When we talk about nutrition for athletes, we often think carbo loading, protein shakes and lots of water. While you often hear these words in sport nutrition, they don't really tell the whole story. What food do you eat? When do you eat them? How often should you eat? Should we snack or not snack? What about supplements, sports drinks, vitamins and lots of other "things"? Why are certain food especially good for athletes? How about the occasional splurge on burgers and fries, ice cream, cookies, pies, chicken wings, etc? How many miles do I have to cycle or run or swim before I can even go near that piece of pie? To answer these questions, we must start with the basics. When carbo loading, not all carbs are equal, so just what exactly are carbohydrates? What is the relationship between proteins and muscles in our body? We often hear the term good fat, is there really such a thing? How many types of fats are there? And just when you understand what they are, don't forget electrolytes which are extremely important to athletes. We will help you with daily meals ideas and how to read a nutrition facts label.

 

While athletes devote most of their time to train, they often neglect to properly provide themselves the right amount and type of nutrients and fluids to refuel their bodies. Some even go as far as not eating after training just so they could lose another pound and be in that perfect racing shape. What they don't realize is that they are running on an empty tank when they exercise the next day. If this cycle repeats itself, your body will be continually depleted of nutrients and eventually will be unable to provide the energy that it needs for optimal performance. While you may have lost those few pounds, your body will get fatigue sooner, recovery will take longer and performance will eventually suffer.

 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, some of us think that training for ironman or running marathons will afford us plenty of choices and freedom when it comes to eating. As a result, we are not selective about what goes into our bodies. We overeat and rationalize it as rewards for hard training, or finishing up an ironman or marathon. You may be replenishing the calories you lost during hard training, you are not replenishing them with the right type of calories. You may still be able to train just as hard initially, but eventually you will feel fatigue because the wrong type of calories do not provide the right type of energy you need for your training. Your body is also turning the extra calories you consumed into excess weight.

 

Nutrition is an important aspect in an athlete's life. Daily nutrition, race week and race day nutrition, post race recovery are all hot topics that will be discussed here. We want to emphasize that although the information provided here is valuable, it should not be substituted by your physicians' and nutritionists' advise. If you have certain food allergy or medical condition, you should always consult your physicians prior to beginning a new diet or changing your current diet.

Now, let's start with the basics!!

 

 

Carbohydrates

Just a couple of decades ago, carbs were the dietary rage. Athletes filled up on pasta before events and high-carb (low-fat) diets were thought to be the answer to everything from weight loss to the prevention of heart disease. Then came the Atkins Diet and a spate of other spinoffs. With the advent of these carb-counting weight-loss plans, people mistakenly got the message that all carbs were bad. Recently, a more moderate view on carbs has taken hold which differentiates between them, categorizing them as bad, better and best. To understand the difference, however, we need to understand that the term carbohydrates really means.

What are Carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates come from a wide array of foods - bread, beans, milk, popcorn, potatoes, cookies, spaghetti, corn, and cherry pie. They also come in a variety of forms. The most common and abundant are sugars, fibers, and starches. The basic building block of a carbohydrate is a sugar molecule, a simple union of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Starches and fibers are essentially chains of sugar molecules. Some contains hundreds of sugars. Some chains are straight, others branch wildly.

Carbohydrates are grouped into two main categories. Simple carbohydrates included sugars such as fruit sugar (fructose), corn or grape sugar (dextrose or glucose), and table sugar (sucrose). Complex carbohydrates included everything made of three or more linked sugars. Simple sugars were considered bad and complex carbohydrates good. The picture is much more complicated than that.

The digestive system breaks down complex carbohydrates into single sugar molecules so that they are small enough to cross into the bloodstream. It also converts most digestible carbohydrates into glucose which is blood sugar, because cells are designed to use this as a energy source.

However, fiber is put together in such a way that it can't be broken down into sugar molecules, and so it passes through the body undigested.

The Good, the Bad and the Not-So Bad
Carbs encompass a large range of foods that vary from a teaspoon of white sugar to a cup of cauliflower to a loaf of bread. But there are huge differences in how our body reacts to different kinds of carbohydrates namely because of two factors: the carb’s effect on our blood sugar and its nutrient density (how much fiber, and how many vitamins and minerals it delivers).

The best carbs contain fiber, such as vegetables and fruits. They're loaded with vitamins, minerals and hundreds of important cancer-fighting agents. To avoid these carbs makes no sense.

On the other hand, there are carbs that deliver sugar and little else (think soda). Most of the carbs you want to avoid come with a bar-code: they’re highly processed and offer little in the way of nutrition. Unfortunately many of the carbs we routinely eat fall into this category, including refined breads, cereals, pastas and most desserts. These are the carbs we’d be much better off without, especially if we’re trying to control our blood sugar or weight.

