Eating on the road

We know that traveling, especially in the summer, while training can wreak havoc with your eating schedule.  Our best advice is to act like a boy scout, BE PREPARED.

What are the healthiest choices at a restaurant?
•    Select grilled/broiled foods
•    Avoid fried foods – or at least remove the skin from chicken
•    Ask for double veggies on sandwiches
•    Order low fat milk or 100% juice
•    Have a salad or baked potato instead of fries
•    Avoid high fat dressings and sauces
•    Ask for veggies on your pizza, go easy on the cheese or choose chicken over pepperoni and sausage

Packable Nutrition Snack ideas (high energy, lean protein)
•    Trail mix (nuts, cereal, dried fruit, choc chips)
•    Wheat bread sandwiches or subs with PBJ or meat/cheese
•    Dry cereal & drinkable yogurt
•    String cheese or cheese cubes & fresh fruit
•    Nuts or Sunflower seeds & granola bar
•    Leftover cheese pizza or English muffin pizza
•    Beans and rice (in Tupperware)
•    Bagel with sliced cheese
•    Yogurt-covered raisins or pretzels
•    Sports bars

Remember small changes can make a big difference:
•    Egg McMuffin® = 12 grams of fat
•    Sausage Egg McMuffin® = 27 grams of fat

Tips
•    Packing snacks is also a good habit for busy days at home.  Keeping non-perishable foods in your car so you can curtail any “crashes” that might occur when you’re out and about.
•    Most fast food restaurants have their nutrition information on the web. You can calculate how your favorite meal stacks up nutritionally. You can also request a copy of nutritional information from restaurants and store them in your travel bag to guide to refer to later.
•    Plan ahead. Prepare a travel pack with snacks and beverages that support your performance eating plan.  It also saves you money.

Submitted by Jillian Wanik

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

Role of fluids

Water, water everwhere. Just make sure you drink more than a drop!

Being dehydrated reduces:

• muscle strength
• speed
• stamina
• energy
• cognitive skills

­and increases:

• risk of injury
• perceived effort of exertion

As an athlete, it is extremely important to be well hydrated. If you don’t consume enough fluid, the end result is dehydration and the effect on performance and health can be quite negative.

Your body is @ 60% water
-Fluids regulate your body temperature
-Transport nutrients and oxygen around your body
-Act as a medium for reactions to occur

FLUID CHOICES FOR EXERCISE
-BEST: sports drink, water, milk, soup, fruits, vegetables
-NOT AS GREAT: carbonated beverages, high carb energy drinks, juices
-NEUTRAL: caffeinated beverages

It pays to be selective when it comes to fluid choices for exercise. First of all, we get fluid from liquids as well as foods such as fruits and vegetables. Sports drinks are a great fluid choice before, during and after exercise. Water can also be used, and for those with nervous stomachs, a glass of milk may be better tolerated than a meal before a workout/competition.

Carbonated beverages may cause bloating during exercise, and it may be hard to drink enough soda to meet fluid requirements. Some of the energy drinks are too concentrated in carbohydrate to use before exercise and may result in an upset stomach.

Juice contains fructose, or fruit sugar, which can have a laxative effect so it is not the best beverage choice before or during exercise.

Caffeine is not really a diuretic, so you don’t have to worry about losing fluid after drinking a cup of coffee or tea, but it is still a stimulant, and some athletes find that caffeine makes them too nervous or jittery before competition.

HOW MUCH?
Start with these averages, adjust to fix your personal training profile
-2 cups 1 – 2 hrs BEFORE practices/games
-8 oz 15 minutes BEFORE practices/games
-21/2 – 5cups  per hour of exercise
-3 cups for every pound lost AFTER practices/games

You have to find the beverages that you are most comfortable drinking, but also think about what and how much you drink before, during and after exercise.

Experiment to find out how much fluid you are comfortable with, and do try to do this in practice to give your gut a chance to adjust.

