Consistent and Inconsistent Meals: Effects on Performance

Jackie Berning, PhD, RD, CSSDAssociate Professor/Chair

University of ColoradoSport Dietitian: Denver Broncos, Colorado

Rockies, Cleveland Indiansjberning@uccs.edu

Challenges to aSwimmers Diet

• Hectic schedules• Little knowledge about:

– Basic nutrition– Grocery shopping– Food preparation– What to choose when

eating out

• Good nutrition isn’t always a priority

Nutrition Knowledge

• Survey of Adolescent Swimmers• Most nutritious carbohydrate

• 63% chose an apple while 37% chose French fries

• Good source of protein• 63% chose chicken, while 37% chose oatmeal

• Food Groups• 95% identified the food groups, but only 45% could identify

foods from the group

Berning et.al, IJSN, 1991

Nutrition Practices

• 30% of adolescent athletes skip breakfast

• 25% skip lunch• 86% eat at fast food restaurants each

week• 82% of male track, basketball, and

football teams could not identify the fuel sources in the muscles

Food is Fuel• Strategies to help players

maintain their “fuel tanks”– Must eat breakfast even if it is

small– Liquid meal supplements may

be useful when in a hurry– Focus on “grab & go” foods– Focus on foods with protein

and carbohydrate– Hydrate before during and

after workouts or games• Never go more than 3-4 hours

without food

• Bagel with Peanut butter

• Banana

• Sports Drink

• Instant breakfast

• Cold cereal with milk

• Energy bar

• Apple

• Recovery drink

• Yogurt

0

+

-

Higher body fat

Lower body fat

24 hours

Athletes who skip meals and only eat one meal per day have higher body fatDeutz et al, 2000 Med Sci Sports Exerc 32(3) 659-68

Effects of skipping meals

Fatigue, lethargic

More energy Throughout the day

Recovery Nutrition

• Normally takes 24 to 36 hours to replace muscle energy (glycogen)

• By consuming carbohydrates immediately post exercise (w/n 30 minutes) can reload the muscles in 12 to 16 hours

• Snack should be mostly carbohydrates and some protein (4 parts CHO’s and 1 part Pro)

• Chocolate milk, nutrition shake, smoothie, peanut butter sandwich, energy bar, yogurt, turkey sandwich, string cheese and crackers

Example of Post Game/Recovery Nutrition

• Local High School Soccer coach wanted to cut the time it takes to come home after an away game

• He asked the parents to provide snacks on the bus for the trip home

• Found:– the team recovered faster the next

day– Were not as hungry coming home– Were not as grouchy coming

home– Felt he could push them harder

the next day• Took the team to the State High

School playoffs—lost in second round double overtime…sudden death

Sample Recovery Foods

• Granola, energy or breakfast bars

• Bagels with peanut butter• Sports drinks• Recovery shakes• Sub sandwiches• Crackers and cheese• Burritos• Fresh fruit like apples,

bananas, oranges, grapes• Vegetables such as carrots

and celery• Fruit smoothies (prepackaged)• Trail mix/animal crackers

High School Football Team

• Local HS football coach felt that students needed to know about nutrition/hydration

• Set up several educational opportunities– Met with booster club

• Parents, students and coaches all hearing the same information

Local High School Football Team

• Meet with players in the summer at speed camp– Breakfast– Hydration for camp

and two a days– Healthy snacks

throughout the day– Weight gain and

weight loss

Weight Gain/Weight loss

• Weight gain (muscle) involves eating more calories not just more protein

• Weight gain is a combination of strength training, proper nutrition and rest

• Increase calorie intake 500-1,000 calories per day

• Maintain hydration

• It takes a plan to gain

• Eat smaller meals more frequently– Need a 200-300 calorie deficit

per day

• Don’t skip meals or only eat one meal a day

• Eat slowly – Fast eaters tend to overeat

• Increase aerobic exercise slowly each day

• Maintain hydration

WEIGHT GAIN WEIGHT LOSS

Breakfast Skipping Bad for Bones and Weight

• Study found that skipping what some call the most important meal of the day "may predispose" girls to diets low in calcium and fiber.

• Those who eat breakfast on a regular basis have a reduced body mass index compared to "infrequent breakfast eaters.“

• Girls who consistently ate breakfast had a lower body mass index and higher fiber and calcium intakes, which may suggest that eating breakfast during the critical pre-teen and teen years could help prevent osteoporosis.

