Fuel for Fitness
by David Quick
Summary: In the wake of the low-carb craze, advice based
on new and old research in sports nutrition is being put into use by elite and amateur
athletes, but the same advice has applications for weekend warriors and even couch
potatoes.
For those who regularly exercise, the low-carbohydrate fad
can be a diet disaster.
You need carbs, albeit good carbs, for energy. It's that
simple.
That word is getting on the streets. The October issue of
Bicycling magazine proclaims, "You Need Carbs." Last year, an issue of Runner's
World ran a story titled "Get Your Carbs Here."
This summer, Lance Armstrong's coach, Chris Carmichael, put
out a 368-page book, "Food for Fitness," urging the 9 million Americans who are
regularly active to ignore the low-carb craze and follow a more thoughtful nutritional
plan.
Carmichael's plan is based on the concept of
"periodization," which takes into account the fact that as activity levels
change, so do nutritional needs. Those needs also vary depending on your sport or activity
of choice.
Similar to Carmichael's "Food for Fitness," a
book titled "Eat to Win for the 21st Century" by Robert Haas, a revised version
of his "Eat to Win" from the 1980s, will be published in January and will offer
advice on achieving a healthy body weight, eating for specific sports, consuming foods
that improve brain power and selecting proper nutrition supplements.
Eating for exercise, as well as for routine life functions,
is finding its way from the elite athlete training centers to the general public as well.
Many are finding that the dietary habits of athletes can translate well, while tweaked,
into the lives of those who are only moderately active.
Perhaps more than anyone, bodybuilders have realized the
connection between food and results for a longer time than any sports discipline.
Tres Bennett, a bodybuilder for nearly 20 years and
co-owner of Wholesale Nutrition store and Steel City Gym in Charleston, is a strong
believer in tailoring food intake to what a person plans to do, considering that proteins
help build and repair muscle, healthy fats are essential to body functions and carbs are
the body's fuel.
"Imagine we have a table of 'healthy foods.' Whether
we are world-class athletes or Mr. Joe Q. Public, whether we want to gain weight or lose
weight, or whether we want to be bodybuilders or swimmers, we must all eat from that same
table," says Bennett.
"The difference is (that) our individual goals will
dictate which foods we will choose from the table and how much and how often we eat
them," he says, adding that, for example, long-distance runners need more carbs and
carb sources than do bodybuilders, who need more protein.
Regardless, Bennett says all people should eat something
every three hours, no matter what the goal. (However, for athletes, he specifies that the
absolute most important meals of the day are breakfast, the meal prior to a workout and
the post-workout meal.)
"When we fail to feed our bodies consistently, our
bodies begin to store fat, so while you are going long periods of time without nutrients,
it has something to fuel itself."
Like Bennett, Amy Mendez, a registered dietitian at
Prevecare on Daniel Island, recommends eating on a more regular basis than the old-school,
three-meals-a-day regimen. She often tells clients to consider eating foods based on what
they anticipate doing, much like athletes.
Mendez says that athletes are more in tune with the
connection between nutrition and feeling good. "If we all took more time to listen to
our body and connect it with what foods you are feeding it, I think we'd all pay more
attention to what we eat."
Mendez says, for example, if you're headed into a
late-morning meeting, don't grab a cup of coffee and a sugary doughnut, which will give
you a quick burst of energy followed by a crash. Instead, she suggests grabbing a snack
mixing a complex carbohydrate (whole grains, not refined, white grains or sugar) and a
protein (cottage cheese, peanut butter, yogurt). In the same sense, all meals and snacks
should include a mix of fiber-rich and filling complex carbohydrate and lean protein.
She is starting to see the fallout of the low-carb craze in
clients, she adds, who are complaining of having no energy. Some, too, are starting to
return to eating more carbs, and unfortunately, are choosing the bad, white carbs over
good carbs, such as those found in fruit.
Also like many athletes, Mendez says everyone needs to fuel
his body every four to five hours and, especially, have a late-afternoon snack.
"My recommendation is the exact opposite of what your
mother told you would 'spoil your dinner.' A late-afternoon snack takes the edge off the
hunger," says Mendez. And that allows people a chance to either get in a
late-afternoon workout before dinner or avoid pigging out at dinner.
THE RIGHT MIX
The carb-protein snack mix, one of the hottest areas of
sports nutrition research these days, has to do with the benefits of immediate
post-workout nutrition intake.
