Eating for Sports

**MASSIVE** · 12-03-2005, 12:06 AM

There's a lot more to eating for sports than chowing down on carbs or chugging sports drinks. The good news is that eating to reach your peak performance level likely doesn't require a special diet or supplements. It's all about working the right foods into your fitness plan in the right amounts. Here are some basics.

Eat Extra for Excellence
Teen athletes have unique nutrition needs. Because athletes work out more than their less-active peers, they generally need extra calories to fuel both their sports performance and their growth. Depending on how active they are, teen athletes may need anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 total calories per day to meet their energy needs.

So what happens if teen athletes don't eat enough? Their bodies are less likely to achieve peak performance and may even break down rather than build up muscles. Athletes who don't take in enough calories every day won't be as fast and as strong as they could be. And extreme calorie restriction could lead to growth problems and other serious health risks for both girls and guys.

Since teen athletes need extra fuel, it's usually a bad idea for them to diet. Athletes in sports where weight is emphasized - such as wrestling, swimming, dance, or gymnastics - may feel pressure to lose weight, but they need to weigh that choice with the possible negative side effects mentioned above. If a coach, gym teacher, or teammate says that you need to go on a diet, talk to your doctor first or visit a dietitian who specializes in teen athletes. If a health professional you trust agrees that it's safe to diet, he or she can work with you to develop a plan that allows you to perform your best and lose weight.

Eat a Variety of Foods
You may have heard about "carb loading" before a game. But when it comes to powering your game for the long haul, it's a bad idea to focus on only one type of food. Carbohydrates are an important source of fuel, but they're only one of many foods an athlete needs. It also takes vitamins, minerals, protein, and fats to stay in peak playing shape.

Muscular Minerals and Vital Vitamins
Calcium helps build the strong bones that athletes depend on, and iron carries oxygen to muscles. Most teens don't get enough of these minerals, and that's especially true of teen athletes because their needs may be even higher than those of other teens.

To get the iron you need, eat lean red meats (meats with not much fat on them); grains that are fortified with iron; and green, leafy vegetables. Calcium - a must for protecting against stress fractures - is found in dairy foods, such as low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese.

In addition to calcium and iron, you need a whole bunch of other vitamins and minerals that do everything from help you access energy to keep you from getting sick. Eating a balanced diet, including lots of different fruits and veggies, should provide the vitamins and minerals needed for good health and sports performance.

Protein Power
Athletes need slightly more protein than less-active teens, but most teen athletes get plenty of protein through regular eating. It's a myth that athletes need a huge daily intake of protein to build large, strong muscles. Muscle growth comes from regular training and hard work - not popping a pill. And taking in too much protein can actually harm the body, causing dehydration, calcium loss, and even kidney problems.

Good sources of protein are fish, lean meats and poultry, eggs, dairy, nuts, soy, and peanut butter.

Carb Charge
Carbohydrates provide athletes with an excellent source of fuel. Cutting back on carbs or following low-carb diets isn't a good idea for athletes because restricting carbohydrates can cause a person to feel tired and worn out, which ultimately affects performance.

Nutrition experts advise people to choose whole grains (such as brown rice, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, whole wheat bread, and starchy vegetables like corn and peas) more often than their more processed counterparts like white rice and white bread. That's because whole grains provide both the energy athletes need to perform and the fiber and other nutrients they need to be healthy. Sugary carbs such as candy bars or sodas are less healthy for athletes because they don't contain any of the other nutrients you need. In addition, eating candy bars or other sugary snacks just before practice or competition can give athletes a quick burst of energy and then leave them to "crash" or run out of energy before they've finished working out.

Fat Fuel
Everyone needs a certain amount of fat each day, and this is particularly true for athletes. That's because active muscles quickly burn through carbs and need fats for long-lasting energy. Like carbs, not all fats are created equal. Experts advise athletes to concentrate on healthier fats, such as the unsaturated fat found in most vegetable oils. Choosing when to eat fats is also important for athletes. Fatty foods can slow digestion, so it's a good idea to avoid eating these foods for a few hours before and after exercising.

