Good Nutrition for Your Sport AND Your Life! Judy Mitnick, MS, RD,CSSD, CDE
OVERALL Good Nutrition Improves Performance! Not just what is consumed before, during and after practice or match Off days, travel days, and after game nutrition makes a difference Maintain a natural and healthy fighting weight all year long by reasonable eating and exercising.
Benefits of Balanced Sports Nutrition Diet Improved performance Assist in building and repairing muscle Store energy for exercise Reduce/delay fatigue Improve immune function Each athlete s diet will be specific to their individual needs, sport, body composition intensity level and nutrition goal.
The Issue of Making Weight Often forced by food and fluid restrictions before a meet Harmful medical effects: growth retardation, increase risk for eating disorders, decreased school performance, depression/mood swings, impaired cooling of the body and cardiac output, depressed immune system (increased illnesses) Performance: decreased strength/power, increased fatigue, decreased muscle growth due to decreased hormone levels
Weight Cycling Losing weight rapidly before a weigh-in and then eating and drinking (sometimes excessively) after a match to make up for losses Undermines health as well as performance. Majority of weight that is lost during these cycles is water and muscle mass. Dehydration is a serious threat to health and performance
New Rules Help Minimize Risks Body fat measured in addition to body weight. Body fat should not fall below 7% for boys under 16 and under 5% for wrestlers 16 and over (boys)-no standards for females: recommended no lower than 12 %. Calculation of lowest allowable weight class for each wrestler (using body comp. assessment) Hydration testing using urine samples
Safe Weight Management Strategies Any weight reduction should occur on the off season and not weeks or days before weigh ins (counterproductive to performance) Goal is for only fat loss-not loss of lean muscle tissue or fluid loss resulting in dehydration. Slow weight loss-no more than 1.5% of current body weight per week (about 2 lbs maximum).
Cut Extras not Nutrients Adequate nutrition to support daily activities and growth (Healthy carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats) Especially important in Pre-puberty period-can influence adult height potential. Look for empty calories
Empty Calories-Foods Made up of Mostly Fat and/or Sugar and Little Other Nutrition Soda Candy Excessive fruit juice Kool aid/fruit punch Fried Foods Added fats: mayo, salad dressings Skin on poultry
Calories for During the Season Average caloric need for a teenaged boy is about 2000-2500 (off season) Add an additional 500-800 calories during the season Not an exact science-make sure calories are from nutrient dense sources-monitor weight
Carbohydrate Most important nutrient in an athlete s diet Major fuel- especially for high endurance and high intensity sports Glycogen: Stored form of energy derived from carbohydrates. (Gas tank) Stored in the liver and muscles Need to keep gas tank filled!
Carbohydrates Diet should consist of anywhere from 55-65% of total calories coming from carbohydrates. Example: 2000kcal diet 60% carbs= 300g/d During training season-2.3-3.2 gms of carb/pound of body weight per day. Ex: 140 pound athlete needs about 320-450 grams of carbohydrate (healthy) per day. Remember: Dairy products and fruits also contain carbohydrates. (Sports drinks can supplement also) Carbohydrates are used to replenish your glycogen stores that become depleted during exercise. Without adequate carbs you fatigue sooner, and increase your risk of injury
Carbohydrates Complex Carbs High in fiber Take longer to digest Better for building up glycogen stores Ex: oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat bread/pasta Simple Carbs Low in fiber Needed for quick source of energy Ex: fruit, white pasta/bread/rice, juice, sports drinks
Carbohydrate Content of Some Common Foods Slice of bread Whole Wheat Bagel Popcorn, 3 cups Raisins, 1/3 cup Gatorade, 8 oz. Pasta, 1 cup cooked Lowfat milk, 8 oz. 15 grams 30-60 grams 15 grams 40 grams 14 grams 40 grams 12 grams
Good Sources of Carbs Whole-grain bread Whole-wheat bagel English muffin Pretzels Dry whole-grain cereals Cooked cereals Granola bars Graham crackers Whole-grain crackers Brown or white rice Pasta (white or whole grain) Tortillas (corn or flour) Fig bars Popcorn Apple Banana Melon Orange Berries Grapes Raisins Fruit juice Corn Peas (green) Potato (baked, plain) Sweet potato Yogurt (low-fat) Low-fat milk (choc) Energy bars Sports drinks
Repairs muscles Protein Boosts immune system Not a preferred source of fuel In Excess: stored as fat and potentially harmful for kidneys 3 lg egg white: 18 g pro 2T PButter: 8g 16 oz milk: 16g 6oz of meat: 40g 6 oz yogurt: 6-12g
