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THE ATHLETE'S KITCHEN                          

Copyright: Nancy Clark, MS, RD

Food, Fuel and the Serious Athlete :  How to prevent fatigue and heal injuries

If you are a serious athlete, your job is to eat well so you can 1) enjoy high energy and prevent fatigue and 2) stay healthy. Here's a look at these areas in greater detail. Boosting energy: To prevent both the daily fatigue that occurs during training and competitions, as well as the chronic fatigue that accumulates throughout the season, you need to focus on these three keys to boosting energy:

1) You can boost energy by eating carbohydrate-rich foods (breads, cereals, rice, beans, pasta, fruit, juice, vegetables) as the foundation of your diet. Carbohydrates get stored in your muscles as glycogen. Eating too few carbohydrates (<60% of total calories) can result in depleted muscle glycogen--and that is associated with fatigue.

Carbohydrate-rich meals include cereal/milk/banana/juice/bagels for breakfast, and lunches and dinners that include hearty bean and broth-type soups, bready sandwiches and hot meals that focus on pasta, potato, rice, vegetables, breads, and rolls. Juices throughout the day are an excellent carbohydrate-rich choice for fluids.

Although carbs should be the foundation of your sports diet, your muscles also need adequate protein. You can get more than enough protein from your lunches and dinners (assuming they include chicken, fish, lean meats, peanut butter, tuna or other protein-rich foods). By eating protein as the accompaniment to a carbohydrate-based meal, you'll get the right balance of carbs and protein to both fuel and build your muscles.2) You can boost energy by eating substantial carbohydrate-rich meals throughout the day. Do not wait until evening for your biggest meal. Adequate daytime food ensures your muscles are well fueled and ready for action and your mind is well fueled and able to focus on the event. Eating before you exercise boosts your blood sugar and prevents the needless fatigue associated with hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

3) You can boost energy by drinking plenty of water or other non-alcoholic fluids to prevent dehydration. You should drink enough fluids so you have to urinate every two to four hours. The urine should be clear and copious, not dark and concentrated with metabolic wastes. If you do not urinate, let's say from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., you are dehydrated and need to drink more fluids.

Optimizing Health: Your job as a serious athlete is to eat nutrient-dense foods that 1) enhance your immune system (to help protect your body from the stress of exercise and a busy life), 2) enhance healing of the tiny injuries that occur during daily training and 3) fortify your body in case you experience a major injury that requires surgery or serious healing.

Three keys to eating for optimal health include:

1. Eat a wholesome, hearty carbohydrate-rich breakfast such as a big bowl of cereal and a whole grain bagel. Research suggests people who fuel well at breakfast tend to eat a better (more wholesome) lunch and have a better diet throughout the day than do people who skip or skimp on breakfast. The reason is, people who eat too little breakfast get too hungry. When you get too hungry, you are more likely to eat junk food (donuts, chips, soft drinks, candy) than wholesome breads, fruits and juices.

2. Eat abundant fruits and vegetables. When you are eating on the run both at home and on the road, you can easily fail to consume the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. A simple way to boost your fruit intake is to have a tall glass of orange juice at breakfast, along with a big banana or other fruit on cereal, and then eat a double serving of colorful vegetables at lunch or dinner (such as a big salad or a generous portion of cooked vegetables).

3. Limit your fat intake. Of all the types of foods, fatty foods contribute to the biggest health and performance problems because they 1) fill your stomach but leave your muscles unfueled, 2) contribute to clogged arteries and heart disease, and 3) are calorie-dense and, in excess, can easily contribute to weight gain. Your best bet is to eat only small portions of fatty foods, or choose lowfat alternatives. For example, choose more thick-crust pizza with vegetable toppings and less thin-crust pizza topped with pepperoni and extra cheese; more bean burritos and fewer burgers; more spaghetti dinners and less cheesy lasagna; more frozen

yogurt and less ice cream. The Game Plan: Fueling well for sports takes some planning, but is not hard to do if you do not get too hungry. Athletes who plan poorly, skip meals, and get too hungry tend to eat more junk food and suffer the consequences of a poor sports diet: chronic fatigue and reduced health.

Your best bet to enhance the nutritional value of your diet is to pack in your sports bag a supply of non-perishable, carbohydrate-rich foods so you'll always have nourishing food options readily available. Popular sports foods that travel well include: juice boxes, pretzel rods, raisins and dried fruits, trail mix, energy bars, granola bars, and even fig newtons or pop tarts. At the last minute, add some perishable items, such as bagels, yogurt, apples, and sandwiches. (Carrying a small cooler can be helpful.)

Clearly, you have to organize time to shop for and pack the food, but the effort will be rewarded. You will always win with good nutrition!

-Nancy Clark