Shun Supplements
Protein supplements and energy bars don't do a whole lot of good, but they won't really do you much harm either. But other types of supplements can really do some damage.

Anabolic steroids can seriously mess with a person's hormones, causing side effects like testicular shrinkage and baldness in guys and facial hair growth in girls. Steroids can cause mental health problems, including depression and serious mood swings. Some over-the-counter supplements contain hormones that are related to testosterone (such as dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA for short). These supplements have similar side effects to anabolic steroids. These and other sports supplements (like creatine, for example) have not been tested in people younger than 18. So the risks of taking them are not yet known.

Salt tablets are another supplement to watch out for. People take them to avoid dehydration, but salt tablets can actually lead a person to become dehydrated. In large amounts, salt can cause nausea, vomiting, cramps, and diarrhea and may damage the lining of the stomach. In general, you are better off drinking fluids in order to maintain hydration. Any salt you lose in sweat can usually be made up in one normal meal after exercise.

Ditch Dehydration
Speaking of dehydration, water is just as important to unlocking your game power as food. When you sweat during exercise, it's easy to become overheated, headachy, and worn out - especially in hot or humid weather. Even mild dehydration can affect an athlete's physical and mental performance.

There's no one-size-fits-all formula for how much water to drink. How much fluid each person needs depends on the individual's age, size, level of physical activity, and environmental temperature.

Experts recommend that athletes drink before and after exercise as well as every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise. In general, most athletes need 1-2 cups prior to exercise and 1/2 to 1 cup every 15 to 20 minutes throughout exercise. Don't wait until you feel thirsty, because thirst is a sign that your body has needed liquids for a while. But don't force yourself to drink more fluids than you may need either. It's hard to run when there's a lot of water sloshing around in your stomach!

If you like the taste of sports drinks better than regular water, then it's OK to drink them. But it's important to know that a sports drink is really no better for you than water unless you are exercising for more than 90 minutes or in really hot weather. The additional carbohydrates and electrolytes may improve performance in these conditions, but otherwise your body will do just as well with water.

Avoid drinking carbonated drinks or juice because they could give you a stomachache while you're competing.

Caffeine
Drinks that contain caffeine, including some soft drinks, tea, and coffee, may contribute to dehydration. Although some studies have found that caffeine may help with endurance sports performance, it's good to weigh any benefits against potential problems. Too much caffeine can leave an athlete feeling anxious or jittery. It can also cause trouble sleeping. All of these can drag down a person's sports performance. Plus, taking certain medications - including supplements - can make caffeine's side effects seem even worse.

Game-Day Eats
Most of your body's energy on game day will come from the foods you've eaten over the past several days. But you can boost your performance even more by paying attention to the food you eat on game day. Strive for a game-day diet rich in carbohydrates, moderate in protein, and low in fat. Here are some guidelines on what to eat and when:

Eat a meal 2 to 4 hours before the game or event: Combine a serving of low-fiber fruit or vegetable (such as juice, plums, melons, cherries, or peaches) with a protein and carbohydrate meal (like a turkey or chicken sandwich, cereal and milk, or chicken noodle soup and yogurt).
Eat a snack less than 2 hours before the game: If you haven't had time to have a pre-game meal, be sure to have a light snack such as crackers, a bagel, or low-fat yogurt.
It's a good idea to avoid eating anything for the hour before you compete or have practice because digestion requires energy - energy that you want to use to win. Also, eating too soon before any kind of activity can leave food in the stomach, making you feel full, bloated, crampy, and sick. Everyone is different, so get to know what works best for you. You may want to experiment with meal timing and how much to eat on practice days so that you are better prepared for game day.

Reviewed by: Jessica Donze Black, RD, CDE, MPH
Date reviewed: July 2005
Originally reviewed by: Robin Meyers, MPH, RD, and Nancy Vinton, MD

**DJSTARER** · 12-03-2005, 01:38 AM

Rockin Article!

