NUTRITION TIPS FROM COACH TONI

Transcription

1 NUTRITION TIPS FROM COACH TONI An Ironman 70.3 event is a serious challenge for every level of athleticism; even the professional athletes. The nutrition can be the main factor of a good or bad experience in an Ironman 70.3 distance race. The race nutrition should be practiced during your training preparation. The training preparation gives you several opportunities for try different ways and make sure what really works best for you. Basically you will be losing fluid, sodium by sweating and will be using mostly glycogen and fat as fuel during the race. So, it s important and crucial make sure to intake the right amount of fluids, sodium and cabohidrates that your body needs to perform well. The amount of fluids will variate for each one and can be calculated. Fluid Sodium Guide Before: 4 hour before: 5-7 ml/kg (1 oz. per 10 lb. bw) 2 hours before: 3-5 ml/kg Up to race: ad lib mg per Liter (or 32 fl. oz.) (sports drink, small amounts of salty food) During: Based on sweat loss; maximum absorption at 32 oz. or 1 Liter per hour mg per Liter (or 32 fl. oz.) After: fl oz per lb lost -or- 1.5 Liter/kg lost Consume foods and fluids that contain sodium to facilitate rehydration * Note: consume fluid over a period of time; avoid bolus drinking

2 Optiminal Carbohydrate Concentration The optimal range is 4 8% percent carbohydrate. Concentrations lower than 4% do not provide adequate amounts of carbohydrate to maintain glucose metabolism. Concentrations higher than 8% may impede gastrointestinal (GI) emptying and cause gastrointestinal distress. If the concentration of carbohydrate is higher than 8%, water can be added to dilute it. Calculating a Carb Percentage To calculate the carbohydrate percentage of a sports drink divide the carbohydrate content (in grams) by the fluid volume (in milliliters) and then multiply this result by 100. Carbohydrate content (in grams) the fluid volume (in milliliters) 100 For example, if a sports drink has 21 grams of carbohydrate in 366 milliliters, then 21 divided by 366 multiplied by 100 is 5.74% carbohydrate. Hydration is extremely important. The body is approximately 60% water. An athlete who is not fully hydrated is forcing his or her body to work at less than full capacity, especially during physical activity. Dehydration can occur at any time, but it is especially important and beneficial when exercising. Studies have shown that just a small amount of dehydration can have negative effects on athletic performance and may predispose them to heat illnesses. Dehydration occurs when fluid loss (via sweat, urine and through respiration) is greater than fluid intake (via drinking and food). Sweat rate calculations determine how much fluid an athlete should consume during a training session by calculating the amount of fluid

3 that is expelled through sweat during exercise. Sweat rate is specific to the discipline being tested, so athletes should conduct this test for swimming, biking and running. IN ORDER TO ACCURATELY DETERMINE THE SWEAT RATE OF AN ATHLETE, FOLLOW THESE STEPS: Athletes should void all urine, then weigh-in wearing little to no clothing, in order to obtain the most accurate reading. Following the weigh-in, an athlete should exercise for at least one hour [5] while keeping track of the quantity of water he or she consumes. After exercise, the athlete should towel off, and step onto the scale again, making sure to wear exactly what was worn before. The athlete s weight before and after exercise, as well as the amount of fluid that was consumed during the exercise, will be used to determine the athlete s sweat rate. Subtract the post-exercise weight from the pre-exercise weight in pounds or kilograms, and convert the difference to ounces of fluid loss. Then add to that number the amount of milliliters of fluid that were consumed during the exercise. This will determine how much sweat was lost during exercise. Divide the sweat loss by the duration of the exercise to determine total fluid loss during exercise. *It is best if no food, or semi-solid fueling products are consumed when checking sweat rate, and that the athlete is hydrated prior to conducting the test.

4 SWEAT RATE CALCULATOR This works best if converted into kilograms (kg) and milliliters (ml) A. Body Weight pre-exercise [lb/2.2&= kg] B. Body Weight post exercise [lb/2.2&= kg] (A-B) C. Change in Body Weight grams [kgx1000=g] D. Volume of fluid consumed ml [ozx30=ml] E. Sweat Loss ml [ozx30=ml] (C+D) F. Exercise time [min or hr] G. Sweat Rate [ml/min or ml/hr] (E/F) The final number (G) is your sweat rate, or the amount of fluid that you lose through sweat during a specific amount of exercise (usually expressed at liters per hour). This should help you determine the amount of fluid you should be drinking during and after your workouts.

5 KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER: Sweat rates generally increase after days of heat exposure, so sweat rate should be calculated following heat acclimatization. Higher sweat rates are generally found in men and those that are highly fit. Temperature plays a role in sweat rate, so calculations should be done for different environments (winter vs. summer OR hot vs. cold spaces). When first beginning an exercise routine in heat, your body loses more sodium through sweating, so slightly increase the amount of sodium in your diet until you ve become adapted (after days). The amount of carbohidrates will depends on sex, weight and intensity. It will be about calories from carbohidrate or grams of carbohidrate per hour. My advice as a coach is to hire a sport nutritionist to study your needs and develop a nutrition plan specific for you. Most athletes invest a lot of time and money during the training preparation and is smart to invest in proper nutrition to suceed and reach your goals. Best regards, Coach Toni