SportsGist Rules!

By: Susan M. Kleiner, PhD, RD, FACN, CNS, FISSN

Think about how you would like to look and feel. Imagine yourself with a body that’s fit and firm, with just the right amount of muscle. Imagine the joy of having high strength and energy day in and day out.

            Keep those images in your mind’s eye. Those goals are not just for athletes and bodybuilders any more. The field of sports nutrition is light years from the dieting world, but it’s sports nutrition and strength training that makes athletes look and feel great. POWER EATING will show you how to achieve those goals by taking a few nips and tucks in one of the most important fitness factors of all-nutrition.

PRINCIPLES FOR BUILDING MUSCLE, GAINING ENERGY, LOSING FAT

These principles are the same ones I have advocated for world-class athletes, Olympic contenders, and recreational strength trainers for more than 15 years. Now you can do it too.

• 1. Eat enough calories

A key to feeling energized is to eat the right amount of calories to power your body for hard training. A lack of calories will definitely make you feel like a wet dishrag by the end of your workout. A diet that provides less than 1,600 calories, for example, generally does not contain all the vitamins and minerals you need to stay healthy, prevent disease, and  perform well. Very low-calorie diets followed for longer than two weeks can be hazardous to your health, and they do not provide the dietary reference intakes (DRIs) of enough of the nutrients needed for good health.

      Historically, the recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) were the national standard for the amount of carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals we need in our diets to avoid deficiency diseases and to maintain growth and health. The DRIs were established to update the RDAs abased on more functional criteria rather than criteria based on deficiency diseases. Rather than focusing on avoiding disease, the DRIs focus on optimal performance both mentally and physically. But under certain conditions-stress, illness, malnutrition, and exercise-we may require a higher intake of certain nutrients. Studies have shown that athletes, in particular, may have to exceed the DRI of many nutrients. Some competitive bodybuilders have estimated their calorie intake to be greater than 6,000 calories a day during the off-season-roughly three times the DRI for the average person (2,000 calories a day for women and 2,700 calories a day for men).

      How much you need of each nutrient depends on a number of factors including your age and sex, how hard you train, and whether you are a competitive or recreational strength trainer, among other considerations. Calorie needs for an athlete trying to build strength and muscle can range from 19 to 24 or more calories per pound of body weight for men and 16 to 23 or more calories per pounds of body weight for women. If you are trying to lose fat, then calorie needs will vary.

Generally strength trainers need to eat more protein, more of the right kinds of carbohydrates, and more high performance fats. What’s more, they may be wise to supplement with a one-a-day style multivitamin-mineral supplement. If you are trying to gain muscle and lose body fat, eating enough calories and takin gin enough nutrients will make the difference between success failure.

 

• 2. Eat the carbohydrate you need.

It’s well known that most athletes, strength trainers, included, don’t eat enough carbohydrate, the primary fuel for the body. Most athletes eat diets in which only half the total daily calories come from carbohydrate, but if you want to build muscle you need to eat 2.1 to 3.2 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight per day. Men eat more than women. That’s more than half of your total daily calorie intake. Some athletes think that they should be following a low-carbohydrate diet because it promotes faster weight loss. The problem with these diets is that they deplete glycogen, the body’s storage form of carbohydrate. Once glycogen stores are emptied, the body starts burning protein from tissues, including muscle tissue, to meet its energy demands. You lose hard-earned muscle as a result.

      The real story on carbohydrate for weight control and muscle building is that you should select whole-food carbohydrate-natural, complex carbohydrate as close to its natural state as possible-instead of refined, processed carbohydrate. What’s the difference? A blueberry is a whole-food carbohydrate: a blueberry toaster muffin is a processed carbohydrate.

      One important reason why whole foods are better has to do with their high-fiber content.Fiber is the remnant of plant foods that remains undigested by the body. It’s what keeps your bowel movements regular. Fiber is also a proven fat fighter. Research shows that people who eat healthy high-fiber diets have smaller waistlines, and are able to better control their weight. The bottom line is that the right types of carbohydrate can help you manage your weight successfully. The only types of carbohydrate you should shy away from are sugars and highly processed foods. Even so, when used in a targeted way, sugars can be an athlete’s best friend by providing the right fuel at the right time. But without a plan, they can sabotage your goals.

• 3. Vary your diet

One of the biggest downfalls of traditional bodybuilding diets is the monotonous food choices. Little fruit, fewer vegetables, even less dairy, and little to no meat or eggs show up on their plates. Fruits and vegetables are packed with disease-fighting, health-building antioxidants and phytochemicals that make all the difference when you’re trying to gain energy and build muscle. Dairy products supply important nutrients like bone-building calcium and whey, the ideal muscle-building protein. Meat and eggs are important sources of vital minerals like iron and zinc, without which you’ll be jumping lower and running slower.