I am a golfer.... so when I walk 18 holes, I simply it a HUGE breakfast consisting of oats, chicken and eggs, then I carry around a jar half filled with PB and 2 scoops of whey. I munch on that during the round.

That isn't so much for performance..... but instead, to stop weight loss.

Don't forget your multi

chlaxman · 12-03-2005, 05:45 AM

Good article although there are a few things that I would prefer to change, but mostly in the protein powder section. However, it is overall one of the better articles I've read about sports nutrition.

**bigDman** · 12-03-2005, 01:19 PM

Nice article MASSIVE

Master Of Puppets · 12-03-2005, 07:57 PM

Like this one.

MOP

**MASSIVE** · 12-03-2005, 08:42 PM

It's great that you guys enjoyed this article, I wish I had known about these forums during my first days as a weightlifter

DJSTARER--PB + whey = hmmmmm!

Hybrid · 12-03-2005, 11:40 PM

I thought it was interesting that you said swimmers need to watch their weight. Why is that?

I do like the article tho, very good stuff!

EDIT: I don't agree with the protein consumption bit tho.

12-03-2005, 12:06 AM	#1
MASSIVE AX Rep Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: TOKYO Posts: 1,217 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 15	Eating for Sports There's a lot more to eating for sports than chowing down on carbs or chugging sports drinks. The good news is that eating to reach your peak performance level likely doesn't require a special diet or supplements. It's all about working the right foods into your fitness plan in the right amounts. Here are some basics. Eat Extra for Excellence Teen athletes have unique nutrition needs. Because athletes work out more than their less-active peers, they generally need extra calories to fuel both their sports performance and their growth. Depending on how active they are, teen athletes may need anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 total calories per day to meet their energy needs. So what happens if teen athletes don't eat enough? Their bodies are less likely to achieve peak performance and may even break down rather than build up muscles. Athletes who don't take in enough calories every day won't be as fast and as strong as they could be. And extreme calorie restriction could lead to growth problems and other serious health risks for both girls and guys. Since teen athletes need extra fuel, it's usually a bad idea for them to diet. Athletes in sports where weight is emphasized - such as wrestling, swimming, dance, or gymnastics - may feel pressure to lose weight, but they need to weigh that choice with the possible negative side effects mentioned above. If a coach, gym teacher, or teammate says that you need to go on a diet, talk to your doctor first or visit a dietitian who specializes in teen athletes. If a health professional you trust agrees that it's safe to diet, he or she can work with you to develop a plan that allows you to perform your best and lose weight. Eat a Variety of Foods You may have heard about "carb loading" before a game. But when it comes to powering your game for the long haul, it's a bad idea to focus on only one type of food. Carbohydrates are an important source of fuel, but they're only one of many foods an athlete needs. It also takes vitamins, minerals, protein, and fats to stay in peak playing shape. Muscular Minerals and Vital Vitamins Calcium helps build the strong bones that athletes depend on, and iron carries oxygen to muscles. Most teens don't get enough of these minerals, and that's especially true of teen athletes because their needs may be even higher than those of other teens. To get the iron you need, eat lean red meats (meats with not much fat on them); grains that are fortified with iron; and green, leafy vegetables. Calcium - a must for protecting against stress fractures - is found in dairy foods, such as low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese. In addition to calcium and iron, you need a whole bunch of other vitamins and minerals that do everything from help you access energy to keep you from getting sick. Eating a balanced diet, including lots of different fruits and veggies, should provide the vitamins and minerals needed for good health and sports performance. Protein Power Athletes need slightly more protein than less-active teens, but most teen athletes get plenty of protein through regular eating. It's a myth that athletes need a huge daily intake of protein to build large, strong muscles. Muscle growth comes from regular training and hard work - not popping a pill. And taking in too much protein can actually harm the body, causing dehydration, calcium loss, and even kidney problems. Good sources of protein are fish, lean meats and poultry, eggs, dairy, nuts, soy, and peanut butter. Carb Charge Carbohydrates provide athletes with an excellent source of fuel. Cutting back on carbs or following low-carb diets isn't a good idea for athletes because restricting carbohydrates can cause a person to feel tired and worn out, which ultimately affects performance. Nutrition experts advise people to choose whole grains (such as brown rice, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, whole wheat bread, and starchy vegetables like corn and peas) more often than their more processed counterparts like white rice and white bread. That's because whole grains provide both the energy athletes need to perform and the fiber and other nutrients they need to be healthy. Sugary carbs such as candy bars or sodas are less healthy for athletes because they don't contain any of the other nutrients you need. In addition, eating candy bars or other sugary snacks just before practice or