practice
• Provide protein to aid in repair of damaged muscle tissue and to stimulate development of muscle tissue
• Begin nutrition recovery with a snack or meal within 15 – 30 minutes following practice or competition
Rehydration fluids
• Use carbohydrate- electrolyte sports drinks to replenish fluids and electrolytes lost in sweat, especially if your exercise session is “HHH” hot, hard and over one hour!
Recovery Snack Ideas
• Smoothie made with yogurt and frozen berries
• Sports drink + sports bar
• Graham crackers with peanut butter
• Low fat chocolate milk
• Banana
Recovery Meal Ideas
Whole wheat pita sandwich with turkey, veggies + pretzels + low fat milk
Rice bowl with beans,cheese, salsa, avocado, + whole grain tortilla chops or whole wheat tortilla
Stir fry with lean steak, broccoli, bell peppers, carrots + brown rice
Tips
• If you do not have an appetite following a training session, choose liquid foods that meet your recovery goals
• Along with carbohydrates, fluid and electrolytes, protein is an important part of recovery, particularly if you are performing resistance training or interval sessions
Submitted by Jillian Wanik
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.
Submitted by Jillian Wanik