How Much Protein? In Season: Approximately, a minimum of.8-1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day. Or 30% of calories: Examples: 140 pound player should have a minimum of 112-140 grams of protein per day during the season. Or 180 grams for a 2400 calorie diet. Best to spread out during the day Prevents hunger and blood sugar spikes Allows for more continuous muscle repair
FAT Should supply the remaining calories (should be about 15-20% total calories) Choose heart healthy fats such as canola oil, olive oil, avocado, nuts Avoid fried foods: Extra calories, stomach upset Takes the longest to digest-should not have much before an event Greatest source of potential energy for prolonged exercise: Athletes should not strictly restrict healthy fats
Fluid Water makes up 60 to 65% of total body weight. During hard exercise you muscles can generate up to 20x more heat than when your body is in a resting phase. You then dissipate this heat by sweating, thus allowing your body to cool itself. By the time you are thirsty, you could have lost 1% of your body weight. Anything greater then 1.5-2% can cause a decrease in performance. Avoid energy drinks (monster, etc): High caffeine-nervousness, laxative effect. May also test positive for doping in higher level competitions
How to Prevent Dehydration Before practice/match/exercise 2-3 hours prior: 16 oz (2 cups) of fluid 20 minutes prior: 8 oz (1 cup) During exercise: rehydrate every 15-20 minutes with 4-6 oz fluid (1 oz = 1 sip) Weigh yourself before and after exercise to estimate fluid loss (minus fluid consumed) Post practice/exercise: rehydrate with at least 16-20 oz per lb wt loss Urine color: Light colored but not clear (lemonade or straw colored) Initial Signs of Dehydration: Muscle cramping Dark colored urine
Eating Pre-Event: Fuel Up 3-4 hours before: High Simple Carbohydrates and Moderate Lean protein (easily digested and help to stave off hunger during match) Good Example: Grilled chicken sandwich on whole wheat bun, fruit, water/sports drink
Pre Event: Top Off 1-2 hours before event: Simple carbohydrates (provide more energy and stabilize blood sugar) Example: granola bar with a sports drink
During the Game/Event: Reload Simple carbohydrates are necessary if playing longer than an hour or event is particularly intense (maintain blood sugar and stay hydrated): Examples: Water, Sports drinks, sports gels, granola bars, ginger snaps, graham crackers, dry cereal
Post Game or Event: Refuel 30-45 min after match: simple carb and lean protein (to begin to replenish glycogen stores and repair muscle damage) Examples: Chocolate Milk or ½ meat or peanut butter sandwich or Protein shake/smoothie Try to eat a full meal within 1-2 hours of recovery snack
Eating on the run Fact of life for athletes: tournaments, etc Remember you are fueling upcoming training/events Parents/ Coach/ Trainer: Be a role model! Custom order foods Search for the healthy stuff: salads, plain burgers, choc milk, fruit salads Pack non perishables Encourage home based meals as much as possible
Best meal to consume high complex carbohydrate foods Lean breakfast meats GO FOR IT! Whole wheat waffles, whole wheat bagels, oatmeal, cereal and fruit and milk are all good complex carbohydrate choices Good foods FAST Breakfast Sample menu: Whole wheat waffle with peanut butter 1% milk (1C) Sliced strawberries Canadian Bacon vs. Breakfast Biscuit sandwich Whole milk Danish OJ
Good Foods FAST Lunch or Dinner Adequate protein/avoid fried foods CHOOSE WISELY: Restaurants with pasta, baked potatoes, rice, breads, salads Italian restaurants: spaghetti, lasagna, breads, thick crust pizza Sample Menu Grilled chicken served over 2 c Spaghetti with marinara sauce Bread sticks 1 c lowfat milk vs.. Double cheese pizza Fried mozzarella sticks Regular soda
What to pack for a snack FLUIDS!- water, juices, milk Sandwiches: turkey, PB & J, Cheese Low fat or nonfat yogurt Fresh & dried fruit + nuts Protein bars Baby carrots/ other veggies + hummus Low fat ready to eat cereal Nutrigrain bars, fig bars Part skim string cheese Animal crackers, pretzels, graham crackers, vanilla wafers or gingersnaps
Antioxidants in Exercise Performance Limited research looking at effects of antioxidants on human exercise performance Vit E & Vit C MAY reduce exercise induced free radical injury Little evidence on Vit E & Vit C on improving performance-more research needed Best to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables without supplementation
Supplements Not well documented in adolescents Most are vitamins and minerals Protein Energizers Creatine Vit & Min E Drinks
Do teens need supplements? No. You can still get great results just by working out hard and eating right. Multivitamin with Iron, possibly Calcium/Vit D if dairy is not consumed Will supplements help you get faster results? NOT USUALLY..
No amount of motivation, training, or natural ability will ensure victory without proper fuel for the engine. -Author unknown