Nutrition for Athletes Part 2: Pre-Workout

 

Submitted by Amy Sercel MS RD CD

Edited by Marcia Bristow MS RDN CSSD CD

Eating a balanced meal or snack before exercise is one of the most significant things you can do to ensure you’ll perform well.  Whether you’ll be going to a typical training session or competing in a tournament, a meal or snack that contains both food and drinks will give you the energy you need to exercise, prevent you from getting tired too quickly, keep you properly hydrated, and prevent hunger.¹ The ideal pre-exercise snack contains easily digested carbohydrates, some protein, and fluid to keep you hydrated.

Carbohydrates

Your body stores carbohydrates as energy in the form of muscle glycogen.  Before exercise you need to top off your muscle glycogen supply by eating carbohydrate-rich foods, such as bread, crackers, fruits, and dairy products.  If you don’t eat carbohydrates before exercising, your blood sugar could also get too low, leading to difficulty concentrating, hunger, and lower endurance.¹ The exact amount and type of carbohydrates to eat will vary depending on how much time you have before exercise and what you like to eat before a workout.  If possible, try to fuel up 1-3 hours ahead of time.  You should eat about 3 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of your body weight three hours before an event, 2 grams per kilogram body weight two hours before, or 1 gram per kilogram body weight one hour before.^1,2

For example, someone who weighs 150 pounds would need to eat about 200 grams of carbohydrates up to 3 hours before an event.  This might look like 1½ cups of oatmeal cooked with 2 cups of skim milk, 1 medium banana, ¼ cup of raisins, 2 slices of toast, and 3 tablespoons of honey.  When you have 3-4 hours before an event, your body will have more time to digest and absorb your meal.  This would be a good time to eat a meal that also contains fat and fiber, such as a tuna salad sandwich.  Two hours before an event, the same person would need about 136 grams of carbohydrates and could get this by consuming 2 pita breads topped with 4 tablespoons of hummus, 1 cup of skim milk, 1 medium pear, and 4 dried figs.  While this meal might seem large, it is lower in fat and fiber, so your body will easily absorb the carbohydrates to use as fuel during your activity.  One hour before an event, the person would need about 68 grams of carbohydrates and could get this by consuming 1 cup of skim milk, 1 medium apple, 10 Saltine-style crackers, and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter.

The closer you get to the time of your event, the more important it is to consume carbohydrates that will be digested and absorbed quickly.  Foods that are high in fiber and fat take longer to digest and will weigh in your stomach if you eat them within an hour of exercising.  As a result, you’ll probably feel sluggish and may end up with an upset stomach.  If you have an hour or less before you’ll be exercising, choose a piece of fruit, crackers or bread with jam, sports gel, gummies, or a sports drink.  Sports drinks, gel, and gummies are also good options if you tend to feel nervous before an event, since they provide a lot of carbohydrates in a small volume of food.³

Just before exercise, common snacks include yogurt with berries, fruit with nut butter, dried fruits, or a sandwich, which contain both protein and carbohydrates to give you energy and provide the building blocks you’ll need for muscle repair.^2,4

Protein

There isn’t a set recommendation for how much protein to eat before exercise.  There isn’t enough scientific evidence to recommend consuming protein before exercise in order to prevent muscle breakdown during exercise, or promote muscle repair afterwards.¹ In general, if you don’t have much time before exercise, it’s best to focus on eating carbohydrates rather than protein.  If you have more time before exercise, however, including some of protein in your pre-exercise meal will provide your body with some of the building blocks it needs to rebuild muscles after exercise.³ Choose sources of lean protein, such as low fat dairy, hard-boiled eggs, or turkey breast.  These foods do not provide large amounts of fat or fiber, so they will be easier to digest.

Hydration

Drink water regularly to make sure you stay properly hydrated on a day-to-day basis.  It’s best to avoid drinks that contain alcohol and caffeine before exercise, since these have diuretic effects and can actually lead to dehydration. Instead, consider drinking about 24 ounces of a diluted sports beverage to provide fluids, electrolytes, and carbohydrates at least two hours before your event.  Stop drinking within the hour before your event so you won’t have to use the bathroom during exercise.