competition can give athletes a quick burst of energy and then leave them to "crash" or run out of energy before they've finished working out. Fat Fuel Everyone needs a certain amount of fat each day, and this is particularly true for athletes. That's because active muscles quickly burn through carbs and need fats for long-lasting energy. Like carbs, not all fats are created equal. Experts advise athletes to concentrate on healthier fats, such as the unsaturated fat found in most vegetable oils. Choosing when to eat fats is also important for athletes. Fatty foods can slow digestion, so it's a good idea to avoid eating these foods for a few hours before and after exercising. Shun Supplements Protein supplements and energy bars don't do a whole lot of good, but they won't really do you much harm either. But other types of supplements can really do some damage. Anabolic steroids can seriously mess with a person's hormones, causing side effects like testicular shrinkage and baldness in guys and facial hair growth in girls. Steroids can cause mental health problems, including depression and serious mood swings. Some over-the-counter supplements contain hormones that are related to testosterone (such as dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA for short). These supplements have similar side effects to anabolic steroids. These and other sports supplements (like creatine, for example) have not been tested in people younger than 18. So the risks of taking them are not yet known. Salt tablets are another supplement to watch out for. People take them to avoid dehydration, but salt tablets can actually lead a person to become dehydrated. In large amounts, salt can cause nausea, vomiting, cramps, and diarrhea and may damage the lining of the stomach. In general, you are better off drinking fluids in order to maintain hydration. Any salt you lose in sweat can usually be made up in one normal meal after exercise. Ditch Dehydration Speaking of dehydration, water is just as important to unlocking your game power as food. When you sweat during exercise, it's easy to become overheated, headachy, and worn out - especially in hot or humid weather. Even mild dehydration can affect an athlete's physical and mental performance. There's no one-size-fits-all formula for how much water to drink. How much fluid each person needs depends on the individual's age, size, level of physical activity, and environmental temperature. Experts recommend that athletes drink before and after exercise as well as every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise. In general, most athletes need 1-2 cups prior to exercise and 1/2 to 1 cup every 15 to 20 minutes throughout exercise. Don't wait until you feel thirsty, because thirst is a sign that your body has needed liquids for a while. But don't force yourself to drink more fluids than you may need either. It's hard to run when there's a lot of water sloshing around in your stomach! If you like the taste of sports drinks better than regular water, then it's OK to drink them. But it's important to know that a sports drink is really no better for you than water unless you are exercising for more than 90 minutes or in really hot weather. The additional carbohydrates and electrolytes may improve performance in these conditions, but otherwise your body will do just as well with water. Avoid drinking carbonated drinks or juice because they could give you a stomachache while you're competing. Caffeine Drinks that contain caffeine, including some soft drinks, tea, and coffee, may contribute to dehydration. Although some studies have found that caffeine may help with endurance sports performance, it's good to weigh any benefits against potential problems. Too much caffeine can leave an athlete feeling anxious or jittery. It can also cause trouble sleeping. All of these can drag down a person's sports performance. Plus, taking certain medications - including supplements - can make caffeine's side effects seem even worse. Game-Day Eats Most of your body's energy on game day will come from the foods you've eaten over the past several days. But you can boost your performance even more by paying attention to the food you eat on game day. Strive for a game-day diet rich in carbohydrates, moderate in protein, and low in fat. Here are some guidelines on what to eat and when: Eat a meal 2 to 4 hours before the game or event: Combine a serving of low-fiber fruit or vegetable (such as juice, plums, melons, cherries, or peaches) with a protein and carbohydrate meal (like a turkey or chicken sandwich, cereal and milk, or chicken noodle soup and yogurt). Eat a snack less than 2 hours before the game: If you haven't had time to have a pre-game meal, be sure to have a light snack such as crackers, a bagel, or low-fat yogurt. It's a good idea to avoid eating anything for the hour before you compete or have practice because digestion requires energy - energy that you want to use to win. Also, eating too soon before any kind of activity can leave food in the stomach, making you feel full, bloated, crampy, and sick. Everyone is different, so get to know what works best for you. You may want to experiment with meal timing and how much to eat on practice days so that you are better prepared for game day. Reviewed by: Jessica Donze Black, RD, CDE, MPH Date reviewed: July 2005 Originally reviewed by: Robin Meyers, MPH, RD, and Nancy Vinton, MD __________________ Anabolic Xtreme Rep www.AnabolicXtreme.com www.StimulantX.com C-Los21@AnabolicX.com Owner@BBB VIP@WWBB VIP@AP VIP@VIP VET@SSB VET@ABB HYPERDROL™.....Our Newest Anabolic STIMULANT-X™.....Defining "Stimulation" *ANABOLIC XTREME.....Real Results!***

