Being an athlete these days means doing everything you possibly can to give yourself a chance to be successful. This is true now more than ever due to all of the information that is out there and all of the specialty coaches and trainers. What I have learned over and over again through my own playing days and afterwards as a coach and trainer is that above anything else you can do on the field and in the weight room is the way that you take care of your body and what you put in to it. Nutrition is the building blocks of anything that you do as an athlete because if you are not taking care of your body you will not have the energy to make the most out of your workouts and will not get the most out of your body during your games.

All coaches tell athletes that you need to be prepared and that preparation is what will help you to win games. It is no different when it comes to nutrition; it is so important for athletes to understand how to plan ahead and know what food they will need through the course of the day. Because you never know what will be provided and where you will be throughout the day it becomes imperative for an athlete to constantly pack the food they will need with them. All great athletes will always have a cooler with them for their shakes, and all the rest of the food that they may need through the course of the day so that come game time or workout time they will be ready to perform at their best.

Click here to listen to sports nutritionist Dr. Susan Kleiner discuss this topic and many more that will help you use nutrition to take your game to the next level.

“What and when you eat, day in and day out, will determine your body’s ability to recover, repair and grow. To really put your food to work for you, timing and combining of foods, meals and supplements will maximize mental and physical training and recovery.” …Dr. Susan M. Kleiner

I’m opening this article on Game-Day Nutrition because it is absolutely essential to understand that performance on game day is not based on what you eat on the day of the game or competition, it’s what you eat day in and day out, for weeks and months before competition, that will ultimately determine overall performance. Once you get your nutrition foundation built, what you eat on the day of the game certainly helps.

These are the key goals for your meals and snacks on competition day.

• Hydrate and fuel during exercise
• Boost mental focus and energy
• Recover, build and refuel after exercise
• Minimize muscle damage and soreness

Before your game, fluids are essential:

• Drink throughout the day
• 2 cups immediately prior to exercise

Among your fluids include water, nonfat/lowfat milk, and 100% juice (4-8 ounce servings).

Your pre-game meal should be 3-4 hours before competition, but this is somewhat flexible based on individual adaptability. In other words, test it out and see what you’re comfortable with. Everyone is different.

• Pre-game Meal
  • Protein, carbohydrate, healthy fats, fluids
• Example foods:
  • Grilled fish/chicken, wild rice/potato, whole grain roll, sautéed green beans, salad, olives, fruit, milk, water

If there is time, you should have a pre-game snack within 60-90 minutes prior to your event. The amount of food and timing is very individualized. Test this out before a game. Don’t ever experiment or do anything new on game day!

• Pre-game Snack:
  • Carbohydrate + protein + fluid (minimal fat)
• Example foods:
  • Yogurt+Fruit+Honey (or pre-sweetened yogurt)
  • Cereal+Fruit +Milk
  • Turkey Sandwich
  • Crackers/pretzels + Apple + Low fat mozzarella cheese
  • PB&J + milk
  • Sports drink + whey protein
  • Protein-energy bar/shake

During your game or event, the goal is to stay well-hydrated:

• Fluids!
  • 4-8 oz. every 15-20 minutes
  • Sports drinks are a good choice on game-day

When the game is over, these are your immediate goals:

• Rehydrate
• Repair
• Refuel
• Grow

BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE, DRINK YOUR RECOVERY SHAKE!!

No shake? Drink chocolate milk. It is a great convenient way to rehydrate and recover.

Then shower and eat a meal.

This recipe is adapted from my book, Power Eating, Third Edition. You can use it as one serving if you can use all the calories. Cut it in half of make it two servings for a smaller portion. Many more smoothie recipes are available in the book, available at www.powereating.com.

**Kleiner’s Muscle Building Formula PLUS**

24 g isolated whey protein

1 cup frozen unsweetened strawberries

1 medium banana

1 cup nonfat vanilla soy milk fortified with calcium, vitamins A & D

1 cup orange juice fortified with calcium and vitamin C

Blend for 60 seconds until smooth.