Whole Grains
Many foods cannot just be picked from a tree like an apple and eaten. Wheat for example, has to be processed before it's edible. You don’t have to eliminate foods like pasta and rice altogether; instead, the goal should be to eat the least processed form of these foods. White rice, for example, has been far more processed than whole grain brown rice (it's had the bran and outer shell removed, along with much of the nutrients). Same goes for white bread versus whole wheat. So how do you know how processed a food is? A good indication is fiber, which is usually lost when a carbohydrate is highly processed. When shopping, read food labels and use the five and five rule: Look for five or fewer grams of sugar, and five or more grams of fiber per serving. If a grain-based food meets that criteria, it's probably worth eating.

Adding Good Carbohydrates
For optimal health, get your grains intact from foods such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole-grain pasta, and other possibly unfamiliar grains like quinoa, whole oats, and bulgur. Not only will these foods help protect you against a range of chronic diseases, they can also please your palate and your eyes.

Until recently, you could only get whole-grain products in organic or non-traditional stores. Today they are popping up in more and more mainstream grocery stores. Here are some suggestions for adding more whole grains to your diet:

• Start the day with whole grains. If you're partial to hot cereals, try old-fashioned or steel-cut oats. If you're a cold cereal person, look for one that lists whole wheat, oats, barley, or other grain first on the ingredient list.
  
• Use whole-grain breads for lunch or snacks. Check the label to make sure that whole wheat or other whole grain is the first ingredient listed.
  
• Bag the potatoes. Instead, try brown rice or even "newer" grains like bulgur, wheat berries, millet, or hulled barley with your dinner.
  
• Pick up some whole wheat pasta. If the whole-grain products are too chewy for you, look for those that are made with half whole-wheat flour and half white flour.

Proteins

Until recently, protein got little attention. It was often overshadowed by fat, carbohydrates, and vitamins. That's changing. There's been an explosion of interest in protein, largely triggered by high-protein diets for weight loss.

What is Protein?
Proteins are the basic building blocks of the human body. They are made up of amino acids, and help build muscles, blood, skin, hair, nails and internal organs. Next to water, protein is the most plentiful substance in the body, and most of it (around 60% to 70%) is located in the skeletal muscles.

There are 20 amino acids that are required for growth by the human body and all but eight can be produced in an adult body. These eight amino acids are called essential amino acids and must be supplied to the body by food or supplements. The other twelve non-essential amino acids are manufactured within the body, but both essential and non-essential amino acids are necessary for the synthesis of tissue proteins. What does all this mean? It means that if you don't supply your body with the essential amino acids it needs, the amount of protein your body can use for building muscle is limited.

 

Getting the Right Kind of Protein
Foods that contain all of the essential amino acids are called complete proteins. These foods include beef, chicken, fish, eggs, milk and just about anything else derived from animal sources. Incomplete proteins do not have all of the essential amino acids and generally include vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds and nuts. So, if you're a vegetarian, does this mean you can't get complete protein? Not at all. Below is a chart listing some incomplete proteins. To get all of the essential amino acids, simply choose foods from two or more of the columns.

Grains	Legumes	Seeds & Nuts	Vegetables
Barley	Beans	Sesame Seeds	Leafy Greens
Corn Meal	Lentils	Sunflower Seeds	Broccoli
Oats	Peas	Walnuts
Rice	Peanuts	Cashews
Pasta	Soy Products	Other Nuts
Whole Grain Breads

 

The Protein Package
Animal protein and vegetable protein probably have the same effects on health. It's the protein package that's likely to make a difference. A 6-0z broiled Porterhouse steak is a great source of complete protein - 38 grams worth. But it also delivers 44 grams of fat, 16 of them saturated. That's almost three-fourths of the recommended daily intake for saturated fat. The same amount of salmon gives you 34 grams of protein and 18 grams of fat, 4 of them saturated. A cup of cooked lentils has 18 grams of protein, but under 1 gram of fat.

The bottom line is that it's important to pay attention to what comes along with the protein in your food choices. If you are partial to beef, stick with the leanest cuts. Fish or poultry are excellent alternatives. Even better options are vegetable sources of protein, such as beans, nuts, and whole grains.

Calculate your Protein Needs
Most people get more than enough protein daily. In fact, the average American consumes about 50% more than the recommended daily amount. Yet we often see athletes and weight loss fanatics turning to protein powders, drinks and nutritional bars in their quest for more protein. Is this really necessary? That depends. It is true that resistance training and endurance workouts can rapidly break down muscle protein. If you exercise heavily, you might need to up your protein intake from the RDA's recommendation. So here's how to calculate your protein needs:

1. Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg
2. Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein gm.

Use a lower number if you are in good health and are sedentary. Use a higher number (between 1 and 1.8) if you are under stress, are pregnant, are recovering from an illness, or if you are involved in consistent and intense weight or endurance training.