Practice Makes Perfect

Just like your physical training prepares you to for competitions, it’s important to train your nutrition by eating a pre-exercise snack before practices each day.  This way, you’ll have an idea of the way different foods make you feel and will be able to choose the pre-exercise meal and snack that will work best for you during competitions.  If you suddenly change your eating habits on the day of a competition, you could end up with an upset stomach that slows you down.  Instead, experiment with different meal and snack options during your training season to learn which foods work best for you, and how long you need to eat before exercising.  Building nutrition into your training plan will ensure that you function at your peak when competition day arrives!

References:

1.         Dunford M, Doyle JA. Nutrition for Sport and Exercise. 3rd ed. Cengage Learning; 2015.

2.         nslabaugh. Fueling for Performance: How proper timing of meals affects both sport and academic performance. NCAA.org - The Official Site of the NCAA. http://www.ncaa.org/health-and-safety/nutrition-and-performance/fueling-performance-how-proper-timing-meals-affects-both. Published December 18, 2013. Accessed March 29, 2017.

3.         Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition. Eating Before Exercise. 2013.

4.         Timing Your Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition. www.eatright.org. http://www.eatright.org/resource/fitness/exercise/exercise-nutrition/timing-your-nutrition. Accessed March 29, 2017.

Nutrition for Athletes Part 1: Day-to-Day

 

Submitted by: Amy Sercel MS RD CD

Edited by: Marcia Bristow MS RDN CSSD CD

Whether you’re a casual athlete or someone who takes competition seriously, there’s no doubt that you always want to do your best.  You’re likely already aware that eating well helps you stay energized during activity, but the food you eat on a day-to-day basis also plays an important role in athletic performance. 

Your Energy Needs

First and foremost, make sure you’re eating enough calories to fuel your activities, prevent weight loss, maintain your muscle mass, and keep your body working properly.  Eating regular meals and snacks is the best way to meet this goal.  Your daily calorie need depends on your height, weight, age, gender, and activity level.  You need to eat more calories as your activity level increases, and men usually need more calories per day than women.  You can roughly estimate your calorie needs by multiplying your weight in kilograms by a set number of calories per kilogram.  You can find your weight in kilograms by multiplying your weight in pounds by 0.454.  For example: 

• A woman who trains five days per week would need about 37 calories per kilogram of body weight to maintain her weight.  At 140 lbs, this woman would need about 2,350 calories each day.¹
• A man who trains five days per week would need about 41 calories per kilogram of body weight to maintain his weight.  At 160 lbs, this man would need about 2,980 calories each day.¹ 
• If you increase this training schedule to rigorous training nearly every day, the 140-lb woman would need about 40 calories per kilogram, or about 2,600 calories each day.¹
• A 160-lb man who trains rigorously every day would need about 45 calories per kilogram, or about 3,270 calories each day.¹

If you would like to know exactly how many calories you need each day, meet with a Registered Dietitian who can calculate your daily energy need more precisely.  You can also use this interactive tool to estimate your daily energy needs based on your age, height, weight, and activity level.

Carbohydrates

In addition to getting enough calories, you need to eat enough carbohydrates every day.  Carbohydrates provide fuel for your muscles and brain, and if you don’t get enough you will feel tired, have trouble concentrating, and find exercise to be more challenging.  As a result, you won’t be able to perform at your peak.² 

After you eat carbohydrates, they’re broken down into glycogen, which is stored in your muscles and liver.  During exercise, your body breaks down the stored glycogen to use as energy.  As with calories, the amount of carbohydrates you need to eat each day varies depending on your activity level and body weight.  Low-intensity exercise does not use a lot of stored glycogen, so someone who plays a sport such as golf or baseball would only need about 5-7 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight each day.  For a 160-lb man, this would mean eating between 363 and 508 grams of carbohydrates each day.  On the other hand, a distance runner, swimmer, or cycler would need about 8-10 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight to replenish the glycogen that gets used up during periods of intense activity.  For a 160-lb man, this would mean eating between 580 and 720 grams of carbohydrates per day.¹

Sources of carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables, dairy products, beans, and grains.  These foods are considered nutrient-dense because they also provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber.  Soda, desserts, and candies also provide carbohydrates, but these are considered energy-dense because they provide calories without many other nutrients.  It’s best to include 2-3 servings of nutrient-dense carbohydrates with every meal and snack to ensure that you’re getting enough vitamins, minerals, and fiber each day. 

