Sensible Sports Nutrition

Published Feb. 24, 2010
By 1st Lt Phil "PJ" Menagh
86th Health and Wellness Center

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- If you are wearing the uniform, you are an athlete.

At times our duties will demand our physical preparedness, and we are expected to uphold a professional image conducive of a military member.

March is the Air Force's Nutrition Month and the new fitness AFI 36-2905 will be in full swing by July 1, 2010. Together, this creates the perfect opportunity to educate our members on the value of sports nutrition.

When you read the words "sports nutrition", thoughts of power bars, gels, sports drinks and protein shakes may come to mind, along with a myriad of more obscure and expensive products and supplements.

Clinical observation and a literary review quickly find that too many convenience foods disguised as "performance enhancing" products may be sabotaging performance, waist-lines and possibly overall health.

This article aims to make sense of sports nutrition and how making the right food choices are vital to enhanced physical performance.

First Order: High Quality Food for the High Quality Athlete

Before worrying about expensive supplements or timing of nutrients, make sure you have your food quality in order. Your diet should be high in nutrient dense foods which support optimal performance and health. Animal proteins are the richest source of branched-chain amino acids (amino acids are the building blocks of protein). Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) are just three out of 21 total amino acids, yet they make up one-third of skeletal muscle.

BCAAs play an important role in building and repair of muscles and increased BCAA intake may reduce recovery time and lead to a more productive "next" workout. A few good choices are fish, eggs and egg whites, white-meat chicken with skin removed, and lean cuts of beef such as loins (top loin, sirloin, etc.) or rounds (bottom round, eye of round, etc.). An athlete should strive to consume 0.7-1.0 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day from high quality sources (Example: a 160 pound athlete would aim for 112-160 grams of protein per day). Typically, one ounce of meat, one egg or one cup of milk contains 7-8 grams of protein.

Vegetables and fruits are largely concentrated with vitamins and minerals that are typically more useful to the body in their whole-food form than they are in supplemental form. This is important in terms of performance because deficiencies in any nutrient may lead to fatigue (recently, Chris Kaman of the L.A. Clippers was diagnosed with Vitamin D deficiency after experiencing lethargy and a significant drop in performance) .

Additionally, fruits and vegetables promote an alkaline (non-acidic) state in the body and help to neutralize the acidic by-products of exercise.

An alkaline state in the body helps to reduce or prevent muscle protein breakdown. Nutrient-dense foods also support optimal immune-system functioning, allowing athletes to train more consistently free of flu-like symptoms and illness.
Real, whole foods are higher in fiber and potassium and lower in sodium and sugars.

As a result, an athlete can improve their blood pressure, body composition, cholesterol, and other health factors while they simultaneously improve physical performance and reduce fatigue. In addition to lean meats, vegetables, and fruit, fats in the diet should come from healthy sources such as nuts, seeds, avocados, and olives. When grains are consumed, they should come from whole grain sources such as brown rice or oats.

Before Your Workout: Go "Low Glycemic"

The glycemic index of a food indicates how quickly carbohydrate-containing foods are broken down into sugars that enter the bloodstream. If the carbohydrates get into the blood too quickly (high glycemic), a carbohydrate-storing hormone (insulin) will be released in excess.

This results in a rapid decrease in blood sugar, a sluggish workout, and increased hunger. Several studies have found that low-glycemic, pre-workout meals increase performance and the amount of fat burned during exercise. So skip the corn-syrup filled energy bar or sports drink--instead, choose a low glycemic meal (such as fruit with a hard-boiled egg or plain yogurt) about an hour before exercise, and you will give the body adequate time to digest the foods and re-stock your muscle's energy stores for a more productive workout. More information concerning the glycemic index and food value charts can be found on-line at www.glycemicindex.com.

During Your Workout: Skip the Gatorade, Especially if Exercising Less Than 60 Minutes

Dehydration by just 2 percent of bodyweight significantly impairs power and performance. Further levels of dehydration can put you at significant health risk. Thus, it is very important to match fluid, and electrolyte (sodium and potassium) intake to the rate at which you are sweating (4 oz. of fluid for every 15 minutes of exercise is recommended for "normal" climates/conditions). However, before you reach for the sports drink, take a look at the nature of your workout and your goals. During the first 60 minutes of exercise (even longer if exercising at lower intensity), most of your carbohydrate energy comes from the muscle's fuel stores of sugars (glycogen).

The International Olympic Committee is among numerous sports nutrition agencies that have concluded that for most activities lasting an hour or less, drinking anything other than water is unnecessary provided you have consumed sufficient energy during the previous few days. Furthermore, drinking a carbohydrate beverage before or during your workout may significantly reduce the proportion of fuel that comes from body fat stores. So if achieving weight loss is your primary goal, then a carbohydrate containing beverage would not be recommended unless the workout is more than 2-3 hours of continuous moderate to high intensity movement.

Post-Workout: Meal Replacement Right Now or Balanced Meal at Home?

