• Basic Nutrients & Concepts
• Nutritional Guidelines
  • Eating Enough Quality Calories
  • Nutrient Breakdown
  • Reading Labels
  • Estimated Daily Calorie Intake
  • Food Choices
  • Fast Food Information
  • Fats
  • Hydration & Fluids
  • Common Sense

As you know, athletes use large amounts of energy to reach a level of peak performance. What most athletes do not realize is that the food they put in their body to produce energy is a major factor in their performance. This means that an athlete must put high quality nutrients into their body to be able to have high quality performance. Teaching an athlete how to eat a balanced diet is just as important as practicing a skill that is needed for their sport. Applying nutritional education to a training program will enhance an athlete's performance along with their skills.

As an athlete, you must understand some basic principals about nutrition and your body. An athlete that is high in body fat is a slower athlete than one lower in body fat. This fat storage in the body comes from nutritional habits. Lower body fat increases mobility, while higher body fat decreases mobility. Heavier is not always better when the weight comes from excess body fat. Athletes always want to know how to get faster. It is obvious that one solution would be through proper diet. By using sound nutrition in your diet, you will be able to reduce body fat and become a quicker, leaner athlete.

A normal diet consists of 50-60% complex carbohydrates, 20-25% protein, and 15-25% fat. You should try to eat a similar combination of carbohydrates, protein, and fat at each meal. Keeping the nutrients and calories similar for every meal you eat during the day will help maintain your body's energy levels the entire day. There should never be bouts of sluggishness or hyperactivity due to low or high blood sugar levels.

Remember, an athlete uses nutrients and energy every time they workout, practice, or play a game. After a long bout of exercise, you should replenish your body with nutrients within one hour of finishing. After a workout your body is looking for nutrients to replace the ones lost or rebuild what you broke down during the workout. By eating, your body will absorb nutrients quickly to replenish any losses. Getting nutrients to your body after a workout will aid in the recovery process to build a stronger, faster, quicker athlete. The following pages contain information and guidelines that will give you some insight on how to become a leaner, stronger, and a faster athlete.

BASIC NUTRIENTS AND CONCEPTS

A. CARBOHYDRATES - Carbohydrates are the most important source of energy for the body. This nutrient is readily broken down into a usable source of energy for strength training, conditioning, skill practice and competition. 50%-60% of the athletes' daily calorie intake should consist of carbohydrates. Quality food choices high in carbohydrates include beans, pastas, grains, potatoes, fruits, and rice.

B. PROTEINS - Proteins are used to build and rebuild damaged tissue in the body. While athletes in training appear to have a requirement for this nutrient., excessive protein intake is not necessary and can potentially lead to impaired kidney function. In athletes undertaking strenuous training, optimal protein intake falls between .45-.73 g/pound of body weight/day. This figure correlates to 20% to 25% of the daily calorie intake. Food choices that are high in quality protein include egg whites, skim milk, turkey, chicken breast, tuna, fish, beans, and extra lean beef.

C. FAT - Small amounts of fat are required in the diet and body to perform many essential functions (transport of vitamins, energy source). However, a high fat diet can cause an athlete to feel lethargic and cause weight gain. Fat also slows the rate of digestion, which will upset the timing of protein and carbohydrate absorption. Intake of fat should remain around 30grams/day. Foods to be consumed in moderation include butter, cheese, fried foods, bacon products, mayonnaise, cream, chocolate, etc.

D. VITAMINS - Vitamins serve as a catalyst that control chemical reactions in the body. They do not provide a source of energy. A well balanced diet will afford the athlete a surplus of the necessary vitamins. Limit any supplementation to a multiple vitamin. Mega-dosing any nutrient is unnecessary, expensive, and in some instances, potentially harmful.

E. MINERALS - Minerals are inorganic compounds that help to provide structure throughout the body (i.e. calcium in the bones). These substances also help to regulate several key bodily processes. A balanced diet will provide the athlete with all of the minerals needed.