Protein

Athletes also need to make sure they’re meeting their protein needs each day.  Although non-athletes are only recommended to get about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day, athletes need more protein to ensure that their muscles can repair themselves after exercise.² Endurance and strength athletes who are in their competitive season need between 1.2 and 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of their body weight.¹ For a 160-lb man, this would mean eating between 87 and 145 grams of protein each day.  A Registered Dietitian will be able to tell you how much protein you need to eat every day, based on your training level and health goals.

Good sources of protein include dairy products, eggs, lean meat, poultry, seafood, nuts, beans, and soy products.  You should make sure to include 1-2 servings of protein in every meal and snack.  You also need to make sure that you’re meeting your body’s carbohydrate needs so the protein you eat will be used for muscle repair, rather than energy.

Fat

It’s also crucial to include sources of healthy fats throughout the day.  Fat provides calories, helps maintain your cell membranes, and allows you to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.  If fewer than 20% of your calories come from fat, it is likely that you aren’t absorbing enough of these vitamins.² It’s recommended that athletes get about 1 gram of fat per kilogram of your body weight.  For example, a 150-pound athlete would need about 68 grams of fat each day.  Fat is found in a variety of foods, including whole grains, dairy products, beans, nuts, and meat, so as long as you’re eating a variety of foods from each food group you are probably getting enough fat. 

It’s important to emphasize the unsaturated fats you can get from fatty fish, olive oil, nuts, seeds, and avocados, instead of the saturated fats you get from full fat dairy products, processed foods, and some meat.  Unsaturated fats help reduce inflammation in your body, whereas saturated fat can raise cholesterol levels and contribute to the development of heart disease.¹

Hydration

Drink water regularly throughout the day to make sure you’re well hydrated.  Keep in mind a formula to determine the amount of fluids you need to be well hydrated is approximately half your weight (in pounds) in ounces.  This means a 150-pound person should be drinking about 75 ounces per day.  This doesn’t include the amount of water you’ll need to replenish fluids lost during exercise.  To find out how much you need to drink in order to replace the fluids you lose in sweat, weigh yourself before and after exercise.  If you lose one pound, this means you’ve lost two cups of fluid and will need to drink this much to become adequately hydrated again.²

Planning Your Meals

In order to make sure you’re getting enough calories, carbohydrates, protein, and fat, you should eat regular meals and snacks.  Eating breakfast can give you the carbohydrates you need before an early morning training session, and can be a significant source of calories.  Make sure your breakfast is high in nutrient-dense carbohydrates and protein, and lower in fat, so you’ll feel full throughout the morning.  Eggs on whole grain toast with a side of fruit and a glass of low-fat milk is one nutritious option.³

Eating a balanced lunch can provide the carbohydrates and protein you need to recover from a morning workout or fuel up for an afternoon workout.  If you eat on the go, try packing yourself a sandwich made with whole wheat bread, lean meat, and a variety of vegetables with ¼ cup of trail mix on the side.³ Dinner is also a valuable way to refuel with nutrient-dense foods after a day of activity.

If your schedule is very busy, plan your meals for the day or week in advance, making note of times when you can prepare meals and choosing foods that you can easily reheat for lunch or dinner.  You can also pack snacks, such as fruit with nut butter, cheese sticks, or low-fat yogurt with granola, to make sure you always have food available throughout the day.  Make sure your snacks are “mini meals” that contain a combination of carbohydrates, protein, and fat, to help you stay satisfied and get a variety of vitamins and minerals.  It’s especially important to eat a snack within 30 minutes of training if you won’t be able to eat a full meal, since this will provide the carbohydrates and protein your body needs to recover from exercise.³

Your calorie and nutrient needs will vary depending on the intensity of your training and your overall health goals.  Including a balance of nutrient-dense carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fat in each meal will ensure that you are getting enough vitamins and minerals.  If your weight is remaining stable, you are likely meeting your energy needs each day.  If you’re concerned that you aren’t eating enough calories, or want to make sure you’re getting the right amounts of carbohydrates, protein, and fat meet with a Registered Dietitian who can provide you with an individualized meal plan. 

References:

1.         Dunford M, Doyle JA. Nutrition for Sport and Exercise. 3rd ed. Cengage Learning; 2015.

2.         Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016;116(3):501-528.