One serving contains:

Nutrients Food Group Servings

436 calories 4 fruit servings

86 grams carbohydrate

27 grams protein 1 nonfat milk serving

0 grams fat 3 very lean protein serving

8 grams dietary fiber 3 tsp added sugar

]]> http://nutritionsg.com/game-day-meal/feed/ 0 http://nutritionsg.com/how-to-eat-for-an-early-competition/ http://nutritionsg.com/how-to-eat-for-an-early-competition/#comments Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:48:05 +0000 admin http://nutritionsg.com/?p=22 Any of us that have had an early game or workout know that it is often difficult to decide what to eat and when to eat before a contest like that. Experts will all tell us that in order to get the most out of your body you want to eat 3-4 hours before the game or workout. I don’t know about you, but there is no way that I am going to get up and eat at 5AM when I have a game at 9AM and there is no way that a young kid is going to do that. Maybe the fact that I was not willing to make that commitment is the reason that I am no longer in the NFL but am now writing this blog! Olympic athletes that Dr. Susan Kleiner has worked with will actually get up 4-5 hours before their meet or event have their meal and then go back to sleep!!! But what about those of us that are not going to do that in a million years, what can we do to be effective and have energy for that early morning workout, game or event? In this interview Dr. Kleiner covers this exact topic in her weekly podcast with sportsgist.com

To hear Dr. Kliener’s entire interview click here

Click here for the entire interview with Dr. Kleiner

]]> http://nutritionsg.com/understanding-calories/feed/ 0 00:01:01 One of the most difficult things as an athlete is determining what your caloric intake should be. There are so many factors that can go ... One of the most difficult things as an athlete is determining what your caloric intake should be. There are so many factors that can go into the calorie equation and everywhere you turn someone is telling you something different. Luckily sports nutritionist Dr. Susan Kleiner has tackled this issue first hand for sportsgist.com and has been able to shed some light and give guidance to those of us who have been struggling with the calorie dilemma. Click here for the entire interview with Dr. Kleiner calories,,diet,,nutrition,,performance,,weight,gain,,weight,loss kit.latham@gmail.com no No http://nutritionsg.com/halftime-to-eat-or-not-to-eat/ http://nutritionsg.com/halftime-to-eat-or-not-to-eat/#comments Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:41:57 +0000 admin http://nutritionsg.com/?p=9 Renowned sports nutritionist Susan Kleiner joined sportsgist.com in her regular scheduled podcast and this week covered, among other topics the plan that an athlete should have at half time. All athletes that play team sports have faced that challenge at halftime and that decision of whether or not it is better to grab some food or to just get off your feet, relax and listen to your coaches as you make the necessary adjustments for the second half. I know from personal experience there were times when half time rolled around and I was zapped of energy and feeling pretty hungry but never wanted to eat anything for fear of cramping in the second half.

Click to hear the entire interview with Dr. Kleiner

]]> http://nutritionsg.com/halftime-to-eat-or-not-to-eat/feed/ 0 00:01:01 Renowned sports nutritionist Susan Kleiner joined sportsgist.com in her regular scheduled podcast and this week covered, among other topics the plan that an athlete should ... Renowned sports nutritionist Susan Kleiner joined sportsgist.com in her regular scheduled podcast and this week covered, among other topics the plan that an athlete should have at half time. All athletes that play team sports have faced that challenge at halftime and that decision of whether or not it is better to grab some food or to just get off your feet, relax and listen to your coaches as you make the necessary adjustments for the second half. I know from personal experience there were times when half time rolled around and I was zapped of energy and feeling pretty hungry but never wanted to eat anything for fear of cramping in the second half. Click to hear the entire interview with Dr. Kleiner diet,,game,,hydration,,nutrition,,performance kit.latham@gmail.com no No http://nutritionsg.com/water-the-nutrient-for-life/ http://nutritionsg.com/water-the-nutrient-for-life/#comments Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:47:19 +0000 admin http://nutritionsg.com/?p=6 by Susan M. Kleiner, PhD, RD, FACN, CNS, FISSN

Proteins, carbs, vitamins, minerals, water, and fats. Of the 6 primary classes of nutrients, which is the most critical for growth, muscle development, and health? If you guessed water, you’re right!

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE

But with all the obvious importance of water it appears that most of us aren’t drinking enough. Nearly one-third of the U.S. population is walking around slightly dehydrated. “So what?” you ask. “What’s the big deal about being slightly dehydrated?”

A VOLUMINOUS PROBLEM
Just about anyone who knows anything knows that you can get pretty sick and even die from severe dehydration. But the fact is that chronic, mild dehydration, a constant 1 to 2 percent deficit of body weight caused by loss of fluids, can have a measurable effect on mental and physical performance, muscle growth, and even long term health.

WATER AND YOUR MUSCLES

Since muscles are nearly 70 percent water, even a small loss of fluid will affect their function. Muscles are controlled by nerves. The electrical stimulation of nerves and contraction of muscles occurs due to the exchange of electrolytes dissolved in water across the nerve and muscle cell membranes. If you’re low on water or electrolytes, muscle strength and control are weakened. A water deficit of just 2 to 4 percent of your body weight can cut your strength-training workout by as much as 21 percent, and your aerobic power by a whopping 48 percent!