Fluid IMPLEMENTATION
-Drink on a schedule
-Bring a water/sports bottle to practice/workouts
-Weigh in and out to determine your own fluid loss during exercise
-GULPS over SIPS for more effective rehydration
-First urine of the morning should be light in color and plentiful – this is an indicator of being well hydrated

DID YOU KNOW?
FLUID LOSS OF ONLY 2% OF BODY WEIGHT CAN REDUCE YOUR PERFORMANCE BY UP TO 20%

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.

One Day Food Log Homework

Submitted by Jillian Wanik

Macronutrients, the role of Carbohydrates, Protein and Fat

CARBOHYDRATES
Carbohydrate is the main source of energy for athletes. Plan to include carbohydrates in all your meals and snacks. Optimal carbohydrate sources include whole grain cereals, breads, pasta, rice, potatoes, fruits and vegetables and low fat milk/yogurt.

Carbohydrates
•Maintain blood sugar levels
•Spare protein utilization as energy
•Supply liver and muscle glycogen stores
•Optimize recovery
•Help prevent mental fatigue

Grains
•Make half your grains WHOLE grains!
•Rich sources of carbohydrates, fiber, several B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, & folate), & minerals (iron, magnesium, & selenium)

Aim for 5-10 ounces daily
•What counts as 1 ounce?
–1 slice bread
–½ cup rice, pasta, cooked cereal, or starchy vegetables
–1 cup ready to eat cereal

Vegetables
•Vary your Veggies!
•Eat more dark green and orange veggies, THINK COLOR
•Packed full of nutritional benefits

Aim for 2-4 cups daily
•What counts as a cup?
–1 cup chopped, sliced, raw, cooked, or canned vegetables
–2 cups raw leafy vegetables (ie: Spinach, romaine, watercress, dark green leafy lettuce, endive, escarole) is equivalent to 1 cup of vegetables
–12 baby carrots, 2 large celery stalks, 3-5” long broccoli spears

Fruits
•Focus on a variety of whole fruits, go easy on fruit juices!
•Packed full of micronutrients

Aim for 1 ½ -2 ½ cups daily
What counts as a cup?
–1 cup fruit, 100% fruit juice or ½ cup dried fruit
–1 small apple, 1 medium pear or grapefruit, 1 large banana, peach or orange

Dairy
•Many cheeses, whole milk, & products made from them are high in saturated fat & cholesterol, whenever possible choose low-fat or fat-free milk or soy products.

Aim for at least 2-3 cups daily
What counts as a cup?
–1 cup of milk or yogurt
–1 ½ ounces of natural cheese
–2 ounces of processed cheese

PROTEIN
The role of protein is for muscle growth and repair, and to support a healthy immune system, not to be a fuel for exercise. Ounce for ounce, all types of meat and fish – red meats, pork, poultry, etc. have about the same amount of protein. Plant foods such as dried beans, soy products, nuts, seeds and legumes are excellent sources of protein as well as dairy foods like milk, yogurt and cheese. Grains and vegetables contain small amounts of protein too.

Protein
•Build strong muscles and tissues
•Repair damaged muscles and tissues
•Carry oxygen around the body
•Component of antibodies, enzymes and hormones
•Females: tend not to get enough
•Males: tend to eat high fat protein foods
TIP: You need about 0.5 to 1 grams of protein per pound

Protein Sources
•3 oz chicken, beef, fish or pork (~24g protein)
•4 oz tofu (~28g protein)
•1 cup milk (~8g protein)
•1 cup yogurt (~6g protein, new Greek yogurts have more)
•½ cup cottage cheese (~14g protein)
•1 egg (~7g protein)
•2 Tbsp. peanut butter (~8g protein)
•Grains provide a small amount of protein (~2-3g per serving)
•Fruits and vegetables varying amts (~0-2g per serving)

FAT
Athletes should not follow a fat-free diet. According to current guidelines, individuals should get 20% to 35% of total energy intake from fat. Athletes who drastically restrict fat intake may become deficient in essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins. In females, very-low-fat intake has been associated with menstrual irregularities and higher injury rates.

