We had nutritionist Pam Rosow come and speak to the men's and women's teams yesterday (though there was somewhat diminished attendance because of the Barack Obama rally in Hartford).Pam's talk focused a wide range of topics but I thought I would boil down the talk into ten bullet points for your perusal. I found these very helpful and were great reminders for the dietary needs of competitive athletes.
1. Use natural foods as much as possible for more "complete" nutrition. It's far better to eat unprocessed oatmeal than an oatmeal cookie for example.
2. Fats and protein help create a feeling of satiety that carbohydrates do not.
3. Your hypothalamus does not detect the caloric content of drinks and so they do little to satiate hunger. Avoiding sodas, sugary coffee drinks, and other similar products and getting those calories through food will provide more fuel for your body.
4. Protein + Exercise allow one to build muscle and improve performance. One without the other will not improve performance.
5. Post workout calories in the form of carbohydrate and protein are most effective when consumed between 30 and 60 minutes following exercise.
6. Iron intake for athletes is important and can be consumed through red meat or certain vegetables. Vitamin C consumption helps the body absorb iron which is critical for oxygen transportation within the body. Women need more iron than men.
7. Multivitamins DO NOT provide the body with energy - mostly they allow the body to process and utilize food more effectively. A diet rich in vegetables, fruit, protein, and whole grain carbohydrates will provide more than enough of the recommended intake of vitamins and minerals.
8. Supplements like caffeine, creatine, and others should be monitored carefully and tested prior to competition. Pam's point was that these supplements should NOT be used as a replacement for good nutrition and can be dangerous if used improperly.
9. Chew! The longer food stays in your mouth and is chewed the more opportunity for it to be broken down physically and chemically with salivary enzymes. This provides better nutrition, quicker absorption, and easier elimination. So when in doubt...CHEW!
10. If you are working out less than 60' you probably only need to drink water to rehydrate - the need to have gatorade, powerade, etc. is exaggerated by amazingly effective advertising. Replenishing electrolytes like sodium, potassium, etc. would be better accomplished through consumption of food (that also controls hunger!)
