Sports Nutrition Tips

Pre-Workout

Defining the best amount of pre-exercise food is difficult because tolerances vary greatly from person to person. 2-3 hours before exercise, you should ingest mainly complex carbs, moderate protein and fat, not too much fiber, and water.

Suggestions:

• Cereal with skim milk and banana
• Poached egg on dry toast with fruit juice
• Vegetable soup and crackers with skim milk
• Blender shake: fresh fruit, skim yogurt, orange juice, whey protein, ice cubes
• 1/2 turkey sandwich, banana, 12 oz Gatorade
• Fruit with cottage cheese
• Shake and Take

30 minutes to 1 hour before you should have a light snack combo of protein and carbs. This needs to be experimented with to find the right food and time to perform your best.

Suggestions:

• Protein bar w/ Gatorade

Post-Workout

Refuelling after activity is crucial to help your muscles recover and repair. The most efficient way to fuel your body after a hard workout is through liquid calories. Your muscles are most receptive to taking in carbs and protein 30-45 minutes after your workout.

• Protein post workout = building muscle
• Carb post workout = refuelling
• 0.5-1 g of carb per kilogram body weight
• 0.5 g protein per kilogram body weight
• 150 lb = 68 kg = 34-68 g carbs, 30-34 g protein

Use Shake and Take, add Gatorade, juice, honey, oatmeal, yogurt, or milk to increase carb intake post workout. Post workout suggestions when a shake is not possible include:

• Chicken and veggies
• Salmon and sweet potatoes
• Tuna, brown rice, and veggies
• Egg omelette with veggies and low fat cheese

General Guidelines for Fluid Needs During Exercise

Hydration Before Exercise

Drink about 500 ml of water 2-3 hours before exercise, then drink 8-10 fl oz 10-15 min before exercise.

Hydration During Exercise

Drink 250 ml every 10-15 min during exercise. If exercising longer than 90 minutes, drink 8-10 fl oz of a sports drink (with no more than 8 percent carbohydrate) every 15 - 30 minutes (Gatorade, Powerade).

Hydration After Exercise

Weigh yourself before and after exercise and replace fluid losses. Drink 20-24 fl oz water for every 1 lb lost.

What about Sports Drinks?

Helps supply the needed calories required for continuous performance. However, it is NOT necessary to replace electrolytes during exercise since you're unlikely to deplete your body's stores during normal training. If you are exercising in extreme conditions over 3 or 5 hours (a marathon, Ironman or ultramarathon) it is important to add a complex sports drink with electrolytes.

Shake and Take Recipe

In a blender or Magic Bullet combine the following:

• 1-2 cups filtered water
• 3 ice cubes
• 1 to 2 tablespoons omega-3 rich oil (flax, Udo’s, fish)
• 1 scoop whey or soy protein powder
• 1/2 cup fruit (berries, banana, cherries, pear, peach, or apple, for example)
• 5 g glutamine

This shake will help you to enter your workout with glycogen-rich muscles, stable blood sugar and high-energy reserves. Performing on an empty stomach increases risk of injury, limits exercise performance, and stunts your progress. This shake combo is an option to drink immediately after training, while the window of opportunity is wide open for repletion and restoration. Liquid nutrition is the most efficient way for your body to absorb nutrients.