Example: 154 lb male who is a regular exerciser and lifts weights
154 lbs/2.2 = 70kg
70kg x 1.5 = 105 gm protein/day

 

 

Calculating Protein as a Percentage of Total Calories
Another way to calculate how much protein you need is by using daily calorie intake and the percentage of calories that will come from protein. To do this, you'll need to know how many calories your body needs each day. After you've figured out your daily calories needs, next figure out what percentage of your diet will come from protein. The percentage you choose will be based on your goals, fitness level, age, body type and metabolic rate. Most experts recommend that your protein intake be somewhere between 15 and 30%. When you've determined your desired percentage of protein, multiply that percentage by the total number of calories for the day.

Example:
For a 140lb female, calorie intake=1800 calories, protein=20%:
1800 x .20 = 360 calories from protein. Since 1 gram of protein = 4 calories, divide protein calories by four:
360/4 = 90 grams of protein per day.

What's the Deal with Soy?
Soy has been getting all the attention lately, especially in the endurance sports communities. It's claim of rich proteins and other nutrients and other health benefits has also caught the eye of the FDA. We've been told that regularly eating soy-based foods lowers cholesterol, chills hot flashes, prevents breast and prostate cancer, aids weight loss, and wards off osteoporosis. Some of these benefits have been attributed to a unique characteristic of soybeans-their high concentrations of isoflavones, a type of plant-made estrogen (phytoestrogen). The FDA Consumer Magazine, May - June 2000 issue has a in-depth discussion on soy, and how to incorporate soy into your diet. Soybeans, tofu, and other soy-based foods are an excellent alternative to red meat. But don't go overboard, two to four servings a week is a good target.

Fat

Fat is a major source of energy and aids your body in absorbing vitamins. It's important for proper growth, development and keeping you healthy. Fat provides taste to foods and helps you feel full. Fats are an especially important source of calories and nutrients for infants and toddlers. Dietary fat also plays a major role in your cholesterol levels. But not all fats are the same. You should try to avoid:

• Saturated fats, such as butter, solid shortening, lard and fatback
• Trans fats, found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, cookies, snack foods and other foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated oils

Try to replace them with oils such as corn, canola, olive, safflower, soybean and sunflower. Of course, eating too much fat will put on the pounds.

What is Fat?
Fat is a necessary nutrient. Your body needs fat to function properly. Besides being an energy source, fat is a nutrient used in the production of cell membranes, as well as in several hormone-like compounds called eicosanoids. These compounds help regulate blood pressure, heart rate, blood vessel constriction, blood clotting and the nervous system. In addition, dietary fat carries fat-soluble vitamins — vitamins A, D, E and K — from your food into your body. Fat also helps maintain healthy hair and skin, protects vital organs, keeps your body insulated, and provides a sense of fullness after meals. But too much fat can be harmful. Eating large amounts of high-fat foods adds excess calories, which can lead to weight gain and obesity. Obesity is a risk factor for several diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, gallstones, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis. Too much of certain types of fats — such as saturated fat or trans fat — can increase your blood cholesterol levels and your risk of coronary artery disease.

 

Healthy Fats
When choosing fats, your best options are unsaturated fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These fats, if used in place of others, can lower your risk of heart disease by reducing the total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in your blood. Cholesterol, which your body produces for building cells, is the main substance in fatty deposits (plaques) that can develop in your arteries. Plaques that build up can reduce blood flow through your vessels, increasing your risk of heart disease and stroke. One type of polyunsaturated fat, omega-3 fatty acids, may be especially beneficial to your heart. Omega-3s appear to decrease the risk of coronary artery disease. They may also protect against irregular heartbeats and help lower blood pressure levels. Here are the differences as well as the best food sources of these healthy fats:

• Monounsaturated fat remains liquid at room temperature but may start to solidify in the refrigerator. Foods high in monounsaturated fat include olive, peanut and canola oils, avocados and most nuts.
• Polyunsaturated fat is usually liquid at room temperature and in the refrigerator. Foods high in polyunsaturated fats include vegetable oils, such as safflower, corn, sunflower, soy and cottonseed oils. Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats found mostly in seafood. Good sources of omega-3s include fatty, cold-water fish, such as salmon, mackerel, herring, flaxseeds, flax oil and walnuts also contain omega-3 fatty acids, and small amounts are found in soybean and canola oils.

Harmful Fats
Saturated and trans fats are less healthy kinds of fats. They can increase your risk of heart disease by increasing your total and LDL ("bad") cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol isn't technically a fat, but it's found in food derived from animal sources. Intake of dietary cholesterol increases blood cholesterol levels, but not as much as saturated and trans fats do, and not to the same degree in all people. Here are how these fats differ and what their common food sources are.

• Saturated fat - usually solid or waxy at room temperature, saturated fat is most often found in animal products — such as red meat, poultry, butter and whole milk. Other foods high in saturated fat include coconut, palm and other tropical oils.
• Trans fat - also referred to as trans-fatty acids, trans fat comes from adding hydrogen to vegetable oil through a process called hydrogenation. This makes the fat more solid and less likely to spoil. Hydrogenated fat is a common ingredient in commercial baked goods — such as crackers, cookies and cakes — and in fried foods, such as doughnuts and french fries. Shortenings and some margarines also are high in trans fat. Food manufacturers are required to list trans fat content on nutrition labels. Amounts less than 0.5 grams per serving are listed as 0 grams trans fat on the food label.
• Dietary cholesterol - your body naturally manufactures all of the cholesterol it needs, but you also get cholesterol from animal products, such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, lard and butter.

