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Pressing concerns: addressing commonly asked sports nutrition questions

American Fitness, July-August, 2004 by Nancy Clark

Questions abound regarding how to eat for more energy, less body fat and better performance. Here are answers to questions athletes commonly ask me; perhaps they will address your concerns, too.

I exercise three to four days per week. At what intensity should I work out to effectively burn fat?

Although low-intensity "fat-burning exercise" proportionately burns more fat than carbohydrate, you are unlikely to lose weight faster with it. Two "fat-burning" activities include sleeping and sitting--but these are not known for having weight-reduction benefits! For fat/weight

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control, you need to review your day's calorie balance--not just fat burned during exercise. If, over the course of a day, you have created a calorie deficit by burning more calories than you consume, you'll lose body fat. However, if you overindulge, you'll gain fat.

The biggest benefits of low-intensity, fat-burning exercise are 1) you are less likely to get injured and 2) you are able to exercise longer, hence burn more total calories. However, high-intensity exercise contributes to a lower percentage of body fat. Research on 1,366 women and 1,257 men suggests those who did high-intensity exercise had less body fat than those who did lower-intensity "fat-burning" exercise (Tremblay 1990).

Should I eat breakfast before I exercise? I've heard not eating before exercising will help me burn more body fat.

False. Eating a pre-exercise mini-breakfast of 100 to 300 calories boosts your blood sugar and energy, helping you exercise longer and harder. Consequently, you'll burn more calories than if you exercised "on empty." You can better enjoy exercising if you are well fueled. Otherwise, exercise will seem like punishment for having excess body fat. This pre-exercise fuel will also curb your appetite, so after the workout you will be less likely to reward yourself with high-calorie treats.

I know carbs are essential for exercise, but which foods are highest in carbs?

Good question. Nutrition experts routinely talk about carbohydrates but rarely define which foods are carbohydrate rich. The best carbs include wholesome fruits, vegetables and grains. Here's a detailed list: pasta (add tomato sauce for more carbohydrates), potatoes, rice, noodles, sweet potatoes, yams, stuffing, millet, bulgur, kasha, couscous, barley, dried beans (e.g., pinto, black or garbanzo), split peas, lentils, hummus, lima beans, bread, rolls, tortillas, pretzels, air-popped popcorn, baked chips, energy bars, crackers, hot cereal (add banana, raisins or other dried fruit for extra carbs), cold cereal (preferably dense cereals, such as Grape-Nuts, Wheat Chex or low-fat granola), bagels, low-fat muffins, corn bread (with jam or honey), banana bread, pancakes, waffles, French toast (with maple syrup), fresh or dried fruit (e.g., banana, pineapple, raisins, dates or apricots), juice (e.g., apple, cranberry, grape, pineapple or apricot), fruit smoothies (made by mixing fruit and juice in a blender), low-fat desserts, such as apple crisp, blueberry cobbler, angel food cake, date squares, fig bars, oatmeal raisin cookies, frozen yogurt, low-fat ice cream, sherbet and sorbet.

Although, refined sugars offer carbs that fuel muscles, they have few vitamins. Therefore, limit your consumption of jelly beans, licorice, gummy bears, marshmallows, honey, brown sugar, jelly, maple syrup, jam, soft drinks, lemonade and even sports drinks consumed apart from exercise, such as for a lunchtime beverage.

What does a sample sports diet look like? I'd like an idea of what kinds of foods I should be eating.

In general, a balanced sports diet includes at least three items from the five food groups in a meal, which should be eaten at least every four hours. If you exercise in the afternoon, fuel up with a hearty breakfast (e.g., cereal, milk and banana from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.), satisfying lunch (e.g., a hefty sandwich made on hearty whole-grain bread and yogurt from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.) and energizing second lunch (e.g., peanut butter, crackers and apple from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.). The purpose of these three meals is to fuel your afternoon workout and curb your appetite so you have energy to cook a healthy dinner. For dinner, any combination of protein, starch and vegetable is fine (e.g., chicken, rice and veggies or pasta, tomato sauce and meatballs). You could also eat a bowl of cereal with milk and carrot juice. My new Sports Nutrition Guidebook, Third Edition offers comprehensive information on how to healthfully fuel your active lifestyle--even if you are busy and eat on the run. You could also consult a sports dietitian for personalized menu planning. Put your zip code into the referral network at www.eatright.org.

I regularly eat a 100 percent vitamin-fortified cereal. Should I also take a multivitamin pill?

No. You are already consuming a vitamin supplement in your cereal (likely two because most athletes eat more than one serving of cereal). Nonetheless, you should boost your vitamin intake with more whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat milk or yogurt. These wholesome foods offer not only vitamins but also other compounds that heighten the health protectiveness of food--far more than a vitamin pill can do.

Pressing concerns: addressing commonly asked sports nutrition questions

American Fitness, July-August, 2004 by Nancy Clark

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