Fueling Your Performance: The First Step

What type of fuel you put in your body is important for achieving your best performance. Many athletes spend hours every week training, but then don’t spend any time on eating properly. Instead, they fill up on unhealthy foods (which are very easy to get in our busy society) or they don’t eat enough to support their training (if they are too busy or are trying to lose body fat). If this sounds familiar, you will never know what you are capable of as an athlete since you are leaving out an important part of the puzzle-sports nutrition. Just think what you could accomplish and how much better you will feel when you eat to compete! You must start with a well fueled body, which is important for performance as well as recovery. There are three types of fuel: carbohydrates, protein and fat, and each one has a specific function. Getting the correct amount of these important nutrients is the first step to success in your sport.

Carbohydrates are the primary fuel for exercising muscles and for high intensity exercise or racing. Your daily diet should be 50-65% carbohydrates to support training. Without enough carbohydrates, your body will not perform as well and you will not burn fat as effectively during workouts. So, no “low carb” diets for athletes in training! Carbohydrates are the staple of your diet whether it is before, during, or after exercise. You also need carbs at regular intervals throughout the day to stay full of energy and ready to go. Healthy sources of carbohydrates include whole grain breads, pasta, brown rice, cereals, oatmeal, fruits, vegetables, potatoes, corn, beans, and low fat dairy products. During exercise, most people do best with easily digestible carbs like sports drinks or sports gels. Since everyone is different, you should consult a sports nutritionist for your exact goals for carbohydrates before, during and after exercise, as well as on a daily basis.

Protein is also important for athletes and the more you train, the more you need up to a point. Yes, it is possible to get too much protein and exactly how much you need depends on how many hours a week you are training, if you are trying to lose body fat, and if you are lifting weights. Protein builds and repairs muscles, ligaments, and tendons, which are all essential to become stronger in your sport. Athletes need 10-25% of their calories from protein, which is easy to get from your diet. Healthy sources of protein include egg whites, poultry with no skin, fish or shellfish, canned tuna or chicken in water, ground turkey or chicken breast, 93% lean (or leaner) ground beef, game meat (i.e. buffalo, venison, etc.), beef with loin or round in the name (eye of round roast, sirloin, tenderloin), nuts and peanut butter, tofu, edamame (green soybeans), low fat dairy products, and soy milk. Protein is more important after workouts than before or during, since after your workout is the time that your body repairs itself. However, getting enough protein throughout the day is essential for optimal recovery and performance.

Lastly, fat helps sustain prolonged exercise at lower intensities. Even very lean athletes have plenty of stored fat to fuel exercise for a very long time. But fat is difficult to use for energy quickly, which is why carbohydrates are the fuel of choice during most exercise. Athletes only need 20-30% of their calories from fats. Healthy sources include fatty fish (salmon-omega 3 fatty acids), nuts and natural peanut butter, avocado, olive oil, and canola oil. Most people get too much fat in their diet and too much of this fat from unhealthy fats (like saturated and Trans fat from sausage, ribs, burgers, French fries, donuts, sweets, etc.). Watching portions and choosing healthy fats is the best place to start to get your fat intake down.

Achieving the correct balance of these important fuels is the first step you must take for you to reach your potential as an athlete. If you don’t fix your day to day eating to support your training, then you will never know how far and how fast you can go. Everyone is different as far as how many calories, protein, carbohydrates, and fats they need on a daily basis. If you need help, your best bet is to find a nutrition professional, preferably a Registered Dietitian, who is Board Certified in Sports Nutrition, so they can develop a personalized nutrition plan for just you.

-Cassie Dimmick, MS, RD, LD, CSSD
Registered and Licensed Dietitian
Board Certified in Sports Nutrition
Achieving Your Best, LLC
http://www.achievingyourbest.net/