•Journal of the American Dietetic Association. (June 2005)

Local High School Football Team

• Game Day Nutrition– Developed a meal

plan for game day– Developed hydration

plan for game day– Developed snack plan

for half time– Developed recovery

plan

Meet Day Nutrition• Need to stick with the three meals/day and depending on swim time

snacks in between events or heats• Even if its an early morning swim still need to eat something

– Oatmeal, bowl of cereal with low fat milk, or energy bar• Need to eat after swim

– Carton of yogurt, peanut butter sandwich, smoothie• Lunch

– Small sub sandwich, fruit and or vegetables, sports drinks• Mid-afternoon Snack

– Fruit/vegetables, low fat string cheese, whole grain crackers• Dinner

– Standard basic meal that includes entrée, starch, vegetables and low fat milk

• Snack before bed– Smoothie, yogurt parfait, bowl of cereal

Pre-Event Eating

• 1-4 hours before the event– closer to event less food

• Consume mainly CHO as they are digested faster– next comes protein, last comes fat– 1 hour or less-- stick to liquid, sports drinks– 2 hours or less-- sports drinks, toast, muffins, cereal

with lowfat milk– 3-4 hours--spaghetti, French toast, turkey sand,

yogurt, string cheese and crackers

Pre-Event Meal Ideas• One hour or less before competition

– Stick to liquids like water, sports drinks and avoid high glycemic beverages like soda, juice, drinks or “energy” drinks

• Two hours before competition– Cereal and low fat milk

– Toast, or low fat muffin

– 1/ 2 Bagel, yogurt and fruit

• Three-four hours before competition– Turkey Sandwich w low fat cheese, yogurt, fruit, granola bar

– Pasta with meat sauce, bread sticks, low fat milk

– French toast, low fat milk, fruit

Dangers of Dehydration

• Fatigue

• Loss of coordination

• Increased risk of heat illness, heat stroke and even death

Monitor Fluid Loss

• Two ways:• Weigh in before

practice and after practice– 3 cups of fluid per

pound lost

• Check the color of urine

1 - 3 = Optimally Hydrated4 - 6 = Slightly dehydrated should drink more

6 - 8 = Dehydrated, must drink more

Thirst

• Thirst is not an adequate indicator of fluid needs– Wait to drink until you

thirsty its too late– As little as a 2%

weight loss as sweat will affect performance

– If you drink to satisfy your thirst it’s not enough

Sport Drink Formulation Important for Optimal Fluid Absorption

Water Gatorade Powerade AllSportRyan, AJ. et al J. Appl. Physiol. 84: 1581-1588, 1998Ryan, AJ. et al J. Appl. Physiol. 84: 1581-1588, 1998

18.316.5

6.9*

1.8*

FAST

SLOW

FluidAbsorption(mL/cm/hr)

0% 6%

8%9%

* p<0.05 slower than water and Gatorade.Water and Gatorade were not different from each other.

SodaPop

13%

“Energy” Drinks: What are they• Basically fluid and energy

in one bottle• Contain high

concentration of carbohydrate (almost same concentration as syrup)

• Usually caffeine (sometimes in an herbal form such as Mate or guarana, which is 4-5x more powerful)

• May contain other ingredients to potentiate caffeine (ginseng)

• May contain Synephrine

Fluid Guidelines say:• Before

– Drink 12 to 20 oz -- 2-3 hours before

• During– Drink 6 to 12 oz every 15-20 minutes

• After– Drink 150% of sweat losses– Drink 3 cups (24 oz) for every 1 lb weight lost through sweat– Two gulps are about 3 ounces

– Replace 70% of what you have lost before next practice

How much should I drink for Practice and Games?

CarbohydratesCarbohydrates(60%)(60%)

ProteinsProteins(15%)(15%)

FatsFats(25%)(25%)

What Should Athletes Eat?

Use a Modified Peace Sign

Breads, cereal, ricepasta, fruit, vegetables,tortillas, energy barscrackers, potatoes (notfried), pinto beans, blackbeans, salad

Chicken, turkey, beef, pork, milk, cheese, yogurt, eggs, peanutbutter, nuts, soy

¹/3 Protein

¹/3

Grains, Bread, Pasta ¹/3

Fruits & Veg

All players, coaches and parents bought into the program

Resulted in a 5A State High School Championship!

Take home message for me is coaches/athletes believed in:– Importance of nutrition in

athletic performance– Importance of hydration– Second half team– Believer in fueling and

cooling the body will allow a student athlete to maximize their athletic potential