Sports Nutrition – Move Well with Amy Rizzotto

July 31, 2014

How to FUEL your body for optimal athletic performance: Part 3

For the past two weeks, I’ve been talking about how to fuel your body for optimal athletic performance. If you’re following along, I’m sure you’re waiting on the edge of your seat for this final installment: post-workout/race nutrition. So far we’ve covered pre-race nutrition and what to eat to keep you going during a long training workout or endurance event. It’s time we talk recovery. For post-workout/race nutrition it’s not as important to experiment beforehand. What’s most important is giving your body the calories and nutrients (macro and micro) it needs, while giving your soul a well-deserved but not over-the-top reward for all your hard work.

How to FUEL your body for optimal athletic performance: Part 3 – What to eat post-workout/endurance event

(Adapted from The Thrive Diet, by Brendan Frazier)

1. Respect the fuel window. In the 15-60 minutes immediately following a workout or endurance event, your muscles are primed and ready to receive fuel to start the repair process. Eat (or drink) your recovery meal right away, ideally within the first half hour after the workout is complete. If you’re not hungry, opt for something liquid as it’ll be easier to gulp down. Even the classic chocolate milk will do in a pinch.

2. Make it easy to digest. Your muscles need blood to deliver nutrients to them. The more of that blood that’s tied up in digesting, the less that gets to your muscles. Ideally, you should get your immediate post-workout fix in liquid form.

3. Consume .75 g of carbohydrate per pound of body weight and include at least 10 g of protein. Your carbohydrates should include high-glycemic index carbs, like glucose (dates are a good way to get it), and some slower-release, fibrous, carbs as well – think whole grains, fruits and veggies. Include about half as many grams of healthy fat as you do protein. Try avocado, or flaxseed or coconut oils.

4. Get out of the acid state with greens or other vegetables and fruits. Intense exercise creates an acidic environment in your body. Bitter greens (kale, chard, mustard, etc), vegetables, and certain fruits like lemons and limes have a neutralizing effect on your body. Animal protein is acid-forming, as are heavily-processed protein powders. This is one of several reasons I suggest using minimally-processed hemp protein powder.

5. Drink 2 cups of water per pound of body weight lost during exercise and replace lost electrolytes. When you sweat, you lose electrolytes, the little conductors that transmit electrical impulses throughout your body. Some good sources of electrolytes are fruit or a few pinches of sea salt. You can also proactively replace electrolytes during an endurance event with S!Caps or another capsule that provides sodium, potassium and other minerals. These can be taken every 45 min in hot weather, or 60 min in temperate weather (depending on your rate of sweat), Just tape them to your race bib (on the outside) and you’ll be good to go!

**Check back next week for what to eat during a long training workout or endurance event.**

July 15, 2014

How to FUEL your body for optimal athletic performance: Part 1

Training for a half marathon, full marathon, ultra marathon, century ride, tournament, duathlon or triathlon? In this three part series, you’ll learn how to fuel your body for optimal athletic performance. As a certified sports nutrition and performance coach, I’ll share advice on how to fuel before, during and after your workout or endurance event. Experiment with different options before race day to find what foods work best for you. Keep in mind, fuel should be a balance of nutrients, energy (calories), taste, digestion, budget and convenience. There is no one size fits all, so play around, do your research, try it out and be open to change.

How to FUEL your body for optimal athletic performance: Part 1 – Pre-Workout Nutrition

(Adapted from The Thrive Diet, by Brendan Frazier)

1. Consume carbohydrates and protein in a 3:1 ratio; and include a little healthy fat. Depending on how quickly you digest, try eating 30 grams of healthy, complex carbs (whole grains, vegetables and fruits) and 10 grams of protein 2-3 hours before a workout or competition. If you’ve only got an hour, try half that amount. If you’re timed crunched, try blending 1 tablespoon hemp protein powder, 1 medjool date (pitted) and 8-oz of unsweetened almond milk. Adding 1 teaspoon of a healthy oil, such as flaxseed or coconut oil, helps slow digestion so your body can absorb fat soluble vitamins and deliver nutrients where they need to go. Coconut oil is ideal for workouts because the liver treats it like glucose (a carbohydrate and your body’s go-to for fast fuel).