F. WATER - All body systems depend on water for normal operations. A 1% - 2% drop in body weight due to dehydration can produce up to a 15% decrease in athletic performance. To measure fluid loss you should weigh yourself before and after workouts. For every pound lost the athlete needs to drink 2-3 cups of water. With substantial fluid loss, there is also the loss of essential electrolytes (potassium, and sodium). A balanced diet or use of sports drinks will provide best results. Avoid drinks high in sugar and diuretics such as alcohol, tea, coffee, and other caffeinated drinks.

Nutritional Guidelines

EATING ENOUGH QUALITY CALORIES

One of the biggest problems for most athletes is just getting enough quality calories into their diet. An athlete is very active during the season and moderately active in the off-season. This means an athlete will need sufficient calories throughout the day to meet the need of their activity level. Sufficient quality calories does NOT mean going to Burger King after a workout and eating a Whopper Value Meal. Sufficient quality calories refers to calories that your body can use to rebuild and repair itself. These quality calories come from complex carbohydrates (ex. pasta, vegetables) and lean proteins (ex. fish, chicken).

Meals should be broken up into an even percentage of calories compared to total caloric intake. Lets say you are going to eat 3000 calories in one day. This means that you would eat 1000 calories per meal. If you eat a snack, you would just subtract the amount of calories of the snack from your total calories for the day and then divide it by the number of meals you are eating.

The percentage of complex carbohydrates, proteins, and fat should also be similar for every meal (ex. 55% carbohydrates, 20% protein, and 25% fat). This will aid in maintaining muscle tissue, promoting fat loss, and reduces fatigue throughout the day. By keeping food intake consistent, your body will stay in a state of energy equilibrium. Along with keeping your calories and nutrients at the same percentages per meal, an athlete should eat a minimum of three meals a day with about 4-5 hours between meals. This will keep you from getting hungry and bingeing on junk food. Small snacks can be added during the day when needed, but try to make it a snack with similar percentages to your diet plan. These simple tips should allow you to get enough quality calories into your diet and keep you at a level of peak performance.

NUTRIENT BREAKDOWN

The proper nutrition components are broken down into the following percentages (based on a total kilocalorie intake):

1. Carbohydrates 50-60%
2. Protein 20-25%
3. Fat 15-25%

READING LABELS

Since food labels are printed in grams it will be difficult to figure out the number of kilocalories/serving. Here is the breakdown from grams to kcal: 

• 1g Carbohydrate = 4 calories
• 1g Protein = 4 calories
• 1g Fat = 9 calories

Example: 3600kcal/day

• Carbohydrate 3600 x 0.65 = 2340 calories / 4 calories = 585g
• Protein 3600 x 0.25 = 900 calories / 4 calories = 225g
• Fat 3600 x 0.1 = 360 calories / 9 calories = 40g

Eat Breakfast Daily: Breakfast represents an essential aspect of your daily training routine. It is important to begin each day with a high carbohydrate breakfast in order to get the most out of the day. Athletes who skip breakfast will generally experience several of the following undesirable effects:

1. Inability to concentrate on work
2. Feelings of irritability and short term temperament
3. Low energy levels during morning or afternoon workouts
4. Extreme difficulty in maintaining or gaining body weight

Pre-workout meals: These meals provide the athlete with a lasting source of energy that will extend through the full duration of practice or competition. A quality pre-workout meal must contain high amounts of the essential nutrients without producing an upset stomach.

1. Avoid foods that are high in fat because they slow digestion
2. Relax before exercise. Increased arousal levels slow digestion
3. Eat 2-3 hours prior to activity to allow a sufficient amount of time for digestion
4. Enjoy a meal consisting of 250-1000 calories consisting of mostly complex carbohydrates
5. Avoid sugar intake prior to activity because it may cause a dip in energy levels

Post-workout meals: A carbohydrate-rich meal serves as the best means of refueling after strenuous exercise. Poor post-workout nutritional habits can contribute to a chronic state of fatigue and impaired performance. The following guidelines will contribute to increased recuperative capabilities.