Daily Limits for Fat Intake
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommend that fat make up no more than 35% of your daily calories. This means that if you consume 1,800 calories a day, consume no more than 70 grams of fat a day. (To figure: Multiply 1,800 by 0.35 to get 630 calories, and divide that number by 9, the number of calories per gram of fat, to get 70 grams of total fat.) Keep in mind, however, that this is an upper limit and that most of these fat calories should come from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated sources. In addition, the USDA and HHS recommend your daily intake of saturated fat to less than 10% of your total daily calories and dietary cholesterol of less than 300 milligrams a day. Though the USDA and HHS haven't yet established an upper limit for trans fat, they do suggest that you keep your trans fat intake as low as possible. The American Heart Association, on the other hand, has set an upper limit for trans fat — no more than 1% of your total daily calories. Be aware that many foods contain different kinds of fat and varying levels of each type. For example, butter contains unsaturated fats, but a large percentage of the total fat is saturated fat. And canola oil has a high percentage of monounsaturated fat, but also contains smaller amounts of polyunsaturated fat and saturated fat.

Tips for Choosing the Best Types of Fat
Limit fat in your diet, but don't try to cut it out completely. Focus on reducing foods high in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol, and select more foods made with unsaturated fats. Consider these tips when making your choices: Saute with olive oil instead of butter. Use olive oil instead of vegetable oil in salad dressings and marinades. Use canola oil when baking. Sprinkle slivered nuts or sunflower seeds on salads instead of bacon bits. Snack on a small handful of nuts rather than potato chips or processed crackers. Or try peanut butter or other nut-butter spreads — nonhydrogenated — on celery, bananas, or rice or popcorn cakes. Add slices of avocado, rather than cheese, to your sandwich. Prepare fish such as salmon and mackerel, which contain monounsaturated and omega-3 fats, instead of meat one or two times a week. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats have few adverse effects on blood cholesterol levels, but you still need to consume all fats in moderation. Eating large amounts of any fat adds excess calories. Fat contains 9 calories per gram, compared with 4 calories per gram for protein and carbohydrates. Also make sure that fatty foods don't replace more nutritious options, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes or whole grains.

 

Electrolytes

What are Electrolytes?
Electrolytes are minerals in your blood and other body fluids that carry an electric charge. It is important for the balance of electrolytes in your body to be maintained, because they affect the amount of water in your body, blood pH, muscle action, and other important processes. You lose electrolytes when you sweat, and these must be replenished by drinking lots of fluids.

Electrolytes exist in the blood as acids, bases, and salts (such as sodium, calcium, potassium, chlorine, magnesium, and bicarbonate) and can be measured by laboratory studies of the blood serum. Various hormones in the body help regulate intake of these electrolytes, and the kidneys filter electrolytes which reach excessive levels. Unhealthy levels of consumption of any or all of the body's necessary electrolytes can cause serious health issues. The most common imbalances are hyper- and hypo-natremia, or excessive and insufficient levels of sodium, and hyper- and hypo-kalemia, or excessive and insufficient levels of potassium. Many sports drinks contain added potassium and sodium to help restore the body's proper electrolyte balance after intense physical exertion. After exercising heavily, it can be dangerous to ingest large quantities of water, as it may dilute existing electrolyte levels and cause physical problems.

Electrolytes and Endurance Sports
We often hear the term "electrolytes imbalance". This is referring to the amount of electrolytes in your bloodstream that fall outside of a normal range for a normal adult. Levels of electrolytes in your body can become too low or too high. That can happen when the amount of water in your body changes. Some medicines, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating or kidney problems could affect the amount of water in your body. Problems most often occur with levels of sodium, potassium or calcium. An electrolyte imbalance may create a number of symptoms. The symptoms of electrolyte imbalance are based on which of the electrolyte levels are affected. If your blood test results indicate an altered potassium, magnesium, sodium, or calcium levels, you may experience muscle spasm, weakness, twitching, or convulsions. Blood test results showing low levels may lead to irregular heartbeat, confusion, blood pressure changes, nervous system or bone disorders. Blood test results showing high levels may lead to weakness or twitching of the muscles, numbness, fatigue, irregular heartbeat and blood pressure changes. Consuming a sports drink after prolonged exercise helps replenish the electrolytes and fluid you lost and reduces the chance of imbalance.

