The Making of A Student Athlete, and

College Bound: The Official Guide to Playing College Baseball

 

 
 Back to Kitchen's Main Menu

THE ATHLETE'S KITCHEN                           Feedback Welcome!

Copyright: Nancy Clark, MS, RD

Nutrition News from American Dietics Association

With more than 70,000 members, the American Dietetic Association is the nation's largest group of nutrition professionals. Some of the research completed by these members was presented at ADA's annual convention (10/99). Here are some highlights that might be of interest to you.

SPORTS SUPPLEMENTS: Creatine, a supplement reported to enhance recovery during repeated bouts of intense exercise and help build muscle, is particularly popular among sprint-type sports such as rowing. Yet, not everyone responds to creatine. A West Point study with 18 members of the crew team suggests that consumption of 0, 5 or 10 grams of creatine per day resulted in no significant differences among the three groups. Everyone improved similarly with faster rowing times, reduced body fat, and increased body mass. This study reminds us that hard work and good nutrition "works" and that athletes can excel without ergogenic aids. 
• Androstenedione, a steroid hormone, is a precursor for testosterone-the male hormone associated with increased musculature. Andro has been heavily marketed as an "all natural" performance enhancer. A survey at the Student Recreation Center/Texas Tech University suggests about 20% of the 121 males who completed the survey had or were using andro. Unfortunately for the health of many of these athletes," all natural" does not mean "safe" or "without harm." Altering testosterone levels is risky.

WEIGHT: Weight and body image are big issues among most people who exercise. These issues can start at an early age. For example, even fourth grade students have a preferred body type. A study of 166 African American and 55 white students from eight urban public schools in the Baltimore, MD area suggests cultural preferences exist. That is, black students preferred a larger (yet healthy) figure as "ideal" as compared to the white students who selected a smaller figure. The study points out the need to 1) learn more about the factors that influence a young child's body size preference, and 2) evaluate how these preferences can potentially influence the epidemic of obesity (and eating disorders) that is plaguing ourselves and our children. 

• Body image is a significant issue not only among women, but also among men. A survey of 200 high school male athletes and 340 non-athletes suggests only 4% of the athletes but 10% of the non-athletes struggled with body image. The athletes felt more content and satisfied with their bodies. These results suggest participation in sports may enhance body image in male athletes--and provides yet another reason for us to keep our kids active!
BODY FAT: If you are very thin and have had your body fat measured using bioelectrical impedance (BIA), you may have been given wrong information. BIA has low accuracy compared to a highly accurate research method (whole body potassium counting). Yet, because BIA is inexpensive and easy to perform, it is very popular. 

•A very low calorie intake can lead to energy conservation in athletes. That is, in a study with 28 elite female gymnasts, the gymnasts who reported the lower calorie intakes had the higher amount of body fat compared to those who reported higher intakes (1,300 vs. 2,200 cals). Either the larger gymnasts underreported food intake, or they conserved energy due to the perceived "famine." 
The lower energy intakes were associated with lower intake of several nutrients, including iron and calcium. What this means is, if you are eating very little and maintaining your weight, you might want to consider eating more--if not to better nourish your body, then to boost your metabolic rate.

AMENORRHEA: Female runners who have irregular or no menstrual periods often believe that running keeps their bones strong. Wrong! The bone mineral density of runners with irregular menstrual cycles is lower than that of runners who have regular menstrual cycles. Hence, they are at higher risk for stress fractures. 
If you are a woman who is amenorrheic (that is, lacks regular monthly menstrual periods), you need to get good medical follow-up. Otherwise, you may soon end up with stress fractures, to say nothing of depression because of the psychological toll associated with injury. Plus, you shouldn't ignore the long-term consequences of early osteoporosis. 

MORE EDUCATION NEEDED: Nutrition education for athletes is important both to enhance performance and to invest in future health and well-being. A survey of college football players indicates 80% of 21 college football linemen believed that vitamins were good sources of energy. (Wrong! Vitamins function like "spark plugs"; they are not a source of energy.) More than 70% believed that bread and potatoes are fattening and should be avoided when trying to lose weight (Wrong! These carbs supply the energy needed to fuel muscles. They become "fattening" only when eaten in excess with too much butter.) 

• Volleyball players also need nutrition help. Among nationally ranked female volleyball players, only 8 of 21 met the recommended protein intake, and 50% reported restricting energy to control their weight. Five reported being amenorrheic and 12 reported "irregular" menstrual cycles--both red flags for inadequate nutrition.

• A study of "vegetarian" college students suggests some may be at increased risk for eating disorders. Eliminating meat can be a politically correct way to eliminate calories and fat. True vegetarians eat adequate protein via tofu, nuts, beans, peanut butter and other plant foods. Non-meat eaters simply live on pasta and bagels, with inadequate protein and fat.

Nancy Clark, MS, RD specializes in nutrition for exercise. She offers private nutrition consultations at Sports Medicine Brookline. Her popular Sports Nutrition Guidebook, 2nd edition ($14.36) and The New York City Marathon Cookbook ($23) are available via Amazon.com