Fat (lipids)
•Energy source during low to moderate intensity exercise
•Supports and cushions organs
•Component of hormones
•Supply of fat-soluble vitamins
•Concentrate on unsaturated (healthy) fats

Fats & Oils
“Good fats” (unsaturated fats)
Nuts, fish, & vegetable oils.
Liquid at room temperature.

“Not-so-Good fats” (saturated fats)
Butter, lard, shortening, stick margarines, & fatty meats.
Solid at room temperature.

Aim for 5-10 teaspoons of fats daily
•1 tsp = 5 g fat
•1 tsp oil, margarine, or mayonnaise
•2 tsp peanut butter,
•1 tbls salad dressing, or 2 tbls light salad dressing
•1/8 avocado, 1/3 oz nuts (10 almonds, 2 lg pecans, 6 small walnuts)

Have you taken our Triathlon Nutrition Assessment ?

Submitted by Jillian Wanik

TRI-al by Coach: Spinervals

Since it’s been too cold to bike until recently, I spent the winter inside taking spinning classes and using an indoor spin bike I have at home.  I was curious to compare the workout I get in a spinning class versus a home workout.  Plus, I had always wanted to try out a Spinerval DVD.  Here are the results of my very unscientific survey.

Spinning Classes:
Pro:  Under the guidance of a talented instructor, a spinning class can be a great workout and a great time.  Between the music and the spin buddies, I have no issues with spinning classes.

Con:  Those poor spin bikes!  No matter how much my club maintains the bikes (maintenance which might be open to debate), the spin bikes take a major beating.  Between the constant adjustments and all the sweat, most of the bikes are showing signs of age.  Toss in having to get there early to grab a bike, and a spin class could be a major bummer if your bike is a lemon.

Spinervals:
Pro: There is nothing like picking your own time for your workout.  The coach on the Spinverals DVD is very motivating, tells you exactly what cadence/RPM you should shoot for and there are no annoying or sweaty people riding next to you.  The workouts are very efficient and if you don’t cheat, highly effective!  You don’t need a spin bike, you can purchase a bike trainer and use your own road bike.  Most of the people in the DVD are using road bikes on trainers.

Con: I won’t lie to you, it can be tough to motivate yourself.  You’re biking all alone in your home and if you don’t push yourself or heck, if you even quit early, no one will know.  But you will know!  And that’s what keeps me going.

Yesterday (April 9), I went for my first ride outside!  I road 25 miles on flats and hills and I could tell that my winter indoor riding had made a difference.  So, whatever you decide; spin class at the gym or Spinevals at home…do something and come racing season, you’ll be happy that you did!

If you’d like to try a Spinerval DVD, click the photo below to purchase one.  This one has three 30-minute workouts; beginner, intermediate and advanced.  If you like this one, there are more Spinervals to purchase based on what you want to get out of your workouts.

Introducing Our NEW-Tritionist

We are thrilled to have Jillian Wanik, registered dietitian, providing nutrition expertise and experience to us all season long.  As endurance athlete herself, she knows first hand how important it is to make healthy and smart eating decisions to fuel your performance.  Take Jillian’s nutritional assessment below to see where you are now and where you should be when our training begins.  It’s never too early to start to make positive changes and improve your eating habits.

Triathlon Nutrition Assessment

Jillian Wanik, MS, RD, CSSD, CNSC, CD/N is a registered dietitian, Board Certified as a specialist in Sports Dietetics. Jillian works at the Hospital of Central Connecticut with critical care patients focusing on rehabilitation and wellness. She also provides sports nutrition communications, education, and team counseling for athletes from high school to professional. Recent work includes serving as the lead dietitian for the Athletes Village at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. When not working, she loves working out, spending time with friends outside and traveling.