How much liquid should I drink?
Do not use thirst as a way of knowing whether you need to drink. Thirst is not always a good sign that your body needs more liquids. The following are suggestions for how much liquid you may need to drink to prevent dehydration:

• Before exercise: Drink about 13-20 ounces of liquid, two to three hours before exercise.
• During exercise: Drink six to 12 ounces of liquid every 15 to 20 minutes.
• After exercise: Drink 16-24 ounces of liquid for every pound lost during exercise. 80% of water lost during exercise must be replaced before another exercise event done in the same day. It is a good idea to weigh yourself before and after exercise, especially during hot weather. This will tell you how much water you lost in sweat during exercise. You will need to replace this water after exercise.

What kinds of fluids should I drink?
The question has always been: should I drink water or a sports drink such as Gatorade or Powerade during and after I exercised? The general guideline suggests that if you exercise for less than an hour, water is probably sufficient and you do not need the additional calories contained in a sports drink. However, if you exercise for longer than an hour or in extremely hot condition for any duration of time, consuming a sports drink will help replenish the electrolytes you lost during exercise. Fluids should also be cool or cold. Cool or cold fluids empty faster from your stomach than warm drinks do. They also help to cool your body temperature. Do not drink juice or soda before exercise, because it may cause stomach discomfort. After exercise that lasts longer than three to four hours, you should replace sodium lost in your sweat. You can do this by adding salt to your diet and drinking liquids with sodium.

How to Read a Nutrition Facts Label?

Now that you understand that carbohydrates, proteins, fats and various other minerals and vitamins are, do you understand what they mean when they are compiled into a nutrition facts label? The U.S. Food & Drug Administration published some guidelines on how to understand and use nutrition facts label. The labels are helpful guides when it comes to knowing what goes into your body and comparing brands of the same type of food products. Next time when you go grocery shopping, think about what the nutrition facts label is telling you about that particular product.

 

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Ideas for Daily Meals

Breakfast

It is the most important meal of the day and yet a lot of us don't eat breakfast. Your body has been fasting for 8 hours while you sleep and it is important to fill up your tank at the start of the day. If you usually exercise in the morning, try to fit 2 - 3 of the followings in your breakfast. You need to replenish what you lost quickly. Otherwise, try combining any of these:

• glass of skim milk (calcium), or skim milk with coffee or tea
• 2 slices of wheat toasts (whole grain, good carb) with 2 tbsp of jam, preserve (carb) or peanut butter (protein)
• nonfat yogurt (calcium and carb) with berries and sliced banana (calcium, vitamins, antioxidants, potassium)
• skim milk (calcium) with whole grain cereals (fibre, the good carb with low fat)
• snacks - apple, peach (carb, vitamins), cottage cheese (protein, sodium), or a handful of dried fruits like cranberries, apricots, raisins are best (vitamins, antioxidants, fibre)

Lunch

If you usually exercise in the early evening hours, eat a lunch that is full of good carbohydrates will provide you with the fuel you need without the excess fat. On the other hand, a lighter lunch doesn't mean sacrificing the essential nutrients. You can still get plenty of carb and proteins in a nutrients-packed salad or soup.

• a turkey breast (protein and low fat) sandwich on wheat bread (good carb and low fat), light mayo and mustard (for taste without adding too much calories), with a slice of low fat cheese (calcium and protein), lettuce and tomatoes (vitamins)
• you can substitute turkey breast with ham or chicken salad made with low fat or fat free mayo
• use whole grain tortilla to make a wrap with the same ingredients to spice up the varieties
• slices of pizza (carb and calcium from the cheese) with vegetable toppings (vitamins and antioxidants) and extra virgin olive oil (good fat)
• a salad with chicken (protein), turkey and ham (protein) as in a chef salad, salmon or tuna (protein and omega -3 fatty acid), or sliced lean beef occasionally (iron, protein, with as little fat as possible), with a roll if you want just a little carb
• avoid pre-made salad dressings (even those labeled fat-free) which contain tons of calories and fat; use extra virgin olive oil (good fat) and red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar instead (no fat, virtually no calories), or make your own citrus vinaigrette with any type of citrus or fruit (lemon, lime, orange, tangerine, grapefruit, mango, cranberry, etc) and mix it with a little red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and extra virgin olive oil
• add a avocado to your salad if you are not having salmon or tuna with it so you still get the good fat
• Soups: chicken noodles, vegetable, or bean soups are good choices, they give you good carb with very low fat
• Sushi: they even come in brown rice nowadays, sushi is a nutrients packed lunch that gives you carb, omega-3 fatty acids and proteins, try to avoid those with fried food in them
• avoid drinking a soda for lunch, even if it is a diet soda, it provides no nutritional value; try fresh squeeze juices for some vitamins or ice tea or water for no additional calories
• snacks - 2 to 3 servings of fruits, anything in season, or fat free yogurt, or a handful of almonds or pistachios, or fat-free whole wheat crackers with low fat cheese or peanut butter (protein and good fat)

Dinner

As you wind down your day, reward yourself with a tasty and yet nutritious dinner. Be careful not to consume too many calories at dinner since you are winding your body down. A lot of the options below will also work for lunch and vice versa. When it comes to dessert, try to limit it to 1 to 2 times a week and control portions. We have some good options below for you as well.