WATER AND YOUR FAT
When your goal is losing body fat, water is your friend. It can help take the edge off hunger so that you eat less, and it has no calories. If you are on a high protein diet, water is required to detoxify ammonia, a by-product of protein energy metabolism. And as you mobilize your stored fatty acids to burn off as energy, you release any fat-soluble toxins that have been benignly stored in your fat cells. The more fluid you drink the more dilute the toxins in your bloodstream, and the more rapidly they exit from your body.

WATER AND YOUR BRAIN
When it comes to peak mental capacity, whether in school or in competition, your hydration state will affect your performance. In a study of subjects’ abilities to perform mental exercises after heat-stress induced dehydration, a fluid loss of only 2 percent of body weight caused reductions in arithmetic ability, short-term memory, and the ability to visually track an object by 20 percent compared to their well-hydrated state.

WATER AND YOUR HEALTH
Probably most surprising is the effect that chronic, mild dehydration has on health and disease. It was a practice of Hippocrates to recommend large intakes of water to increase urine production and decrease the recurrence of urinary tract stones. Today approximately 12 to 15 percent of the general population will form a kidney stone at some time. Many factors can modify the urinary risk factors for developing stones. Of these, diet – especially fluid intake – is the only one that can be easily changed and that has a marked effect on all urinary risk factors.

Mild dehydration can also be a factor in the occurrence of mitral valve prolapse. In a study of 14 healthy women with normal heart function, mitral valve prolapse was induced by mild dehydration, and resolved with rehydration.

YOUR FLUID PLAN
Contrary to our drive to eat, our drive to drink is not as keen. Our thirst mechanism doesn’t kick in until we are already mildly dehydrated. When you’re working out moderately in a mild climate, you are probably losing 1 to 2 quarts (2 to 4 pounds) of fluid per hour through perspiration. That means that a 150 pound person can easily lose 2 percent of their body weight in fluid (3 pounds) within an hour. If exercise is more intense, or the environment is more extreme fluid losses will be greater. You can see how easily you become dehydrated. If you don’t replenish your fluid losses during exercise, you will fatigue early and your performance will be diminished. Without fluid replenishment after exercise, your performance on successive days will decay, and your long-term health may be at risk.

Monitor your hydration status. One of the easiest ways is to check your urine: it should be relatively odorless and no darker colored than straw. Anything more and it is a good sign that you are dehydrated and need to be drinking more.

DON’T GET CAUGHT EMPTY-HANDED

FLUID GUIDELINES

• Drink a minimum of 1 quart (4 cups) of fluid for every 1,000 calories you eat every day.
• Drink at least 5 cups of water every day.
• Fluids should be cool.
• For moderate exercise that lasts an hour or less, water is sufficient for replacing lost fluids. If you like flavored drinks better, then use flavored beverages.
• For intense exercise that lasts less than 1 hour and exercise lasting more than an hour, carbohydrate-electrolyte sport drinks are best.
• Drink 2 cups of fluid 2 hours before exercise.
• Drink 4-6 ounces every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise.
• Drink 4-6 ounces every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise.
• After exercise, drink 16-20 ounces (2-2½ cups) of fluid for every pound of body weight lost during exercise

Put your fears aside. Vegetarian diets are typically rich in carbohydrates, with plenty of protein and high performance fats. That’s the perfect prescription for exercisers and athletes. With 60 percent of your diet coming from carb-packed grains, beans, fruits and vegetables, there’s no way your performance will drop off. And you can certainly get enough protein to pack on plenty of muscle. But you do have to plan your diet well.

And just for clarity-sake, although research has taught us that eating too much of animal-based foods may result in the development of chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer, the problem is not that eating any amount of these foods is bad for you. But if you make animal foods the center of your diet, you just don’t have enough room left to eat all the fabulous plant foods like grains, beans, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables necessary to ward off disease.

ENSURING THE PROPER NUTRIENTS

Changing from a meat-centered to a plant-centered diet is not as simple as just eliminating the meat. The trick is to make sure you’re not skimping on any nutrients as you cut out certain foods. Vegans run the greatest risk of deficiencies because several vital nutrients including protein, vitamins B12 and D, iron, zinc, and calcium, are found in highest qualities or most significant amounts primarily in meat, eggs and dairy products.