2. Include high GI carbs for energy now and complex, non-starchy carbs for later. As noted before, glucose is your body’s go-to for fast-acting fuel. In your favorite pre-workout drink try using one or two dates (glucose) as the high-GI (glycemic index) carb for instant-energy and a couple teaspoons of agave nectar (fructose) for slower energy release. Avoiding high starch foods like bagels is important pre-workout. To convert starch into quick-working fuel your body has to work, and during a workout you want all available energy directed toward movement, not digestion.

3. If you’ll sweat during a workout lasting over an hour, you need lots of electrolytes. Lack of electrolytes can lead to “bonking”—or hitting a wall—and, in rare occurrences, can be fatal for endurance athletes. Hyponatremia is the condition of having too much water and not enough sodium (an electrolyte) in your system. Lots of sodium is lost through sweat so you should take in electrolytes during any high-intensity workout lasting more than an hour. Coconut water contains electrolytes as do most sports drinks and gels, however these often contain a lot of added sugar and preservatives. You can proactively replace electrolytes by adding a little salt or dulse powder to your pre-workout drink – just make sure you experiment first. If it tastes gross to you and you won’t drink it, it’s not the right option for you.

4. Consider caffeinating for improved performance. Caffeine is one of the only ergogenic aids that has been proven to significantly improve performance in endurance events and workouts. It’s not for everyone and is not something you should rely on for every workout because doing so will result in increased adrenal fatigue and slower recovery. You can, however, experiment with adding caffeine to a pre-workout smoothie/drink by replacing the liquid component with brewed yerba mate or tea. For the coffee lovers, you can drink a cup of black coffee (dairy is hard to digest so try to avoid it), but that can be tough on both your intestines and adrenal glands so be sure to test it out well before race or competition day.

5. Add health-boosting superfoods to go the extra mile. While the above guidelines should be enough to give your workout a serious jumpstart, you can make your pre-workout drinks even better with the addition of a few superfoods. Chia seeds contain omega-3s which reduce inflammation and improve cognitive function, and your body will absorb them in either whole or ground form. Chia seeds have a very high fiber content, so be careful not to overdo it and give your body proper time to digest. Maca powder is loaded with energy metabolism-enhancing B vitamins and is great for helping the adrenal glands recover from the stress of a workout. Other options to explore are acai, goji berries, spirulina, chlorella, ground flaxseed, etc.

**Check back next week for what to eat during a long training workout or endurance event.**

June 28, 2013

MOARfit Clinic: Nutrition for Athletes

Last week, I put on my first MOARfit Nutrition for Athletes clinic at Earth Treks Climbing Center in Columbia, MD in partnership with Relay Foods (more on this awesome company later in the post). With my attentive audience of 35 rock climbers, I discussed healthy, non-processed options for optimal energy fueling pre-, during- and post- workout. I also covered topics ranging from proper nutrition for specific goals for weight loss, muscle gain, and healthy tendons/ligaments to information on a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. Keep reading and you’ll get a nice snapshot of my most important takeaways for proper sports nutrition. Finally, the best part, I demoed two of my MOARfit recipes (below): one for pre-workout fuel and one for post-workout recovery.

Rules to Live By for Pre-, During- and Post-Workout Fueling:

PRE-WORKOUT	DURING WORKOUT	POST-WORKOUT
Lots of water (and avoid diuretics) High carb, low fat and low protein Solid meals 3-4 hours ahead of event Liquid or light meals 1-3 hours before Consume complex, nutrient-dense carbs (e.g. oatmeal and dried fruit) but avoid too much fiber (GI upset) Eat foods you can easily digest Stomach should be relatively empty prior to physical activity For early starts, eat your heaviest meal the night before Don’t skip meals for late-day events	Fluid replacement for athletic events lasting longer than 30 min Carb replacement for athletic events lasting longer than 1 hour (to replenish glycogen) Additional sodium (an important electrolyte) may be necessary for physical activities lasting more than 4 hours (tournaments, ultramarathons, etc)	10-20 g of protein within 1 hour after physical activity to improve muscle repair Carb-rich meal within 2 hours following event Fluid and electrolyte replacement (sodium, potassium, calcium) Ideal recovery meal is 3:1 carb to protein (e.g. Ezekiel bread w/ raw honey and almond butter, a banana, and 8 oz unsweetened soy milk)