• Main dish for the proteins - broiled fish, broiled lean beef, baked chicken breast or legs (more potassium), salmon or tuna (good fat), pork tenderloin, try to limit your main dish to 4 to 6 oz depending on your calorie needs
• Vegetables for vitamins and antioxidants - this should take up at least half your plate, try a varieties such as carrots, spinach, sauteed mushrooms, other leafy greens, roasted peppers, zucchini, squash, onion, tomato, etc. with vegetable seasoning, extra virgin olive oil, salt & pepper
• Starch for the carbohydrates - this should account for no more than 25% of your plate, try anything whole wheat such as pasta, couscous, dinner rolls, brown rice, these are good carb sources with very low fat
• Dessert to satisfy the sweet tooth - bread pudding made with skim or low fat milk, 2 servings of fruits with low fat yogurt dressing and a drizzle of honey, fruit smoothie, jello with fruit at the bottom and some condensed milk for sweetness, yogurt parfait (layers of low fat yogurt, fresh fruits and granola), ice coffee with a scoop of light ice cream

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Pre-race Nutrition

Pre-race nutrition doesn't start with the day of the race. It starts during the week of the race. If you are getting ready for a 5k or 10k or just a sprint triathlon, your race nutrition management might start just a few days before the race. However, if you are preparing for anything longer than than, your race nutrition plan could start a week before your big event. When it comes to race nutrition, make sure you tattoo this on your brain: "don't try anything new during the week of the race". Stick to your normal diet which should be a well-balanced diet with lots of good carbohydrates, some proteins and a small percentage of good fats. Avoid adding additional fibre to your diet. This could create gastrointestinal problems for you the few days before the race, or worse yet, on race morning. We often hear the term "carbo loading". This is referring to eating mostly fat and proteins for a few days and then switching over to eating mainly carbohydrates a few days before the race. The extra carbohydrates are stored in your liver and muscle as glycogen and gives you energy when you compete. Some believe that carbo loading provides the energy that we need during competition while others believe that this type of eating is stressful on an athlete's body. They argue that an athlete's body cannot store enough calories for a race that lasts 2 - 3 hours. An athlete will need to consume calories during the race to sustain adequate energy for the race.

For most of us, we can safely do carbo loading by adding a little more carbohydrates to our diets the few days before the race. Remember to control portions and don't overeat. Since we will be tapering the few days before the race, we will not use up all the carbohydrates we consumed and the excess is stored as glycogen in your liver for race day.

You also want to make sure you are well hydrated during the week of race. If you wait till the day before or even race morning, this just won't do the trick. You may also want to consider stocking up on salt in preparation for a race lasting about 2 - 3 hours as long as you don't have any health condition that could be exascerbated by the additional salk intake. Your body can store salt in addition to storing the excess carbohydrates. As with carbohydrates, an athlete cannot store enough salt in his body for any race lasting more than 3 hours. Electrolytes imbalance will need to be addressed during the race as well.

 

Race Day Nutrition

The morning of the race is crucial. If you can get up early for a breakfast, you will start your day off right but be careful with how much you eat. When you exercise after a large meal, you may feel sluggish or have an upset stomach, cramping and diarrhea. That's because your muscles and your digestive system are competing with each other for energy resources. Your body can digest food while you're active, but not as well as it can when you're not exercising. This is partly because your body is trying to do two things requiring blood supply and energy simultaneously — digesting the food you just ate and providing fuel to keep your muscles active. Remember to allow at least 2 hours between a light breakfast and when you start your warm up, and at least 3 - 4 hours after a large meal. Remember, do not try anything new on race morning and stick with what you normally eat and what works best for you. Good choices are good carb such as whole wheat bread, bagel, english muffins, and some proteins such as peanut butter, or fruits.

If you cannot get up any earlier (not many of us can get up early enough to get to these races, let alone consuming a breakfast beforehand), an energy bar is a good source to get the calories you need. There are so many selections out there in the energy bar market but not all bars are equal. A lot of them contain butter, too much sugar or fat and many are loaded with chemicals. These ingredients do not do you any good before and during a race. You want to follow the same principles when it comes to energy bar, good carb, proteins and good fat. Here are the few that we think are the best out there.

 

3bar - 3Bar is formulated to be a balanced, all-natural energy bar that is diabetic-friendly, safe for hypoglycemics, vegans and vegetarians. 3Bar is also a Kosher product. It is developed by a sport nutrition consultant and a local triathlete in the Tampa Bay area. Its balanced nutritional ratio combines protein, carbohydrates, and essential fats into an easy to digest energy source. It has grown to be the most popular energy bar with local endurance athletes. 3bars come in 3 different flavors.

Powerbar® Performance bars - this energy bar is low in fat and has tons of simple and complex carbohydrates to provide quick energy release. It has minimal amount of fibre to give you a sense of fullness yet not upset your gastrointestinal tract al all. It also contains essential vitamins, sodium and potassium. It comes on 12 different flavors with added caffeine in some flavors.