In the last few years, university studies have proven that
eating carbohydrates immediately after workouts results in the rapid replenishment of
muscle and liver glycogen, which is the storage form of carbohydrate in the body, and
results in better performance in subsequent workouts than waiting two hours or more after
exercise.
However, more studies are also finding that consuming
proteins immediately after workouts results in rapid repair and rebuilding of muscle
tissue "damaged" during a workout, as well as reducing muscle soreness and
improving muscle function.
When carbohydrates and proteins are consumed together, each
enhances the benefits of the other.
Until recently, however, no study had looked at the
long-term effects of regular post-exercise protein and carbohydrate consumption. But a new
study led by researchers at Iowa State University did investigate these effects, and
produced some very interesting results.
In the study, Marine recruits representing six platoons
were assigned to one of three treatment protocols during 54 days of boot camp. Each day
after exercise, some Marines received a placebo drink containing 0 calories, others
received a control drink containing 8 grams of carbohydrate and 3 grams of fat, and others
received a drink containing 8 grams of carbohydrate, 10 grams of protein, and 3 grams of
fat.
The investigators reported that: "Compared to placebo
and control groups, the protein supplemented group had an average of nearly a 33 percent
fewer total medical visits, 28 percent fewer visits due to bacterial/viral infections, 37
percent fewer visits due to muscle/joint problems, and 83 percent fewer visits due to heat
exhaustion."
Also, "Muscle soreness immediately post-exercise was
reduced by protein supplementation versus placebo and control groups on both days 34 and
54."
The relevance of these extraordinary findings to athletes
is clear. This new evidence indicates that athletes in heavy training will maintain a
higher level of health and performance if they consume a carbohydrate-protein liquid
supplement immediately following each workout.
Indeed, post-workout supplementation should be considered a
part of the workout itself. Until this time, athletes have been encouraged not to consider
their workout completed until they have performed a proper cool-down. Now it's time to
extend the definition of a complete workout to include immediate post-cool-down nutrition.
WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY
Dr. Robert Portman, co-author of "The Performance
Zone: Your Nutrition Action Plan for Greater Endurance & Sports Performance" and
"Nutrient Timing: The Future of Sports Nutrition," has a simple rule for people
to remember.
It's called the "30W15 Rule."
"It stands for starting nutrient intervention 30
minutes before exercise and continuing through your workout and consuming your recovery
nutrition within 15 minutes after your workout. Obedience to the 30W15 rule means not only
changing your exercise nutrition behavior, but also redefining when your workout begins
and when your workout ends."
Portman says there is a nutritional window of opportunity
that begins 30 minutes before exercise, continues throughout exercise, and ends 15 minutes
afterward.
"Research shows that what exercisers do (or don't do)
nutritionally during this period has as great an effect on their results as their workouts
themselves, and their overall diet."
Because of the immediate and dramatic effects of
dehydration on sports performance, Portman recommends that exercisers consume 14-20 ounces
of a sports drink 30 minutes before practices, workouts and competition.
"Consuming fluids during this time will delay the
development of dehydration, speed the onset of sweating and cause a smaller rise in body
temperature. Sports drinks are preferred over pure water because they contain electrolyte
minerals (mainly sodium). These minerals prevent the excretion of water through the
kidneys (i.e. the need to urinate)."
During exercise, Portman says, the appropriate nutrition
can prevent dehydration and muscle cramps, increase energy and endurance, limit muscle
damage and immune system suppression, and accelerate post-workout recovery.
To enjoy all of these benefits, you must use a
well-formulated sports drink containing water, electrolytes, 6-8 percent carbohydrate, and
roughly 2 percent protein.
Portman says the water and electrolytes in sports drinks
serve to replace the fluid lost through perspiration. Even mild dehydration can reduce
aerobic performance and cause muscle cramps. Drinking throughout exercise can't halt
dehydration completely but it can slow it considerably, thereby enhancing performance and
lowering the risk of muscle cramps.
"For the best results, drink small amounts (4-8
ounces) of a sports drink frequently, every 10-15 minutes, throughout exercise," he
said. "Be aware that different activities present distinct sets of nutrition
challenges and opportunities. For example, drinking on a bicycle is much easier than
drinking while running. Therefore, it's important that you customize your performance zone
nutrition strategy to your particular activity."