      Bodybuilders, however, do a lot of things right, especially during the training season. They eat several meals and snacks throughout the day-a practice that should be followed by everyone. In fact, you should be fueling your active body every two and a half to four hours. Carrying snacks with you from a wide variety of the food groups like nuts, fresh and dried fruit, mozzarella cheese sticks, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, turkey jerky, soy nuts and crisps, are a great way to ensure variety in your diet all day long. Make meals representative of all the food groups by including fruits, vegetables, dairy, whole grains, beans, soy, eggs, fish, chicken, meats, nuts, nut butters and oils, olives and extra virgin olive oil, and avocados. Choose a variety of foods from within the food groups as well. Don’t just eat apples, eat apples, bananas, grapes, berries, peaches, nectarines, oranges, grapefruit, and all the wonderful variety of fruits available during the week and month. Keep the idea the same for vegetables, grains, protein foods and high performance fats.

• 4. Time and combine your food and nutrients

To achieve superb shape and maximum performance, forgo the usual approach of three meals a day. Active people must fuel themselves throughout the day, eating small meals and snacks every two and a half to four hours, preferable timed around their workout schedule As we’ll see, these meals don’t include just any type of food.

      When eating multiple meals, you always want to combine protein with carbohydrate and high performance fat. Examples would be a turkey sandwich, a whole-wheat bage with peanut butter, or an apple with nuts. Eating multiple meals also promotes variety in your diet and keeps your blood sugar levels even so that you avoid peaks and valley throughout the (a cycle that happens to promote fat storage).

      By including small amounts of protein in meals and snacks, you can control your appetite, feed your muscles more efficiently, and maintain muscle even when you’re trying to lose fat.  You also burn fat better because protein, as well as eating multiple small meals, has been shown to increase thermogenesis, the process b which your body converts ingested calories and stored fat into heat. Another advantage of multiple meals is mental performance. regular, timed meals help you think and process information more effectively, increase your attention span, and boost your mood.

      The bottom line is that small, frequent meals throughout the day are the best fat-burning, muscle-building strategy you can integrate into your lifestyle. It might be hard during the school day, but if you carry snacks in your backpack or book bag it will make all the difference in your performance on the field, and in the classroom.

• 5. Use a food plan

Any nutritional program aimed at losing body fat and building muscle should be based on a food plan that emphasizes lean protein, natural carbohydrate, and high performance fat. When you want to achieve great things, you have to have a plan, and stick with it. You, along with someone close to you, need to think about the four, four-letter words of nutrition: plan, shop, pack and cook. Without planning ahead, you leave yourself at the mercy of whatever is around when you’re hungry: fast food and vending machines. These will sabotage your results every time.

      Think about what you need to eat to fuel your body and your brain. Make a shopping list. Go shopping: read labels while you’re there to make sure that what you are buying is the real deal. Shop the perimeter of the supermarket where most of the fresh foods and only lightly processed foods (think bread, cheese) can be found. The closer you get to the center of the store, the more processed the foods become. Make sure to purchase foods that can be packed, and have packing supplies on hand to make your mornings efficient. Get involved with dinner decisions, and even recipe choices. It won’t be that long before you’ll have to be doing this for yourself in your own home. And you may have a positive influence on your whole family’s diet.

 

 

Table 1.           Power Eating^® Timing

Throughout the day

Fluids: At least 8-12 cups a day; at least 5 cups should be water.

Breakfast: Never skip this meal, because it improves physical and mental performance and helps regulate weight.

Meals: Small, frequent protein/carbohydrate/high performance fat meals and snacks every 2 to 4 h.

Before exercise

Fluids: At least 8 oz. before exercise.

Pre-exercise meal: At least 4 h before exercise so that the body properly assimilates carbohydrates for use by muscles.

Pre-exercise snack: 30 to 90 min before exercise. Snack should include 200 to 400 calories, 30 to 50 grams of carb, 10 to 20 grams of proteins, and 5 to 7 grams of fat. Snack can be food or meal-replacement supplements. These will provide additional energy for prolonged stamina and help decrease exercise-induced breakdown of muscle protein.

During exercise

Fluids: 7-10 oz. every 10-20 min.

Glucose-electrolyte sport drinks: Sipping these during a workout has been shown to extend endurance. Use when trying to build muscle, and don’t use when trying to lose fat.

After exercise

Fluids: Replace each pound of fluid lost with 16-24 oz. of water or sport drink.

Carbohydrates: Consume .5 to 1.0 g/kg depending on what phase you’re in.

Protein: Consume 0.5 g/kg protein with carbohydrate to encourage muscle growth. Postexercise snacks can be in the form of meal-replacement beverages with .5 to 1.0 grams/kg simple carb and .5 grams protein. Follow this by a meal within 2 h of exercise containing lots of carbohydrate and high-quality protein sources (fish, lean meats, low-fat dairy products, eggs, etc.).

 

Source for article:

Kleiner SM, Greenwood-Robinson M. Power Eating, Third Edition. Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL. 2007.