 

LÄRABAR - a delicious blend of unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices and is made from 100% whole food, each flavor contains no more than six ingredients. Each bar contains 1 serving of fruit, no added sugar, unprocessed, non-GMO, gluten free, dairy free, soy free and vegan. It is even Kosher. There is no added fillers, supplements or flavorings.  All of the vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, good carbohydrates and healthy fats are derived exclusively from the whole, raw food used to make LÄRABAR. It comes in 12 different flavors.

 

Cliff nectar bar - this bar is made with less than 6 ingredients which are 100% organic. Each bar has 2 servings of fruits, no trans fat or processed sugar, a good amount of fibre and is made without soy, gluten, wheat or dairy. This bar doesn't have a ton of proteins but it contains plenty of good source fibre, potassium and good fats. The nectar bar comes in 7 different flavors.

 

 

Make sure that you are also well hydrated on race morning. Drink at least 20 ounces of water before your race. Try to avoid sports drink, fruit juices, or soda which will give you stomach issue due to their sweetness.

 

During the Race

Running & Swimming

If you are running just a 5k, 10k, swimming a few events in a swim meet, you probably don't need to take in additional calories during the race. In a road race, there will be water stations serving water and gatorade. You should drink at least every 2 miles to stay hydrated. In a swim meet, try to stay hydrated and if you need to replenish lost calories, avoid doing so with solid food. If you have other events to swim and would like to maintain your energy level, you could do so with an energy bar or small pieces of fruits. Open water swim competition does not allow much opportunity for refueling or hydration during the race. Therefore, swimmers must eat and hydrate properly and timely after the race to replace nutrients and fluid lost.

In longer events such as a half marathon or marathon, continue to stay hydrated by drinking water and sports drinks offered by the aid stations. Race organizers usually will have some energy gel to give out during a half marathon. Energy gel is basically sugar in a gel form for easy ingestion. There are many different brands out on the market. It is always best to find out which brand of energy gel is handed out on the course and test them out during training runs so you don't run into any surprises during the race. Each packet of energy gel usually provides approximately 100 calories. Just pop one in and wash it down with water.

In marathons, not only will you find energy gel at fluid stations, race organizers also have other forms of easily digestible carbohydrates, such as orange slices, cookies, donuts, etc. on the course for runners to consume to replenish lost calories. In the initial stage of the race, your body uses the glycogen reserve for energy. You should consume some carbohydrates during a race to replenish the glycogen used although you will not be able to replace exactly what you lost in a race. Your body will tab into the proteins and fats in reserve for energy once all the glycogen is used up. Energy gel and carbohydrates you consume on the course usually contain some electrolytes which will help you maintain balance and reduce the chance of muscle cramps. Remember to consume some sports drink as well. Too much water can flush out your electrolytes causing illness or even death (hyponatremia).

Triathlons

In a sprint or olympic distance triathlon, you will typically find fluid stations where you exit the swim, and on run course. So drink when you exit the swim and drink on the run. Some of us may need additional calories replacement during bike leg. This could be achieved by taking a energy gel during the bike leg. Solid food is usually not a good idea during this distance because of the short amount of time between your bike leg and your run. You will not be able to digest your food in time and this could cause stomach issue during the run.

In half and full ironmans, nutrition is half of your game. With all the hard training you have put in months in advance of your big race, the last thing you want is to be unprepared when it comes to nutrition during the race. The most important thing that you can do is to experiment and practice your nutrition plan during training. For example, experiment with energy bar vs. energy gel on the bike, water vs. sports drink for hydration, eating vs. drinking sports drink to get your calories, gel or food on the run, water or sports drink on the run? Timing of eating and drinking is also important. How often should you take a energy gel or a energy bar? It is important to get these questions answered and have your plan figured out before the race. This goes with the principle of "don't try anything new on race day." Your primary goal during these distances is to stay hydrated and maintain your energy level by ingesting easily digestible form of carbohydrates such as energy gel or energy bars. Each athlete's body is different, some can tolerate more solid food, some can only tolerate gel, while some get upset stomach taking sports drinks.

Follow our pre-race nutrition strategy before you start the swim portion of the race. When you exit the swim, take some water. Once you get on your bike for the first 4 -5 miles, relax and regain your composure. Drinking a mix of sports drink and water for the first 15 minutes just so you can settle down. During the bike portion of the race, you will probably need 200 - 300 calories per hour to sustain energy depending on your size. This can be achieved by a combination of solid food, energy gel, sports drink and water. Take in some solid food, if you can, such as half to a full energy bar depending on how much solid food you can handle and the distance of the bike leg. If you are going to rely on energy gel alone for calories, then aim for 2 - 3 packets per hour since each packet contains approximately 100 calories. The key is to take in solid food in early part of the bike leg and consume energy gel in the later part of the bike portion of the race to sustain energy so it settles in your stomach easily for the run. As for hydration on the bike, try alternating water and sports drink with food and gel. For example, drink water when eating food or gel, drink sports drink when not eating so you are not feeding the stomach too much at any given time. Towards the end of the bike leg, limit your calories intake to only energy gel to avoid getting an upset stomach. Also take some water before you head out for the run.

