Newsletter Volume 5, Issue 2 Summer 2006 Inside this issue: Functional Foods, 2 Sports Products Probiotics 3 Carbohydrate Needs Before & After 4 Exercise Low-Fat Eating Tips 5 Question Corner 6 Points of Interest: athletic Functional performance. foods can be as simple as fruits and vegetables or highly formulated sports bars and drinks. Carbohydrates fuel your muscles for short and long duration exercise. Skimping on carbohydrate intake before and after exercise, translates into skimping on performance. Athletes need to get about 25% to 35% of their calorie intake from fat. Author: Jackie Maurer, PhD, RD Editors: Linda Houtkooper, PhD, RD Melanie Hingle, MPH, RD Functional Foods for Athletes Functional foods are foods that provide an added health benefit above their nutrient content. You may have heard of tomatoes helping to reduce risk for prostate cancer, or seen omega 3 fatty acids added to cereals to help improve heart health. These are just two examples of functional foods, but the functional food market isn t solely for cancer prevention or heart health. Functional foods can be as simple as fruits and vegetables or highly formulated sports bars and drinks. The sports food market has embraced the idea of creating food products that contain ingredients that could improve the sports performance of athletes. However, before an athlete tosses these products into their grocery cart, they should consider a few important points. 3. Ingredient Safety Don t believe everything you read. Just because the label claims that special ingredients can increase energy levels, build muscle, and reduce injury recovery time doesn t mean the bar you are about to buy will turn you into an elite athlete. Unfortunately, there is little to no, regulation of performance claims for supplements, meaning manufacturers can claim what they want without any real scientific evidence. As a consumer, athletes need to know what the benefits and negative side effects are of supplements or products they consume. (Refer to Fall 2005 newsletter for information on evaluating sports supplements). Table 1 on page 2 contains information on certain sport product ingredients. 1. Type of Exercise The type of exercises athletes engage in will help them decide what functional foods may be of benefit to them. While all exercise requires a mixture of carbohydrate, protein, and fat, the amount needed and timing of intake of these nutrients varies with each sport. A high carbohydrate bar or beverage is more suitable right after endurance exercise, while a bar/beverage with a mixture of carbohydrate and high quality protein is suitable pre- or poststrength training, as well as postendurance exercise. 2. Duration of Exercise An important consideration when choosing a sport product is whether the product should be consumed before, during and/or after exercise. A high protein bar can cause stomach distress if consumed during a long run, whereas plain water may be more suitable than carbohydrate-electrolyte replacement drink for a strength training athlete desiring weight (fat) loss. In addition to duration, the intensity of the exercise will help determine what type of sport product to consume. Higher intensity exercise relies more heavily on carbohydrate for energy, so a sports product with more carbohydrate would be useful for this type of exercise. Learn more about functional foods on page 2
Page 2 Function Foods Sports Products (continued from page 1) As always, any time a new product is consumed, it should be consumed during practice and never for the first time at a competition. 4. Look closely at the macronutrient content. The macronutrient content tells a lot about the suitability of a product for different types of athletes. For example: Carbohydrate concentration: a high carbohydrate content is suitable as a pre-exercise or recovery product for most sports, especially endurance. Sports gels (high carbohydrate product) when diluted with water, are suitable during exercise. 4-8% carbohydrate solution is suitable immediately before and during exercise. Protein: a high protein content is suitable pre- or postexercise (strength training), and may be beneficial postexercise endurance training. Moderate to low protein content is suitable pre- and post- intermittent and endurance exercise, and possibly during long duration exercise if tolerated Fat: fat content should be low for all sports products consumed right before, during or immediately after exercise. The Bottom Line Popular Sports Products Functional Foods Common Ingredients Sports Beverages Carbohydrate-electrolyte replacement drinks Carbohydrate-electrolyte replacement drinks + protein Sports water (low-to-no carbohydrate, some vitamins/minerals) Meal replacement drinks (high calorie, carbohydrate, protein, and often fat) Energy drinks (very high in carbohydrate, may contain caffeine, herbs, protein) Sports Bars Carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins & minerals Sports Gels Primarily carbohydrate; some contain fat (medium chain triglycerides, caffeine, protein (branch chain amino acids) Several ingredients in sports products are purported to provide performance benefits. The table below provides some information about specific benefits to sport performance and the strength of the evidence to support certain ingredient claims. Even when there may be strong evidence to support the use of an ingredient to improve performance, without adequate training and an optimal diet, no ingredient or supplement will work for every athlete. Table 1. Degree of Scientific Support for Common Ingredients in Functional Foods Benefit to Performance Fluid replacement Increase endurance Improve strength Prevent injury/reduce fatigue Increase immune health Strong Scientific Support* Carbohydrate, electrolyte replacement sports drinks Carbohydrate Protein, Branch Chain Amino Acids, creatine Carbohydrate, citric acid carbohydrate Adapted from Aoi et al. Nutrition Journal, June 2006 Need More Research** glycerol Arginine, caffeine, carnitine, glutamine Vitamins C and E, carotenoids, flavonoids Vitamin C and E, glutamine Sports products are compact, portable energy sources for before, during, and after exercise fueling and fuel replacement. Choosing an appropriate sports product depends mainly upon type, duration and intensity of exercise An athlete should also consider personal goals Whole foods can make excellent sports products (examples: banana, watermelon, berries, orange, whole grain cereal), but should always be tried out first in practice!