My Key Takeaways:

Ideal caloric intake breakdown for athletes: 25-35% fat: 15-20% protein: 55-60% carbs
Post-workout you only need 10g protein for muscle repair and no more than 20g (unless you are in a weight training program); most American diets already surpass the RDA
Turmeric, basil and cinnamon have powerful anti-inflammatory properties to help muscles and joints. Ginger has been shown to relieve muscle pain and calm an upset stomach.
Our body needs fats for peak physical performance because they help us absorb vitamins A, D, K and E which are important for bone density, repairing muscle cells and promoting blood clotting. Some good fats are avocados, olive oil, walnuts, and raw almond butter.
You do not need supplements but if you take them, do your research: supplementwatch.org
Eat whole, healthy, real foods. Avoid hype and health claims, and ingredients that are unfamiliar, unpronounceable, number more than 5, or that contain high-fructose corn syrup.

The Recipes: Pre- and Post-Workout Fuel

(1) MOAR’S PRE-WORKOUT HIPPIE FUEL (AKA GRANOLA):

(makes six ½-cup servings)

What You’ll Need:

1 Tbs coconut oil
1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
¼ cup walnuts pieces
2 Tbs whole chia seeds
¼ cup dried cherries, unsweetened
¼ cup dark chocolate bits (dairy-free)
2 Tbs raw honey
¼ cup raw almond butter, unsalted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp cayenne (or more to taste)

How to Make It:

Preheat oven to 325F. Heat coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add oats, coconut and walnuts to pan, cooking for 5-8 min until toasty but not burnt. Remove from heat. Add chia seeds, cherries, chocolate, honey and almond butter to the warm dry ingredients. Give everything a good stir until it all comes together. Spread mixture in an even layer across a baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 min until crunchy (stirring once halfway through). Dust with cinnamon and cayenne, toss and let cool.

Nutrition Facts: 330 kcal; 20 g fat; 37 g carbs (7.6 g dietary fiber); 7 g protein

(2) MOAR’S POST-WORKOUT RECOVERY GREENIE:

(makes two 16-oz servings)

What You’ll Need:

10-oz rice milk
½ small avocado
1 medium banana (ripe)
2 Tbs basil (~10 leaves)
½ lime, juiced
1” fresh ginger, peeled & sliced
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbs whole chia seeds
5 Tbs hemp protein powder
2 ½ cups kale, chopped (2 handfuls)
1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple
½ cup ice (1 cup of fresh pineapple)

How to Make It:

Add all ingredients in the order listed to your blender. Blend at high speed until smooth.

Nutrition Facts: 338 kcal; 15.3 g fat; 42.8 g carbs (20.5 g dietary fiber); 19 g protein

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SHOUT OUTS:

The workshop was a success, in no small part thanks to my amazing partner Relay Foods. Relay is a super convenient online grocery store where you’ll find all the stuff you need from the best local stores, restaurants, and farms in and around your own neighborhood. I got almost all of my recipe ingredients from these guys and was very much pleased/impressed by the quality. If you’re going to try out my recipes, I’d encourage you to also try out Relay Foods. I’ve saved my shopping list called “Nutrition for Athletes” to make it even easier for you to get things going.

I also want to add that this event could not have happened were it not for the great staff at Earth Treks Columbia who share my belief that athletic performance and nutrition go hand-in-hand. Big thanks to everyone out there in Maryland!

If you’re interested in having me do a Nutrition for Athletes clinic at your gym, yoga studio, school or other venue, please contact me directly via email: [email protected].