SPECIAL FOCUS ON PROTEIN AND CARBOHYDRATE

When it comes to carbohydrates, don’t be misled by fads. The research is clear: if you want to train hard and long, you need plenty of carbohydrate to achieve your goals. Eating a vegetarian-style diet will make this easy. Plant-based foods are great sources of all the different carbohydrates and fibers that will keep you healthy and fuel intense workouts.

To get enough calories and nutrients, vegetarians should eat at least 1,800 calories a day. The following list gives you minimum servings for each day, with a suggestion of where to add more to increase calories.

Lacto-vegetarians:

Vegans:

Serving size guidelines:

A GOLD MEDAL LIFETIME

You are now on the road to improving your performance, and your life. Many successful athletes have chosen a vegetarian lifestyle. Not only could they perform at peak levels during their athletic careers, but they have maintained good health and longevity throughout the rest of their lives.

SIDEBAR

DETERMINING PROTEIN QUALITY

Approximate protein quality of various forms of protein found in food and supplements.*

*Data compiled by Dr. Richard Kreider, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee

Think about how you would like to look and feel. Imagine yourself with a body that’s fit and firm, with just the right amount of muscle. Imagine the joy of having high strength and energy day in and day out.

Keep those images in your mind’s eye. Those goals are not just for athletes and bodybuilders any more. The field of sports nutrition is light years from the dieting world, but it’s sports nutrition and strength training that makes athletes look and feel great. POWER EATING will show you how to achieve those goals by taking a few nips and tucks in one of the most important fitness factors of all-nutrition.

PRINCIPLES FOR BUILDING MUSCLE, GAINING ENERGY, LOSING FAT

These principles are the same ones I have advocated for world-class athletes, Olympic contenders, and recreational strength trainers for more than 15 years. Now you can do it too.

• 1. Eat enough calories

A key to feeling energized is to eat the right amount of calories to power your body for hard training. A lack of calories will definitely make you feel like a wet dishrag by the end of your workout. A diet that provides less than 1,600 calories, for example, generally does not contain all the vitamins and minerals you need to stay healthy, prevent disease, and perform well. Very low-calorie diets followed for longer than two weeks can be hazardous to your health, and they do not provide the dietary reference intakes (DRIs) of enough of the nutrients needed for good health.

Historically, the recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) were the national standard for the amount of carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals we need in our diets to avoid deficiency diseases and to maintain growth and health. The DRIs were established to update the RDAs abased on more functional criteria rather than criteria based on deficiency diseases. Rather than focusing on avoiding disease, the DRIs focus on optimal performance both mentally and physically. But under certain conditions-stress, illness, malnutrition, and exercise-we may require a higher intake of certain nutrients. Studies have shown that athletes, in particular, may have to exceed the DRI of many nutrients. Some competitive bodybuilders have estimated their calorie intake to be greater than 6,000 calories a day during the off-season-roughly three times the DRI for the average person (2,000 calories a day for women and 2,700 calories a day for men).

How much you need of each nutrient depends on a number of factors including your age and sex, how hard you train, and whether you are a competitive or recreational strength trainer, among other considerations. Calorie needs for an athlete trying to build strength and muscle can range from 19 to 24 or more calories per pound of body weight for men and 16 to 23 or more calories per pounds of body weight for women. If you are trying to lose fat, then calorie needs will vary.

Generally strength trainers need to eat more protein, more of the right kinds of carbohydrates, and more high performance fats. What’s more, they may be wise to supplement with a one-a-day style multivitamin-mineral supplement. If you are trying to gain muscle and lose body fat, eating enough calories and takin gin enough nutrients will make the difference between success failure.

• 2. Eat the carbohydrate you need.

It’s well known that most athletes, strength trainers, included, don’t eat enough carbohydrate, the primary fuel for the body. Most athletes eat diets in which only half the total daily calories come from carbohydrate, but if you want to build muscle you need to eat 2.1 to 3.2 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight per day. Men eat more than women. That’s more than half of your total daily calorie intake. Some athletes think that they should be following a low-carbohydrate diet because it promotes faster weight loss. The problem with these diets is that they deplete glycogen, the body’s storage form of carbohydrate. Once glycogen stores are emptied, the body starts burning protein from tissues, including muscle tissue, to meet its energy demands. You lose hard-earned muscle as a result.

The real story on carbohydrate for weight control and muscle building is that you should select whole-food carbohydrate-natural, complex carbohydrate as close to its natural state as possible-instead of refined, processed carbohydrate. What’s the difference? A blueberry is a whole-food carbohydrate: a blueberry toaster muffin is a processed carbohydrate.