Page 3 Probiotics What are Probiotics? Probiotics, or live bacteria, probably don t sound like the most appetizing thing, but there is research to suggest consuming probiotics may be helpful against some common stomach ailments (e.g., diarrhea) and serious stomach distress (irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS). Yogurt, with its live active bacterial cultures, is an example of food commonly consumed that contains probiotics. All people have bacteria lining their GI tract. A lot of these bacteria are good for the body, while some may be harmful. Keeping a balance between the good and bad bacteria is important for everyone. Why consume probiotics? Any athlete who has suffered from stomach distress knows that keeping the gut healthy makes for a more enjoyable day and better training/competition. Traveling, a common way of life for many athletes, can lead to diarrhea especially when travel takes you abroad. While, there is not a lot of conclusive evidence that taking probiotics will prevent travelers diarrhea, some research supports a reduced risk when probiotics found in yogurt are consumed. Antibiotic use can lead to a reduced amount of healthy bacteria in the gut, which in turn can lead to stomach distress. Research suggests that probiotics (from yogurt and cultured soy products) can reduce the duration and severity of diarrhea after taking antibiotics. Bottom Line: Probiotics are a fancy term, but simply said, they can help keep the gastrointestinal (GI) tract healthy. No athlete likes to be sidelined with stomach distress, so incorporating foods with probiotics into the everyday diet, may help keep the GI tract of athletes healthy! Easy Sports Nutrition Recipe Sizzling Chicken Fajita Serves : 4 (1 serving = 3 tacos) Preparation time: 1 hour Ingredients 16 oz chicken breast, boneless, skinless, and cut into thin strips 1 Tbs fajita seasoning* 2 cups sliced yellow onion 1.5 cup julienned green bell pepper I Tbs. canola oil 1.5 cup julienned red pepper 1 medium avocado, sliced ½ cup salsa ½ cup sour cream 4 7 whole wheat tortillas *Fajita Seasoning: 2 tsp chili powder ¼ tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp. cumin ¼ tsp oregano ½ tsp salt How to Prepare: Coat chicken strips with seasoning. Set aside. Preheat large heavy sauté pan. Spray chicken strips lightly with cooking oil and sear in pan over medium-high heat until fully cooked. Keep warm. Wipe out pan and add canola oil. Sear vegetables except avocado, until crisp tender. Warm tortillas in microwave or a clean sauté pan. Arrange chicken strips, vegetables, avocado and salsa in center of tortilla top to bottom. Fold the end closest to you, then wrap the tortilla around the filling. Serve with 2 Tbs. sour cream per serving. * While a recipe for fajita seasoning is provided, but it may be more convenient to buy a prepared fajita seasoning blend. Nutrition Facts per Serving Calories: 400 Total Fat: 16g Saturated Fat: 3.5g Cholesterol: 75mg Sodium: 780mg Carbohydrates: 39g Dietary Fiber: 6g Sugars: 8g Protein 30g Percent Daily Values: Vitamin A: 60%, Calcium: 6%, Vitamin C: 170%, Iron: 15% Recipe courtesy of Margaret Flowers
Page 4 Carbohydrate Needs Before & After Exercise Carbohydrates fuel your muscles for short and long duration exercise. Skimping on carbohydrate intake before and after exercise translates into skimping on performance. Use these tables to help you estimate what your carbohydrate needs are before and after exercise. Before Exercise: Carbohydrate Intake Guideline: 0.5-1.8 grams of carbohydrate per pound body weight (1 4 hours before exercise) Example Recommended grams* of carbohydrate per pound of body weight X Body Weight (pounds) = Recommended carbohydrate intake before exercise (grams) 0.5 to 1.8 X 100 = 50 to 180 0.5 to 1.8 X 200 = 100 to 360 WORKSPACE Your Needs Recommended grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight X Body Weight (pounds) = Recommended carbohydrate intake before exercise (grams) 0.5 to 1.8 X = to *Choose a meal with 0.5 g of carbohydrate per pound of body weight when meal is eaten 1 hour before exercise 0.9 g of carbohydrate per pound of body weight when meal is eaten 2 hours before exercise 1.4 g of carbohydrate per pound of body weight when meal is eaten 3 hours before exercise 1.8 g of carbohydrate per pound of body weight when meal is eaten 4 hours before exercise. Post-Exercise Carbohydrate Intake Guideline: 0.5-0.7 grams of carbohydrate per pound body weight (0.7gm within 30 minutes after and 0.5 0.7 gm 2 hours after exercise) Your Needs Recommended grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight X Body Weight (pounds) = Recommended carbohydrate intake after exercise (grams) 0.5 to 0.7 X = to Examples of 30 grams of carbohydrate: 16 ounces Gatorade ; 1 large banana; 6 graham cracker squares; 1 cup carrot sticks & 6 ounces low-fat chocolate milk; ¾ of a Powerbar ; ; ½ English muffin with 1Tbs jam; 2 hard granola bars; 2 cups Cheerios ; ; 3 fig cookies; 1 fruit flavored cereal bar; 16 animal crackers; 1½ ounces pretzels; 12 saltine-type crackers; 1 cup 100% apple juice; ½ cup raisins