After exercise, Portman says, exercisers should continue
drinking a carbohydrate-protein sports drink for 15 minutes after exercise is completed.
Research has shown that exercisers are able to recover much
more quickly if they take in nutrition immediately after exercise than if they wait and
take the same nutrition later. In particular, immediate post-exercise nutrition
accelerates muscle repair and rebuilding and muscle fuel replenishment.
Over the long term this reduces the risk of injuries and
enhances fitness gains. For example, in one study, exercisers who consumed a
carbohydrate-protein supplement immediately after exercise improved their strength by 8
percent in 12 weeks, while those who waited two hours showed no improvement.
AVOIDING THE WALL
Athletes, particularly marathon runners, know about
"hitting the wall." It's also been referred to as "crashing" or
"bonking." Simply put, it means running out of energy during an event. More
specifically, it is a form of exhaustion that occurs when either muscle glycogen or blood
glucose falls to a very low level during the latter portion of a long race or workout.
According to active.com, a Web site dedicated to endurance
sports athletes, recent findings in the field of exercise physiology are painting a more
complex picture of this familiar and dreaded phenomenon.
In particular, it now appears that muscle damage may be an
equally important cause of hitting the wall. The scientists currently pursuing this line
of research hypothesize that a protective mechanism causes the brain to suddenly curtail
muscle stimulation and produce feelings of discomfort and exhaustion when muscle damage
begins to approach dangerous levels during prolonged exercise.
That exercise causes muscle damage has been known for more
than a century. What's new is the idea that such damage is perhaps as potent a cause of
hitting the wall as running out of energy.
New evidence in support of this hypothesis comes from a
study performed at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
Researchers discovered that the brain-signaling molecule
interleukin-6 plays a role in telling the brain when muscle damage is approaching
dangerous levels during exercise. As interleukin-6 levels rise during exercise,
performance plummets. Runners injected with interleukin-6 before a 10K time trial ran a
full minute slower than they did when given a placebo.
There remains much to be learned about the mechanisms by
which muscle damage causes fatigue. Another important question is whether these mechanisms
have any practical implications for athletes. In other words, is there anything you should
do to prevent muscle damage fatigue that you aren't already doing to prevent energy
depletion fatigue?
One measure that looks very promising is consuming protein
during exercise.
Recent studies have shown that when athletes consume
protein with carbohydrate and fluids during exercise, muscle damage is substantially lower
and endurance significantly greater than when carbohydrate and fluids are consumed without
protein.
In fact, in one new study, muscle damage was found to be 83
percent lower and endurance 29 percent greater. The authors of this study apparently saw
no connection between these effects, but it seems quite likely that the reduction in
muscle damage was itself a major reason the subjects given the carb-protein sports drink
experienced delayed fatigue.
There are two theories about how the addition of protein to
a sports drink might reduce exercise-related muscle damage. The protein in the sports
drink may be used preferentially for energy during extended exercise, resulting in less
breakdown of muscle protein. The protein may also raise amino acid levels in the blood.
Elevated levels of blood amino acids have been shown to reduce muscle protein breakdown.
GATORADE OR GU
Endurance athletes, like it or not, are very familiar with
sports drinks, such as Gatorade, Accelerade and Powerade, and energy gels, such as GU and
Clif gel. Gels (when taken with water) provide the same benefits as sports drinks and
should be taken in the same circumstances: during workouts and races lasting an hour or
more.
During exercise, the body loses fluids composed of water
and electrolyte minerals and it burns carbohydrate. Athletes can enhance their performance
and delay fatigue by consuming these nutrients in appropriate forms during exercise.
Sports drinks are formulated to replace water and electrolytes in the proper balance and
to provide carbohydrates in a form that is quickly absorbed and metabolized. Abundant
research has shown that consuming sports drinks during workouts and races lasting an hour
or more enhances performance significantly.
Carbohydrate gels are essentially sports drinks without the
water. To be effective, gels must be consumed with water, otherwise they will not absorb
quickly.
And you need water anyway for hydration. If you use a gel
that does not contain electrolytes (sodium, potassium and magnesium) you need to get them
from another source, but again, it should not be a sports drink because the combination of
gels and sports drinks is too concentrated. Consider trying one of the newer sports drinks
that contain carbohydrate and protein in a 4-to-1 ratio.
Contact David Quick at dquick@postandcourier.com or 937-5516.
CARBS, PROTEIN AND FATS
Here's a list of the best carb, protein and fat choices
for active people.