The body can replenish muscle glycogen (stored carbohydrate) more quickly when carbohydrate is consumed within the first two hours following exercise, and fastest if consumed within 30 minutes. The addition of protein to the carbohydrates consumed in the post-workout window has been shown to further increase glycogen storage. Therefore, a common practice among exercising individuals is to consume a shake, smoothie, energy bar, or other "meal" immediately after their workouts.

What this practice commonly overlooks is that there is a limit to your human fuel tank--on average, humans have the potential to store about 500 grams (enough to run about 19 miles) of carbohydrates within their muscles (~400g) and liver (~100g). Whether you fill these stores rapidly in the "post-workout" window or you fill them slowly over the next 20-24 hours, your body will generally achieve the same total amount of energy stored before your next workout.
Therefore, the International Olympic Committee Consensus on Sports Nutrition recommends that "During longer recovery periods (24 hours), the athlete should organize the pattern and timing of carbohydrate-rich meals and snacks according to what is practical and comfortable for their individual situation." And that: "There is no difference in glycogen synthesis when liquid or solid forms of carbohydrate are consumed."
Conversely, if the period of time before your next workout is shorter (less than 8 hours), post-workout nutrition becomes increasingly important, and feeding should begin as soon as possible to improve performance for the next bout. Simply put, if you are working out twice a day or have very short windows between bouts of exercise, take in some energy as soon as possible. If you're exercising once per day or less, you're likely better off waiting to get home and eating a fresh whole-foods meal, rather than slamming down a sugar-filled smoothie on your way out of the gym.

Eat for Your Type of Exercise

Fats are the primary source of what our body uses to sustain lower intensities of activity or rest. As intensity increases, carbohydrates contribute progressively more to the energy that is used. Carbohydrate is used almost exclusively during high-intensity anaerobic work such as a 200 meter sprint. Protein does not contribute significantly to the energy used for activities under normal conditions. For endurance training, the longer the bout, the greater total energy will be spent and the source of fuel will vary depending on the intensity as explained above.

Functional strength training imposes greater stress on the body systems than most endurance work due to the loads and intensity of the effort, but the total amount of energy spent may be much less due to the amount of time spent "resting" in between sets. Adequate protein becomes increasingly important. If performing cross-training or high-intensity circuits, such as those often incorporated into "Total Fit" workouts or other high-intensity functional programs, you may get a heavy dose of multiple stimuli--continuous high-intensity output, increased stress to various bodily systems, and minimal rest/recovery during the workout. Eat a sufficient amount of protein and energy to meet the demands of your workout and recover adequately between workouts.

What About Supplements?

Thousands of supplements are marketed to us through the internet, television and magazines. It is a multi-billion dollar industry that is beyond the scope of this article. Some supplements such a protein powders, multi-vitamins, caffeine and creatine are relatively harmless when dosing directions are followed by healthy individuals and sufficient fluids are consumed. Conversely, various products have caused serious side effects including liver or heart failure or even death. If you are considering taking a new supplement, please research the product through reputable sources such as the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (www.usp.org) and consult with a healthcare professional.

The Final Word: Eat According to Your Goals

The recommendations above are designed to help the general population with maintaining energy and focus during athletic performance while simultaneously facilitating improved health and optimal body composition. However, your needs may differ depending on if you intend to lose, maintain, or gain weight, and what level you wish to perform at. Those working to achieve weight loss will benefit from the more conservative recommendations given above--avoid sugary foods before your workout, skip the "performance-ade" beverage unless your workout is greater than two to three hours and after your workout wait till you get home to eat a balanced meal.

Competitive athletes and those who have reached their body composition goals may benefit from additional measures before, during and after their workout. In addition to a slow digesting snack before the workout, a carbohydrate/electrolyte beverage during exercise may improve performance only if the activity is greater than 60 minutes of sustained output, and an immediate post workout meal will be beneficial if you plan to exercise again in less than 8-20 hours. Individuals with unique circumstances or particularly long/intense workouts may need more aggressive feeding strategies and would be well served by doing further research and/or seeking a sports nutrition specialist.

For those interested in gaining weight, take advantage of every opportunity to get calories--meals before, during, and after workouts, and several meals and snacks throughout the day, may help you to add on pounds. Think about your goals and apply the concepts above, and you will be well on your way to a more athletic you.

Air Force's Nutrition Month Activities

In honor of the Air Force's Nutrition Month in March, the Ramstein Health and Wellness Center is offering a Health and Fitness Forum at the Hercules Theater on March 19 from 11:00 to 1:00 and again on March 26 from 8:00 to 10:00. The Forum will consist of a panel of health/wellness experts in their respective fields. Maj. Brett Bishop, from the 86th MDG Physical Therapy clinic, will discuss injury prevention. Coach Tim Cline, the Health/Fitness Technician at the Health and Wellness Center, will cover fitness and exercise strategies. 1st Lt. Philip Menagh, Registered Dietitian at the Health and Wellness Center, will discuss how to achieve a nutrient-dense/athletic performance-improving diet. Finally, Tech. Sgt. David Fernandez, Certified Diet Technician at the Health and Wellness Center, will showcase meal planning tools.

For more information on the Health and Fitness Forum or other Ramstein Health and Wellness Center programs/services, please call 480-4292.