The Athlete's Diet

“In the competitive world of athletics, everyone is looking for that certain component that will set them apart from the rest of the field. Whether it is running faster, lifting more, or jumping higher, each athlete strives for that certain advantage,” explains Penny Grassel, Licensed Athletic Trainer at Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital. “No matter what the sport, the base to begin training starts with a healthy, energy-producing diet. This involves eating healthy and smart, drinking plenty of fluids, regulating caffeine intake, and managing ideal weight.”

Eating smart and healthy begins with having the right amounts of foods incorporated into your daily diet. Utilizing the correct balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats will set the stage for beginning your training regimen. The best balance for a sports diet is 60-65% of your calorie intake from carbohydrates, 10-15% from protein, and 20-30% from fat.

A high carbohydrate diet increases stores of glycogen, the energy for muscles, and improves overall athletic performance. If you exercise for longer than an hour, you can begin to deplete your muscles of glycogen. By consuming 30-75 grams per hour of high glycemic carbohydrates in liquid or in solid form when you exercise, you can minimize this effect. Carbohydrates include breads, cereals, pastas, and potatoes.

Your protein intake should be two small servings per day to build and protect muscles. A serving would be 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, 3 ounces of chicken, 1/2 cup of beans, a slice of cheese, or a piece of fish. You should also include three to four servings of calcium-rich foods, such as yogurt or milk, for building strong bones. Also having a little bit of fat will balance your diet, provide essential fatty acids and assist with absorption of certain vitamins.

Fat is definitely an important energy source, particularly for athletes involved in prolonged, low-intensity activity. (For high-intensity, short-term activity, carbohydrates are the primary fuel source.) About 20% of the calories in a performance-enhancing diet should come from fat; most of it unsaturated fat like vegetable and fish oils.

To stay well hydrated, drink about a quart of caffeine-free, non-alcoholic fluids for every 1,000 calories of food you eat, assuming you maintain your weight. Drink two cups of water or sports drink two hours before you exercise. To avoid dehydration during exercise, begin drinking water early and at regular intervals. For exercise lasting an hour or less, 4-6 ozs. of cool water every 15-20 minutes provides optimal fluid replacement.

Sports drinks are best taken if you exercise for an hour, because they will provide the energy you need during activity. If you are exercising for less than an hour, water is generally fine. To replace fluid lost after exercise, you need one mL of water per one calorie burned. For an inactive person who requires about 2,000 calories per day, this comes to 2,000 mL of water, or 8 glasses. The easiest way to tell if you are drinking enough water is to monitor your urine. It should be clear in color.

Caffeine is categorized as a diuretic, which means that it enhances urine formation, often causing a need to urinate within an hour after its consumption. In addition to frequent urination, caffeine causes the loss of water, vitamins, and minerals from the body, which are essential for peak athletic performance. However, caffeine may have beneficial effects if used in moderation. Caffeine mobilizes fat stores and encourages working muscles to use fat as a fuel. This delays the depletion of muscle glycogen and allows for a prolonging of exercise. Glycogen saved at the beginning is thus available during the later stages of exercises.

To lose weight you have to burn off more calories than you eat. Some people do this by adding exercise. In this process, they lose fat but build muscle-and weigh the same. Other people exercise but end up eating more. Even though they eat fat-free foods, they get plenty of calories that cancel out the original loss of calories. Because fat creates a feeling of fullness, people who eliminate fat often tend to feel hungry and continue to eat. Those calories add up.

Penny Grassel, LAT offers guidelines that will start an athlete on the right path to optimal athletic performance. She explains, “With the right blend of healthy, smart eating and a regular exercise routine, athletes will maximize their potential to perform. Listed below is a guide for nutrition before athletic competition.”

1 hour or less before competition:

• fruit and vegetable juice such as orange, tomato, or V-8, and /or
• fresh fruit such as apples, watermelon, peaches, grapes, or oranges and/or
• 1 and one-half cups of a commercial sport drink such as Gatorade

2-3 hours before competition

• fresh fruit, fruit and vegetables juices, and/or
• breads; bagels, English muffins with limited amounts of butter, margarine, or cream cheese; or lowfat yogurt; and/or
• 4 cups of a commercial sports drink like Gatorade

3-4 hours before competition

• fresh fruit, fruit and vegetables juices, and
• breads; bagels; baked potatoes; cereal with lowfat milk; lowfat yogurt; sandwiches with a small amount of peanut butter, lean meat, or lowfat cheese; and or
• 7 and one-half cups of a commercial sports drink.