BEST CARBOHYDRATES
-- Fruits and vegetables: Especially beneficial are sweet
potatoes, spinach, red peppers, butternut squash, romaine lettuce, asparagus, baked potato
with skin, green peppers, peas, corn.
-- Grains, pastas and cereals: Look for breads and pastas
made with whole wheat, and try out overlooked grains such as bulgur wheat, quinoa, oatmeal
and whole-grain corn. Buy breakfast cereals that contain whole grains that are cracked,
split or puffed; it's even better if they contain nuts or dried fruits.
BEST PROTEINS
-- Red meat: Seek out low-fat cuts like those with the
words "loin" or "round" in the name.
-- Chicken and turkey: Look beyond the staple of the
athlete's diet - chicken breasts - for other forms of these birds, such as canned chicken
in soups or salads, or sliced turkey breast used in sandwiches.
-- Eggs: One of the most complete sources of protein out
there; even if you just eat the white, eggs still deliver a lot of nutrients.
-- Dairy products: The best protein sources in the cheese
family are parmesan, Swiss, cheddar, colby, gouda, Monterey and skim mozzarella. Nonfat
yogurt, low-fat yogurt and skim milk are other terrific choices.
-- Fish and seafood: Those that deliver the biggest
nutritional boost are cod, shrimp, tuna, crab, clams, halibut and salmon.
-- Legumes: Your best choices in this category are
soybeans, peanuts, lentils, split peas, white beans, kidney beans and black beans.
BEST FATS
-- Fish and fowl: White meat chicken and turkey are low in
saturated fat and 8-12 ounces of cold water fish (such as salmon and tuna) are great
sources of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids.
-- Oils: Olive, peanut, soybean, canola and flaxseed oil
are all beneficial to your health while being low in saturated fats and high in
unsaturated ("good") fats.
-- Fruits, seeds and nuts: Avocados are high in
polyunsaturated fat ("good") fat. Sprinkling nuts such as almonds, cashews,
walnuts or pine nuts over salads is a tasty way to get some added good fat without
overdoing it. Peanut butter is OK as long as you don't eat too much.
-- Dairy products: Yogurt of any flavor is worth eating, as
are low-fat cheeses and milks. Use whole milk, cream, butter and sour cream sparingly.
From Chris Carmichael's "Food for Fitness"
TIPS FOR YOUTHS
When young athletes begin practice with full fuel stores,
they are better prepared to complete their workouts. But usually kids arrive at practice
running on empty because they have skipped breakfast or lunch or just have not eaten
enough throughout the day. Not only does this lead to diminished performance, it also
hinders their ability to recover before the next day's practice. Here are some good
student-athlete food choices for a typical school day:
BREAKFAST:
Quick, nutrient-dense and, in some cases, portable options.
-- Oatmeal with skim milk, raisins and almonds
-- Two-egg wrap made with a whole-wheat tortilla
-- Shake made with fruit juice, frozen strawberries and skim milk
-- English muffin or bagel with nonfat cheese
-- Peanut butter in a whole-wheat tortilla
-- Cereal with fruit and low-fat or nonfat yogurt
-- Whole-grain waffle with fruit or peanut butter
LUNCH:
Selecting a nutritious lunch from the options offered at
school is tough, but possible. Brown-bagging it is also a great option.
In the cafeteria, choose:
-- Any type of fresh fruit or vegetables
-- Low-fat or skim milk (chocolate is OK!)
-- Fruit juices
-- Hamburger (go easy on the fries)
-- Grilled chicken sandwich
-- Bean burrito
-- Turkey sandwich
-- Soups or chili
-- Veggie and cheese pizza
Brown bag choices:
-- Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
-- Peanut butter, banana and honey sandwich
-- Fruit or fruit cups
-- Microwaveable container of soup or stew
PRE-PRACTICE SNACK:
There can be four hours or more between lunch and practice.
A good snack will help carry the student through.
-- Powerbar Performance, Harvest or Pria bar
-- Fig Newtons
-- Nutrigrain bar or other cereal bar
-- Trail mix
-- Crackers with cheese or peanut butter
-- Fruit or fruit cups
-- Dried fruit
-- Graham crackers
David Quick of The Post and Courier
Staff. From Chris Carmichael's "Food for Fitness"
Copyright 2004 The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC) The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC)
November 8, 2004 |
