CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Summer is around the corner and the smell of fresh cut grass, a warm easy breeze and the allure of the ocean's sparkling water and sandy beaches may bring many people out of hibernation and into a more active mode.
With nice weather, they may be thinking about dusting off those running shoes and setting new fitness goals - it is May Fitness Month, after all. In the quest for improving fitness, remember to include a plan for good nutrition to support those fitness goals. Without a doubt, what people eat and when they eat affects their athletic performance. A wisely selected sports diet can help bodies become stronger, train harder, and compete better.
Use the following sports nutrition tips to help optimize performance levels:
Fuel: The best foods to fuel muscles are carbohydrates, either simple sugars, such as the naturally occurring sugars in wholesome fruits and 100 percent fruit juice, or complex carbohydrates, including starch foods, such as pasta, bread, rice, cereal, oatmeal, corn and other grains. These carbohydrates provide energy as well as important vitamins and minerals. Muscles store only carbohydrates for fuel, not protein or fat, in a form of sugar called glycogen. During hard exercise, muscles burn this glycogen for energy. When the glycogen storage depletes, as can happen during repeated days of hard training and a low carbohydrate diet, the body feels overwhelmingly exhausted. Although protein is a poor source of fuel, a small serving of a protein-rich food at two meals per day, plus the protein in two or three cups of milk or yogurt, is important to build and repair muscles. The protein should be the accompaniment to the carbohydrate-based meal, not the main focus.
Quick energy: When someone is hungry, tired and craving a quick energy boost prior to exercise, a simple snack of crackers, fruit or a low-fat granola bar can perk them up. To prevent the need for an energy boost, simply eat a heartier breakfast and lunch that fuels the body earlier in the day so it won't be running on fumes later that afternoon.
Fluids: Just as lack of carbohydrates can hurt athletic performance, so can lack of fluids. To prevent dehydration, drink lots of liquids before, during and after strenuous exercise. Also, monitor urine color to make sure it is a pale yellow color, not darker like beer. Which is better, water or a sports drink? Water is fine for exercise lasting less than an hour, particularly if you have enjoyed a pre-exercise snack to fuel your workout. If the exercise session lasts more than an hour and the body is low on energy, a sports drink during exercise offers energizing carbohydrates and can enhance stamina and endurance. After exercise, water, juice and sports drink plus a carbohydrate snack, such as fruit yogurt or a smoothie, all provide what the body needs: water and carbohydrates.
Recovery foods: The body should take in carbohydrates as soon as tolerable, usually within two hours after hard exercise, to replace depleted glycogen stores. Muscles are most receptive to refueling at this time. A simple post-exercise fuel is fruit juice, providing a rich source of fluid, carbohydrates and vitamins. For people who do exhaustive exercise, consuming a little protein along with carbohydrates, as found in fruit yogurt and chocolate milk, may enhance the speed of recovery and reduce soreness.
Pre-competition meals: The day before a competition, people should eat carbohydrate-rich meals. This allows adequate time for the body to digest the carbohydrates and store them as glycogen in the muscles. One to three hours prior to a strenuous morning event, people should also eat a light breakfast or comfortable snack, such as an energy bar, banana, bagel or cereal. This helps maintain a normal blood sugar level and enhances stamina and endurance. Before an afternoon or evening competition or event, eat a hearty breakfast, a comfortable lunch, like soup and a sandwich, and a snack or dinner as tolerated. Although many believe they should exercise on an empty stomach, current research suggests pre-exercise food actually improves performance. Experiment with different foods as the ability to tolerate them prior to exercise varies among different people.
(Source: N.Clark--Sports Nutrition)