3.         Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition. Eating Frequency for the Student Athlete. 2013.

Sugar in your Wine

 

Submitted by Amy Sercel MS RD CD

Edited by Marcia Bristow MS RDN CSSD CD

Have you ever wondered what makes some wines so sweet? “Dry” wines, like Pinot Grigio or Cabernet Sauvignon, could have as little as 1 gram of sugar per 5 ounce glass, whereas a glass of Reisling could have as many as 14 grams of sugar.¹ The amount of sugar in wine can vary quite a bit and depends on the type of wine you’re drinking and the method used by individual producers to make the wine.

Sugar naturally occurs in grape juice in the form of sucrose, glucose, and fructose.² In order for wine to be made from grape juice, yeast has to convert this sugar into alcohol through a process called fermentation. If the grapes aren’t very ripe before fermentation, however, they may not contain enough sugar to produce the necessary amount of alcohol.  In cases like this, before fermentation begins the wine maker may add cane sugar, beet sugar, or grape juice concentrate to provide the yeast with more sugar to convert into alcohol.  This practice is called “chaptalization,” and it’s common in colder areas of Oregon, France, Germany, and Austria where grapes take a long time to ripen.  Most of the sugar added during chaptalization will be converted to alcohol by yeast and won’t be present in the final product.^3,4

Wine makers might also add sugar after fermentation to alter the wine’s taste.  Adding cane sugar to wine is illegal in California, so wine makers there usually add grape juice or grape juice concentrate to produce a sweeter wine.⁵ In another process known as “dosage,” sugar, grape juice, or wine is added to Champagne or other sparkling wines to balance their acidity.  The rationale behind this process is similar to chaptalization; the grapes used to make sparkling wines ripen more slowly than other grapes, so the resulting wine tends to be acidic after fermentation is finished and adding sugar makes it taste better.⁶

Regardless of how it got into your wine, any sugar left over after fermentation is called “residual sugar.”  You will need to visit a tasting room, check a vineyard’s website, or contact a wine producer directly and ask for the “tech sheet” with detailed information about your wine to learn how much residual sugar it contains.⁷ If you don’t have a chance to search for the tech sheet, choosing a dry wine will help you limit the sugar in your glass.  Remember to drink in moderation.  The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that men have no more than two drinks per day, and women have no more than one drink.  They define a drink as 12 oz of beer, 1.5 oz of 80-proof liquor, or 5 oz of wine.  The graphic above shows the amount of sugar in 6 oz glasses of wine, but still provides a nice comparison of the sugar content of different types of wine.  If you’re drinking wine, consider making a wine spritzer to bring your sugar and alcohol intake down even farther.

References:

1.         Watching your sugar intake? Toast to dry wine. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/watching-your-sugar-intake-toast-to-dry-wine/2014/04/22/b0ebf500-ba73-11e3-a397-6debf9e66e65_story.html. Accessed July 10, 2017.

2.         Creasy E. The Sugar Content of Red Seedless Grapes. LIVESTRONG.COM. http://www.livestrong.com/article/399685-the-sugar-content-of-red-seedless-grapes/. Accessed July 11, 2017.

3.         Health Q&A: Do winemakers add sugar to wine? | Wine & Health Q&A | News & Features | Wine Spectator. WineSpectator.com. http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/Health-QA-Do-winemakers-add-sugar-to-wine_4885. Accessed July 10, 2017.

4.         Bell E. What Is Chaptalization? VinePair. April 2016. https://vinepair.com/wine-blog/what-is-chaptalization/. Accessed July 10, 2017.

5.         Egan S. How Much Sugar Is in a Glass of Wine? The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/26/well/eat/how-much-sugar-is-in-a-glass-of-wine.html. Published May 26, 2017. Accessed July 10, 2017.

6.         Bell E. What Is “Dosage” And What Is It Doing In My Champagne? VinePair. November 2015. https://vinepair.com/wine-blog/what-is-dosage-and-what-is-it-doing-in-my-champagne/. Accessed July 10, 2017.

7.         Sugar in Wine Chart (Calories and Carbs). Wine Folly. http://winefolly.com/review/sugar-in-wine-chart/. Published May 22, 2015. Accessed July 11, 2017.