Acceleration Sports Institute
Athletes Nutrition Guide
Food is Fuel….A strong and athletic body is built in the kitchen!
The
food an athlete eats before, during, and after a workout is important
for both performance and comfort during exercise. Energy foods such as
bars, drinks, and other quickly digestible carbohydrates can help
prevent hunger symptoms during exercise and keep you from depleting
energy too quickly.
The major source of fuel for during exercise
is carbohydrates which gets stored in the muscles as glycogen in the
days before exercise. It’s important to know that it takes time to fully
fill glycogen stores. What you eat after exercise can help hinder this
process. Eating the right foods at the right time after a workout is
essential for recovery and being prepared for the next workout.
What
you eat before a workout is a bit more individualized. It can depend
upon your unique needs and preferences, but should be designed
considering the intensity, length, and type of workout you plan on
doing.
What to eat before exercise
Since
glucose is the desired energy source during most exercise, a
pre-exercise meal should include foods that are higher in carbohydrates
and easily digestible. This includes foods such as pasta, fruits,
breads, energy bars and drinks.
Sports Nutrition for All day Events/Tournaments
Many
young athletes are traveling frequently on the weekends to various
sporting events and tournaments. Planning your nutrition and knowing
when and what to eat and drink is crucial when you are competing in
all-day events such as tournaments and meets.
You must take in
consideration the time of your event, the amount of your meal, and the
type of energy you will be expending. Also be aware of the amount of
fluid you’re consuming. It’s best to plan and prepare meals that you’ve
tried before and know will sit well with you during the event. This is
not a time to try "new" foods before your performance.
Suggested Foods for Exercise
Eating
before exercise is something the athlete must determine based on past
experience. Some athletes can handle food much better before training
while others will experience discomfort and sluggishness.
Some
general guidelines include eating a solid meal 4 hours before exercise, a
snack or a high carbohydrate drink 2-3 hours before exercise, and a
fluid replacement 1 hour before exercise.
1 hour before competition
Fresh fruit such as apples, peaches, grapes, orange
Energy gels
Up to 1 ½ cups of a sport drink
2-3 hours before competition
Fresh fruits
bread, pasta, bagel
Yogurt
Water
3-4 hours before competition
Fresh fruit
bread, bagels
Pasta with tomato sauce
Baked potatoes
Energy bar
cereal with milk
Yogurt
Toast bread with a bit of peanut butter, lean meat, or cheese
Foods to Avoid before exercise
Foods
with a lot of fat or fiber can be very difficult and slow to digest and
remain in the system for a long time. They can also pull blood into the
stomach to aid in digestion. This can lead to discomfort and cause
cramping.
Foods such as meats, doughnuts, fries, potato chips, and candy bars should be avoided in a pre-exercise meal.
Keep
in mind that everyone is different and what works for one might not
work for someone else. Factor in individual preferences and favorite
foods, and an eating plan is a highly individualized thing.
Hydration during exercise
Staying
hydrated is very important during exercise. Adequate fluid intake is
essential for performance and safety. The longer and more intense your
exercise/sport, the more important it becomes to drink the right amount
of fluids.
Dehydration decreases performance
Studies
have shown that athletes who lose as little as two percent of their
bodyweight through sweating has a drop in blood volume which causes the
heart to work harder to circulate blood. A drop in blood volume can lead
to muscle cramps, dizziness, fatigue, and heat exhaustion.
Common Causes of Dehydration in Athletes
Inadequate fluid intake
Excessive sweating
Failure to replace fluid losses during and after exercise
Exercising in hot, dry weather
General Guidelines for Fluid Needs during Exercise
Although
specific fluid recommendations aren’t possible due to individual
variability, most athletes can use the following guidelines as a good
starting point, and make changes where need be.
Hydration before Exercise
Drink about 15-20 fl oz, 2-3 hours before training
Drink 8-10 fl oz 10-15 minutes before exercise
Hydration during Exercise
Drink 8-10 fl oz every 10-15 minutes during exercise
If
exercising or playing longer than 90 minutes, drink 8-10 fl oz of a
sport drink (with no more than 8% carbohydrate) every 20-30 minutes
Hydration after Exercise
Weight yourself before and after exercise and replace fluid losses.
