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[ Eat To Win ] [ Explosive Power ] [ Reducing Body Fat ] [ Maintaining Stamina ] As any veteran racer can attest, it’s not easy to improve performance year after year. We are, in fact, all getting older. One aspect of training that often gets ignored is a skill that you probably “practice” at least three times every day. That “skill” is eating. Link Nutrition Goals to Performance Goals Most athletes have a performance weakness they can identify. For some, it is explosive power. Others would like to reduce body fat and improve overall efficiency. Perhaps increased endurance is your goal. Let’s take a closer look at all of these issues.
Training to improve explosive power typically involves performing resistance exercise to increase muscle strength as well as doing high intensity repetitions. Creatine monohydrate may be a useful nutrition supplement for this type of training regimen. Short-term creatine supplementation (e.g., 20 g/day for 5-7 days) has been reported to increase total creatine content by 10-30% and phosphocreatine stores by 10-40%. Benefits associated with short-term creatine supplementation (when used in combination with an exercise stimulus) include: improved maximal power/strength (5-15%), and work performed during repetitive sprint performance (5-15%). A second nutrition intervention that can augment the gains in muscle size and strength is the consumption of a mixture of protein-carbohydrate calories before and after resistance exercise. Research has shown that a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein is optimal for the creation of new muscle mass. This ratio can be achieved with a variety of combinations, such as: a one-cup serving of raisin bran cereal and a half cup of milk; 2 packets (1 cup) of instant maple-flavored oatmeal, 2 ounces of milk, and a hard boiled egg; or a peanut butter sandwich and 10 ounces of fruit juice, or piece of fruit.
Reducing body fat through increased training volume is not always practical, nor feasible for an endurance athlete. On the other hand, the high protein/low carb (Atkin’s, South Beach) diets that have become popular are also a poor choice, due to severe carbohydrate restriction. Combining a sensible diet pattern with a consistent training program reduces the likelihood that over training injuries result and/or excessive fatigue occurs due to glycogen depletion. While drastic carbohydrate restriction is not recommended for an endurance athlete, there often is room for improvement as far as amount and timing of carbohydrate intake. For example, some athletes fail to take in the recommended 30 grams of carbohydrate per hour during exercise, which can prolong endurance capacity. Skipping the post-workout mixed carb/pro snack is also a mistake. Following a workout, blood sugar levels will continue to drop for the next 2-3 hours as the body replaces glycogen stores. Numerous studies have shown that precipitous drops in blood sugar level result in a binge-eating pattern. Proper timing of carbohydrate intake can alleviate this problem.
Properly timed carbohydrate supplements can reduce perceived exertion and improve endurance capacity. Carbohydrate replacement guidelines
Services offered by Endurance Sports Nutrition
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