1. Eat a high carbohydrate meal approximately 1 hour after a hard training session. The muscles are most receptive to glycogen replacement during this time interval. These replaced food stores provide essential energy for the next workout.
2. Consume at least 200-400 calories of carbohydrates within 2 hours after a workout.
3. Incorporate wholesome fruits, vegetables, and juices into the post-workout diet. They will help to replace the valuable water and minerals lost through perspiration.
4. Rest your muscles after training to enhance recovery.
5. Obtain adequate amounts of sleep every night.
6. Remember to rehydrate fluids lost during exercise.

Weight Loss: Excess body fat contributes to increased risk of injury, decreased levels of movement speed/power, decreased endurance, and higher risk of degenerative disease later in life. Athletes should modify their dietary intake to obtain an acceptable body composition. The following guidelines should accompany any attempt to reduce calorie intake.

1. Avoid altering body composition during the competitive season!
2. Continue training as you implement a calorie reduction plan. This will help retain muscle and lose fat.
3. Reduce fat intake rather than proteins or carbohydrates.
4. Maintain an adequate protein intake to help prevent loss of muscle tissue during the weight loss process.
5. Incorporate additional activity into the workout program to ensure the necessary calorie deficit on off days.
6. Reduce calorie intake further on those days when no activity will be performed i.e. weekends.

Weight Gain: Weight gain represents a significant goal of many athletes in football. An increase in calorie intake alone will not lead to muscle growth. The following recommendations will help to ensure that you make the appropriate program adjustments when attempting to increase muscle mass.

1. Train on a regular basis. Limit your attempts to increase body mass to off-season training period. Training consistency will become the most important factor.
2. Weigh-in on a regular basis to ensure that no more than 1-2lbs of body weight is added per week. Regulate calorie intake appropriately.
3. Extra calories should come primarily from carbohydrate sources. Avoid excessive fat intake.

ESTIMATED DAILY CALORIE INTAKE

The following chart is used in relation to current weight during strenuous physical activity .

FOOD CHOICES

Now that you know how to break up your meals and snacks, what foods should you be eating to meet your quality calorie needs? Most Americans get 60% of their calories for simple sugars and fat. Fat and simple sugars do not aid in your performance as an athlete. Foods should be nutrient dense with a majority of the calories coming from complex carbohydrates. Avoid foods that are fried, refined, canned, or processed. These foods may be high in calories, but a majority of the calories are from fat. Some suggestions for increasing your quality calorie intake are listed below.

Use complex carbohydrates as your major source of carbohydrates

Examples of Complex Carbohydrates include:

1. Bread
2. Cereals (watch sugar content)
3. Oatmeal
4. Pancakes
5. Waffles
6. French Toast
7. Grits
8. Pasta
9. Rice
10. Vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, lima beans, peas, corn, squash)
11. Fruit and fruit juices (watched for refined sugar in juices)

Eating complex carbohydrates promotes higher levels of activity in athletes. Having enough stored glycogen in your muscles from carbohydrates will enable you to perform at higher levels for longer periods of time. Choosing simple carbohydrates (sugars, pop, candy) only aids in fueling your body for brief periods of time. They are quickly burned and used in the body. The best choice when choosing carbohydrates are complex carbohydrates that power your high performance body for a long period of time.

Use lean protein sources to meet your protein requirements

Protein provides the building blocks for all body tissue. Eating quality protein sources that are lean will enable your body to build quality muscle. It is recommended that .45 to .73 grams of protein per day are sufficient for every pound of body weight. Remember, a diet high in protein may promote the accumulation of body fat from extra calories. High intakes of protein also promote an increase in urinary water loss to remove excess waste products. This extra loss of water my promote dehydration which may lead to cramping. Below is a small list of quality proteins.