On the run course, your main energy source is going to be energy gel and sports drink. Take in some orange slices, donuts and cookies occasionally if you can handle solid food, otherwise, stick to gel and sports drink. Again, aim for about 200 - 300 calories per hour by combining gel, sports drink and the occasional solid food from the course. Try to drink every 2 miles on the run course and use the alternating sports drink and water approach above to minimize the amount of sugar in your stomach.

In any race lasting longer than 3 hours, another main concern is electrolyte imbalance. We often hear about athletes taking salt tablets during a half or full iron distance race. Electrolyte replacement during exercise is a necessary procedure that is also highly individualistic. This is because everyone's body is different, racing duration and intensities are different, and weather conditions are different. There are so many schools of thought when it comes to electrolyte replacement. All too often the endurance athlete finds out too late that these electrolytes have been depleted through bodily fluids and perspiration, the signs of which are muscle weakness, nausea and cramping. While sports drinks may contain one or more electrolytes, it is important to replace the specific ones primarily used during exercise in a form (capsules or fluid) that allows alteration of dosages based on body weight, BMI, length and intensity of training, and weather. Depending on your size and weather condition and exercise intensity, you could lose approximately 1000 mg or 1 g of salt in an hour. During the first 2 - 3 hours of exercise, your body will tap into the reserved salt stored in the tissue. Exercises beyond this length of time would typically require supplement of salt tablets. Hammer Nutrition has a electrolytes replacement called e-caps which are little white tablets that contain 40mg of sodium, 25mg of potassium and other essential minerals for athletes. Their recommendation is to take 1 - 6 caps during each hour of exercise. If you do the math, you will realize that taking as much as 6 tablets won't even replace all the electrolytes that you lose in an hour. Remember, you body is not able to replace what was lost at the same rate that you replace them. As you take these tablets, you are providing the body with the electrolytes that you need during exercise and conserve the reserves stored in your body. If you find it logistically difficult to take e-caps, you can dissolve them in water and give it a shake before you drink it but make sure you consume the same amount of e-caps as you would taking them by mouth.

Remember to practice all these nutrition strategies during training, especially on electrolytes replacement. If you have certain health conditions that you are unsure whether they would interfere with your training and racing nutrition plan, you should consult a registered dietitian and your physician before changing your current diet.

Post Race Nutrition

Post race nutrition not only applies at the end of a race, athletes should also follow these guidelines at the end of a long training session. For shorter races, post race nutrition plan may last a day or two. However, for longer races such as a half ironman or full ironman, you should monitor your diet and fluid replacement for longer than just a few days. After 5 to 10 minutes of catching your breath, start heading over to the post race party and start refueling.

Fluid and electrolytes replacement - athletes are well aware of the importance of hydration after the race given the fact that we all reach for the water or sports drink right after our race. You should aim for drinking 20 oz - 24 oz of fluid for each pound of weight you lost after the race. We understand that most of the time there won't be a scale for you to weigh yourself after the race, so drink about 2 - 3 cups of fluid after you cross the finish line. Consuming a sports drink afterwards will help replenish the electrolytes lost. Try to avoid drinking too much fluid during a short time after the race. You hydration plan should last throughout the day and into the next few days. This would prevent diluting the electrolytes in your body. Also stay away from fluids that contain caffeine (soda, coffee, tea, etc.) and alcohol due to their diuretic effect. Eat a banana to get the potassium that you lost through sweating as well.

Carbohydrate replacement - this is your number two priority. Remember the glycogen store that was called to action during a race? It needs to be replenished before you are ready for your next workout. Most athletes finish their race with an empty or close to empty tank of fuel. The faster we can replace lost glycogen, the better it is for recovery. Within 30 minutes of your finish or at the end of a long training session, consume some easily digestible carbohydrates. Look for these at the post race party: sports drink, fruits, cookies, donuts, muffins, and pizzas. Before the end of the day, eat a well-balanced meal to replace more lost glycogen, and other essential vitamins and antioxidants.

Protein for muscle recovery - your muscles broke down during a race and now is the time to repair them. Look for these at the post race party: pizzas, sandwiches and yogurt. Incorporate some proteins in your meal by adding chicken, turkey breast, lean pork, etc.

When finishing a longer race such as a half or full ironman, your body may respond differently to fluid and food from a shorter distance race. If there is something specific that you usually consume after a race, pack it with you so it will be available to you after the race. Half and full ironmans also have IV tents setup to assist in emergency fluid and electrolytes replacement. Try relying on your own fluid and food intake if you are able to after finishing a race. Going to the IV tent should be your last resort.