One important reason why whole foods are better has to do with their high-fiber content.Fiber is the remnant of plant foods that remains undigested by the body. It’s what keeps your bowel movements regular. Fiber is also a proven fat fighter. Research shows that people who eat healthy high-fiber diets have smaller waistlines, and are able to better control their weight. The bottom line is that the right types of carbohydrate can help you manage your weight successfully. The only types of carbohydrate you should shy away from are sugars and highly processed foods. Even so, when used in a targeted way, sugars can be an athlete’s best friend by providing the right fuel at the right time. But without a plan, they can sabotage your goals.

• 3. Vary your diet

One of the biggest downfalls of traditional bodybuilding diets is the monotonous food choices. Little fruit, fewer vegetables, even less dairy, and little to no meat or eggs show up on their plates. Fruits and vegetables are packed with disease-fighting, health-building antioxidants and phytochemicals that make all the difference when you’re trying to gain energy and build muscle. Dairy products supply important nutrients like bone-building calcium and whey, the ideal muscle-building protein. Meat and eggs are important sources of vital minerals like iron and zinc, without which you’ll be jumping lower and running slower.

Bodybuilders, however, do a lot of things right, especially during the training season. They eat several meals and snacks throughout the day-a practice that should be followed by everyone. In fact, you should be fueling your active body every two and a half to four hours. Carrying snacks with you from a wide variety of the food groups like nuts, fresh and dried fruit, mozzarella cheese sticks, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, turkey jerky, soy nuts and crisps, are a great way to ensure variety in your diet all day long. Make meals representative of all the food groups by including fruits, vegetables, dairy, whole grains, beans, soy, eggs, fish, chicken, meats, nuts, nut butters and oils, olives and extra virgin olive oil, and avocados. Choose a variety of foods from within the food groups as well. Don’t just eat apples, eat apples, bananas, grapes, berries, peaches, nectarines, oranges, grapefruit, and all the wonderful variety of fruits available during the week and month. Keep the idea the same for vegetables, grains, protein foods and high performance fats.

• 4. Time and combine your food and nutrients

To achieve superb shape and maximum performance, forgo the usual approach of three meals a day. Active people must fuel themselves throughout the day, eating small meals and snacks every two and a half to four hours, preferable timed around their workout schedule As we’ll see, these meals don’t include just any type of food.

When eating multiple meals, you always want to combine protein with carbohydrate and high performance fat. Examples would be a turkey sandwich, a whole-wheat bage with peanut butter, or an apple with nuts. Eating multiple meals also promotes variety in your diet and keeps your blood sugar levels even so that you avoid peaks and valley throughout the (a cycle that happens to promote fat storage).

By including small amounts of protein in meals and snacks, you can control your appetite, feed your muscles more efficiently, and maintain muscle even when you’re trying to lose fat. You also burn fat better because protein, as well as eating multiple small meals, has been shown to increase thermogenesis, the process b which your body converts ingested calories and stored fat into heat. Another advantage of multiple meals is mental performance. regular, timed meals help you think and process information more effectively, increase your attention span, and boost your mood.

The bottom line is that small, frequent meals throughout the day are the best fat-burning, muscle-building strategy you can integrate into your lifestyle. It might be hard during the school day, but if you carry snacks in your backpack or book bag it will make all the difference in your performance on the field, and in the classroom.

• 5. Use a food plan

Any nutritional program aimed at losing body fat and building muscle should be based on a food plan that emphasizes lean protein, natural carbohydrate, and high performance fat. When you want to achieve great things, you have to have a plan, and stick with it. You, along with someone close to you, need to think about the four, four-letter words of nutrition: plan, shop, pack and cook. Without planning ahead, you leave yourself at the mercy of whatever is around when you’re hungry: fast food and vending machines. These will sabotage your results every time.

Think about what you need to eat to fuel your body and your brain. Make a shopping list. Go shopping: read labels while you’re there to make sure that what you are buying is the real deal. Shop the perimeter of the supermarket where most of the fresh foods and only lightly processed foods (think bread, cheese) can be found. The closer you get to the center of the store, the more processed the foods become. Make sure to purchase foods that can be packed, and have packing supplies on hand to make your mornings efficient. Get involved with dinner decisions, and even recipe choices. It won’t be that long before you’ll have to be doing this for yourself in your own home. And you may have a positive influence on your whole family’s diet.

Table 1. Power Eating^® Timing

Source for article:

Kleiner SM, Greenwood-Robinson M. Power Eating, Third Edition. Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL. 2007.