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Put your fears aside. Vegetarian diets are typically rich in carbohydrates, with plenty of protein and high performance fats. That’s the perfect prescription for exercisers and athletes. With 60 percent of your diet coming from carb-packed grains, beans, fruits and vegetables, there’s no way your performance will drop off. And you can certainly get enough protein to pack on plenty of muscle. But you do have to plan your diet well.

And just for clarity-sake, although research has taught us that eating too much of animal-based foods may result in the development of chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer, the problem is not that eating any amount of these foods is bad for you. But if you make animal foods the center of your diet, you just don’t have enough room left to eat all the fabulous plant foods like grains, beans, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables necessary to ward off disease.

Pesco-vegetarians eat dairy foods, eggs and fish, but no other animal flesh.

Lacto-ovo-vegetarians eat dairy foods and eggs, but exclude animal flesh.

Ovo-vegetarians eat eggs but no dairy foods or animal flesh.

Vegans eat no animal foods of any typeAny of these styles will offer you the opportunity to expand the amount of plant foods in your diet and still meet your own desires for food, taste and performance.

ENSURING THE PROPER NUTRIENTS

Changing from a meat-centered to a plant-centered diet is not as simple as just eliminating the meat. The trick is to make sure you’re not skimping on any nutrients as you cut out certain foods. Vegans run the greatest risk of deficiencies because several vital nutrients including protein, vitamins B12 and D, iron, zinc, and calcium, are found in highest qualities or most significant amounts primarily in meat, eggs and dairy products.

SPECIAL FOCUS ON PROTEIN AND CARBOHYDRATE

When it comes to carbohydrates, don’t be misled by fads. The research is clear: if you want to train hard and long, you need plenty of carbohydrate to achieve your goals. Eating a vegetarian-style diet will make this easy. Plant-based foods are great sources of all the different carbohydrates and fibers that will keep you healthy and fuel intense workouts.

To get enough calories and nutrients, vegetarians should eat at least 1,800 calories a day. The following list gives you minimum servings for each day, with a suggestion of where to add more to increase calories.

6-11 servings of bread, cereal, rice, and pasta

3-5 servings of vegetables

2-4 servings of fruit

2-3 servings of milk, yogurt, and cheese

3-4 servings of poultry, fish, dried beans, eggs, and nuts

3-5 servings of nuts, seeds and other high performance fats

Lacto-vegetarians:

8-11 servings of bread, cereal, rice, and pasta

3-5 servings of vegetables

3-4 servings of fruit

2-3 servings of milk and yogurt

1-2 servings of low-fat cheese

4-6 servings of dried beans and peas

3-5 servings of nuts, seeds and other high performance fats

supplement or use products fortified with iron and zinc

Vegans:

8-11 servings of bread, cereal, rice, and pasta

4-6 servings of vegetables

3-4 servings of fruit

6-8 servings of dried beans and peas

3-5 servings of nuts, seeds and other high performance fats

supplement or use products fortified with vitamins B12 and D, iron, zinc, and calcium

Serving size guidelines:

Food Group	Serving size
Whole grain bread, cereals, and grains	1 slice bread; 1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice, or pasta; 1 ounce ready-to-eat cereal; 1/2 bun, bagel, or English muffin; 1 small roll, biscuit, or muffin; 3 to 4 small or large crackers
Vegetables	1/2 cup cooked or chopped raw vegetables; 1 cup raw, leafy vegetables, 1/2 cup cooked legumes; 3/4 cup vegetable juice
Fruit	1 medium piece of raw fruit, 1/2 grapefruit, 1 melon wedge, 1/2 cup berries, 1/2 cup diced, cooked or canned fruit, 1/4 cup dried fruit, 3/4 cup of fruit juice
Milk	1 cup nonfat or lowfat milk or yogurt, or kefir
Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, beans	1 oz. cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish, 1 egg, 1/2 ounce cheese, 1/2 cup of cottage cheese 1/2 cup cooked cooked dried beans
High Performance Fats	1 tsp extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, sesame oil, peanut oil or other nut oil; 1/4 of a small avocado; 8 large olives; 1 Tbsp seeds; 6-8 nuts; 1 Tbsp natural peanut butter

A GOLD MEDAL LIFETIME

You are now on the road to improving your performance, and your life. Many successful athletes have chosen a vegetarian lifestyle. Not only could they perform at peak levels during their athletic careers, but they have maintained good health and longevity throughout the rest of their lives.

SIDEBAR

DETERMINING PROTEIN QUALITY

Approximate protein quality of various forms of protein found in food and supplements.*

Protein	PDCAAS	PER
Gelatin (Collagen)	0.08	-
Wheat	0.43	1.5
Beef/Poultry/Fish	0.8 – 0.92	2.0 – 2.3
Soy	1.0	1.8 – 2.3
Ovalbumin (Egg)	1.00	2.8
Milk Protein	1.00	2.8
Casein	1.00	2.9
Bovine Colostrum (BC)	1.0	3.0
Whey	1.0	3.0-3.2

*Data compiled by Dr. Richard Kreider, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee

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