Drink 20-24 fl oz of water for every 1b lost
Consume a 3:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein within 2 hours after exercise to replenish glycogen stores.
A great post workout drink is chocolate milk. You could drink 8-12 fl oz of chocolate milk after your training session.
|
Protein
(grams)
|
Carbs (grams)
|
Fat (grams)
|
Calories
|
Fiber
(grams)
|
|
Protein Source (one portion)
|
|
fish (cod, pollack, flounder, bass, etc), 4 oz, avg
|
25
|
0
|
1
|
109
|
0
|
|
salmon or trout (4 oz)
|
21
|
0
|
7
|
147
|
0
|
|
beef - eye round steak, 4 oz
|
28
|
0
|
6
|
166
|
0
|
|
pork tenderloin, 4oz
|
21
|
0
|
5
|
129
|
0
|
|
1 cup 1% cottage cheese
|
32
|
6
|
2
|
170
|
0
|
|
1 cup fat free ricotta cheese
|
28
|
12
|
0
|
160
|
0
|
|
typical chicken breast, 4 oz
|
26
|
0
|
4
|
140
|
0
|
|
canned tuna (one small can chunk light)
|
33
|
0
|
2
|
150
|
0
|
|
three whole eggs (large)
|
20
|
0
|
14
|
200
|
0
|
|
extra lean ground turkey (4 oz)
|
28
|
0
|
1.5
|
125.5
|
0
|
|
ground buffalo
|
28
|
0
|
8
|
184
|
0
|
|
Carbohydrate Source (one portion)
|
|
1/2 cup dry oatmeal
|
5
|
27
|
3
|
143
|
4
|
|
1/3 cup dry oat bran
|
8
|
23
|
4
|
142
|
6
|
|
1/2 cup rice bran
|
10
|
34
|
14
|
245
|
19
|
|
1/4 cup wheat germ
|
8
|
19
|
3
|
123
|
4
|
|
1/2 large sweet potato
|
3
|
25
|
1
|
112
|
3
|
|
1/2 cup dry barley
|
3
|
26
|
1
|
116
|
3
|
|
1/2 cup All Bran cereal
|
4
|
24
|
0.5
|
86.5
|
10
|
|
1 cup Kashi Good Friends Cinna raisin cereal
|
4
|
39
|
1.5
|
155.5
|
10
|
|
1 cup Kashi Good Friends cereal
|
4
|
32
|
1.5
|
127.5
|
10
|
|
1/2 cup Fiber One cereal
|
2
|
24
|
0.5
|
66.5
|
14
|
|
2 slices Martins whole wheat potato bread
|
12
|
28
|
2
|
154
|
8
|
|
one serving (2 oz dry) Hodgson Mill W/W pasta
|
9
|
34
|
1
|
163
|
6
|
|
1/2 cup blueberries
|
2
|
19
|
0
|
72
|
4
|
|
1 apple
|
1
|
23
|
0
|
84
|
4
|
|
1 orange
|
2
|
25
|
0
|
99
|
3
|
|
10 strawberries
|
1
|
18
|
0
|
67
|
3
|
|
1/4 cup dry Kashi Breakfast Pilaf (1/2 c. cooked)
|
6
|
30
|
3
|
153
|
6
|
|
one serving baked beans
|
6
|
27
|
2
|
132
|
6
|
|
Healthy Fat Source (one portion)
|
|
One Tbsp of non-hydrogenated unrefined oils
|
0
|
0
|
14
|
126
|
0
|
|
2 Tbsp "natural" peanut butter
|
8
|
5
|
16
|
190
|
2
|
|
2 Tbsp "natural" almond butter
|
6
|
5
|
16
|
185
|
2
|
|
¼ cup guacamole
|
2
|
6
|
14
|
144
|
4
|
|
¼ cup coconut milk
|
1
|
1
|
11
|
105
|
0
|
|
¼ cup deshelled sunflower seeds
|
7
|
4
|
15
|
168
|
3
|
|
¼ cup almonds
|
6
|
4
|
15
|
165
|
3
|
Last Modified on September 16, 2011