Page 5 Low Fat Eating Tips Any athlete who is concerned about maintaining a healthy body weight and body fat level needs to match their total calorie intake to their calorie needs and to limit how much dietary fat they eat to 25 35% of their total calorie intake. High fat foods are energy dense, meaning they pack a lot of calories into a small volume of food. An athlete will usually consume substantially more total calories when eating high fat foods compared to the same volume of low fat foods. These excess calories can lead to unwanted weight and fat gain that may impair athletic performance and also lead to health problems. A high saturated fat intake can increase blood cholesterol, lead to weight gain, and diseases like diabetes and obesity. Both high blood cholesterol levels and obesity increase the risk of developing heart disease. Athletes need about 25% to 35% of their calories from fat. To help get this level of fat intake from what you eat and drink, follow these tips when making food choices: Limit fats and oils such as butter, margarine, cooking oils, salad dressing, shortening, sour cream, cream cheese, cream, and lard. Choose foods that are broiled, baked, steamed or boiled rather than fried. Use skim or low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese, ice milk, or frozen yogurt. Choose lean meat, fish, poultry, or dry beans and peas as protein sources. Trim fat off meat and remove the skin from poultry. Blot pizza with a napkin to remove excess fat. Ask for dressings & accompaniments on the side, so you control how much you use. When eating salads, choose lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, and low-fat dressing and toppings. Avoid adding high-fat salad dressings, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, potato salad, macaroni salad, eggs, and fried croutons to vegetables, fruits, pasta, beans, rice, or lean meats. Read food labels to find the amount of fat in a serving of food. Choose low-fat or fat-free alternatives to high-fat foods. Reading food labels can help you find these alternatives. Avoid eating multiple or large servings of fat-free foods. The words fat free on a food labels means the serving size of food listed on the label contains less than 0.5g of fat. Be Aware: Eating multiple servings of a fat free food may provide less fat but can still contain a lot of calories from added sugars. Limit use of egg yolks and organ meats such as liver and kidney. A food can be legally labeled Low Fat if it contains 3 grams or less of fat in the standard serving size listed on the Food Label Watch for hidden fat in foods. Granola cereals, many crackers, muffins, cakes, cookies, breads, chips, and snack foods contain a lot of hidden fat. Foods that are fried, breaded, or covered with regular salad dressing, high fat sauces, regular cheeses, or gravy are also high in fat.
Page 6 Question Corner Q: I have heard that drinking pickle juice after long duration exercise is a helpful way to replace sodium lost from heavy sweating. Is this true? A: Exercise, especially in the heat, can cause extensive sweating, and sodium loss. In order to replace this lost sodium and prevent muscle cramping, a beverage or food with sodium is necessary. While pickle juice is a very concentrated source of sodium, it s definitely not the only source! Athletes can lose enormous amounts of sodium through sweat but drinking pickle juice to replace this sodium might not be the best answer. A 2-oz shot of pickle juice will provide 600 mg to 800 mg of sodium; however, the distinctive pickle taste limits how much sodium an athlete can replace by drinking it. More importantly, though, is that shots of pickle juice after a hot game or practice don t supply the necessary volume of fluid that is needed to help the body efficiently restore sodium (electrolyte) and fluid balance. Without restoring both electrolyte and fluid balances, the athlete is still susceptible to overheating, poorer performance and delayed recovery. If an athlete can tolerate the taste of 4 to 5 oz of pickle juice, the minimal amount (2,500 5,000 mg) necessary to help replace a typical sodium loss during one hour of activity, while consuming lots of fluids to replenish body water lost and aid in excretion of any excess sodium, then there is no real physiological harm in drinking pickle juice. However, it might be easier - and tastier - to replace sodium and fluid losses by adding a ¼ to ½ teaspoon of salt to a sports beverage. What is the Combined Events Athlete Development Project (CEAD)? The Combined Events Athlete Development Project (CEAD Project) provides education and research for elite combined events athletes to help promote optimal health and sport performance. Funded by the High Performance Division of USA Track & Field, the Project includes educational support and assessment of dietary practices, body composition, and biochemical markers of nutrition status. Project activities are conducted at Track Meets, Summit Meetings, and through educational manuals, newsletters, handouts, emails, and individual consults with athletes and their coaches. The CEAD Project was formally known as the Heptathlete Development Project during the years of 1990-2001, but the in the year 2002 the project was funded to provide nutritional support to both male and female combined events athletes. To learn more about this year's project activities contact Project Coordinator, Jackie Maurer, Ph.D., R.D. at (732) 406-9355 or maurerj@email.arizona.edu. Log onto the CEAD Website for more information! http://nutrition.arizona.edu/new/athletic_development.phtml