Good protein sources:

• Poultry
  • Chicken Breast
  • Turkey Breast
• Fish
  • Catfish
  • Cod
  • Flounder
  • Haddock
  • Halibut
  • Lobster
  • Orange Roughy
  • Salmon
  • Scallops
  • Shrimp
  • Sole
  • Snapper
  • Tuna (packed in water)
• Dairy
  • Cottage cheese (lowfat)
  • Skim Milk
  • Yogurt (lowfat)
• Meats
• Beef (lean)
• Canadian Bacon
• Egg Beaters
• Egg Whites (cooked)
• Ham (lean)
• Pork (lean)

Taking protein supplements instead of eating food to meet your protein needs is not recommended. If you follow a normal eating diet as discussed earlier, you can meet your protein needs without any extra form of supplementation. In addition, the body cannot store large amounts of protein. Therefore, immediate consumption after exercise is needed. An example of this would be drinking a recovery drink after a workout (ex. Boost, Whey protein shake, or milk). This is the only time a supplement would be recommended, because a liquid protein drink is digested and taken up by your muscle cells faster than solid foods.

FATS

Fat is one nutrient that most people have no problem getting enough of. As an athlete, you should try to eat nutrient sources that are low in fat. Eating a diet that is high in fat will cause unwanted percent fat increases, chronic exhaustion, irritability, restlessness, and muscle tissue decreases. A diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates also slows the process of energy storage in the muscles. If this continues, there will be less fuel for high intensity activity, resulting in poor performance.

Some ways you can cut down on your fat intake are as follows. Start by limiting the amount of red meats and pork products you eat (steak, hamburger, hot dogs, luncheon meats, bacon, sausage etc.). Red meats and pork products are high in fat most of the time. If you do eat red meat, try to pick leaner cuts of meat at the grocery store. Dairy products commonly have higher fat percentages compared to their total calories. Foods like cheese, butter, mayonnaise, ice cream, and cream sauces (alfredo) all have high fat content. By choosing lower fat dairy products or sauces that are lower in fat, you will lower the caloric and fat content of some foods by half. Any foods that are based or cooked with oil are also very high in fat. This includes salad dressings, oils, or anything that is fried in animal or vegetable fat (ex. French-fries, potato chips). By substituting low fat dressings, limiting oil use in cooking, and not frying food will aid in the reduction of fat from some of your foods. As an athlete, you are trying to put on lean body mass and fat does not aid in the increase of lean body mass. This is why fat must be limited to a certain percentage of your diet and kept that way to prevent fat mass increases.

HYDRATION AND FLUIDS

Along with properly planned meals, athletes need plenty of fluids to achieve peak performance. Your body is composed of 75% water and uses water for all metabolic functions. Once the body experiences a 3% weight loss in water, there is an affect on performance. This loss may cause muscle cramping, pulls, and heat exhaustion. By drinking water, you maintain balance in your body. The average person should drink 6 glasses of water a day.

To make sure you are getting enough water back into your system after a workout, you should weigh yourself before and after strenuous activity. This will help you determine the amount of water you have lost and need to replace. For every pound lost, 2-3 cups of water will need to be replaced. Another good idea to get water during the day is to fill up an empty milk jug with water and put about two table spoons of lemon juice, orange juice or apple juice in it and shake it up. Every time you open the refrigerator, take a drink and use the jug at every meal. By the end of the day, you should have the jug finished. Your urine should be clear throughout the day. This will tell you that you are well-hydrated and ready for maximum performance.

Hopefully after reading all this, you will understand how much nutrition can affect your athletic performance. Eating properly will increase your athletic potential. However, along with athletic success, you will also want to enjoy life. It is important to eat well, but enjoy food at the same time. With all the stress of eating properly and training, you will have moments where you want to go out and eat pizza, wings or just some good junk food. That is okay, but do so in moderation. Here is an example of how to do this. If you eat 21 meals in one week, you should try to eat healthy for 18 of those meals. Enjoy the other three meals with moderation. Don't go and eat a whole pizza or 100 wings. Eat something you enjoy, like a steak, burger and fries, etc. However, the next meal should bring you right back to your diet plan. This should prevent you from straying far from your diet and make you a better athlete.

COMMON SENSE

The most important thing to remember when considering nutrition as it pertains to you as an athlete is to use common sense. Avoid eating fast food meals high in fat and low in nutrients. The nutrition guidelines you adhere to, as an athlete will impact your performance either positively or negatively. Eat good foods and train properly. The quickest way to have nutrition impact physical training in a negative manner is to continue to eat poorly. You are an athlete and you must treat your body accordingly.