12-03-2005, 01:38 AM	#2
DJSTARER eating more folate... Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: State College, PA Posts: 3,983 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 113	Rockin Article! I am a golfer.... so when I walk 18 holes, I simply it a HUGE breakfast consisting of oats, chicken and eggs, then I carry around a jar half filled with PB and 2 scoops of whey. I munch on that during the round. That isn't so much for performance..... but instead, to stop weight loss. Don't forget your multi __________________ My philosophies on training: "Extreme training yields extreme results" "Just because you can, does not mean you should" "The best program is the one you are not doing" Penn State Powerlifting-181 lb weightclass PGA Professional of America Current Stats: 474 Squat 601 Deadlift 320 Bench Goals for next training cycle: 500lbs squat and a total over 1400 in competition

12-03-2005, 05:45 AM	#3
chlaxman Pro Stature Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Maine baby Posts: 585 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 9	Good article although there are a few things that I would prefer to change, but mostly in the protein powder section. However, it is overall one of the better articles I've read about sports nutrition. __________________ Tempora mutantur, et nos mutamur in illis. :weight_li :dumbells: :bed2:

12-03-2005, 01:19 PM	#4
bigDman is missing heavy pulls Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Maryland Posts: 4,619 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 186	Nice article MASSIVE __________________ COME CHECK OUT MY JOURNAL

12-03-2005, 07:57 PM	#5
Master Of Puppets Registered User Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,007 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 46	Like this one. MOP __________________

12-03-2005, 08:42 PM	#6
MASSIVE AX Rep Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: TOKYO Posts: 1,217 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 15	Thanks Guys It's great that you guys enjoyed this article, I wish I had known about these forums during my first days as a weightlifter DJSTARER--PB + whey = hmmmmm! __________________ Anabolic Xtreme Rep www.AnabolicXtreme.com www.StimulantX.com C-Los21@AnabolicX.com Owner@BBB VIP@WWBB VIP@AP VIP@VIP VET@SSB VET@ABB HYPERDROL™.....Our Newest Anabolic STIMULANT-X™.....Defining "Stimulation" *ANABOLIC XTREME.....Real Results!***

12-03-2005, 11:40 PM	#7
Hybrid IMPC Contestant Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Gibsonia PA Posts: 827 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 13	I thought it was interesting that you said swimmers need to watch their weight. Why is that? I do like the article tho, very good stuff! EDIT: I don't agree with the protein consumption bit tho. __________________ If you even dream about beating me you'd better wake up and apologize - Muhammad Ali

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